Celebration at work...

Because we are a BC Offshore school, supported by and sponsored by the BC Ministry of Education, we are required to meet the standards set for BC curriculum and BC teaching methodology. Every year we are inspected by an inspector who is sent in from the Ministry of Education to review our school.

It is a very thorough and exhaustive process and the first time I have been through this as the principal of a functioning BC Offshore school. Margaret Compo, my BC Offshore Ministry Rep whom I work with all year, spent two weeks here along with her husband Carl. This time was invaluable time spent reviewing our documentation and getting us prepared for the inspection. Though I was proud of the work we have done and felt quite confident about the process, this inspection is a pretty high-stakes affair. If a school does not meet standards it can be decertified by the inspector... with serious consequences for all.

So we spent hours and hours in the office, with our Japanese colleagues, with our staff getting prepared. Everything is inspected: the finances, the application process, the assessment methods, the teaching methods, the safety procedures for students, the building inspection records etc. etc..

We were pleased to have Henry Contant as our inspector, a man who has done inspections for BC Offshore schools in China, in Korea and other places around the world.

He interviewed teachers, administration, visited our classes, checked our lesson plans and spent three days reviewing everything we do here at BSCIS. Though it was a busy time, it was also affirming to have outside eyes to share some of the exciting things we are doing here at BSCIS.

As it turned out, at that same time, we also had a visit from the BC International Trade and Investment Office (click here for the link) representatives who were presenting to our students about the opportunities provided by leading an international life. 

The final result was that our school passed the inspection with flying colours. The hard work here was acknowledged and celebrated. We passed with no extra requirements (meaning areas of concern) and we have some mutually agreed on goals for next year. I am grateful for all of the hard work of our team here, both our BC and our Japanese team members, for the excellent work they do here everyday. Some of the team members:

This is also supported by a very positive and consistent administrative team that has worked hard at supporting and promoting our program. 

We also enjoyed sharing some of the cool traditional clubs happening at the school; clubs that celebrate the traditional Japanese culture along with the BC culture we are bringing in with the DD program. This is always a "must-see" for our visitors.

Once the inspection was complete and signed off, we had the opportunity to take Henry on a tour of some nooks and crannies in Tokyo, ending up with a lovely evening at the Gate Hotel, looking over the Skytree Tower and the Asakusa temple.

We look forward to next year's inspection... an annual tradition at the BC Offshore schools.