Dear Parents/Guardians:
Subject: Welcome to the 2018/2019 school year
Welcome back to school! We hope you enjoyed the summer and had the opportunity to spend some quality time with your family and friends. The 2018/2019 school year will be an exciting time for the North Vancouver School District in many ways.
New curriculum implementation will continue, and the grade 10 program will be fully implemented. Staff remain focused on aligning assessment practices to reflect student learning of both the curricular and core competencies. Student self-assessment of learning continues to be important as a means of linking subject areas and enabling students to dive deeper into their learning. Students will formally self-assess three times this year. For information on Communicating Student Learning, please visit the school district website. Other exciting educational initiatives include an ongoing commitment to enhancing educational practices related to Inclusive Education, Aboriginal Education, and social emotional learning and mental health.
This school year, our school district is focusing on enhancing our communications. We are excited to introduce a new system, called Sangha, for communicating with parents. While we do not have it fully configured yet, parents will be invited to use an app to communicate more efficiently with staff, schools and the school district. The school district has also created new communications protocols for the year aimed at streamlining communications with parents and staff so that we can provide information in an open, transparent and consistent way. More details about these communications initiatives will be provided throughout the year.
There are also many exciting building projects taking place. Construction has started on the new Argyle Secondary School (for updates click here) and design work has begun for the new Handsworth Secondary School (we will have designs to share in the fall).
We have a milestone anniversary to celebrate in 2019 – Cheakamus Centre will be 50-years-old! It is amazing that for half a century the North Vancouver School District has embraced learning in nature. Thousands of students have been impacted by the opportunity to connect with wildlife and local First Nations culture. Throughout the year we will celebrate Cheakamus Centre's 50thanniversary with our entire community. Check out the Celebrating 50 website to get involved and share your story of Cheakamus Centre.
"I cannot wait to start the school year and to visit schools to see the learning your children are engaging in. I am continually inspired by the great work North Vancouver School District staff do to ensure success for students. This summer I volunteered at a small school in the Chibombo region of Zambia, Africa. Through this experience it became evident that it does not matter where you are from, we all want the same thing – to inspire students to reach their personal best," said Mark Pearmain, Superintendent, North Vancouver School District.
"The North Vancouver School District is fortunate to have a devoted staff who are incredibly talented, passionate and innovative. The support received from parents and the wider community, combined with the skills of our staff, create nurturing learning environments where students excel. We truly do strive to uphold our vision to provide world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs to inspire success for every student and bring communities together to learn, share and grow," said Christie Sacré , Chair, North Vancouver Board of Education.
It is going to be another great school year in North Vancouver!
Sincerely,
Christie Sacré
Chair
North Vancouver Board of Education
Mark Pearmain
Superintendent
North Vancouver School District
