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'Good things are (still) happening,' New West schools proclaim

This year's annual report comes with a familiar title and a promise that local educators are 'building momentum'
New West School District
The New Westminster School District is making headway in developing its long-anticipated five-year strategic plan. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

The good times keep on rolling, the New Westminster School District is proclaiming with its annual report.

It’s the second year in a row the annual report has led with the title “Good things are happening.”

The report, which has not yet been released in full, was previewed to school board late last month, and a recent tweet from the school district links to a five-page preview document.

The second page of the booklet shows an image of then-Grade 2 student Ashdeep at Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, bearing a poster “showing her excitement for the first day of school,” Superintendent Karim Hachlaf said.

Beyond good things happening, Hachlaf said the secondary theme of the document is “building momentum.”

The table of contents offers a look at what the finished document will contain, with headings like "Building momentum," "Our bold initiatives," "Student explorers" and "Beyond the classroom," before finishing with "We've just begun."

The table of contents in the preview document show headings titled “Building momentum,” “Our bold initiatives,” “Our changing classrooms,” “Student explorers,” “Cutting edge connection,” “Beyond the classroom,” “Changing worldviews” and “We’ve just begun.”

The preview offers a look at the “Building momentum” message from Hachlaf and school board chair Mark Gifford and the first of two pages under the “Our bold initiatives” heading.

The latter looks at some of the new programs the school district has launched, from its nutrition program aimed at taking away stigma for students in need and including students in the decision-making process to its recently signed Aboriginal education enhancement agreement and its review of special education.

Under the “Building momentum” heading, Hachlaf and Gifford lean on the diversity of the school district as a strength moving forward.

“As the fifth densest community in Canada – we are a district where diversity is a source of our strength, where three of our neighbourhoods are growing faster than the national average, and where some 65 languages are spoken at just one of our elementary schools alone,” the report says.

Hachlaf told school board the full document is expected to be launched “shortly,” and will be available at all schools come September.

The preview can be found on the school district's website.