Vote Amanda Amaral for Trustee

15/10/2026

Thank you to the SCTA, CUPE 801, and the Sunshine Coast Retired Teachers Association for hosting a trustee all-candidates forum on October 13. It was inspiring to see our community come together to discuss and debate priorities in education.

As we move towards general voting day, I urge you to make a plan to vote for school trustee. This is an impactful vote that will shape our schools and our community long after the four-year term is over.

We need diversity in the voices around our board table. We need community knowledge and experience. We need creativity, openness, and a willingness to listen to different perspectives.

Public education belongs to us all. The strength of our board comes from bringing different experiences and ideas together, staying focused on students, and working collaboratively in the best interests of our school communities.

Make a plan to vote, and make me, Amanda Amaral, one of your votes for school trustee.

Focused on students. Committed to public education.

14/10/2026

Make a plan to vote today or Saturday October 17. Polling stations are open 8AM-8PM both days.

All the voting information for School Trustee TEA 3 — Gibsons & Lower Coast — in one place!

12/10/2026

Wednesday date night idea: Take your favourite person voting!

Dinner and a vote! Celebrate your love or friendship and your civic duty together.

Make voting part of your date, bring a little love to the ballot box, and help shape the future of our community!

Love is a partnership. So is our democracy.

Vote Amanda Amaral for School Trustee

Focused on students. Committed to public education.

11/10/2026

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I’ve knocked on over 1,000 doors so far! If I missed you, I’ve left a business card or flyer for you to learn more about my campaign.

As I’ve been talking with people across Area 3, I’ve heard strong support for the district’s efforts to make public education more affordable for families. That includes eliminating school fees, providing free school supplies, ensuring students have instruments to participate in band, and expanding access to food in our schools.

I’ve also heard your concerns. Families are struggling with poverty and food insecurity. Students need support to participate in field trips and other educational opportunities. Children with diverse needs deserve the support of education assistants and specialist teachers to help them succeed. And the pressure on school budgets affects the well-being of our entire learning community, especially our staff.

These conversations remind me why this work matters and why we must keep advocating for students, families and educators. I’m proud of the what we’ve done in the last four, and I know there is more work to do in the next four.

Public education belongs to all of us.

Whether you have children in school, your children have graduated, or you’ve never had children in the school system, strong public schools benefit our entire community.

On October 17, your vote matters. It’s an opportunity to choose experienced leadership, build on the progress we’ve made on affordability, and keep working toward the supports every student needs to succeed.

Make a plan to vote for school trustee. If you live in Area 3, I hope I’ve earned your vote!

Amanda Amaral
Focused on students.
Committed to public education.

09/10/2026

Student Voice Matters

Students are at the heart of everything we do. They are one of our most important sources of insight into how well our system is working and what we can do better.

Our district has a long-standing commitment to authentic student voice, and I am proud that we are one of the few school boards in British Columbia to include a student trustee at the table.

This leadership has helped inspire other school districts across the province, with two additional boards creating student trustee roles of their own!

When students are meaningfully included in decision-making, we make better, more responsive decisions that reflect their lived experiences in our classrooms and schools.

As a trustee, I will continue to champion student voice and ensure students remain central to how our Board listens, learns, and leads.

Focused on Students. Committed to Public Education.

07/10/2026

Advance Voting is Open 8AM-8PM

Town of Gibsons:Gibsons and Area Community Centre, Room209 — 700 Park Road, Gibsons

SCRD: SCRD Administration Office — 1975 Field Road,SecheltOR Gibsons and Area Community Centre, Room209 — 700 Park Road, Gibsons

The next four years will shape the future of public education on the Sunshine Coast. Your voice matters, and advance voting is now open.

It has been an honour to serve as your trustee. I have worked to provide steady governance, advocate for students and families, and ensure our community’s voice is heard.

I am asking for your support to continue this important work.
If you believe in strong local leadership, meaningful student voice, and a commitment to public education, I would be grateful for your vote.

Vote today and help shape the future of our schools and our community.

Focused on Students. Committed to Public Education.

06/10/2026

Student Transportation

Getting students safely to and from school is my priority.
I recently had the opportunity to celebrate School Streets Week at West Sechelt Elementary alongside Donna Lynden for SD46 School Trustee - Area 2 and Area 1 Trustee Tracey McClelland. It was inspiring to see students, families, and community partners come together to create safer, more active routes to school. Thank you to TRAC and Greener Communities Canada for making School Streets happen on the Sunshine Coast.

