Maggie Owen, Teacher, Lynn Valley Elementary April 2023 – A lucky group of Grade 6/7 students from Lynn Valley Elementary recently experienced a memorable field trip to North Shore Rescue’s (NSR) Bone Creek SAR Station. Earlier this spring, Mike Danks, NSR team leader, generously donated an NSR experience for Lynn Valley Elementary’s silent auction fundraiser. Families for this class of Grade 6/7 students contributed to win the rescue training and educational opportunity. On a bright and sunny spring day, NSR team members led students through three stations: Students had a blast! They were abl ..read more

Windsor Secondary’s Library and Learning Commons is now home to an important new resource – a hive of honey bees! Brad Farrell, science teacher; Magali Chemali, science teacher and owner; and I collaborated to bring this project to life and provide the school community with an up-close and personal opportunity to observe how honey bees work collectively to develop and maintain their hive. A complementary informative display and library resources teach students about the critical role bees and other pollinators play in the local ecosystem. In addition, visitors can learn about the various contr ..read more

2nd Outdoor Safety & Emergency Preparedness Open House held on Saturday, May 13, at Argyle Secondary was a tremendous success! The sunny (and hot) day, which coincided with the last day of , was filled with smiles, excitement, fun and many opportunities to learn about recreating safely in the backcountry and tips for emergency preparedness. Children of all ages (yes, young and old!) enjoyed climbing into City Fire’s new aerial ladder truck or one of North Shore Rescue’s skidoos, which sat atop a small mound of snow; cooling down at District Fire’s misting station, and of course acting as p ..read more

We are thrilled to share news of a new initiative that will see both City and District Fire providing CPR training to all Grade 10 students through their Physical Education classes. This collaboration, an extension of the partnership the school district has with both departments, supports our collective efforts to improve the safety and well-being of students and community members. Each fire department has provided expertise and resources to teachers to make this program possible. First responders have generously offered their time and knowledge to create a comprehensive training curriculum th ..read more

On April 14, students, staff and parent volunteers participated in the Cleveland 2023 Spring Olympics. The event, planned and organized by the Grade 5 leadership group, saw 52 teams representing different countries compete in 26 sports. Each team, consisting of students from every grade, was led by Grade 6/7 students. Parents/caregivers and teachers ran the stations, which included tricycles, biathlon, badminton, sled hockey, golf, luge, field hockey and skipping rope. The fun and exciting day saw two teams playing against one another at each station, allowing "countries" to compete against ea ..read more

Lauren Vanderham, Vice Principal, Seymour Heights Children’s literature can be seen in terms of windows and mirrors. As windows, books allow children to get a glimpse of another person’s perspective, as they engage with a story that is different from their own. Mirrors provide opportunities for students to see themselves reflected in the literature, affirming who they are and solidifying connections they may have within a community. Students need meaningful interactions with windows and mirrors to develop a strong sense of identity and understanding of the world around them (Botelho & Rudm ..read more

As part of Capilano Elementary’s school plan, we have been working on strengthening community connections and celebrating diversity. One example of this work includes the creation of multi-age groups to increase peer connections across grades during school-wide learning opportunities. In February, our learning community focused on kindness, Black history and Black excellence. To celebrate kindness, students met in multi-age groups to create gratitude cards for the community. Grade 7 students helped guide the choices made by each group as to whom the cards would be sent – District of North Vanc ..read more

February 2023 - The North Vancouver School District and North Shore   joined forces to host a career exploration event for secondary students in Grades 10 to 12.  In a refreshingly interactive approach, 30 students were afforded an opportunity to learn about the diverse career pathways in law enforcement, specifically within the  Students were assigned the role of “duty officer” and led through the process of responding to a mock complaint and solving a simulated crime.  Students learned how to communicate on a police radio, use call signs and ..read more

Rhena Tevendale, Certified Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing February 2023 - The school district’s Hearing Resource Team hosted a gathering for deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) students from Kindergarten through to Grade 12. As most DHH students attend schools where they are the only student with hearing loss, these gatherings are crucial in that they help students develop identity with a larger group of DHH students. For some, it is the first opportunity to meet others with hearing loss or who use hearing technology or sign language. While many of the 21 students were shy at first, with the h ..read more

On the last day of school before Spring Break, Kindergarten students from á7elcha Elementary School had their fire-safety knowledge and skills put to the test. New recruits from the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services team visited the class, providing fire safety tips and demonstrations.  Firefighter Nathan walked students through what would happen if they were to call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. Students also learned the importance of being able to provide a dispatcher with key information, including their full home address. Firefighter Noah talked about what to ..read more