A Message from Delta School Board Chairperson, Val Windsor
World Teacher’s Day is held annually on October 5th to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
The theme of this year’s World Teacher’s Day is “Teachers at the heart of education recovery” with a focus on the support teachers need to fully contribute to education-related pandemic recovery efforts.
The pandemic continues to place change, uncertainty and worry on all of us. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I cannot express enough our appreciation for the invaluable service, skill and time given by all staff within our district – educators, support staff, school and district administrators, CUPE 1091 or DTA members – their efforts have continued to be outstanding and unwavering throughout the past 19 months.
Today, on this important day, my hope is that you will all take time to reflect on and acknowledge the deep impact our teachers, school and district administrators and all other staff continue to have on our students.
Thank you
A Message from Delta School District Superintendent, Doug Sheppard
I would like to add to Val’s comments and share some of my thoughts on why World Teachers’ Day is important to Delta School District.
“Never have teachers been more wanted and needed than today. The educational disruptions and school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have confirmed the crucial role of teachers in maintaining learning continuity, but also in sustaining the very dynamics of households, families and communities. During the current crisis, we have witnessed how teachers have been at the heart of educational responses: they have provided online teaching and learning; they have prepared take-home packages for students living in rural and remote areas that lack the connectivity and technologies needed to pursue online learning; they have adapted their practices and diversified the formats, means and contents of education to cater for the needs of learners, including their socioemotional well-being; and they have preserved and reinforced social interaction among learners, fellow teachers and school communities, often checking in on students via social media and messaging systems, and exchanging practices and resources with other practitioners, enhancing a sense of community within the profession.”
– UNESCO
We have witnessed this in action in Delta. We are blessed with a community of educators and support staff who care deeply for their students, and who strive for excellence and innovation each and every day. I remain humbled at the work we do, but also saddened knowing that around the world, and even in some areas of Canada, not everyone is afforded the resources and support we experience here in Delta. Sadly, the pandemic has only added to challenges faced by educators and support staff around the world. It is my hope that Canada, B.C. and Delta can be demonstrations of what can happen when people believe in a strong public education system for every child.
Please join me in taking a moment today to thank everyone who has chosen to spend their lives in schools and care for our students and each other every day.