Announcements

Join Assistant Superintendent David Vandergugten and Early Learning/Literacy Helping Teacher Melanie Scarcella for the 2025/26 Transitioning to kindergarten registration information night online session, hosted by District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) and Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District No. 42.

The session will take place at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, on Zoom and YouTube. Advance registration is required to join the Zoom session, which is limited to the first 90 participants. Alternatively, viewers can watch and engage by asking questions during the live stream on YouTube.

Pre-register for Zoom session at https://bit.ly/3UV5IWm
Watch live on the SD42 DPAC YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Z4OM21

Any child who turns 5 years old in 2025 (born in 2020) is eligible to register for the 2025/26 school year. For more information about kindergarten registration, see https://www.sd42.ca/kindergarten-registration/

202/26 School year registration dates at a glance:

* All registration periods open at 12 pm (noon).

Sibling Registration
January 7 – January 11, 2025

Environmental School Registration 
January 8 – January 10, 2025*
*Registration for siblings of Environmental School students is January 6-9, 2025.

Choice Registration
January 15 – January 20, 2025

General Registration
January 29 – February 4, 2025

Late Registration 
February 19 – July 25, 2025

Open Registration
August 20 – September 19, 2025

The Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Board of Education re-elected trustee Elaine Yamamoto as chairperson and trustee Kim Dumore as vice-chairperson during its November 13, 2024 public meeting. Both positions are elected annually.

Out of an abundance of caution, Fraser Health has sent school districts in the region notification about the teenager who has tested presumptively positive for avian influenza. Please see the letter below for more information, including recommended preventative measures, resources for immunization, and information on protecting yourself from avian influenza. 

Dear Superintendent,

Re: H5 Avian Influenza Communication 

As the Office of the Provincial Health Officer and the Ministry of Health shared on Saturday, November 9, a teenager from the Fraser Health region has tested presumptively positive for avian influenza caused by the H5 influenza virus. This is the first occurrence of avian influenza due to the H5 virus acquired by a person in B.C. and in Canada. Further testing is taking place to confirm the positive result by the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.

This is a rare event. There have been a small number of human cases in the U.S. and elsewhere. Public Health is following up with contacts who may have been exposed to assess for symptoms and provide guidance on testing and prevention measures. There have been no further cases identified at this time. There is no known exposure at any school. The source of exposure is very likely to be an animal or bird and is being investigated by B.C.’s Chief Veterinarian and Public Health teams. The investigation involves Public Health teams from Fraser Health, BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory, BC Children’s Hospital, the Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Office of the Chief Veterinarian, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and others.

Preventative measures 

We can protect ourselves and our communities against avian influenza.

• Stay up to date on all immunizations, especially the seasonal flu vaccine.
• Petting zoo and farm visits can continue but direct physical contact with all birds (including all poultry, ducks or any other waterfowl) should be avoided at this time.
• Do not touch sick or dead animals or their droppings and do not bring sick wild animals into your home.
• Keep pets away from sick or dead animals and their feces (poo).
• Report dead or sick birds or animals.
  1. For poultry or livestock, contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Animal Health office: Contact a Canadian Food Inspection Agency office by telephone – inspection.canada.ca
  2. For pets, contact your veterinarian or call the BC Animal Health Centre: 1-800-661-9903
  3. For wild birds, contact the B.C. Wild Bird Mortality Line: 1-866-431-2473
  4. For wild mammals, contact the B.C. Wildlife Health Program: 1 (250) 751-7246.

About avian influenza 

Avian influenza viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds and spread easily from bird to bird. While it mostly affects birds, it can affect other animals too. In B.C., H5N1 has been detected in wild birds, on poultry farms and among small wild mammals, including skunks and foxes. Influenza viruses are adaptable and can change when strains from humans or different animal species mix and exchange genetic information. Avian influenza could become more serious if the virus develops the ability to transmit from person to person, with potential for human-to-human transmission.

If you have been exposed to sick or dead birds or animals where avian influenza has been detected, watch for symptoms of influenza-like illness (see link below for more details). If you get symptoms within 10 days after exposure to sick or dead animals, tell your health care provider that you have been in contact with sick animals and are concerned about avian influenza. This will help them give you appropriate advice on testing and treatment. Stay home and away from others while you have symptoms.

Learn More: 

• BCCDC information on avian influenza: Avian Influenza (bccdc.ca)
• Avian influenza: How can I protect myself?: Avian flu: How can I protect myself? (bccdc.ca)
• HealthLinkBC information on avian influenza: Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) | HealthLink BC

Immunizations 

Remember, all students should stay up to date with their immunizations:

• All routine school-aged immunizations are free in British Columbia.
• Families can check their immunization records at healthgateway.gov.bc.ca
• If a record is missing immunizations that were received, families can submit the record to Public Health by visiting fraserhealth.ca/ImmunizationForm

If more immunizations are needed, families can visit fraserhealth.ca/GetImmunized to learn how to book an appointment.
Your continued support in keeping our children and communities healthy is much appreciated.

Thank you,

Ingrid Tyler, MD, CCFP, MHSc, MEd, FRCPC
Vice President, Population Health and Chief Medical Health Officer
Fraser Health Authority

Download the letter in PDF format

Flags at district facilities will be flown at half-mast starting Wednesday, November 13, to honour the life and contributions of former Premier John Horgan. Flags will remain lowered until sunset on the day of the former Premier’s funeral.

Are you interested in welcoming an international student into your home? Join us for an online information session on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 7 p.m. Call 604.466.6555 Ext. 3 or email inted@sd42.ca to register.

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Kindergarten registration for the 2025/26 school year begins January 2025. Registration is open for children who will be 5 years old on or before December 31, 2025.

Our four registration periods are sibling registration (January 7- January 11), environmental school registration (January 8 – January 10), programs of choice registration (January 15 – January 20), and general registration (January 29 – February 4). All registration periods open at 12 pm (noon).

Learn more about each phase and the registration process at https://www.sd42.ca/kindergarten-registration/.

Flags at district facilities will be flown at half-mast starting tomorrow, Tuesday, November 5, to honour the life and legacy of Justice Murray Sinclair, Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge and leader of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In accordance with British Columbia’s policy on half-masting and district policy, flags will remain lowered until sunset on the day of Justice Sinclair’s funeral.

Dear families, 

With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to once again take a moment to remind students, families, and staff about the need to be thoughtful and inclusive if selecting a costume to be worn at school. The choice of costume should always be respectful of the diverse cultural and lived experiences of all the members of our school communities and should align with the district’s stated commitment to inclusion, anti-racism, and equity.

Please keep the following two guidelines in mind as you and/or your child decide on a costume:

1. Be kind and consider the school community: Choose costumes that are respectful and do not mock or demean someone’s gender identity, culture, race, religion, age, or ability. Avoid costumes that could be offensive or perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
2. Be thoughtful and safe: Steer clear of costumes that depict violence, or substances like alcohol or drugs. Additionally, replica weapons (e.g., guns, knives, etc.) are not permissible at school.

The choice of Halloween costume should ultimately align with the expectations set out in school codes of conduct and our district Safe, Caring and Healthy Schools policy. We must always ensure our learning environments remain safe, welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all students, families, and staff. If you have questions, please connect with your school administration.

We appreciate your consideration and thank you for helping keep our schools safe, caring, and inclusive this Halloween. 

Sincerely,

Teresa Downs
Superintendent

Please note that the cross-country races scheduled for Thursday, October 24, 2024, have been moved to the Albion Sports Complex, as the original venue (Golden Ears Park) is no longer safe to use due to the heavy rainfall over the past weekend. All race times remain the same.

Dear families,

I hope you’ve had a restful and enjoyable summer, filled with time to recharge and make cherished memories. We were thrilled this week to welcome back our returning families and extend a special greeting to those joining our school community for the first time. (more…)