Transportation plays a vital role in student success. Every student deserves safe, reliable, and accessible transportation that allows them to fully participate in learning and community life. On the Sunshine Coast, we face unique transportation challenges, and meaningful solutions will require collaboration between families, schools, local governments, transportation providers, and community organizations.

I am proud that our former Student Trustee Cael Read brought tremendous energy and leadership to help make free public transit for students on the Sunshine Coast a reality. Today, Cael continues this advocacy through the Centre for Family Equity's vision for Child, Youth & Family-Friendly Transit Systems. I have endorsed this vision because I believe every child, youth, and family deserves access to the opportunities, services, and supports they need, regardless of income. Learn more about the Centre for Family Equity's vision for Child, Youth & Family-Friendly Transit Systems: 🔗 centreforequity.ca/transit_endorsement

My transportation priorities include:
• Safer walkways, active travel routes, and improved road conditions
• Zero-emission school buses
• Public transportation that better connects schools and communities
• Free public transportation for youth

Safe transportation is especially important for our most vulnerable road users. I will continue to advocate for practical solutions that improve safety, accessibility, and connection for all students.

Focused on Students. Committed to Public Education.

02/10/2026

Community Service & Leadership:

Community has always been at the heart of what I do. For more than 20 years, I have been committed to serving the Sunshine Coast through social work, volunteer leadership, and community organizations.

As a school trustee and Board Chair, I have worked to strengthen public education, advocate for students and families, and ensure local voices are reflected in the decisions that shape our schools.

Beyond my role as a trustee, I have contributed to our community through years of volunteer service on local boards and organizations, supporting initiatives that build connection, inclusion, and opportunity.

My professional experience as a BC Public Servant has strengthened my ability to understand government processes, build partnerships, and advocate effectively for our community.

Whether through governance, volunteerism, or public service, my focus remains the same: listening to our community, bringing people together, and working to make the Sunshine Coast a stronger place for everyone.

Focused on Students. Committed to Public Education.

30/09/2026

Truth and Reconciliation asks something important of public institutions: not simply that we remember, but that we change how we understand our responsibilities and how we do our work.

For our school district, that means recognizing that education has a complicated history in Canada. Schools were part of a system that caused profound harm to Indigenous children, families and communities. And that history is not distant.

Reconciliation cannot be something we do once a year.

That is why, in 2022, our Board made Truth and Reconciliation a standing item on the agenda at the Education Committee. That may sound like a small procedural decision, but I believe it matters.

This means each meeting gives us an opportunity to keep learning, to listen, to reflect on our relationships with the shíshálh Nation and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, and to ask ourselves what our responsibilities are as a public education system.

Because reconciliation is not a finished project. It is an ongoing relationship.

Our Board is deeply honoured and grateful for our ongoing partnership with the shíshálh Nation and syiyaya. We have been fortunate to have you join our meetings and support our ongoing learning about Truth and Reconciliation, and to invite us to learn, to lead, and to walk alongside you.

Our children are watching what we do. And so it matters that we keep Truth and Reconciliation at the heart of our work—not only on our meeting agendas, but in the opportunities we create for students to learn the truth about the history of this land and participate in reconciliation throughout the year.

Today, we acknowledge Canada’s history. We pause to honour the strength, spirit and endurance of Indigenous peoples.

And we remember those who suffered, those who were taken from their families, and those who never came home.

May we carry that truth with us, today and every day forward.

26/09/2026

My Priorities for Public Education
As a school trustee, my role is to ensure our community’s voice is heard, provide strong governance, advocate for the resources our schools need, and keep students at the centre of every decision.
School boards play an important role in bringing local voices to public education. Through responsible governance and strong advocacy, we can ensure our schools reflect the needs and priorities of our students, families, and community.

My priorities include:
• Student Voice
• Student Transportation
• Climate Leadership
• Truth and Reconciliation
• Safe and Inclusive Schools
• Quality Child Care
• Sustainable Funding for Public Education

I believe strong public education depends on local leadership, collaboration, and a commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed. Full details at www.amandaamaral.ca

Focused on Students. Committed to Public Education.