Posted: February 19, 2024

Families of Shortreed,

We hope you had an awesome weekend and had a chance to enjoy some time together today for Family Day! Our school spent a lot of time focusing on families this past week through reading, writing, and art.

The link to register for Student Inclusive Conferences was emailed out on Thursday and opened on Friday morning. Please read your email for more info, and click here to sign up (signups are open until Friday at 2:30). If you are new to our school, you can read a brochure about SICs and why signing up for a timeslot is important. We do not provide report cards for Terms 1 and 2 so the SICs ARE the report cards.

Almost all of our staff attended the district Pro-D Conference, Odyssey, on Friday at the Langley Events Centre and RE Mountain Secondary School. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Indigenous Cultures, support vulnerable learners, use technology to enhance learning and home communication, the art of story-telling, ideas for teaching numeracy and literacy, and so much more.

February is Black History Month, a special time to honour and celebrate the diversity, history, and culture of Black People in Canada. It’s a great time to acknowledge the incredible strength, success, and many everyday contributions of Black people and communities nationwide. Please join us in learning and celebrating this Black History Month.

Get out those crazy colours, hats, and headwear for our next Spirit Day on Thursday!

A reminder that there is no school next Monday for Design and Assessment Day and SIC Prep.

As always, we want to acknowledge that we do our important work to ensure every child belongs on the unceded ancestral territories of the Màthxwi (Matsqui) First Nation. We acknowledge this to honour the land and the people and share our commitment to learning. To start our day on Friday, we had the privilege of watching and learning from the Git Hayetsk dancers. To watch the young children dancing filled our hearts and was great medicine for us all. It was also a reminder that hundreds of thousands of children did not have this opportunity to do this because of laws and policies that banned dancing and gatherings. This is why it is SO important for us all to learn and understand our country’s colonial history;  we need to ensure that culture is now part of each child’s education and we can all walk alongside communities like Màthxwi to bring back these important cultures and traditions into the lives of our children and families. 

This week’s “Good Things” will focus on the even-numbered divisions. We hope you take some time read up about the great things happening at Shortreed!

Good Things to Talk About

Valentines Fun! There was no shortage of excitement and energy on Wednesday as Valentine’s Day was celebrated at our school. Students exchanged cards and treats with an extra focus on kindness. Thank you to all the staff and families who helped make the day successful.

Have a Heart Day – Our grade 5s have been learning about Shannen’s Dream and our staff jumped on this and supported Have a Heart Day by wearing beautiful hoodies (see photo above) designed by Haida artist Bill Bedard. Have a Heart Day is on Feb 14 each year and is a chance to keep the conversation going about working toward equitable schools in all communities in Canada, including remote communities and schools on reserves. Some of you have asked about ordering the hoodies, and we will share more info when there is a chance to order again.

A Special Grown-Up – We know families look different throughout our community. Mrs. Kirk asked students and staff to share something about a special grown-up in their life. The boards were full of info about parents, grandparents, caregivers, and so many special people in the lives of our school community.

A Gift to Share – Our PAC Executive encouraged our students to give the gift of kindness to someone important to them on Valentine’s Day again this year. Each child was given a flower with the encouragement to give it to someone important to them to brighten their day. We love this tradition – thank you, PAC!

Awesome Growth – Our grade 5 basketball team is showing some awesome growth and GRIT on the court. On Monday, they played a really tight game against a strong team from Douglas Park. Our kids never backed down and went back and forth with the Dragons the entire game. On Tuesday, they travelled to Nicomekl to play a talented Cougars team. After being down quite a bit in the first half, the Eagles matched the Cougars in the 2nd half and showed a ton of effort and determination to fight for every rebound and loose ball. The team travels to Parkside on Tuesday.

Energy Champs! On Monday, we had Marcus Sayles and Manny Rugamba of the BC Lions come to our school to share how we can be Energy Champions!!! The kids were thrilled to learn from these pro football players. Each student was given their autograph the following day as well. Because we participated in this, you can join the BC Lions Kids Club for free here (which includes a free child’s ticker to a game).

Div 18 – A Long Winter’s Nap – When I walked into Ms. Bowers’ class last week, the kids were excited to show me how animals hibernate as they curled into a ball and pretended to nap on the carpet. They also showed me the learning they have had around different ways that animals adapt to the colder winter temperatures.

