The Superintendent's Report is available in Microsoft Sway and text copy (below).
Updates from the Superintendent, including the monthly Superintendent’s Report, are available for review in the Superintendent’s Updates section of the website.
A Message from the Superintendent
Dear North Vancouver School District Community,
Earlier this month, we honoured Veterans’ Week, held annually between November 5-11. As a learning community, we gathered to honour National Indigenous Veterans’ Day, learners participated in creative projects such as Lynnmour Xá7elcha Elementary clay poppy project, and held ceremonies for Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day ceremonies held across the school district saw learners, staff and families commemorate the sacrifices of Canadian Veterans. I am always moved by how Remembrance Day brings Canadians together to honour others and reflect on the privileges we have as a result of the selflessness and sacrifices of Canadians who served and continue to serve in times of war, conflict, and peace.
Other ceremonies and events this month have included celebrations for Diwali across many NVSD schools. Sutherland Secondary celebrated Diwali through food, decorations, henna, and a photo booth where staff and students could pose wearing Indian dresses and jewellery. CBC News joined to document the celebration, resulting in photos from the celebrations being featured on ‘This week’s most compelling Canadian images.’
This fall has posed unique challenges for some members of the North Vancouver School District community. Weather events have led to power outages and localized flooding. As we move into the winter months, I encourage you to ensure your family has an accessible emergency kit, check in on your neighbours and loved ones, and keep connected with your school community if you need support.
As we look ahead to the holiday season, another common bond—our generosity of spirit—will come to the forefront. I look forward to sharing more about the ways each of our school communities will join together to support others here in North Vancouver.
Respectfully,
Dr. Pius Ryan
Superintendent of Schools
superintendent@sd44.ca
In this Issue
Good News from the NVSD
Announcements
- Scheduled internet service outage — November 22
- 2024 Fall Portfolio available for acquisition
Information
- Student Sub-Committee opportunity
- Canadian Dental Care Plan
- Reminder: Staying safe in darker, wetter weather
- Reminder: Severe weather information
- Reminder: SMS text messaging via SchoolMessenger
NVSD Events
- Art Education for Life, Speaker Series: Artful Minds, Scientific Insights – November 23
- Explore and Create at the Gordon Smith Gallery: The Giant Strawberry with Cindy Mochizuki – November 30
- Music at the Smith: Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five – December 5
- Digital Media Expo – December 7
- Public Board Meeting – December 17
NVSD Registrations
- Artists for Kids After School Art – Registration opens November 28
- Artists for Kids Spring Break Day Camps — Registration opens December 4
- 2024/25 Kindergarten – Registration open
- North Vancouver Online Learning – Online registration open
Community Events and Opportunities
- Safe and Active Travel Program Mini-Grants — Apply by December 20
Visit our Learn, Share & Grow blog and News & Announcements to read about the good work happening throughout the school district.
For the stories with images that are included below, please click on the caption for a link to the blog post or article.
Announcements
Scheduled internet service outage — November 22
A scheduled internet service outage will take place on Friday, November 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. for mandatory equipment replacement.
During this time, internet service will be affected at most NVSD locations, including all schools, ESC, Lucas Centre, and the Cheakamus Centre. The outage will impact Wi-Fi internet, desk phones and external services, such as the NVSD and schools websites.
2024 Fall Portfolio available for acquisition
The Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art has released five limited edition prints in inaugural Artists for Kids’ 2024 Fall Portfolio launch. This launch brings together four Canadian artists who have worked directly with children and youth through Artists for Kids (AFK). The spectacular editions by artists Anna Binta Diallo, Samuel Roy-Bois, Sandeep Johal and Sara Khan are available for acquisition.
After 35 years, the AFK Limited Edition program continues to bring to the community the ability to acquire work from acclaimed artists across Canada, while funding educational programs, artist residencies, art camps, scholarships, bursaries, and future acquisitions for the AFK and the Gordon Smith Gallery Permanent Collection.
For the month of November, AFK is offering a discounted flat shipping rate of $19.99, or free in-gallery pick up. By purchasing one or more prints from the AFK Limited Edition program, you qualify for the Collector’s Program and will receive a discounted price for subsequent purchases.
