Skip to content

Return to high school goes smoothly, says Powell River councillor

Brooks Secondary School opening was impressive, according to Jim Palm
Brooks Secondary School Powell River
Brooks Secondary School Powell River. Peak archive photo

School start-up at Brooks Secondary School has gone well, according to a staff member.

At the City of Powell River Council meeting on September 17, councillor Jim Palm said he wanted to say to the public how impressed he is with the overall functioning of Brooks Secondary School, where he works.

“I’m not speaking for any other building in the school district but as far as Brooks is concerned, somebody had the forethought to stagger our entrance to the building, with our grade eights and nines coming in at 9 am, and grades 10, 11 and 12 starting at 10:30 am,” said Palm. “That has allowed for a smooth flow in the morning without congestion.

“Staggered lunch hours are also working very well, with the grade eights and nines having lunch early, and the grade 10, 11 and 12 students having lunch after the younger students are finished.”

Palm said when students are moving in the hallways, they are wearing masks, and every staff member in the halls is also wearing a mask. He said the school is well set up with lines and directions.

Extra cleaners in the building are working throughout the day during the mornings and afternoons, according to Palm.

“I can say how impressed I am with the start-up and how it’s going,” said Palm. “It is going very well and my hat is off to the administration of the school district, and particularly to principal Bill Rounis, who has put that plan into place.

“I’ve had a chance to watch the news and see what’s happening in Vancouver, where parents are a little taken back because at the start of school, with large populations, they have hundreds of students outside the door trying to get in at the same time. There’s no social distancing whatsoever going on.”

Palm said he was proud of the way Powell River has risen to the occasion.

“Education is in good shape here in our community,” added Palm.