SD35 Community Spotlight – March 2024

March 15, 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of the SD35 Community Spotlight newsletter, which was created for students and families in the Langley School District. Our aim is to shine a light on the incredible stories, achievements, and happenings in our schools. Enjoy!

Message from the Superintendent

On behalf of the District, I am happy to connect with our students, staff, and community members to share and celebrate our success stories. Thank you for continuing to work collaboratively with our staff to inspire all learners to reach their full potential and create a positive legacy for the future.

I want to first acknowledge this year’s incredible Odyssey Conference. It was a professional development opportunity for our staff that focused on many important themes including Indigenous knowledge and education and health and safety topics aimed to help support our students. It was a powerful day of learning and reconnecting with each other in person. The goal was for those staff in attendance to take that learning and positive energy back to their schools and departments as we continue to further our commitment on our collective journey of Truth and Reconciliation.

When it comes to updates on capital projects, the District is excited to inform the community about a Ministry of Education and Child Care announcement that was made today (Friday). The Ministry is funding an addition at R.E. Mountain Secondary and providing support to fund the plan to build a middle school in the Smith neighbourhood. These projects will help relieve enrolment pressures in the Willoughby Slope and support the educational needs of students. The news release is here. Also, I am pleased to share that the modular expansion project at Richard Bulpitt Elementary is underway. This expansion is a significant stride toward helping accommodate our growing student population and ensuring that we meet the education needs of our community. We are optimistic and are hoping to be able to share more good news about projects in the future.

In Langley Board of Education news, the Board has welcomed a new Vice-Chair, Marnie Wilson. I would like to thank Trustee Holly Dickinson, for her previous work as Vice-Chair. Our staff look forward to continuing our work with the Board of Education to meet the goals in the Strategic Plan.

There are many updates outlined in this newsletter including the budget consultation 2024-2025, provincial basketball highlights, literacy and numeracy initiatives, and an overview of the District’s Diversity and Respect Week, among other items. Please take the time to review them and be proud of all of the accomplishments of students and staff.

This is a growing District that is constantly changing. I want to take a moment to thank our parent community for their support while we evolve. A good example of this is the transition to Student Inclusive Conferences for this term at the elementary level. On behalf of our staff, I want to express our gratitude to families for their participation in these conferences. Student success can only happen with strong relationships between students, staff, and families. This shift in how we report on student learning is a big change but one that we know will have a positive impact on our students.

As always, I appreciate your continued efforts to inspire all learners to reach their full potential and create a positive legacy for the future.

Have a fun and safe Spring Break!

Mal Gill
Superintendent of Schools

District and Board of Education Updates

Find recaps of the most recent board meetings below:

Have your say on the District’s 2024-2025 budget? The District invites you to participate in the budget consultation process by completing a quick survey which you can find here: https://ow.ly/yV5850QL1nw

The District is also seeking feedback on its District Calendar for 2026-2027. The consultation closes on March 24. For more information and to view the proposed calendar, click here: https://ow.ly/WJiL50QL3sw

Upcoming Events

Friday, March 15
Last day of classes before Spring Break

Tuesday, April 2
Schools re-open after Spring Break and Easter

Monday, April 22
Report Card Prep/Design & Assessment Day (Secondary Semester)

Tuesday, April 23
Regular Board Meeting

Around The District

The School Board Office recently hosted several students in the District’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing program to take part in a fun coding workshop in conjunction with Code Ninjas. The coding event is just one of a handful of activities the students take part in during the year. Read more about it here.

Two schools – Brookswood and R.E. Mountain – capped off the secondary school basketball season in impressive fashion at their respective provincial tournaments, with the Brookswood senior girls winning a 3A title and the Mountain senior boys nearly pulling off an upset. Review the highlights here.

In February, the District celebrated Diversity and Respect Week. Students from across the District participated in a variety of inclusive projects and got the chance to learn where their classmates are from, discover new cultures and celebrate the fact that each person is unique. Learn more here.

Students at two schools – Richard Bulpitt Elementary and R.E. Mountain Secondary – recently teamed up to work on a book project, with Grade 2 students providing the words and a class of art students from REMSS creating the art. Read more about this fun collaboration here.

The District recently hosted a Pathways to the Future open house at Walnut Grove Secondary, as a way to promote its trades and dual-credit programs and provide families with information that could help shape their secondary student’s future. Read more about it here or visit the Career Education website.