August 26, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians of Grade 11 and 12 Students,

This season marks the start of an exciting and defining school year for Grade 11 and 12 students. NVSD’s senior students are community leaders and role models for younger peers. We are continually proud of their contributions to their school communities, the school district, and the wider North Vancouver community.

This duly noted, senior students are adolescents still in the process of developing, and remain vulnerable to risk-taking behaviours. With the Labour Day long weekend approaching, I would like to share an important safety reminder. This weekend has historically been a time when some youth, and particularly those entering their graduating year, participate in social gatherings that may involve unsafe or illegal activities such as underage drinking, drug use, or vandalism.

These types of activities can be harmful for many reasons:

• Alcohol and drugs can affect mood, thinking, and judgment.
• They can lead to a false sense of invincibility, which increases risky behaviour.
• Photos or videos posted online can resurface later, impacting future opportunities such as post-secondary admissions or job applications.

As in past years, we will continue to support local law enforcement in its work to keep members of the community safe. The RCMP takes a proactive approach to enforcement of liquor, traffic and local bylaw violations over the Labour Day long weekend. You can find resources to share with your child(ren) in the Celebrate Responsibly section of the RCMP’s website.

Thank you for taking the time to discuss this message with your family. We hope it encourages open conversations about safe celebrations and social responsibility. While the excitement for these final years of secondary school is natural, we ask students to think about how their choices may impact their school year, their future, and the community around them.

We anticipate this year’s senior students will continue to help create a welcoming and inclusive environment for their schools. There is so much to look forward to in the school year ahead, and we are excited to celebrate the achievements of senior students as the school year progresses.

We look forward to welcoming students back to school next week!

Sincerely,

Dr. Pius Ryan
Superintendent of Schools

A print copy of this letter​​ is available online. ​​​​