Surrey: Parents in Surrey and surrounding areas can mark Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, on their calendars to share their thoughts on student progress reporting, including report cards.

The Ministry of Education is hosting an upcoming open house to receive parent feedback on how they want to hear about how their child is doing in school. It’s part of the three-year implementation of B.C.’s new curriculum, which is designed to get students ready to succeed in the changing world.

Ministry staff and school district officials will be at Panorama Ridge Secondary school (13220 64 Ave., Surrey) for a conversation about the future of student progress reporting in kindergarten to Grade 9 classrooms.

This is the sixth of 11 community meetings being held throughout the province as part of the B.C. government’s provincewide engagement to hear directly from parents on how they want to be informed of their child’s progress.

Parents can drop in to the casual open house between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to share their ideas on how to make student reporting better and enjoy refreshments. Parents and interested community members can also learn more about B.C.’s new curriculum.

A brainstorming workshop will take place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., giving parents the opportunity to participate in small group sessions discussing their thoughts in greater detail.

While this public meeting will primarily be of interest to parents of K-to-9 students, all British Columbians and community groups are welcome to attend.

Parents unable to attend the meeting can still learn about the process and share their thoughts online until Feb. 28, 2017, by visiting: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/yourkidsprogress

This engagement supports B.C.’s new curriculum, which was designed by teachers and will make sure students learn the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic in a way that connects them to collaboration, communication and critical thinking skills they need to succeed after high school.

Marvin Hunt, MLA for Surrey-Panorama said: “With the addition of parent feedback, we are designing school curriculum that is engaging and flexible, providing children and teens with the tools they will undoubtedly need later in life.”

Quick Facts:

  • To date,
    • The engagement site has received more than 22,000 visits.
    • Over 4,370 people have completed the feedback form.
    • Over 460 people have signed up to receive project updates.
  • A summary report on what was heard during the K-to-9 engagement will be produced and posted online in June 2017.
  • There will be opportunities for parents to give input on progress reporting in grades 10-12 in the future.