Happy Valley Elementary is situated on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish; more specifically the Esquimalt Nation and Songhees Nation. The school is in a rapidly growing area of Langford and is part of Sooke School District #62. The original school was built in 1912 and the current school was rebuilt in 2004, following a fire during a school day. Many of the children who currently attend Happy Valley have parents or grandparents who also attended the school. The school has strong ties to the local community and is well-supported.
Our school has expanded in recent years, in order to address our rapidly growing school population. Currently, there are 460 children attending Happy Valley in Kindergarten – Grade 5, and we are at capacity at all grade levels. We continue to have many families moving to the area, which includes a mixture of single-family homes, duplexes, multifamily dwellings, condos and apartments. Due to this steady influx of families with school-aged children, many of our in-catchment families have had to be redirected to attend other local area schools. We are looking forward to September of 2025 when we anticipate the opening of another Elementary school in South Langford which will support some of our families.
The long-tenured staff at Happy Valley have been part of the school for many years, and there is terrific collaboration amongst colleagues. Parents and families trust and appreciate the work of the school to support their children. In September of 2022, half of our staff will be new at Happy Valley, and we are looking forward to creating exciting opportunities for students.
In addition to the exceptional work of our teaching staff, our CUPE staff are an integral part of our success at Happy Valley. We have a large Student Support team who work together to support our most vulnerable learners. Students and families benefit from our staff’s deep care and exceptional efforts for all children. All adults at Happy Valley are all engaged in the work we do to ensure our learners feel valued and included.
For many years, Happy Valley has been supported by an extraordinary Parent Advisory Council. This dedicated group of parents has provided exceptional experiences and opportunities for all children through their fundraising efforts, hot lunch programs and PAC sponsored events. Families appreciate the effort our PAC makes to support classroom activities, provide family events and to ensure all children are included. Each year, the PAC works with administration to ensure new families are welcomed. We are fortunate to have such a high level of parental engagement.