North Vancouver School District
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News Item

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Welcome back from Spring Break! Message to Parents/Guardians from Superintendent ​

April 04, 2018
NVSD_logo_letter_april4.jpgDear Students, Staff and Parents/Guardians:

On behalf of the North Vancouver School District, I would like to wish everyone a sincere Welcome Back from Spring Break. Hopefully you all enjoyed some ‘down time’ with family and friends and are ready to push through this last stretch of the 2017/2018 school year. These last few months tend to go by quickly and the pressures to accomplish all that we had planned can often be overwhelming. I applaud each and every one of you for your amazing work so far and hope that you have set realistic goals for yourselves.

Last year at this time we were planning for the implementation of the restored contract language of the Teachers’ collective agreement. We predicted some challenges with recruitment, classroom spaces and school organization. Thankfully we have worked through most of these challenges and are already looking ahead to the 2018/2019 school year. Recruitment and retention of staff continue to be a focus for the North Vancouver School District within a competitive marketplace for educators. District staff have focused their energies on local and Canada-wide recruitment drives in search of qualified educators who meet the standards of the North Vancouver School District. This spring will also bring a flurry of capital activity into the school district. The Argyle Secondary School replacement project will commence construction beginning this month, while architects, KMBR, have started the process of the design for the new Handsworth Secondary. Our Facilities and Planning staff are also planning for the next school year with the possibility of portable additions in certain schools.

This year, students (K-11) are continuing to reflect on the core competencies and will, for the first time, complete their summative self-assessments digitally. Thus, students will be creating the first digital deposit into their educational portfolio. This is an exciting time, both for students and educators, as we continue down the path to full implementation and adoption of the new curriculum. 

Our school district is committed to providing world-class instruction and inspiring success for all students. Please take some time to read the North Vancouver School District 2018 Community Report for some examples of the exemplary work that illustrates this commitment. The 2018 Community Report is available on our website: http://www.sd44.ca/District/CommunityReport/Pages/default.aspx.

We thank the outstanding students, staff, parents and Board of Education who continue to strive for innovation, excellence and improvement in all facets of the organization. It is together as a learning community that we learn, share, grow, model and inspire all students to succeed.

Sincerely,


Mark Pearmain
Superintendent / CEO
North Vancouver School District