Many people choose to enroll in the West Vancouver School District because of its Premier Academies, which allow students to participate in certain sports and activities alongside their academics. These academies boast variety, from fencing to baseball to robotics, as well as "unparalleled dedication in these disciplines", according to the Premier Academies webpage. However, after the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, a number of academies previously featured on the web page seem to have disappeared. There is a large difference between the selection of academies that I saw at the start of Grade 8 in 2019, and now in 2022. In the 2018-2019 school year, the time when many people my age were figuring out which high school they would be attending, there were about 17 different academies. In 2022, this number shot down to 12. Could it be because of the COVID-19 pandemic? To find some answers, I interviewed Diane Nelson, Director of Instruction responsible for West Vancouver Schools Premier Sports Academies & District Programs.
List of Premier Academies from the 2018-2019 Student Course
Why did so many academies disappear after COVID?
Contrary to my belief, West Vancouver Schools did not, in fact, shut down any academies. "I believe we are one of the only districts in the province of BC that did not shut down programs, " Ms. Nelson says. She adds that, "While the district held health and safety as a top priority, we knew that ensuring students were active, outdoors as much as possible, and working in areas of strength, passion or interest was equally as important.” But then, why did certain academies such as Animation, Dance, Kickboxing, and Ballet vanish? "The Animation, Dance, Kickboxing and Ballet Academy programs did not operate for the 2019 -2020 school year due to lack of enrollment. Students have a lot of opportunities both in our schools and in the community so this may have contributed to the lack of student registration. Students in our schools have many skills & abilities along with a variety of interests so I also believe that students have to make difficult choices each year, Ms. Nelson explains.
Will those academies have the possibility to reopen in the future?
“After an academy or program does not operate for a school year, it does not mean it may never surface again. However, there are a number of components (e.g., teachers, coaches or instructors, venues, timetables, schedules, etc.) that need to be in place and confirmed at least 6-8 months in advance of the next school year to be approved, Ms. Nelson says. “What I will say is that if many students communicated to us that they were interested in any of the academies or programs that we are not currently offering, we would definitely have a second look to see if we could make it happen given a potentially strong registration. Having said that, what I like to communicate to people is that just because an academy is no longer operating, it shouldn’t be looked at negatively. We are always growing and changing. In any given year, these academies or programs positively impacted students and families. They are meeting the needs of students for that current school year. Now as we look to the future, there are and will always be new interests and needs for students. West Vancouver Schools is proud of its ability to adapt, change and be flexible to accommodate the ever-changing needs of our students. There will always be new and exciting programs offered in this outstanding school district” says Ms. Nelson.
What does it take to launch an academy, anyway?
Requests to launch an academy or program can come from a variety of sources. When it is most exciting is when the school district’s teachers present the concept and the desire to lead an academy or district program. Once the details of an academy or program are presented, it is a year-long process to determine interest by students, impacts to schools, funding, scheduling, and promoting the new endeavor. “When a request comes forward, we think about who might register and what the potential impacts might be on existing courses or programs in the district. In other words, if the current students register for a new program or academy, we look carefully at what other program or academy or course at our schools these students may not take part, and we consider both the positive and negative impacts,” Ms. Nelson explains. Once it is confirmed that the idea of the academy has a positive impact, Ms. Nelson begins with a presentation to the Superintendent and the Senior Team to further discuss the viability and impact. The administrators of all three secondary schools are consulted along with many other key stakeholders. Once all processes have been followed and in place, Ms. Nelson showcases and promotes all academies and district programs in early February. “We are excited each year to speak to interested students and parents of the many opportunities students have in West Vancouver Schools. We enjoy the final process of ensuring all students are scheduled and ready for the next school year,” Ms. Nelson concludes
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Ms. Nelson for your responses.
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