School District No. 35

When students, staff, community dignitaries and family members of the school’s namesake gathered to officially celebrate the opening of Josette Dandurand Elementary on Wednesday, it wasn’t just to mark the first year of the District’s newest school.  

It was also a celebration of the incredible community that has been built there in just a few short months. 

Since opening its doors last September – with students and families coming from 70 different schools and StrongStart programs, as noted by principal Sean Oliver – the school has become a tightknit family. That message was the common thread that weaved through all the speeches made during the hour-long ceremony, which was held in the school’s packed gym and live-streamed to other classrooms throughout the school. 

Kindergarten teacher Katelyn Bouvier, for example, noted that it wasn’t just students and families, but also staff, who arrived new to the school too, connected with each other, and in a short time forged lasting relationships. 

“More than anything, this school feels grounded. It feels like a place where relationships matter and where learning is something we are all a part of,” she said. “Having (Dandurand’s) name on our school feels like a daily reminder of what education truly matters for.” 

“This is not just a beautiful new building. It’s already a deeply rooted community,” she added.  

Bouvier’s thoughts were echoed by a pair of Grade 4 students, Evan and Aria, who spoke to the crowded gym about how everyone was so welcoming at their school and how “the whole community worked together to make everyone feel happy and welcome.”  

With a month left in the school’s inaugural school year, this week’s celebration was also a time to reflect on Josette Dandurand herself. Dandurand, who passed away in November 2023, was a well-respected Kwantlen First Nation elder and cultural presenter in the Langley School District. She was an advocate for social justice and Indigenous rights and a leader in the journey of Truth and Reconciliation.  

Many Kwantlen First Nation members, as well as members of Dandurand’s family, were in attendance Wednesday. In opening remarks, Kwantlen First Nation’s elder Kevin Kelly spoke directly to Dandurand’s family, saying that “I’m really grateful… that you did this for your mom.” 

In addition to speeches, choir students from the school sang an original song they’d written about their new school – again, centered around the theme of community. 

To close the event, Josette Dandurand Elementary principal Sean Oliver thanked numerous people, including teachers and support staff at the school, District staff, and the architects and construction companies that designed and built the new school. And he ended by again reiterating how wonderful it is that everyone joined together to make the District’s newest school such a close-knit group in only a few short months.  

 “We’ve come together from so many different places. We’ve got people who came here from other provinces, other cities, other countries, and we’ve come together with the goal of forming a community that Josette Dandurand would be proud to be a part of.” 

For more photos, see below.