News Stories

At the end of last week, I shared information around the delayed return to school for students and the implementation of additional health and safety measures. Since that time, more information has become available, and I would like to share an update with you. 

I hope this letter finds you healthy, safe and in the company of loved ones. On Wednesday, Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside and Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Dr. Bonnie Henry held a joint news announcement regarding the delayed return to school for students for the remainder of the 2021/2022 school year. To allow schools to adapt to the impacts of the Omicron variant that is impacting our province, all K-12 students will return to school on Monday, January 10, 2022.

At an in-camera meeting on November 2nd, the Abbotsford Board of Education deliberated on the implications of a potential proof of vaccine mandate for all K-12 staff. After careful consideration and discussion, and following the K-12 Sector Guidelines for Vaccination Policies document, the Abbotsford Board of Education has decided not to mandate proof of vaccination for staff.

At the October 12th Board Meeting, the Abbotsford Board of Education passed a motion to direct staff to review and report on the implications of a vaccine mandate for all K-12 staff.

"We have been advised that the Ministry of Education has convened an advisory committee with partners in the sector to develop common principles, standards and guidelines," said Dr. Stan Petersen, Chair for the Abbotsford Board of Education. "This committee will support boards of education with their decision-making regarding the potential implementation of vaccine mandates."

The Abbotsford Board of Education regularly meets throughout the school year. Agendas and minutes from the public Board Meetings can be accessed through the District's Electronic School Board. Below is a summary of highlights from the meeting. To do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and for everyone's safety, all public meetings of the Abbotsford Board of Education will be closed to the public and held virtually until further notice. The meetings will also be live-streamed.

Laurel Penner (right side of the picture) is the PAC president for AVS. She has been involved with AVS for many years and is in her 13th year of having her children attend AVS. Dawna Austin is the vice-president for AVS PAC and has been doing a fantastic job for the past couple of years. She is an AVS veteran, having more than 20 years of having her kids as students here. 

Our student of the month is Natasha Reid. She is in grade five and attends Wednesday classes. Natasha was looking forward to being the oldest grade in our class. Right away on the first day of classes, as soon as she completed her assignment, she was asking to help the teacher and other students. She is friendly and knows how to help others enjoy being part of our class. Last year she wanted to take part in our French language learning activities in class, and we were able to get her to participate at times.

Thousands of students and staff across the Abbotsford School District recognized the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day and Truth and Reconciliation Week. From a virtual assembly to classroom-based group projects, students worked with their teachers and Indigenous Education staff over the course of the last few days to build a better understanding and awareness of truth and reconciliation.

As we begin to enter into September, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome back to all to what we hope will be a wonderful school year. As we look forward to the opportunities in the weeks and months ahead, I must again extend a sincere thanks to our staff for getting us through last year. What we accomplished in British Columbia, and particularly here in Abbotsford, was truly amazing. Our society owes a debt of gratitude to the teachers, support staff, principals and managers who pulled together to care for our students when they needed us most.

On August 3, the B.C. Government formally recognized September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in alignment with legislation passed by the federal government in June.

As part of this formal recognition, the Abbotsford School District will be closed to all students and staff on Thursday, September 30, 2021. District employees usually entitled to federal and provincial statutory holidays will receive this day off.