Please connect with the Artists for Kids office through phone 604-903-3798, or email afkinfo@sd44.ca, if you have any questions or to acquire an edition. Sign up for the Gordon Smith Gallery newsletter to receive exclusive updates.
Information
Student Inclusive Education Sub-Committee opportunity
The Student Inclusive Education Committee is a sub-committee of the school district’s Inclusion Committee and was created in 2022. The sub-committee provides an opportunity for neurodivergent students, students with disabilities, autistic students and students with intellectual disabilities to share their experiences and perspectives.
Participation is open to students in Grades 6-12. All students have the option to attend meetings with the support of a family member, peer or support person. The sub-committee meeting locations and schedule will be determined with the participants.
If your student would like to participate on this sub-committee for the 2024-2025 school year, please email, InclusiveEducation@sd44.ca and provide the student’s name, school, grade, and contact information. The number of sub-committee participants will depend on the number of applicants.
Canadian Dental Care Plan
Did you know that poor oral health causes more than two million missed school days per year? In Canada, 57% of children 6 to 11 years of age have had a cavity, while tooth decay accounts for one-third of all day surgeries performed in hospitals for kids between the ages of 1 and 5.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) helps cover the cost of several oral health care services that can help keep your children’s teeth and gums healthy. This includes services such as examinations, cleanings, fluoride application and sealants, and restorative work (fillings).
Applications for the CDCP are now open for children under 18—find out if your child is eligible and apply today at Canada.ca/dental.
Reminder: Staying safe in darker, wetter, weather
The school district encourages students to get to and from school in safe and active ways, including through the rainy months. Here are some safety tips to review with your children:
- Be seen by wearing reflective materials or bright clothes and using lights, even during the day.
- Cross streets only at intersections or marked crosswalks.
- Make eye contact with drivers, ensure drivers have stopped their vehicle before crossing, and keep looking for approaching vehicles while crossing.
- Walk, roll or cycle to and from school with a sibling or a buddy.
- Be aware of your surroundings, do not speak to strangers, and report anything of concern.
If you do drive your children to school in wet and dark weather, we encourage you to refer to your school’s Best Routes to School map to identify a Drive to Five location. Please take care in school zones and at intersections as your ability to see pedestrians and cyclists may be limited. Focus on the road, slow down, and travel at or below the speed limit.
Links to Best Routes to School maps and additional information and resources to support safe and active travel are available on our Safe and Active Travel web page.
Reminder: Severe weather information
As winter weather approaches, we would like to issue a reminder about our winter weather procedures. All NVSD schools will remain OPEN during winter weather, including snowfalls, if possible. Any school district-wide closure will be decided by 6:30 a.m. (at the latest) and announced through media and school district and school websites, shared with families via SchoolMessenger (email and/or text message), and shared with staff via email. For more information, please visit our Winter Weather web page.
Reminder: SMS text messaging via SchoolMessenger
Families who would like to receive SMS text messages when there is an emergency during school or non-school hours (e.g., severe weather or power outage) need to opt in for this service.
Typically, you will receive a SchoolMessenger text message when you register your child for school and registration is complete. The message is similar to this example: "North Vancouver School District 44 messages. Reply Y to confirm, HELP 4 info. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg freq varies. schoolmessenger.com/smsca". You can also opt in to receive SMS text messages anytime by texting "Y" or "Yes" to 978338. Note: Standard message and data rates may apply.
NVSD Events
Art Education for Life, Speaker Series: Artful Minds, Scientific Insights – November 23
Dr. Maiya Geddes, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University will be in conversation with Dr. Randy McIntosh, Professor at SFU and Director of the Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, exploring the intricate relationship between art and neuroscience. Geddes will delve into the neural mechanisms shaping creativity and aesthetic experiences, unraveling the mysteries of the mind at the crossroads of artistic expression and cognitive processes. Visit the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation website for more information.
Explore and Create at the Gordon Smith Gallery: The Giant Strawberry with Cindy Mochizuki – November 30
This workshop will play with the artistic processes of miniature-making using air dry clay, paint and craft papers. Families will work with the artist to create their very own Giant Strawberry scene based on the stories of Mission’s own Strawberry King - Kayemon Shikaze, a Japanese issei farmer who owned strawberry farms in Mission and was crowned the Strawberry King for having the largest berry. Visit the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation website for more information.
