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Willoughby Slope September 2025 Catchments and Registration Update

January 13, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:   

Re: Willoughby Slope September 2025 Catchments and Registration Update  

As a follow-up to the letter dated December 19, 2024, the District is sharing important registration information for elementary students and their families on the Willoughby Slope to help you plan for the next school year. As you know, the District will be opening a new elementary school, Josette Dandurand Elementary, in the Northeast Latimer area in September 2025.  

Reminder: New Catchments Beginning September 2025  

As noted in the December 19 letter to families, the Langley Board of Education approved the proposed catchment changes for the Willoughby Slope. The catchment changes mainly impact students currently attending Willoughby Elementary and Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary. You can review the catchment changes in this infographic here.  

How do I find my child’s catchment?  

There is a school locator tool on the District website which you can use to determine your child’s catchment school: https://www.sd35.bc.ca/schools/school-locator/   

During the winter break, the new catchments were updated into the school locator tool.     

What do I do next (for current students entering Grades 1-5)?  

Please note that the expectation is that students will attend their catchment schools for September 2025, based on the new catchments; at the same time, there are some exceptions to this that the District is willing to consider. Please review the different scenarios below carefully, as there are important actions and deadlines that you must be aware of; some scenarios require specific actions to ensure that your child is appropriately registered for September 2025. By Spring Break, schools will be confirming where students are registered and will be attending in September 2025.  

My child currently attends Willoughby Elementary or Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary, and will continue at their school in September 2025, dependent on their home address.  

  • If your home address is in the current Willoughby Elementary or Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary catchment (based on the school locator tool above), and your child will continue to attend one of these schools in September 2025, you do not need to do anything. Your child will remain registered at their current Willoughby Slope school. 

My child currently attends R.C. Garnett, Richard Bulpitt, Lynn Fripps, or Langley Meadows, and will continue at their school in September 2025, dependent on their home address.   

  • If your home address is in the catchment of your current Willoughby Slope elementary school (based on the school locator tool above), and your child will continue to attend one of these schools in September 2025, you do not need to do anything. Your child will remain registered at their current school.  

My child currently attends a Willoughby Slope elementary school, including Willoughby Elementary and Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary, and now lives in the new Josette Dandurand Elementary school catchment for September 2025, AND will attend the new elementary school.   

  • If your home address is in the catchment of the new Josette Dandurand Elementary (based on the school locator tool above), and your child will attend the new school, you do not need to do anything. Your child will automatically be transitioned and registered at the new elementary school.  

My child currently attends Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary school and now lives in the Langley Meadows Community School catchment for September 2025.  

  • If your home address is now in the catchment of Langley Meadows Community School for September 2025, you do not need to do anything. Your child will automatically be transitioned and registered at Langley Meadows Community School. 

My child currently attends one of the two main overflow schools (Langley Meadows Community School and Lynn Fripps Elementary) and is an out of catchment student. I would like my child to continue attending their current school for September 2025.  

  • If your child currently attends Langley Meadows Community School or Lynn Fripps Elementary, and is an out of catchment student, you must fill out a Cross Boundary Application. These schools will send the form home. The forms are also available on the school District website here or at your school’s Main Office.  
  • You must submit the application to the Principal of your current school within the special application window: Monday, January 13, 2025, to Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (inclusive).  
  • Any Cross Boundary applications received at Langley Meadows Community School and Lynn Fripps Elementary within the above window will be automatically approved.  
  • Any Cross Boundary applications received at Langley Meadows Community School and Lynn Fripps Elementary AFTER the above window will be placed on a waitlist. Decisions will then be communicated by the school by June 15, as per the normal Cross Boundary Administrative Procedures.  
  • For convenience and efficiency, the District is allowing a temporary change, without prejudice, to the normal Cross Boundary Procedures. Parents/guardians who submit the Cross Boundary Application within the above window will NOT need the Principal of the catchment school to sign the form.  
  • Any forms submitted AFTER the above window will require the Principal of the catchment school to sign the Cross Boundary Application, as per the normal Cross Boundary Administrative Procedures.  

My child currently attends a Willoughby Slope school other than one of the two main overflow schools (Langley Meadows Community School and Lynn Fripps Elementary) and is an out of catchment student. I would like my child to continue attending their current school for September 2025.  

  • If your child currently attends a Willoughby Slope school other than one of the two main overflow schools (Langley Meadows Community School and Lynn Fripps Elementary), and is an out of catchment student, you must fill out a Cross Boundary Application. These schools will send the form home. The forms are also available on the school District website here or at your school’s Main Office.  
  • You must submit the application to the Principal of your current school within the special application window: Monday, January 13, 2025, to Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (inclusive).  
  • Any Cross Boundary applications received during the above window will be placed on a waitlist, in order based on date received. Decisions will be made as early as possible, based on space at each grade level.  
  • Any Cross Boundary applications received AFTER the above window will also be placed on a waitlist, in order based on date received. Because of the later application, these will be placed lower on the waitlist, after any applications that were received during the above window. Decisions will then be communicated by the school by June 15, as per the normal Cross Boundary Administrative Procedures.  
  • For convenience and efficiency, the District is allowing a temporary change, without prejudice, to the normal Cross Boundary Procedures. Parents/guardians who submit the Cross Boundary Application within the above window will NOT need the Principal of the catchment school to sign the form.  
  • Any forms submitted AFTER the above window will require the Principal of the catchment school to sign the Cross Boundary Application, as per the normal Cross Boundary Administrative Procedures. 

My child currently attends their catchment school and would like to attend another school, either on the Willoughby Slope or elsewhere in the School District.  

  • If your child currently attends their catchment school and would like to attend another school, they are required to fill out a Cross Boundary Application and have it signed by their catchment school Principal. A copy of the form is available at the school office.  
  • Take the signed Cross Boundary Application and submit it to the requested school.  
  • Decisions will then be communicated by the requested school by June 15, as per the normal Cross Boundary Administrative Procedures.  

Additional Information  

Reminder: How do I register my child for the 2025-2026 school year (entering Kindergarten)?  

All children who will be five years old by December 31, 2025 (children born in 2020) are eligible for the Kindergarten program beginning September 2, 2025. Registration opened Monday, January 6, 2025, and will be open until Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Registration takes place online. Please check the District webpage for specific instructions here.   

For Kindergarten registrants, please note that you must register online for your catchment school. At the same time, if you want your child to attend another school with their older sibling in one of the above cross boundary scenarios, you must complete a Cross Boundary Application for each of your children. Please note that a Cross Boundary Application does NOT guarantee you a place in the non-catchment school.    

We have heard that there may be new childcare spaces at Josette Dandurand Elementary and Langley Meadows Community School. If so, what is the transition plan?  

The District is prioritizing childcare and will be expecting to operate its own before and after school care at Josette Dandurand Elementary and try to expand before and after school care at Langley Meadows Elementary. The District understands that families need to have details around spaces available and the registration process to help in their planning. Please be patient while staff work through plans. Once the District has finalized the registration of students on the Willoughby Slope as of February 18, 2025, we will follow up with communication to families who will be transitioning to Josette Dandurand Elementary and the students who will be transitioning to Langley Meadows Community School. Our goal will be to present a clear transition plan that will allow parents to have some certainty as soon as possible after this date.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school principal. 

 Sincerely, 

Marcello Moino
Assistant Superintendent