With the new year just begun, you’re probably not thinking about September yet — unless, of course, you’re the parent of a child who’s ready to enter kindergarten.
If your child turns five this year, you have two more weeks to get them registered in the New Westminster school district this fall.
With that deadline looming, we’re rounding up answers to some of local families’ questions about how to register for school in School District 40.
When do I need to register my child for kindergarten?
The regular registration period for new kindergarten students (those turning five in the calendar year 2023) is underway until Jan. 27, 2023. To ensure that you’re registered before that deadline, you need to book an appointment through the district’s registration page. If you can’t find an appointment time, you can also register on a walk-in basis at the SD40 Welcome Centre.
The Welcome Centre is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. You’ll find the exterior entrance on the south (front) side of New Westminster Secondary School at 820 Sixth St., about halfway along the building.
Yes, you’ll need lots of information and documentation. The SD40 registration site provides all the details.
Which school do I register my child for?
New registrations are done on a catchment basis, meaning you sign your child up at the school whose catchment you live in. If you’re not sure which school that is, use the SD40 School Locator tool, where you can search by address.
What if my neighbourhood school is full?
SD40 schools are facing what the school district calls “significant capacity issues” because of growing enrolment and limited space — which means some schools may end up turning away students.
The district does its best to place all new students into their local catchment school.
But, if the number of students wanting in to a given school is larger than the number of spaces available, the district conducts a randomized lottery to determine placement at that school.
Any student who’s placed elsewhere will be added to a waitlist for the catchment school and offered a spot elsewhere.
Which schools will this affect? Right now, the district is keeping an eye on three schools where a lottery may be needed for this fall: Lord Kelvin Elementary School (for folks in the Moody Park/Brow of the Hill area), École Qayqayt Elementary School (downtown) and Queen Elizabeth Elementary School (Queensborough).
After the regular registration period ends on Jan. 27, the district will assess capacity at each of those schools and then see whether it can confirm places or whether it needs to conduct a lottery.
What if I don’t want my child to attend my neighbourhood school?
The New Westminster school district accepts out-of-catchment applications from anyone living in the district who wants to attend a different school within SD40.
It also accepts out-of-district applications from those living outside New Westminster.
However, both categories of registrations will fall lower in the priority order than students living in the neighbourhood, so be warned that at-capacity schools may not have places for out-of-catchment or out-of-district students.
The application period for out-of-catchment and out-of-district students starts Feb. 6.
If you have any questions in the meantime, you can send an email inquiry.
What if I want to sign up for a program of choice?
Elementary school: French immersion or Montessori
New Westminster families with children entering elementary school have the option of early French immersion (currently offered at Herbert Spencer, Qayqayt and Lord Tweedsmuir elementary schools) or Montessori (offered at Connaught Heights and Skwo:wech elementary schools). Both programs have their own catchment areas, distinct from regular school catchments.
These programs begin in kindergarten (or Grade 1 if space is available).
To find out more about early French immersion or to check your catchment, check out the EFI information page.
To find out more about Montessori or to check your catchment, check out the Montessori information page.
Middle school: Late French immersion
For middle-school-aged children, late French immersion is also offered at École Glenbrook Middle School. Enrolment is limited to two Grade 6 entry classes at Glenbrook annually.
How does registration work for programs of choice?
Separate applications are required for programs of choice.
Register your child at their regular neighbourhood catchment school (even if it’s different from where the program of choice would be).
Then apply for the program of choice you’re interested in. The application period for programs of choice is open from Monday, Jan. 16 to Friday, Feb. 10.
You can find the application forms for those programs online (they’ll be open starting Monday, Jan. 16).
Priority is given to siblings of students already in the program. The rest of the available spaces are chosen by lottery from all the applications received within the time period above.
Students who don’t get in may be waitlisted.
What if my child is moving on to middle school or high school?
If your child is finishing up at an SD40 elementary school this year and moving on to their catchment middle school, you don’t need to register them at their middle school. The same is true for students moving from an SD40 middle school to New Westminster Secondary School.
Registrations are only needed if your child is new to the district or wants to start a new program in September 2023.
What if I can’t provide all the documentation needed to register my child?
Some families — such as those with precarious or no immigration status — may not be able to provide the documentation that’s regularly required for school registration.
The New Westminster school district has a sanctuary schools policy that’s designed to make sure anyone who lives in the city, regardless of immigration status, can sign up their children for school.
Families who’d like more information, and who’d like to start a confidential discussion to see if the sanctuary schools policy applies to their family’s situation, can set up an appointment at the Welcome Centre.
Email registrations@sd40.bc.ca or call 604-517-6200.
What if I still have questions about registering for school?
You can start at the registration page at the New Westminster school district’s website, which provides links to all the information you need to get started.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca
