Announcements

Due to a power outage at the school, the Fairview Elementary StrongStart centre will be CLOSED today, Friday, December 21, 2018.

As a result of the pipeline rupture in October 2018, FortisBC is forecasting a shortfall of natural gas through the winter. With a reduced supply of natural gas available, customers across BC are being asked to continue to conserve energy.

The Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District uses natural gas to heat its schools and facilities. In order to do our part to conserve natural gas, we will be turning down thermostats when schools are not in session. Our temperatures will be:

Thermostats will remain set at these temperatures until the FortisBC natural gas advisory is lifted.

How can you help?

• Turn down the thermostat. Keep classroom thermostats adjusted to 20°C during school hours, and 15°C when schools are not in session.
• Cozy clothes. Make sure you dress appropriately to stay warm and comfortable inside your school or classroom.
• Don’t let the heat out. Keep classroom and school doors closed during recess and lunch so the heat doesn’t escape. Also, whenever possible, keep classroom windows closed to avoid heat loss.

Download the SD42 Saving Natural Gas poster. 

Visit FortisBC for regular updates on BC’s natural gas supply and tips for reducing natural gas use. 

At the November 21, 2018 inaugural meeting of the board, trustees elected Korleen Carreras as board chairperson and Elaine Yamamoto as vice-chair. Congratulations to both!

The November 21, 2018 Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Education will take place from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. in the Board Room at the District Education Office, 22225 Brown Avenue, Maple Ridge.

Regular public board meetings will begin at 6 p.m. on December 12, 2018. The 2018/19 board meeting schedule can be found at http://www.sd42.ca/board-of-education/

UPDATE – November 18, 2018: The temperature in district facilities will be returning to a warmer setting tomorrow morning, November 19, 2018. It will then remain at 20°C until the FortisBC natural gas advisory is lifted.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Dear parents/guardians,

As a follow-up to the notice we sent yesterday, we are writing to provide you with additional information about the temporary lowering of temperature in our facilities and to let you know that we now anticipate a return to warmer temperatures in our schools by Monday, November 19, 2018.

We have been advised that Enbridge will be shutting off its pipeline for integrity testing today (Friday, November 16), putting the system at only 40% operating capacity. However, the expectation is that this work will take approximately one day to complete.

To assist with conservation measures, we have temporarily lowered the temperatures in our secondary schools starting this morning, and will be decreasing the temperatures in our elementary schools starting this afternoon. We expect to return to a warmer temperature by the end of this weekend, but will post an update on the school district website (www.sd42.ca) by Sunday evening (November 18) to confirm this timeline. Temperatures inside district facilities will then remain at 20°C until the FortisBC natural gas advisory is lifted.

Thank you for your understanding.

Dear parents/guardians,

As a result of the pipeline rupture last month, FortisBC is forecasting a shortfall of natural gas through the winter. With a reduced supply of natural gas available, customers across the province are being asked to continue to conserve energy.

Starting Friday, November 16, 2018, the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District will turn down thermostats to 18°C in all secondary schools (starting in the morning) and elementary schools (starting in the afternoon) in order to further reduce natural gas usage. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately to stay warm and comfortable.

Temperatures will remain at 18°C until the FortisBC natural gas advisory is lifted. Updates will be posted to the district website and sent through the parent portal as they become available.

Letter from the Honourable Katrine Conroy

As the Minister of Children and Family Development, I am honoured and delighted to proclaim November as Adoption Awareness Month. This annual proclamation offers an opportunity to celebrate the many families in the province who have opened their hearts and their homes through adoption, and to highlight the need for more families to consider adopting.

 In your school district and across the province, there are hundreds of children and youth in foster care hoping for a permanent home to call their own. Some are part of a sibling group, some have special needs, and some are teens. Each and every child deserves a family to belong to, a stable place to grow up, help and guidance preparing for the challenges of adulthood, and someone to rely on for support, encouragement and love.

This year the ministry is pleased to announce a new Adoption Campaign. For more information on this important campaign, please see the following Web link at: Adoptnow.ca.

There are many ways to celebrate adoptive families and help raise awareness of the need for more adoptive families in British Columbia. Your council could proclaim Adoption Awareness Month in your community, you could create an adoption display in your office, use a copy of the Provincial Proclamation, invite Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) Adoption Social Workers to set up an information booth, have your community newspaper feature articles on adoption, and invite local adoptive parents to a “meet and greet”. If you are interested in exploring these ideas please contact MCFD staff at:MCF.AdoptionsBranch@gov.bc.ca.

The Adoptive Families Association of British Columbia (AFABC) has been supporting adoptive families in British Columbia for forty years. The AFABC’s representative for your area can provide you with information on events in your community and on adoption in general. Their contact information, as well as contact information for the three licensed adoption agencies in British Columbia, can be accessed at:https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/birth-adoption/adoptions/how-to-adopt-a-child.

Adopt BC Kids Web site is an online portal that allows citizens to complete an adoption applications online 24/7. Please take a look at the site and encourage community members who are interested in adopting a child in foster care to register at: www.gov.bc.ca/adoptbckids.

On behalf of the Ministry of Children and Family Development, thank you for helping us raise awareness about adoption and working with us to find homes for British Columbia’s children and youth.

Sincerely,

Katrine Conroy

Minister of Children and Family Development

The newly elected Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Board of Education will be sworn in during a ceremony at Thomas Haney Secondary on Wednesday, November 7.

The event takes place in the school rotunda, starting at 4 pm. Thomas Haney Secondary is located at 23000 – 116 Ave., Maple Ridge, BC.

As we approach the federal legalization of recreational marijuana on October 17, 2018, we would like to reaffirm that (as per our Safe, Caring, and Healthy Schools policy) our school district will continue to provide a safe, caring and socially responsible school environment that does not tolerate the presence of intoxicating substances.

For more information on the legalization of recreational marijuana and its impacts for BC K-12 education, see the message below provided by the Ministry of Education. (more…)

As a result of the natural gas pipeline rupture near Prince George, FortisBC is asking customers across the province to turn down their thermostats and reduce natural gas usage.

Starting this Friday, October 12, the Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District will be reducing the temperature in all schools and facilities by 2°C and setting thermostats at 20°C to help conserve energy.

Although warmer outside temperatures are expected on Friday, please have your child(ren) dress appropriately to stay warm and comfortable inside the school or classroom.

Temperatures inside schools and facilities will remain at 20°C until the FortisBC natural gas advisory is lifted. Please visit www.sd42.ca for the latest updates.