Music at the Smith: Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five – December 5
One of the most popular and intriguing big band leaders of the Swing era, Artie Shaw took jazz clarinet to a new level of artistry and celebrity. On occasion, Shaw would tour with a smaller group, his “Gramercy Five,” which became one of the fixtures of small group swing. Come and enjoy a rare performance of this melodic and jubilant music featuring James Danderfer, clarinet; Bill Coon, guitar; Sharon Minemoto, piano; Atley King, vibraphone; Jodi Proznick, bass; and Joe Poole, drums. Visit the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation website for more information.
Digital Media Expo – December 7
The Digital Media Youth Expo is an annual event hosted by the school district’s Digital Media Academy (DMA). Students, families, staff and community members will meet representatives from many Lower Mainland post-secondary institutions, local and global organizations, industry experts and studios involved in all aspects of digital media. Representatives from visual effects, animation, film, sound, web design, game design and DMA students will be in attendance to answer industry, education and career-related questions; DMA students will also showcase the projects they are working on.
The Expo takes place on Saturday, December 7, from 12 noon to 3 p.m., and is free to attend. More information is available on the Digital Media Youth Expo website.
Public Board Meeting – December 17
A Board of Education Public Board Meeting takes place on Tuesday, December 17, at 7 p.m. Visit the Public Meetings web page for information on how you can participate and to review the meeting agenda and board package, which are posted the Thursday afternoon preceding the public meeting.
NVSD Registrations
Artists for Kids After School Art – Registration opens November 28
Taught by art specialist teachers and assisted by secondary art students, Artists for Kids After School Art classes provide students the opportunity to further their artistic ability and foster positive attitudes towards the visual arts. Registration for winter classes will open on November 28 at 12:00 pm (noon). Visit the Artists for Kids website for more information and to register.
Artists for Kids Spring Break Day Camps - Registration opens December 4
Artists for Kids is pleased to offer two weeks of Spring Break Day Camps! Campers will experiment with drawing, painting, collage, printmaking and more. Registration will open on December 4 at 12:00 pm (noon). Visit the Artists for Kids website for more information and to register.
2025/26 Kindergarten – Registration open
Initial registration for 2025/26 Kindergarten (children born in 2020) is open, and continues until Monday, January 6, 2025. Applications submitted within this time frame are processed equally and placed according to initial placement category groups. Information regarding the registration process, including how to book an appointment to register your child, is available on the Kindergarten Registration web page.
North Vancouver Online Learning – Online registration open
North Vancouver Online Learning (NVOL) provides engaging, accessible and interactive learning experiences for students. Students can enrol any time during the school year and have one calendar year to complete their course(s). Students can also choose to engage in their NVOL course(s) entirely remotely online or in a blended model of online and in-person interactions at our NVOL Centre.
Visit the NVOL website to see the full suite of courses from Grades 8 through 12 in both English and French. The French Immersion online course offerings allow students the opportunity to meet the requirements of their Diplôme de fin d'études secondaires en Colombie-Britannique online through L' École Virtuelle de Vancouver nord.
Community Events and Opportunities
Safe and Active Travel Program Mini-Grants — Apply by December 20
The City of North Vancouver (CNV) is now accepting applications for the Safe and Active School Travel Program (SASTP) Mini-Grant Program for the 2024/25 school year. These mini-grants support grassroots programming by schools to help realize the SASTP’s vision of making active transportation and transit the preferred way to get to and from school.
The mini-grants can help fund a variety of educational and engagement activities such as hosting events like Walk and Roll to School Days, organizing safety workshops, creating campaigns to promote active transportation and transit use, or street closures for School Streets days.
Applications are welcomed from all schools in the CNV, including elementary and secondary. Each school in the CNV can apply for mini-grant funding of up to $1,000 per school for the 2024/25 school year.
The deadline to apply is December 20, 2024. Find out more cnv.org/MiniGrants.
Missed an issue?
Updates from the Superintendent, including the monthly Superintendent’s Report, are available for review.
The North Vancouver School District is situated upon the unceded traditional territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation. We would like to thank the Coast Salish people and value the opportunity to learn, share and grow on this traditional territory.
