Kerry Lawrence
Parent North Vancouver
As PAC President at Cove Cliff Elementary, I can’t say enough about the support Jennifer Branston has given me in my role. Stepping into a leadership position as a parent volunteer comes with a surprisingly steep learning curve.
There are processes, policies and systems that can be incredibly confusing and often aren’t well explained to someone who is brand new to the role. Jennifer has been an invaluable resource.
She has helped open doors, connected me with the right people, and brought clarity to situations where I genuinely didn’t know where to turn. More importantly, she has always made herself approachable and available, helping me better understand how to navigate the system so I can do the best possible job for our school community.
Having someone who understands both the bigger picture and the realities facing parents and PAC volunteers at the school level makes an enormous difference. I’m incredibly grateful for Jennifer’s support and for the time and energy she continues to give to our school communities.
Jayden W
(NVSD student and member of District Student Leadership Council)
As a current student in the North Vancouver School District, serving on the SD44 Anti-Ableism and Accessibility Committee gave me the opportunity to share my perspective in a meaningful way, and Jennifer Branston made me feel like that perspective genuinely mattered.
In our meetings, she never assumed adults had all the answers. She asked for my thoughts, gave me the time and space to finish my ideas, and encouraged me to share my experiences, even when I wasn’t sure my voice would make a difference.
Because of her encouragement, I became more confident speaking up and realized that students can help shape the decisions that affect them.
Jennifer didn’t just invite myself and other students on the committee to participate. She helped us believe that our voices belonged at the table.
I’m grateful for the confidence she helped build in me, and I know she’ll continue creating opportunities for students to be heard.
Vicky S.
Parent North Vancouver
I first met Jennifer in 2018, when she was helping our community better understand inclusion and why fostering it matters. Over the years, I have seen that this is only a small part of who she is.
Jennifer listens to everyone, considers all sides of an issue, and has an exceptional ability to see the bigger picture. She understands how policies and decisions can affect students, families, staff, and those whose needs are too often overlooked.
When I look at candidates for School Trustee, I ask myself whose interests are truly centred on our children and families, and who has firsthand experience with their own children in our public school system. Anyone sitting at the School Board table needs to understand the real struggles families face and what students need in order to be successful.
Jennifer has that understanding, along with the experience, judgment, and strong moral compass to carefully consider the impact of the decisions being made. After knowing and working alongside her for years, I trust her judgment completely and have tremendous confidence in her ability to make thoughtful decisions at the School Board level.
Mandy Young
Parent North Vancouver
I have known Jennifer Branston as both a friend and a professional colleague for the past eight years, and throughout that time I have been consistently impressed by her commitment to inclusion, equity, and the rights of students in School District 44.
Jennifer has always had a laser focus on ensuring that students particularly those whose voices and experiences can too often be overlooked are seen, heard, respected, and included. Her commitment is not simply something she talks about; she consistently turns those values into meaningful action.
During her time serving diligently on the North Vancouver Parent Advisory Council (NVPAC), Jennifer brought a strong and thoughtful focus to issues of inclusion and accessibility. She established the Inclusion Committee within NVPAC, creating a dedicated space for parents and community members to come together, learn, and advocate for more inclusive schools. She also brought in many engaging guest speakers, creating opportunities for the broader parent and student community to learn, ask questions, and participate in important conversations affecting students and their school experiences.
Jennifer was also a strong advocate for Anti-Ableism and supported the work that ultimately led to School District 44 adopting its groundbreaking Policy 416: Anti-Ableism in December 2023. This is an important example of the kind of systems level change that Jennifer has consistently worked toward. She understands that inclusion requires more than good intentions it requires policies, practices, accountability, and a willingness to challenge barriers that prevent students from fully belonging.
On a personal level, I have experienced Jennifer’s commitment to families firsthand. Over the years, she has supported my family by patiently answering my many questions, directing me to specific district policies and resources that could strengthen my advocacy, and offering gentle, thoughtful advice when I needed it. She has always been generous with her time and knowledge, while respecting that ultimately, families know their own children best.
I believe these qualities her commitment to inclusion, her knowledge of the education system, her willingness to listen, and her ability to turn advocacy into meaningful action will make Jennifer an excellent School Trustee.
I am proud to support Jennifer Branston as she runs for School Trustee in School District 44. I believe she will bring compassion, integrity, persistence, and a strong student centered perspective to the role, and I am confident that students and families in our community will benefit from her leadership.
Kevin P
Meaningful inclusion is built through everyday actions, not just good intentions. Serving alongside Jennifer Branston on the SD44 Anti-Ableism and Accessibility Committee allowed me to see those actions firsthand.
As someone with a lived disability, I know how important it is for accessibility to be more than a policy. Throughout our committee work, Jennifer consistently made sure student voices were part of the conversation, challenged language that could unintentionally create barriers, and encouraged us to think about how every decision would affect students in real classrooms.
She also created space for lived experience to be heard and helped turn thoughtful discussions into practical next steps.
What impressed me most was that she listened with purpose. She asked thoughtful questions, welcomed different perspectives, and always brought the conversation back to what would help students feel that they truly belonged.
Jennifer’s commitment, insight, and integrity to accessible and inclusive education are qualities I believe are important for a School Board Trustee to bring to our district.