Information Bulletin – Have a Fun, Safe and Healthy Summer!
June 27, 2024
Dear Parent/Guardians and Students:
I want to share my appreciation for your support during this school year. There are many things for all of us to celebrate and it starts with the efforts of students and families working in collaboration with staff to ensure everyone in our community feels a sense of belonging. I also want to commend families for taking interest in their child’s learning, engaging with teachers and staff, and supporting them inside and outside of the classroom. The District appreciates parents/guardians adapting to recent shifts on how we communicate student learning including student inclusive conferences at the elementary level and the addition of student reflections on the core competencies at the secondary level. As educators, we recognize that the home/school partnership is an important factor in student success. Their success is all of our success.
Graduation and Transitions
I would like to celebrate our graduates for achieving this milestone. The last two months have been filled with exciting events to honour our grads from the Aboriginal Achievement Awards to our grad walks, where grade 12 students visit their elementary schools to meet with their former teachers and staff and encourage a future generation of learners. These memorable events have now become annual traditions in our District that enable the community to uplift our students as they move on to their next stage of life.
When it comes to transitions, the District continues to see improving results with respect to Five-Year and Six-Year Completion rates, in particular for Indigenous students, students with diverse abilities, and children and youth in care. While the results are incredibly positive, they do indicate additional work for the District to focus on, to ensure that all learners graduate with dignity, purpose, and options for the future.
Truth and Reconciliation
Throughout the year we have explored opportunities to continue learning in our collective journey of Truth and Reconciliation. At the District and school level, we prioritized professional development for all staff. This included a one-day conference focused on various topics of Indigenous Education and Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives as well as an ongoing speaker series throughout the year with a member of the Katzie First Nation. We start with staff, with the intention that all of this learning can be passed on to students, as well as helping support teachers and staff with their lessons. I frequently hear about the learning happening in our schools and sometimes in the community. I am grateful and proud to have all of us, students, staff, and families, working alongside one another.
Capital Projects and Growth
As the District continues to grow, we are seeing some exciting developments regarding the announcement of new capital projects. This past year, the District celebrated the groundbreaking of a new elementary school in the Northeast Latimer neighbourhood on the Willoughby Slope. We also started a modular expansion project at Richard Bulpitt Elementary and received approval for another pre-fab construction building at Nicomekl Community Elementary. The District has also received approval to begin planning for an expansion at RE Mountain Secondary. We look forward to hearing more good news from the Ministry of Education and Child Care in the next school year.
Staffing Changes and Retirements
With all this growth, staffing changes throughout the system are expected. Staff at the District and at the school level continue to grow in numbers. We welcome new staff as well as existing staff who will be transitioning to new roles, whether it be administrators, teachers, or other staff, moving to different schools or departments in the District. We also say farewell to those who are retiring at the end of the school year. Earlier in the month, we celebrated and thanked retirees and long-term staff for their service, which you can read about here. Thank you to honourees for your dedication over the years and service to students, families, and each other.
As the school year comes to a close, the Langley Board of Education is sharing well wishes to our students, staff, and families, which can be read here. The Minister of Education and Child Care is also sending a positive message to students, parents and caregivers, which can be read here. On behalf of the District, we want to thank our students, staff, and families for your ongoing cooperation and support during the year. We appreciate your efforts in supporting our students and being a part of their learning journey. My hope for all of you is to have a healthy, safe, and fun summer break. We will see you all in September!
Take care,
Mal Gill
Superintendent of Schools