September 5, 2023
Dear North Vancouver School District Community,
On behalf of the North Vancouver School District and Board of Education, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the new school year.
The new school year is a time filled with excitement, optimism and a spirit of new beginnings and possibility. One cannot help but feel the positive energy on the playground, in the hallway, and especially, in the classroom.
Dedicated staff throughout the school district have been preparing schools and school district sites for another outstanding school year. As always, I am grateful to staff for their commitment to creating welcoming, safe and inclusive teaching and learning environments for all members of the community.
I am also grateful to the many education and community partners with whom the school district will continue to collaborate throughout the year to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
I look forward to sharing with you the many excellent examples of the teaching and learning that will take place—from arts and music festivals, academy programs, athletics, and outdoor learning at Cheakamus Centre, to the professional learning opportunities staff regularly engage in to strengthen their craft, and so much more.
I encourage you to get involved and support your school community. While information on district-wide opportunities will be issued at the school district level, information on school-based opportunities is typically shared through your child’s school or Parent Advisory Council (PAC). Please watch for these communications.
Before I close, I would like to share a few additional updates:
Safe and active travel
The school district encourages everyone to get to and from school in safe and active ways. To learn about the benefits and initiatives that encourage safe and active travel, and to download school-based route maps, please visit our Safe and Active Travel web page.
School district permission forms
Each year, we ask parents/guardians to complete certain school district permission forms online using the SchoolCash Online system. You should have already received an email with information on how to complete the following forms:
- Impromptu Walking Field Trip Informed Consent
- Personal Information Consent for School District Publications
- Student Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement
Please complete these forms online and ideally, before the end of this first week of school. All other permission forms are paper based, and you will receive them directly from your child’s school. Should you have any questions about form completion, please contact your child’s school.
Communications throughout the school year
Through our website and communication platforms, the school district strives to provide clear, consistent and transparent communications to the community. In addition to communications sent to you directly from your child’s school, you can expect to hear from the school district on a regular (i.e., monthly) basis through:
In closing, it is an honour and a privilege to work and learn alongside staff, educate and support students, and share with you the many ways in which the North Vancouver School District really is a place where we can all learn, share, grow and thrive.
Have a wonderful start to the 2023/24 school year.
Respectfully,
Dr. Pius Ryan
Superintendent of Schools
Kulvir Mann
Chair, Board of Education
Superintendent and BOE Welcome Back Message - Parents and Guardians
