The Board of Education of School District No. 40 (New Westminster)
"The Board of Education of School District No. 40 (New Westminster) is committed
to ensuring that learners become self-assured, self-sufficient, caring, wise, flexible,
and able to live successfully in an ever-changing environment."
School District No. 40 is a medium sized school district, provincially, and a microcosm
of the large, urban school districts surrounding it in the Lower Mainland (Greater
Vancouver). The District is growing modestly and has a total 6,202 (08/09) students
in Kindergarten to grade 12.
Currently, there are twelve schools in the District (nine elementary, two middle
and one secondary school), two Adult Learning Centres (ALCs), three Youth Alternate
programs, and a Home Learners program that also has a satellite program on Bowen
Island.
The student population is reflective of the City's population with a full range
of social and cultural backgrounds that combine to form a rich and diverse presence
in the schools. In the 2008/2009 school year, there were a total of 369 Aboriginal
students, 708 ESL students and 494 students on the Special Education registry.
For more information on School District No. 40
please visit the District website.
A complete listing of schools with the corresponding school websites can also be
found here.
Early Learning
The Board of Education of School District No. 40 (New Westminster), is strongly
committed to Early Childhood Development and Learning, and the development of quality
early intervention and prevention services for children and families to ensure that
children arrive at school ready to learn.
Working with HELP
School District No. 40 has worked on two separate occasions with Dr. Clyde Hertzman
and the Human Early Learning
Partnership (HELP) at UBC in the implementation of the Early Development
Instrument (EDI). The resulting EDI maps provided a snapshot of the vulnerability
of children in neighbourhoods throughout the City, and heightened awareness at both
the school district and the community level of the importance of Early Childhood
Development, and the necessity to develop polices and programs that support children
and families. Starting this year the District will be working with HELP to implement
the EDI annually.
NW ECD Committee
School District No. 40 has been actively involved in the New Westminster
Early Childhood Development Committee since its inception, and participated in the
planning process that led to the development, and updating of, the New Westminster
Strategic Action Plan for Early Childhood Development.
The District has also just completed a visioning process that led to the development
of a District Early Learning Vision and through the Community District
Literacy Planning Sessions also created a visual depiction of Early Learning in New Westminster.
School District No. 40 currently has the following early learning programs:
StrongStart
Early Learning Centres
StrongStart Early Learning Centres are free, drop-in centres for pre-school children
0 to 5 and their parents or caregiver. Qualified early childhood educators facilitate
learning activities like story time, music and art to help children get ready for
kindergarten. Parents and caregivers are provided with an opportunity to discover
new ways to support their children’s learning at home, and make valuable connections
to both the school and community.
School District No. 40 now has three StrongStart Early Learning Centres -
Queen Elizabeth Elementary School in Queensborough,
Richard McBride Community School, and the newest one at Connaught Heights
Elementary School.
School District No. 40’s Early Learning Advisory Committee will
oversee the development and growth of this and potentially other StrongStart Early
Learning Centres in the District.
Ready, Set, Learn
Each year families and their three years olds are invited to their neighbourhood
school to attend a fun-filled Ready, Set, Learn event, and meet
school staff and a wide variety of community service providers.
Families receive an age appropriate book for the child, a parent/family kit with
a booklet that contains helpful tips for supporting their preschooler's learning
and development, and additional information about school and community programming
and resources.
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Children and Family
Development and the Ministry of Health supports Ready Set learn throughout the province.
Watch the local newspapers in January and February or visit the School District No. 40 website for this year's Ready, Set,
Learn dates and times.
Welcome to Kindergarten
Welcome to Kindergarten is a partnership with The Learning Partnership.
In May and June of every year, families of children registered to attend kindergarten
in September are invited to neighbourhood schools for a family orientation session.
Families tour the school and meet a variety of school-based staff and local community
service providers.
Each family receives a Welcome to Kindergarten resource bag and
then is provided with an opportunity to work hands-on with the resources in the
bags. This year kindergarten children will also receive a
Welcome to Kindergarten Community Passport which will encourage them to explore their community over the summer.
Watch the local newspapers in May or visit the
school district website for the Welcome to Kindergarten dates and times.
Preparing your Child for Kindergarten
Is your child going to Kindergarten? Then you should read Preparing to Register and Getting Ready - Helpful Skills.
Supports for Children with Additional Needs
School District No. 40 contact: Diane
Halkett
District Administrator, Student Services Phone: 604.517.6369
E-mail: dhalkett@sd40.bc.ca
Transition to Kindergarten
School District No. 40 in collaboration with Supported
Child Development (Simon Fraser Society for Community Living) and BC Centre for
Ability has produced a Transition to Kindergarten Handbook
to guide parents of children with special needs in their transition to Kindergarten.
Each January, parents are invited to a special intake meeting
so that appropriate support plans are in place prior to the new school year.
Multicultural Services and Supports
School District No. 40 contact:
Hargurjeet Sekhon, Multicultural Services
Manager
Phone: 604.517.6227
E-mail: hsekhon@sd40.bc.ca
For information on the supports and services available for families with children
in kindergarten to grade 12 through the Settlement Workers in Schools
(SWIS) program, please view the brochures below:
SWIS Brochure (English)
SWIS Brochure (Chinese)
SWIS Brochure (Arabic)
SWIS Brochure (Persian)
SWIS Brochure (Punjabi)
Aboriginal Services and Supports
School
District No. 40 contact: Bertha Lansdowne District Coordinator - Aboriginal Education
Phone: 604.517.6316
E-mail: blansdow@sd40.bc.ca
For information on the supports
and services available for aboriginal families with children in kindergarten to
grade 12 please view the SD No. 40 Aboriginal Education brochure.
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