Announcements

A long-standing tradition is returning this year. After being put on hold over the past few years due to COVID-19, retirement tea is back on.

All staff are invited and encouraged to attend – including past retirees – as we take a moment to recognize and honour the contributions of our retiring staff members. Please join us in congratulating our 2023 retirees in a special ceremony at 3:30 pm, Tuesday, June 13 at Garibaldi Secondary School. 

Download our invitation with the details, including our list of 2023 retirees.

Dear families,

As we transition into the final weeks of the school year and the temperatures rise, I would like to inform you about some of the precautionary measures we have taken to maintain comfortable classroom environments for students and staff. I will also share a few tips on how you can contribute from home. While some of our schools and learning spaces are well-prepared for warmer days, others face greater challenges and require more specific measures.

District and School-Based Measures

We have implemented district and school-based measures to manage classroom temperatures during periods of unusually warm weather. These include:

• Utilizing our existing airflow systems to expel hot air from buildings overnight and draw in cooler air, ensuring that we start each day with a comfortable environment.
• Monitoring indoor temperatures at all sites centrally and remotely. Our facilities staff can adjust the airflow intake as needed to maintain optimal temperatures.
• Providing our daytime staff and evening custodians with guidance on reducing heat buildup in our buildings. This includes closing blinds and window coverings, and minimizing the use of overhead lighting and heat-emitting electronics.

What You Can Do

In anticipation of the warmer weeks ahead, we each have a role to play in preparing ourselves and students. Here are a few key things you can do from home:

• Ensure your child is dressed appropriately for sunny weather, which includes lightweight, breathable clothing, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Do keep in mind that indoor temperatures may be cooler than usual in the mornings, thanks to our overnight ventilation strategies.
• Encourage your child to stay hydrated. Send them to school with water bottles and include hydrating options in their lunches and snacks.
• If your child is particularly sensitive to heat, consider providing them with personal cooling tools (such as ice packs or handheld fans) that might help them stay cooler throughout the day.
   

If you have specific questions about your school, please reach out to your school principal. For more general information about sun and heat safety, visit https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/sun-safety.

Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District No. 42 is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Rennie to the position of secretary treasurer effective July 1, 2023.

Richard brings to the position a Chartered Professional Accountant designation, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC, and over 15 years of progressive financial leadership experience. He joined the school district in 2022 as assistant secretary treasurer, overseeing finance, procurement, and transportation services. In his former role as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, he led large and diverse teams across a complex public sector organization, enhancing his skill at overseeing a broad portfolio including budget planning, development, implementation, and monitoring and facilities management.

“Richard’s proven expertise in strategic planning, system implementation, budgeting, financial planning, reporting, analysis, and governance will be a significant asset to our district,” said Superintendent Harry Dhillon. “His work in the assistant secretary treasurer role has been nothing short of exceptional, making him the ideal candidate to take over the secretary treasurer position.”

As assistant secretary treasurer, Richard led the planning, implementation and ongoing monitoring of the 2022-23 Student Family and Affordability Fund and development of the 2023-24 preliminary budget. His commitment to public engagement, stakeholder communication, and relationship building consistently exceeded expectations.

Richard will succeed Flavia Coughlan, who has provided exemplary service to SD42 for over a decade. The district extends its heartfelt thanks to Ms. Coughlan for her years of outstanding service and wishes her well in her new role as secretary treasurer with the Vancouver School Board.

SD42 welcomes Richard Rennie to this role and extends its fullest support as he embarks on this new journey.

Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care, has issued the following statement to mark Pride 2023 and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in B.C.’s education system:

“The month of June is a time for all in K-12 education throughout B.C. to hear more about Pride month, recognize and celebrate the contributions of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and learn more about the significance and origins of events that started out of protest, like the Pride parade.

“We know that each child expresses themselves in their own unique way and that 2SLGBTQIA+ students, staff and families still face discrimination in our education system. Our hard work continues so we can ensure every school is a place where all students, staff and families feel safe and like they belong.

“In 2016, the B.C. Human Rights Code was amended to ensure that gender identity and expression are protected under the code. All schools must comply with the Human Rights Code and demonstrate they are creating safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for our students and staff.

“In B.C., all 60 school districts have sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) codes of conduct in place, and all districts and many independent and First Nations schools participate in the BC SOGI Educator Network. SOGI-inclusive education helps students understand and respect each other’s differences, value human rights and recognize how we can respond to discrimination when it happens.

