On behalf of the North Vancouver School District, it is our pleasure to welcome everyone back from the Winter Break. We hope there was an opportunity to spend some well-deserved quality time with family and friends over the holidays. It is exciting to begin the New Year with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and optimism. We are looking ahead to a dynamic few months, with opportunities offered through the new curriculum and implementation of the restored language in the teachers’ collective agreement. We would like to acknowledge our students and staff for the exceptional work thus far and for the shared commitment to an innovative and forward-moving school district.
The North Vancouver School District recognizes that we are in a highly competitive marketplace for quality teachers, education assistants, Vice Principals and Principals. Recruitment of teaching and support staff continues to be a focus and we are working diligently to maintain our high standards and expectations for new hires. We have recently welcomed new staff from Burnaby, Delta, West Vancouver and Vancouver School Districts to name a few, and are reaching out to our post-secondary partners to enhance our relationship in recruiting new education assistants and teachers. We continue to be a district of choice as illustrated with the 55 applications that we recently received in our last Principal posting.
It has been inspiring to witness staff engaging students in their learning, while encouraging them to reach greater heights in their personal and educational goals. Recent presentations to the Board by students and staff from Cleveland Elementary (Principal Bill Reid) on their Tanzania project, Canyon Heights Elementary on coding with teacher Ian Cunliffe and the Braemar Elementary “love” project, led by Vickie Vinaric and Stephanie Michel, are great examples of the innovative teaching and learning taking place in our schools. We are very proud of our students and staff for embracing the new curriculum and demonstrating positive change in the classroom.
The teaching of Aboriginal ways of knowing will continue to provide our learners with an authentic and meaningful understanding of First Nations, Métis and Inuit history and culture to move forward with Reconciliation. Through Artists for Kids, over 400 students had the opportunity to carve and paint the new kyactn Welcome Pole in the Gordon Smith Gallery at the Education Services Centre this past fall. We are excited about the student connections to the project and look forward to an official raising ceremony in the Spring of 2018.
As an update regarding our capital project work, the Argyle project continues to move ahead and we expect to be going out for “RFP” in mid-January with construction hopefully beginning by March 2018. We are in continual discussion with the Ministry regarding the Handsworth Capital Project and remain optimistic that positive news will be provided for that project in 2018.
Finally, we would like to applaud all parents, staff and the greater community for their efforts in making the North Vancouver School District a great place for students to work, learn, share and grow.
We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2018. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Christie Sacré
Chair, North Vancouver Board of Education
Mark Pearmain
Superintendent, North Vancouver School District
