Lax Kw’alaams Wap Suwilaawksa 2024-2025 School Year Update

July 16, 2024

To parents, guardians and highschool students of Lax Kw’alaams Wap Suwilaawksa,

We are reaching out today to update you on the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. We heard concerns from the Parent Advisory Committee in Lax Kw’alaams about key issues affecting kindergarten to grade 12, including staffing shortages, inquiries around school credits, course offerings and attendance.

Firstly, much of the education system in BC has been faced with staff shortages in recent years, which Lax Kw’alaams Wap Suwilaawksa is also working through. Lax Kw’alaams Band Council would like to reassure you that the administration has had a great response to our job postings for staffing at the school. We have made staffing a priority and have hired an experienced education recruitment officer to assist us with the hiring process. Interviews are continuing this week for the available principal and teacher positions at the school, which will be followed by a shortlisting of candidates and second interviews.

Second, we heard there were concerns about grade 11 and 12 student credits. Lesley Jackson has confirmed through the Ministry of Education that all students have received the credits they have earned at Lax Kw’alaams Wap Suwilaawksa. Every grade 11 student has the necessary credits to enter grade 12 in September. To obtain a copy of the students transcript, please reach out to Lesley Jackson directly at lesley.jackson@laxws.ca.

Lastly, Connected Classrooms has been applied for, to help students get the courses they are interested in and require. Connected Classrooms is a platform for First Nations schools to jointly offer high school courses through the use of technology. No matter the enrollment numbers, courses are able to be offered to our students through this platform. We hope Connected Classrooms will improve attendance.

Our priority is on strengthening the teacher quality and numbers in the school so that our members don’t have to transit or be boarded out. We hope your summer is going well, and we look forward to welcoming students back in September 2024.

Leona Wells
Education Portfolio, Chair

NT5