Academic calendar
Semester One 2026-2027 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Jan 22, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Semester One 2026-2027Relevant now
- School Year 2026-2027
- Semester Two 2027
- School Year 2027-2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 47 of 47 terms
A
- AP
- Advanced Placement; refers to the school's extensive college-level course offerings.
B
- BNC
- Burnaby North Council, the primary student government organization responsible for school events.
- BNCSS
- Burnaby North Community School Society, which manages community programs and school services.
- BNSA
- Burnaby North Sports Association, which helps manage school athletics.
- BNSC
- Burnaby North Student Council, the main student leadership and event-planning body.
- BNSS
- Burnaby North Secondary School.
C
- C4
- The 'Change for Climate' club, a prominent environmental student organization.
- Christmas Cheer
- The school's massive, decades-old annual charity drive and spirit week held in December.
- Collab
- Short for Collaboration Time, referring to the late-start mornings for students.
- Council
- The Burnaby North Student Council, the primary student leadership organization.
D
- DECA
- The school's business and entrepreneurship club that competes in international conferences.
- DSAC
- District Student Advisory Council, representing North at the school board level.
F
- Fiesta
- The massive annual multicultural festival hosted by the school, a highlight of the social calendar.
- Flex
- Flex Time, a period in the schedule where students choose which teacher or subject to visit for extra help.
K
- K-Square
- Kensington Square Shopping Centre, the primary off-campus destination for lunch located across Hastings Street.
- Kensington
- Kensington Square Shopping Centre, the primary off-campus food destination across Hastings Street.
- Kenzo
- A common student shorthand for Kensington Square Shopping Centre.
M
- Marching Band
- A point of pride; refers to the school's award-winning and highly visible music program.
- MCC
- Multicultural Council, a major student group that organizes the annual Fiesta event.
N
- North
- The common shorthand name for Burnaby North Secondary School.
- North Pride
- A common slogan used during pep rallies and school spirit events.
- North Star
- The student-run school store that sells snacks and school apparel.
P
- PAC
- Parent Advisory Council, the organization of parents involved in school decision-making.
S
- Safeway
- The grocery store in Kensington Square, a popular spot for students to buy cheap lunches or snacks.
- Shoppers
- Shoppers Drug Mart at Kensington, a common spot for snacks and drinks.
- SLC
- Student Leadership Council, the primary student government body.
- Student Council
- The primary student government body responsible for school spirit and events.
- Sushi Town
- A popular nearby restaurant on Hastings Street frequently visited by students during long breaks.
T
- The 180
- A reference to the 180-degree turn or change in campus life following the move to the new building.
- The Caf
- The school cafeteria located within the main building.
- The Crossing
- The busy intersection of Hastings and Holdom that students navigate to reach local shops.
- The Heights
- The commercial district along Hastings Street where students frequently go for off-campus lunch.
- The Hill
- Refers to the school's physical location on a steep incline overlooking the city.
- The Matrix
- A legacy term for the computer lab/lounge area, sometimes still used by older students to refer to tech-heavy common spaces.
- The North
- Common shorthand used by students and alumni to refer to Burnaby North Secondary.
- The Overpass
- Common student term for the bridge connecting the North and South campus areas.
- The Pit
- A historical reference to the sunken common area in the old building, sometimes used nostalgically to describe the new Gallery.
- Triple O's
- The nearby White Spot/Triple O's on Hastings Street, a popular student hangout.
V
- VEX
- The Burnaby North Robotics team/club, known for competing in VEX Robotics competitions.
- Vikes
- Short for Vikings, the school's mascot and the collective name for all athletic teams.
- Vikes
- Short for Vikings, the official name and mascot for all Burnaby North athletic teams.
- Viking
- The official school mascot and the term used to refer to any Burnaby North student.
- Viking Pride
- The school's spirit slogan used during pep rallies and sporting events.
- Viking Territory
- A term used to describe the school grounds, emphasizing school spirit and athletic pride.
