Superintendent of Schools/CEO
North Vancouver School District No.44

Overview

North Vancouver School District No.44 (“The District” or “NVSD”) is part of the Metro Vancouver area and spans both the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver. The district is located immediately north of the City of Vancouver, across the Burrard Inlet. The two municipalities have a combined population of approximately 138,000, according to the 2016 census.

The District provides world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs across 25 elementary schools and seven secondary schools to inspire success for every student and bring communities together to learn, share and grow. ​​​With 16,000 students, their parents and guardians, and more than 2,500 staff, there is a strong sense of community across the District.

​Family of Schools Model

Each secondary school in the NVSD is considered a “family” with its surrounding feeder elementary schools. The purpose of this model is to build and maintain positive community within secondary school neighbourhoods, enhance staff collaboration, and optimize student supports. Each Family of Schools (“FOS”) is supported by a Director of Instruction, a Human Resource Manager, an FOS Leader, and an FOS teacher Leader.

By the Numbers

• 16,000 students
• 9,200 elementary students and 6,510 secondary students
• 25 elementary schools
• 7 secondary schools
• 2,500 staff

Vision & Values

Vision: “We provide world-class instruction and a rich diversity of engaging programs to inspire success for every student and bring communities together to learn, share and grow.”

Values

The District’s shared values set the tone for how each individual relates to one another in pursuit of the District’s common goals, assist the NVSD in demonstrating consistent and fair leadership, and guide them in working collaboratively and productively to realize the NVSD’s vision:

• Trust: “We act with integrity. We are open and honest in our communication with one another.”
• Respect: “We relate to each other with care and appreciation. We honour diversity and recognize the exceptional in everyone.”
• Responsibility: “​We are accountable for our actions. We support positive change, continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence.”
• Collaboration: "We develop relationships and affiliations to achieve shared goals and consider each other in our decisions and actions.”

How NVSD Works

Pillars of Education Practice

• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Social & Emotional Learning

Universal Design

• Universal supports serve all students.
• Targeted supports focus on individual or group strategies to enhance universal supports
• Intensive supports build from and add to universal and targeted supports, and are highly individualized and specialized

Vibrant Learning Communities, consisting of five core attributes:

• A focus on student engagement and learning
• A culture of teamwork and collaboration
• Respect for adult and student diversity
• A strong sense of community and collective responsibility
• Ongoing and relevant communication of student learning

Strategic & Operational Plans

Strategic Plan 2021-2031

The Strategic Plan 2021-2031 supports the North Vancouver School District's overarching vision and its priorities in providing the highest level of service to students and the community.

Six strategic goals were identified as top priorities. While intended to remain consistent to ensure continuity, these goals will remain flexible to adapt to changes or emerging needs

Strategic Goals:

1. Student-Centred Education: Provide equity-based education that supports the learning needs of all students
2. Innovative Instruction: Enhance innovative and effective approached and curriculum to develop educated citizens.
3. Welcoming and Inclusive Culture: Enhance NVSD’s welcoming, safe and inclusive culture and learning environment.
4. Mental Health and Well-Being: Promote mental health and well-being through social emotional learning and trauma-informed practices.
5. Truth Healing and Reconciliation: Champion truth, healing and reconciliation, embed Indigenous ways of knowing.
6. Environmental Stewardship: Lead on sustainable practices and nature-based learning to address environmental challenges

View the full Strategic Plan, here.

Operational Plans

The North Vancouver School District is committed to bringing the Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to life. To do so, the District will develop and implement 2-year operational plans over the strategic plan's 10-year period to guide priority setting and lay out a clear action plan to achieve the strategic goals.

The new 2-year operational plan is currently underway. View previous operational plans, here.

Framework for Enhancing Student Learning

The Ministry of Education’s Framework for Enhancing Student Learning brings a formalized approach to the planning and reporting expectations for schools with a focus on enhancing student learning and success. It combines accountability with evidence-informed decision-making and system-wide continuous improvement to support equity of outcomes for all students in the provincial K-12 public system.

The Framework was developed with provincial education partners and rights holders and reflects a public commitment by Indigenous peoples, Indigenous rights holders, education partners and communities to work together to improve student learning and enhance the Intellectual, Human and Social and Career Development of all learners.