“When students can see themselves reflected in the world around them through stories of same-gender parents or math problems that use ‘they/them’ pronouns in a school environment, it sends a strong message of acceptance. These are important messages for students to see, hear and feel as they grow and learn.

“As we strive to make B.C. a more welcoming place for everyone, we solidify our government’s continued support for more equitable and inclusive schools. This means a continued focus on valuing diversity in B.C. classrooms as we honour Pride celebrations and support our 2SLGBTQIA+ staff, students and their families with love and pride.”

Learn More:

If you or a friend are experiencing discrimination or harassment related to sexual orientation or gender identity, get help here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/help

YOUR VOICE, YOUR SCHOOL

We invite you to attend our second open house on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Station One Architects will report on the feedback received from our community, addressing how this input has influenced the proposed school design. Attendees will have further opportunity to provide their perspectives on the proposed design.*

If you are unable to attend our open house but would like to provide your feedback, you can participate in our second online survey, which will be open from June 15 to 4 pm June 22, 2023. A link to the survey will be posted on the district website June 15.

Event: Open House – Eric Langton Elementary Design
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2023 
Time: 5:30 – 8:00 PM 
Location: Eric Langton Elementary School (gym)

Please RSVP to register@sd42.ca by noon, Monday, June 12, 2023.

* Download a summary of feedback received.

Registration for students eligible for school district transportation for the 2023/24 school year will be open from Monday, May 15, 2023, at 12:00 pm (noon) to June 30, 2023, at 4:00 pm. 

Regular student transportation is available for eligible students living and attending school in the following school catchments: 

• Blue Mountain Elementary 
• Garibaldi Secondary 
• Highland Park Elementary 
• Pitt Meadows Secondary 
• Webster’s Corners Elementary 
• Whonnock Elementary 

Eligibility for regular student transportation is based on grade level and distance from the catchment area school as outlined below: 

• Grades K-3 students living farther than 4 kms from their catchment school 
• Grades 4-12 students living farther than 4.8 kms from their catchment school 

Eligibility for transportation for students with special needs is based on criteria set out in Policy 5400 on the school district website.

To register for regular student transportation or transportation for students with special needs, please click on the announcement titled Student Transportation 2023/2024 – Registration. The announcement will appear when registration opens at noon, May 15, 2023. Registration deadline is June 30, 2023. 

For instructions on how to register for student transportation on the Parent Portal once registration opens, please see the attached file. Additional information about student transportation is available on the school district website: https://www.sd42.ca/student-transportation/. 

YMCA BC and Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District No. 42 are working together to determine the child care needs of families of preschool aged children living in the Edith McDermott and Fairview Elementary school communities. The survey will take approximately 4 minutes to complete and will close end of day, June 11, 2023: https://forms.office.com/r/6bkqDk8dqb

Budget Committee of the Whole will receive public and partner group input on the Proposed Preliminary Budget 2023/24 on April 19, 2023, at 6pm (22225 Brown Ave, Maple Ridge). Review the Proposed Preliminary Budget 2023/24 here: bit.ly/3UNmBRu

Public input will continue to be collected through our online survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/budget-2023-24) until 4 pm, April 20, 2023.
 

On April 13, 2023, Station One Architects (SOA) and the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District hosted a public input session on the design of the replacement Eric Langton Elementary school. At this session, SOA presented a draft of the design and collected ideas on the general use of the building, the site, and on program suggestions for the Neighbourhood Learning Centre (NLC) that will be hosted in the new school.

If you were not able to attend the in-person session and would like to provide input, please participate in our online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ELE-Design.

This survey will be open from April 14, 2023, to April 28, 2023.

For additional information about and updates on this project, visit https://www.sd42.ca/eric-langton-design/.

At its April 12, 2023, public meeting, the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Board of Education received the Proposed Preliminary Budget 2023/24 for information. 

The board welcomes your feedback on this proposed preliminary budget, which includes budget balancing proposals in the following key areas:

• Support for School Growth Plans
• Learning Services
• Support for Operational Plans
• Regular Student Transportation
• Implementation of Strategic Facilities Plan

To provide your input through our online survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/budget-2023-24.

This survey will be open from April 13, 2023 until 4 pm, April 20, 2023.