Welcome!
It has been a tremendous start to the school year; thank you!
We are pleased to bring you the first News, Events and Opportunities newsletter of the 2025-26 school year. This newsletter is shared monthly and includes a variety of initiatives and opportunities open to families of the NVSD.
News
New Addition to Westview Elementary supports a healthy and vibrant learning community
Construction of the four-classroom addition to Westview Ta na wa Ns7éyxnitm tlá Teltíwet Elementary is progressing smoothly and on schedule. This innovative approach to construction and design is helping create a learning environment that meets the needs of all learners in a growing school community.
Handsworth Artificial Turf Field
The District of North Vancouver is working collaboratively with NVSD to convert the existing grass field at École Handsworth Secondary to an artificial turf field. As shared by the District of North Vancouver, construction is expected to commence in Fall 2025 with completion anticipated in late 2026. For more information about this exciting project, please visit the DNV Handsworth Ariticial Turf Field webpage.
Learn more about what is happening in classrooms and beyond by visiting the Learn, Share and Grow blog.
Events
Standing Committee Meeting – September 16
A Board of Education Standing Committee Meeting takes place on Tuesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be the Framework for Enhanced Student Learning. Visit the Public Meetings webpage for information on how you can participate and to review the meeting agenda, which is posted on the Thursday afternoon preceding the public meeting.
From The Ground Opening Reception – September 19
The Gordon Smith Gallery’s Fall Exhibition, From The Ground, opens Friday, September 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Curated by Holly Schmidt and Amelia Epp, the exhibition features works by contemporary artists Amelia Butcher, Lauren Brevner, Xinwei Che, James Nexw’Kalus-Xwalacktun Harry, and Genevieve Robertson, alongside works from the Artists for Kids and Gordon Smith Gallery Permanent Collection.
From the Ground explores the interconnectedness of the natural world and our reciprocal relationship with the ecosystems in which we are embedded. It invites us to learn from the more-than-human, expanding our awareness of both the visible and invisible in our environments and broadening our sense of time. The exhibition is rooted in the learning principle articulated by the First Nations Education Steering Committee, which emphasizes “connectedness, reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place.” Within the urgency of the climate crisis, From the Ground invites shared dialogue and connection through creative and educational practices.
A public curatorial tour will be held on Thursday, September 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information on programming and this exhibit, visit Artists for Kids and the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation.
Public Board Meeting – September 23
A Board of Education Public Board Meeting takes place on Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. Visit the Public Meetings webpage for information on how you can participate and to review the meeting agenda and board package, which is posted on the Thursday afternoon preceding the public meeting.
Kindergarten Information Session — October 6
The NVSD invites parents/guardians of children who will enter Kindergarten in September 2026 (children born in 2021) to learn about the school district, Kindergarten experience, and the registration process. Representatives from a variety of school district programs and from community programs will also be in attendance.
This information session will take place on Monday, October 6 at Carson Graham Secondary. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and presentations begin at 7 p.m. Visit the Kindergarten webpage for more information and RSVP (optional) to receive a reminder about the event.
Registrations
Elementary Band and Strings — Late registration open
Elementary Band and Strings is open to students in Grades 5 – 7 for Band and Grades 4 – 7 for Strings. Our unique instrumental music program complements the Arts Education curriculum and provides school-based instrumental instruction in a supportive and fun learning environment.
Late registration opened Friday, March 14 and will close September 29, 2025. This is subject to program availability and class size at your child’s school site and is dependent on sufficient registrations received by February 28. Visit the Elementary Band and Strings web page for information, including program fees.
North Vancouver Online Learning – Online registration open
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. Students can also choose to engage in their NVOL courses entirely remotely online or in a blended model of online and in-person interactions at our NVOL Centre.
Visit the NVOL website to see our 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.
Artists for Kids — After School Art registration opens September 18
Led by BC certified art specialist teachers and assisted by secondary art students, After School Art classes provide the opportunity to build skills and foster creative growth within the visual arts. Students will have the opportunity to expand their artistic abilities in a multitude of different mediums, including painting, felting, printmaking, and sculpting. Classes vary in duration, price, and medium. All art materials are included in the price of the program. Visit the After School Art webpage for more information.
2026/27 Kindergarten — Registration opens October 14
Registration for 2026/27 Kindergarten (for children born in 2021) runs Tuesday, October 14 to Monday, December 8, 2025. Visit the Kindergarten Registration webpage for detailed information regarding the process involved to register your child for the upcoming school year.
Additional Information and Opportunities
Artists for Kids 2025 Fall Portfolio — Releases September 19
Artists for Kids is proud to announce the 2025 Fall Portfolio, a collection of limited edition prints by Lauren Brevner & James Harry, Jack Shadbolt, and Ann Kipling, launching Friday, September 19.
Lauren Brevner & James Harry’s Sínulhḵay, Jack Shadbolt’s Toward a White Garden, and Ann Kipling’s Dog in the Sky, have been brought together to explore the landscape’s complex psyche, the potency of animal symbolism, and the legacies of colonial encounter that still pulse through the Pacific Northwest today. Together, these editions invite you to contemplate the land’s living memory—its beauty, its wounds, its stories—and how through art we can confront, honor, and re-imagine our relationship to the world around us.
Proceeds from each print support Artists for Kids and the Gordon Smith Gallery Permanent Collection, funding educational programs, artist residencies, art camps, scholarships, bursaries, and future acquisitions. Add a piece of Canadian art to your collection and help nurture the next generation of young artists. For more information, visit Artists for Kids.
Coming up at the North Vancouver District Public Library
Family Fun Day and Celebration of Learning — September 6
Families are invited to attend this outdoor event at Lynn Valley Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Summer Reading Club medals will be handed out beginning at 12 p.m. for those who completed the summer reading challenge. Stay for the afternoon for games and activities sponsored by the Lynn Valley Community Association and Lynn Valley Services Society. Learn More.
Parkgate Library Summer Reading Club Celebration of Reading at Parkgate Community Day — September 13
Have you completed your 50 days of reading for Summer Reading Club? If so, you’re invited to the celebration of reading! The medal ceremony will be held in the Parkgate plaza as a part of Parkgate Day. Parkgate Day festivities begin at 10 a.m. and the medal ceremony will take place at around 11:15 a.m. Join for the medal ceremony, music, activities, and fun! Learn More.
North Shore Kids Festival — September 14
The North Shore Kids Festival takes place on Sunday, September 14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Shipyards. This free community event for children ages 0—12 and their families features live performances on two stages, a scavenger hunt with prizes, the Young Entrepreneurs Zone (kids under 16 selling their handmade creations), the Rising Stars Stage (students 15 and under performing music, dance, theatre, and more), and dozens of creative and educational activities hosted by local organizations. Learn more.
Lionsgate Hospital Foundation Christmas Card Contest
Students in Grades 4-12 are invited to showcase their creativity by submitting their original artwork by Tuesday, October 14. Winning Artwork will be featured on official Christmas cards, helping raise funds for the LGH Foundation, and the artist will receive a gift card prize! Learn more.