The North Vancouver School District’s Framework to Enhance Student Learning is focused on developing educators (professional and para-professional) and enriching the learning environment through modern pedagogy. NVSD aligns their thinking with the research in the field of education, that it is ‘only’ through the development of the “Pillars of Educational Practice” consistent with ‘best practices’ that student learning will be enhanced. The attention to meaningful educator development and practice leads to deeper learning, enhanced graduation rates, grade to grade transitions, and student dispositions attuned to the Attributes of an Educated Citizen.

Visit the North Vancouver School District Framework for Enhancing Student Learning, here.

Visit the Framework for Enhancing Student Learning website, here.

Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement

​The Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement is a collaborative partnership to increase the academic and personal success of all students of Indigenous ancestry in the North Vancouver School District. This partnership includes the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Métis Nations, all other Aboriginal peoples residing in North Vancouver, the North Vancouver School District, and the Ministry of Education.

This five-year agreement, extending from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2021, recognizes both shared and individual areas of responsibility among schools, teachers, parents/caregivers, communities, and government bodies to meet the educational needs of students of Indigenous ancestry.

The North Vancouver School District acknowledges and honours the history and culture of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations in whose territory we reside. Commonly held values of mutual respect, collaboration, consensus building and inclusion, together with a continual focus on the goals and strategies that will lead to positive student growth and school success, informed the extensive consultation process that produced the third Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement, 2016-2021. 

View the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement, here.

Indigenous Education

The North Vancouver School District acknowledges and honours the history and culture of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations in whose territory we reside. The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation, səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nation and Métis Nation of British Columbia are key partners in ensuring success for students of Indigenous ancestry.

The North Vancouver School District’s Indigenous Education Program delivers culturally-appropriate educational programs and services to support the academic and personal success of students who self-identify as being of Indigenous ancestry.

By encompassing the values of consultation, communication, collaboration, and consensus building, the Program supports the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement’s three main goals:

1. To improve academic success of students of Indigenous ancestry​.
2. To improve the sense of belonging and presence of students of Indigenous ancestry.​
3. To increase the understanding and knowledge of all educators and students in the North Vancouver School District of Indigenous culture, history and ways of knowing, in order to enhance the learning environment for students of Indigenous ancestry.

Initiatives

To achieve their goals, the NVSD have undertaken the following four initiatives:

1. Increase the presence of Indigenous language, history, and culture in the schools and at a District level
2. Increase the number of qualified Indigenous teachers and qualified First Nations Support Workers
3. Promote and increase participation by all partner groups in joint activities that support school and District initiatives
4. Provide ongoing opportunities to meet and discuss Indigenous issues and learning with members. 

Learn more about the North Vancouver School District’s Indigenous Education Program, here.

Capital Plan & Projects

​2022/23 Five-Year Capital Plan & Priorities

Each year, boards of education are required to submit a Five-Year Capital Plan identifying both major and minor capital funding priorities required for their school districts. In late May 2021, the Ministry of Education issued instructions identifying the funding programs and requirements for the preparation and submission of the 2022/23 Five-Year Capital Plan. The Ministry of Education requires the school district to adopt and submit their Five-Year Capital Plans with supporting documentation on, or before, September 30, 2021.

The major capital funding programs require projects to be prioritized over a five-year budget horizon. The current major capital funding programs that are applicable to the North Vancouver School District are:

• New School Program
• Site Acquisition Program
• Addition/Expansion Program
• Replacement/Renovation Program

The minor capital programs only require funds to be identified for a single budget year. The minor capital funding programs include the following:

• School Enhancement Program
• Carbon Neutral Capital Program
• Playground Equipment Program

Sustainability Strategy

As "the Natural Place to Learn", the North Vancouver School District is committed to demonstrating leadership and providing the highest standard of education in environmental stewardship through programs, education and facilities that foster greater sustainability.

In 2015, the NVSD engaged a working group through a consultative planning process to develop a Sustainability Strategy that provides coherence, direction, and focus to sustainability-related activities.  The Sustainability Strategy Working Group drew on wide-ranging experience with environmental and sustainability initiatives, as well as learning in nature, classrooms, and Cheakamus Centre.

The NVSD Sustainability Strategy embraces a district-wide approach to sustainability that includes six strategic priorities within three broad areas of the NVSD community:                 

• Process: The structures that guide how we plan, act, share, and celebrate.

• Programs: Educational practices and partnerships that support a sustainable school district.

• Place: The natural and built environments that support the NVSD community.

Learn more about the Sustainability Strategy, here.