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On Monday, October 24th, the A51���� District received national recognition for three communications projects during the 2022 BRAVO! Awards Gala, hosted by the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE).

Halloween is this upcoming Monday, October 31st, and can be a busy time for many families preparing for a night of trick or treating. We want to encourage families to remember to stay safe and respectful while celebrating this fun-filled evening!

It’s an exciting time for the École Centennial Park Elementary school community as their newly built accessible playground opened for students earlier this month. Funded through the Ministry of Education and Child Care's Playground Equipment Program (PEP), the school district's Facilities Department was able to purchase and install new playground equipment universal in design and in compliance with accessibility measures set through the Canadian Standards Association for Children's Playspaces and Equipment.

The Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education recognizes exceptional teachers, support staff and administrators throughout the province. In a ceremony at Government House in mid-October, Premier John Horgan provided awards to winners of the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education, and celebrated the finalists from the 2022 awards program.

Abbotsford residents have elected three new school trustees and four incumbent school trustees to the Abbotsford Board of Education.

Korky Neufeld, Stan Petersen, Preet Rai and Shirley Wilson are returning school trustees, all of whom ranked within the top spots on the voting poll. The A51���� District adds 3 new school trustees to the governance board for a four-year term - Rupi Kanda-Rajwan, Mike Rauch and Jared White.

It won’t just be the adults watching for election results on Saturday night.

More than 60,000 elementary, middle and high school students across B.C. have cast their ballots now in the municipal elections, including in Abbotsford. Student Vote is a process that’s been taking place in public and private schools, through CIVIX, a non-partisan registered Canadian charity dedicated to strengthening democracy through civic education.

A room in a school is set up exactly like a polling station, with students volunteering as the election officers.

October 5th is World Teachers' Day, and the A51���� District is celebrating the 1,500+ innovative educators across the district who prepare and inspire our students for a lifetime of success.

Teachers are a cornerstone of quality education systems and play a key role in building inclusive and equitable societies. Today, we celebrate the teachers within our district and commend their dedication, passion and commitment to this profession.

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 . Below is a summary of highlights from the meeting. 

Presentations

W.J. Mouat Secondary – "Self-Care Mondays"

A small cohort of W.J. Mouat Secondary students who helped develop Self-Care Mondays shared their experiences at the Mental Health Forum and discussed the process of implementing the new school event.

At the end of September, the schools previously known as Matsqui Elementary and Upper Sumas Elementary hosted renaming ceremonies to officially honour becoming Mathxwí Elementary and Semá:th Elementary. The Abbotsford Board of Education approved the renaming in December of 2021 to reflect the Halq’eméylem language of the Stó:lō First Nations. On both days, the school gyms were filled with guests - including school trustees, district staff, students, and community members.

Today is Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We honour and uphold Survivors and intergenerational Survivors of the Indian residential school system, and commemorate those who didn’t return home.