Our future business leaders showcased their entrepreneurial skills at the 30th annual iGen Challenge Finale held June 11 at the Innovation Centre in Kelowna.
More than 200 high school entrepreneurial teams, encompassing 500 students, put their business ideas to the test, with the top eight given the opportunity at the iGen Challenge to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.
Earning first place in the finale event was the seraphic stationery proposal, submitted by Rutland Secondary students Tanav Goel, Griffin Hendry and Yuvraj Dosanj.
In second place was the Pro Performance drink created by Ty Bunn and Caisen Dodd, from Mount Boucherie Secondary, and in third place was the iTutorFriends concept developed by Brayden Jarrard, from Ecole Okanagan Mission Secondary.
The best market research award went to Amiga, created by Zoe Wiens and Lauren Munro, from Ecole George Elliot Secondary.
Kevin Kaardal, Central Okanagan Public Schools superintendent/CEO, said the iGen Challenge continues to grow every year, a reflection of how the school district looks to create new career opportunities for students to set their future goals around, in this case being successful entrepreneurs in the business world.
iGen gives students an opportunity to tap into that potential and get feedback and encouragement from local business leaders, who are both participants as judges and sponsors of the event.
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A wave of recent capital funding announcements from the Ministry of Education and Child Care has caused some amending to the 5-Year Capital Plan for the Central Okanagan School District.
Among the capital projects now confirmed are the seven-classroom prefabricated addition to Chief Tomat Elementary and the site acquisition for a new school in the university area of Kelowna.
The top capital priorities are now: new schools, middle/secondary school for Central Kelowna within the university area; school additions, Rutland Middle; site acquisitions, elementary school site in downtown Kelowna; school replacement program, Glenmore Elementary; building envelope remediation, Shannon Lake Elementary.
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The Central Okanagan Board of Education has signed off on a proposed school calendar for the 2025-26 school year, after receiving widespread feedback from various employee group stakeholders.
Among the key dates will be school reopening on Tuesday, Sept. 2; Remembrance Day stat, Tuesday, Nov. 11; Christmas break, Dec. 22 to Jan. 2; spring break, March 16-27; Good Friday stat, Friday, April 3; and summer break starts Friday, June 26.
CUPE continued its opposition to the two-week spring break due to lost wages for a small number of 10-month employees that resulted from the additional one-week layoff.
As in previous years, funding is allocated to compensate clerical staff to work at their schools during the second week of spring break.
Similar opportunities for work during the spring break also exist for some unionized support staff.
In his report to the board, Kevin Kaardal, Central Okanagan Public Schools superintendent/CEO, noted the two-week spring break holiday has been in place for about 20 years, and any move by the Ministry of Education to return to a one-week spring break is projected to cost the school district about $800,000 in operating costs.
He added a community program initiative has evolved in recent years to provide support programs for parents along with sports and other activity programs to keep kids occupied who don't leave town on family vacations.
He also noted that 90 per cent of job creation in the Central Okanagan is attributed to small business/entrepreneurship.
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The Rutland Senior Secondary Parent Advisory Council offers sincere thanks to everyone who bought tickets to support the recent RSS PAC 50/50 Fundraiser, which raised $2,455.
The draw occurred on Friday, May 31, 2024, with Cheryl Shier holding the winning ticket and taking home the draw prize of $1,22.50
After covering the cost of administration fees and online payment administrators, the remaining $1,227.50 50/50 share for the PAC will support RSS grad events, extracurricular equipment and field studies for students.
The next RSS 50/50 fundraiser is anticipated for October 2024.
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Several students received special recognition from Central Okanagan trustees for their accomplishments on behalf of their schools.
The Ecole Kelowna Secondary Owls AAA boys volleyball team was congratulated for winning their third consecutive provincial title, and being the recipient of the Bryan Couling Memorial Award as Kelowna's athletic team of the year.
The team is coached by Mike Sodaro.
The Mount Boucherie Secondary robotics team was also saluted, and tutored by team coach Mike Boulanger, which includes students Simon Telfer, Anaka Fuller, Joey Gramiak, Parker Reeves, Yoshiko Yokosawa, Hector Rubin, Martin Barroso and Tyler Rubis.
The robotics team won a First Robotics Canadian championship event in Victoria, earning a berth in the global championships held in Houston, Texas, competing against 600 other First Robotics champions from around the world.
Also earning recognition from the board of education was Feather Mason, a Mount Boucherie Secondary Grade 12 student in the Indigenous Academy, who was invited to attend a four-day poetry and writing workshop in Ottawa.
Out of more than 2,000 students who applied to attend the workshop, Mason was one of only 12 invited and the only student from B.C.
Mason was accompanied to the board meeting by one of her teachers, Bailey Nerbus.
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School trustees bid farewell to Tracey Beckett, who was the driving force and co-chair of the Partners for Inclusive Education (PIE) over the past five years.
Moving on to a new job outside the school system, Beckett was acknowledged for her efforts to add a greater voice for parents of students with special needs in the school system, raising heightened awareness and discussion about the concept of inclusive education in the Central Okanagan school system.
Kevin Kaardal, Central Okanagan Public Schools superintendent/CEO, said Beckett began her journey as an advocate for her daughter, and the pathway she followed to establish PIE has not always been easy.
"But you have been resilient and stuck to it," Kaardal said, who Beckett in turn thanked for "taking a risk and supporting us."
Kaardal said PIE is now firmly established in the school district culture and will continue to thrive, a legacy of what Beckett was able to achieve working with staff, parents and students.
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Fundraising activities:
香蕉视频直播� On June 6, Ecole Okanagan Mission Secondary held its Relay for Life in support of cancer patient care, raising $56,000.
香蕉视频直播� Ecole Dr. Knox Middle held its Bald Falcon Day on May 31, a fundraiser for BC Children's Hospital. The event raised $20,959.60 plus a $5,000 donation from Odlum Brown.
香蕉视频直播� Ecole Kelowna Secondary held its annual drive-thru breakfast in support of Cancer Week.
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The final board of education meeting of the 2023-24 school year will be Wednesday, June 24, at 6 p.m., at the school district main board room, 1040 Hollywood Rd. South.
