Why is the first day of school only an hour?
For elementary students, coming to school for an hour allows them to be welcomed back by their old teachers and meet new teachers and staff, see their friends, and get comfortable with being back in a school environment before coming for a full day. Importantly, the first day allows elementary schools to check attendance and staff time to start finalizing teacher and classroom assignments for the year, with the goal to have students in their classrooms as soon as possible.
For high school students, it allows the opportunity to make sure everyone in Grades 9-12 has their schedules and then for Grade 8 students the time to have an opportunity to meet their counsellor, do an activity with their homeroom class, practice the block rotation, and get to know the school building.
Is there a bus schedule for the first day?
There is! The opening day bus schedule is located here.
Where can my high school student find their schedule?
Student schedules are available on the MyEd BC website. If your child is having trouble logging on, have them try to reset their password by clicking on “I forgot my password.” If they are still unable to log on, please email your school’s office. Contact information is on your school’s website.
Where can I find school supply information?
If you did not receive information about school supplies at the end of last year, your child will be sent home with information about school supplies during the first week of school. Different schools/grades/classrooms may have different approaches to school supplies. Some may provide a list, others may request a payment through School Cash Online (the school district’s online payment system.)
Why does it take so long to find out which class my child will be in for the school year and who their teacher will be?
Schools do their very best to determine the number of classrooms for each grade and assign teachers and students to those classes before the end of the school year. However, A LOT changes over the summer. Families move out of the district or to new catchment areas, new families move to Nanaimo, staffing plans may change over the summer, and each year, we also have a few children who have not yet registered with the district arrive at our schools or register the first week. (Psst, if you know of someone who has not yet registered their child for school and is planning to send their child to school in Nanaimo-Ladysmith – PLEASE have them go to our website —— as soon as possible to register!)
Our principals, vice principals, and teachers work diligently the first week to create the best welcome back and learning environment for the school community. Staff have worked hard in June to create class placements, and continue to review and reflect on class placements during this first week to ensure positive learning spaces for everyone. Your child’s school will communicate more information about classroom placements during the first week of school. Please do not contact your school regarding classroom placements before this information is provided.