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Message 2025-2030
Learning CommunitiesCultivating learning communitieswho communicate and thinkcritically to pursue personalstrengths and interests.Reconciliation“Building relationship withIndigenous Peoples, based onthe recognition of rights, respect and partnership.” Government of Canada
Grateful regards on behalf of the board, Catherine Zaitsoff Board Chair, SD20 Kootenay ColumbiaCatherine ZaitsoffBoard ChairOn behalf of the school board for the Kootenay-Columbia School District (KCSD), I want toexpress heartfelt gratitude to the students, families, staff, partner groups and community foryour dedication, and unwavering belief in the power of education. We are especially grateful for the spirit of collaboration that has shaped the new strategicplan. With your voices and experiences at the heart of this work, we were able to renew ourvision and mission statements, set commitments and identify three key areas of focus: building a genuine sense of belonging for every studentclosing the achievement and graduation gaps for Indigenous studentsraising achievement in numeracy, empowering all students with the skills they need fortheir futureFrom the Board of Education ChairWith this strategic plan as our foundational document for 2025-2030, we will continue to create a district where every student hasopportunities to learn, to achieve their full potential, and be empowered to pursue their dreams.
Board of Education TrusteesKristin AliTrusteeSteve PiccoloTrusteeTerry HanikTrusteeDarrel GanzertVice-ChairGordon SmithTrusteeDarilyn SimisterTrusteeBirkley ValksTrusteeMark WilsonTrustee
Katherine ShearerSuperintendentFrom the SuperintendentIt is an honour to share the Kootenay-Columbia School District (KCSD) Strategic Plan2025–2030. This new plan sets the foundation, affirms our commitments, andidentifies key focus areas as we navigate the next five years together.The KCSD Strategic Plan 2025–2030 is part of our Continuous Improvement Cyclefor Student Learning. By working with our stakeholders to review evidence oflearning, we can respond with intention, align operational practices, implement andadapt strategies, and monitor outcomes to ensure our efforts are effective andstudent-centered.Education and Child Care Strategic Plan Renewal Community of Practice, andMike McKay with Hadrian Consulting. You have our appreciation and gratitude as we move forward with the KCSDStrategic Plan 2025-2030. Together we can lean in to our vision, mission,commitment and focus areas and bring the words on these pages to life inKootenay-Columbia schools and communities.Looking forward to the journey,SuperintendentONGOING ENGAGEMENTContinuousImprovementforStudent LearningInitiate adapted strategiesAlign operationsfor implementationReviewdata andevidenceand respond to resultsMonitor learningoutcomes andstrategyeffectivenessONGOING ENGAGEMENTONGOING ENGAGEMENTALIGNIMPEMENTMONITORREVIEW & RESOPONDONGOING ENGAGEMENTThe planning of the new strategic plan could nothave happened without the collaboration andcontributions form the public, students and staffalongside the support of the Ministry of
It is an honour to share the Kootenay-Columbia School District (KCSD) Strategic Plan 2025–2030. This new plan sets the foundation, affirms our commitments, and identifies key focusareas as we navigate the next five years together.The KCSD Strategic Plan 2025–2030 is part of our Continuous Improvement Cycle for StudentLearning. By working with our stakeholders to review evidence of learning, we can respondwith intention, align operational practices, implement and adapt strategies, and monitoroutcomes to ensure our efforts are effective and student-centered.We are deeply grateful for the contributions of students, staff, families, and the public, as wellas the guidance and support of the Ministry of Education and Child Care Strategic PlanRenewal Community of Practice and Mike McKay of Hadrian Consulting in the development ofthis plan.Together, we can lean into our shared vision, mission, commitments, and focus areas—bringing the words on these pages to life in our classrooms, schools, and communities.Looking forward to the journey ahead, Katherine Shearer
attending regularly and engaging with staff andpeers in a positive wayfeeling safe, seen and connectedcontributing to the school community throughtheir unique identity and being resilient whenfaced with challengesbuilding the skills, language and strategies tonavigate conflict, and taking ownership for theiractions and wordsWe will see schools:Focus on BelongingObservable Actions:We will see students:Kootenay-Columbia School District will continue to build a sense of belonging for allstudents across increasingly diverse classrooms and school communities. promoting a compassionate culture and providingopportunities for positive engagement fostering an environment where connection anddiversity are celebratedworking with staff and students to makeschool/classroom expectations explicitsupporting students in developing conflictresolution skills and taking ownership for theiractions and words
ensuring Indigenous students who experience barriers(academic and social emotional), receive supportsupporting Indigenous students who face barriers tosuccess to design a pathway to graduation and futuredreamslistening and responding to student voice in reference toIndigenous identity and experiencesproviding cultural experiences in school and linking studentsand families to opportunities in communitybuilding a compassionate culture where students feel safeto experience and share challengesensuring staff, students and familiesare aware of supports available We will see schools:Observable Actions:We will see Indigenous students:articulating their path between schoolachievement and life opportunities attending regularly and engaging in learningfeeling connected within the schoolcommunity, where Indigenous Ways ofKnowing and Being celebratedidentifying challenges to success at school,and seeking supports to address barriersKootenay-Columbia School District will close the gap in achievement rates (K-12), andgraduation completion rates, compared to the "all student rate," for Indigenous students.Focus on Indigenous Student Success
attendance dataSummary of Learning (formerly known asreport card)provincial assessmentsdocumented supports, services, andexperiences provided to studentsstudent voice datagraduation ratesmonitor attendance and achievementprovide graduation mentorshipengage in cultural teachingsconnect with community-based services andopportunitiesparticipate in and lead professionaldevelopmentsupport Indigenous students with barriers tosuccessLearner Evidence &Tasks:We will see the district developingstructures and strategies to supportschools to:
Focus on NumeracyObservable Actions:Kootenay-Columbia School District will increase student achievement for all students innumeracy (the ability to understand and work with numbers).actively participating in numeracy learning bysharing their thinking, working collaborativelywith others, and persevering to solve problemsactively demonstrating and applying strategies,tools, and supports to be numerateutilizing math for real life, and makingconnections to how it plays a role in their livesand in societyWe will see students:We will see elementary schools:engaging in daily numeracy instruction using consistent mathlanguage, and spiraling concepts throughout the yearproviding experiences with multiple access points andopportunities to collaborate and apply skills and competenciesassessing students and meeting with them to create andmonitor meaningful numeracy goalscommunicating with families around supporting numeracy athomeexplicitly connecting math to real-life experiences providing opportunities to practice and experience everydaymath (time, measurement, money)
superintendent@sd20.bc.caLearn more about the Kootenay-ColumbiaSchool District:Katherine ShearerSuperintendent2001 Third AvenueTrail, BC V1R 1R6250.368.6434@schooldistrct20sd20.bc.ca@SD20kc