News Stories

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 Abbotsford School District adds 3 new school trustees to the governance board for a four-year term - Rupi Kanda-Rajwan, Mike Rauch and Jared White.

VIEW: 2022 General Local Election Results

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 Abbotsford School 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 Electronic School Board. 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.

An Abbotsford teacher has been named a recipient of the 2022 Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Nerlap Sidhu, a Grade 6-7 teacher at Eugene Reimer middle school, is among 12 educators across the nation who have been recognized for teaching excellence, teaching excellence in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and excellence in early childhood education.

The Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence honour outstanding and innovative elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines.

Phyllis's story inspired Orange Shirt Day in 2013, which aims to educate people on residential schools in Canada. The day honours and remembers the experiences and loss of First Nation, Inuit and Métis children who were stolen from their families and placed in these schools. Every September 30th, individuals across Canada wear orange on Orange Shirt Day to visually represent this important day of remembrance.

On September 20, 2022, the Abbotsford Board of Education hosted the official grand opening event of Irene Kelleher Totí:ltawtxw, the newest elementary school in the Abbotsford School District. Over 100 guests - including school trustees, government officials, district staff, students, and various community members - were in attendance to commemorate this exciting day, learn more about the building process and the history of the school's namesake, Irene Kelleher.