- Vikings
- The collective name for the school's athletic teams and the general student body identity.
- VPA
- Visual and Performing Arts department, encompassing music, drama, and dance programs.
W
- White Spot
- The Triple O's or full restaurant nearby where students often gather after school events.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 144
- The bus route connecting the school directly to SFU and Metrotown.
- access_coffee_program
- Access Coffee Program
- Collab
- Collaboration Days, specific mornings when the school schedule starts later to allow for staff meetings.
- Collab Day
- Collaboration Days; scheduled late-start mornings for students while staff participate in meetings.
- Collab Days
- Collaboration Days; specific days where the school schedule is adjusted for staff meetings, often resulting in a later start for students.
- Collaboration Days
- Specific days where school starts late (usually 10:00 AM) to allow for teacher meetings.
- Flex
- Flex Time; a dedicated period in the school schedule for self-directed learning, homework, or meeting with teachers.
- Flex Time
- A scheduled block of time where students choose which teacher or classroom to visit for extra help or self-directed study.
- Go Card
- The official student identification card required for transit discounts and school services.
- GoCard
- The official student ID card required for transit discounts and school events.
- java_hut_pepworks_coffee_cart
- Java Hut (PEPWorks Coffee Cart)
- Late Start
- Designated days (often for staff collaboration) where the school day begins later than the standard 8:40 AM start.
- Learning Commons
- The modern name for the school library and study area.
- Learning Wings
- The designated subject-specific areas (e.g., Humanities wing, Science wing) in the new campus layout.
- Locker Loop
- The designated areas within the new building where student lockers are clustered.
- MyEd
- MyEducation BC, the online portal used by students to check their course schedules and final grades.
- North Building
- The legacy term for the original northern structure, now largely demolished or repurposed following the 2024 move.
- north_cafeteria
- North Cafeteria
- north_cafeteria_servery
- North Cafeteria Servery
- North/South
- References to the former separate campus buildings, now largely used in a historical context following the 2024 move.
- R5
- The RapidBus route on Hastings Street that serves as the primary transit link for students coming from across Burnaby or Vancouver.
- School Cash Online
- The digital payment system used for all school fees, field trips, and Viking merchandise.
- school_meals_program
- School Meals Program
- SchoolCash
- SchoolCashOnline, the digital platform used for all school-related fees and payments.
- South Building
- The original southern wing of the campus, historically housing math and science departments.
- The 129
- The TransLink bus route that provides direct access to the school's front entrance.
- The 144
- The bus route connecting the school to Metrotown and SFU, frequently used by students living in South Burnaby.
- The Bridge
- The iconic pedestrian overpass crossing Hammarskjold Drive that connects the two halves of the campus.
- The Gallery
- The large, open-concept central atrium and student commons in the new building.
- The Gyms
- The massive triple-gymnasium complex within the new facility.
- The Learning Commons
- The modern name for the school library and collaborative study space.
- The Neighborhoods
- The specific learning clusters or wings within the new building where subject-specific classrooms are grouped.
- The New Building
- The consolidated replacement school facility that opened in early 2024.
- The New North
- The consolidated replacement school building that opened in 2024, replacing the old North and South campuses.
- The New School
- The modern, consolidated replacement facility constructed to replace the aging North and South buildings.
- The North
- General shorthand for the entire school campus.
- The North Gym
- The primary gymnasium used for Vikings home games and physical education.
- The R5
- The RapidBus route on Hastings Street that serves as the primary transit link for students coming from SFU or Downtown.
- The South Building
- A term used by older students to refer to the now-demolished portion of the old campus layout.
- The Turf
- The artificial grass field used for physical education and Viking athletics.
- The Wing
- General term for the different academic sections (e.g., West Wing) of the new facility.
- the_caf_burnaby_north_cafeteria
- The Caf (Burnaby North Cafeteria)
- the_caf_cafeteria
- The Caf (Cafeteria)
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Semester One 2026-2027 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Jan 22, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 47 approved campus terms and 43 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.