Div 16 – Family Reading – Leading up to family day, reading with family members became that much more important in Ms. Gostelow’s class. The students LOVE having family members of their classmates come in and read with them. These read-aloud moments are not just about the books but, more importantly, about connection and time. Thank you to everyone who has been able to come in to read with the kids of Div 16!

Div 14 – Full Hearts – Ms. Anderson’s students read “My Heart Fills With Happiness” by Monique Gray Smith and then thought about what their families do to fill their hearts with happiness. They wrote and drew about these and then send them home for a Family Day gift!

Div 12 – Sometimes My Heart Feels Like… – Mrs. Datema’s students combined their social-emotional learning with Valentine’s Day and writing as they shared how their hearts felt with different emotions. Learning emotions is a critical piece in understanding and regulating emotions. Students shared how their hearts felt (with great descriptive writing) in certain situations and then shared which emotion they felt. Be sure to check them out on display across from their class (and on social media).

Div 10 – V-Day Creations! Mrs. North’s class combined the need for something to put their Valentine’s Day cards in with their love of creating and art. They decorated their Valentine’s Day bags in their own creative ways, and then all the bags went on the wall in a giant heart to remind them of the importance of kindness and care!

Div 8 – New Arrivals! Ms. Thompson’s class was excited to see their salmon eggs hatch in their class! They are following the salmon life cycle occurring right before their eyes. Ms. Elson recently came in to share teachings of the salmon and the first salmon ceremony.

Div 6 – One Step at a Time – Mr. D’s students spent some time learning and practicing how to work through multi-step word problems in math. Students used whiteboards to determine the most effective approach to come up with the correct answer. I loved listening to them share with others how they came up with their answer using different mathematical processes.

Div 4 – HEARTfelt Compliments – In Ms. Loverock’s class, everyone wrote a compliment and/or something nice about each student on a heart… So when they got theirs back it was full of kind words about them! There were plenty of smiles and full hearts (on paper and in their bodies!) last week.

Div 2 – Shannen’s Dream – Ms. Cho’s students have been learning all about Shannen’s Dream of equity for all students in schools across Canada… particularly for Indigenous students in reserve schools. They wrote poetry about Shannen and her determination, leadership, and inspiration. Sadly, Shannen Koostachin never saw her dream become a reality for her community and other places as she passed away shortly after she graduated. There has been progress, but Canada still has a long way to go to get equitable and healthy schools for all students in the country. Be sure to check out their poetry on display outside the library (and on social media). Ms. Cho has had to take a medical leave leading up to her due date, and we will surely miss her! Wishing her well!!!

The Week Ahead

Tuesday, Feb 20 – Gr. 5 Basketball practice 7:45, Game at Parkside 3:00
Wednesday, Feb 21 – Club Wednesday 1:15, PAC Treat Day
Thursday, Feb 22 – Spirit Day – Crazy Headwear Day
Friday, Feb 23 – Friday Dance Session with Ms. Kaur at 7:45; Gr. BBall 7:45; Lockdown Drill 1:00

Month at a Glance

Monday, Feb 26 – Design and Assessment Day (no school for students)
Tuesday, Feb 27 – Gr. 5 Basketball at Simonds 3:00; Respect and Diversity Week
Wednesday, Feb 28 – Club Wednesday 1:15; Pink Shirt Day
Friday, March 1 – Aboriginal Program Spring Into Wellness Family Gathering at HD Stafford 5:00
Monday, March 4 – Gr. 6 Basketball vs Uplands 3:00
Wednesday, March 6 – Early dismissal at 12:33 for SIC
Thursday, March 7 – SIC Day/Evening – students do not attend class so conferences can occur.
Friday, March 8 – Hot lunch/treat day (Cobs)
Monday, March 11 – Jump Rope For Heart Week (in PE classes); Gr. 5 Basketball Scrimmage
Wednesday, March 13 – Gr. 5 Basketball Playday at ACSS 3:00; Last day for SIC
Friday, March 15 – Spirit Day – Mismatched Socks Day; last day before Spring Break

Click this link to download a list of the important dates in the district for 2023-2024.

PAC Info

Purdy’s Orders are now available! Order online here. Info was sent home with your child last week. Orders are due Feb 28. Pick-up is March 14. Campaign #25514.

Information and Reminders 

• Please note that we have had a significant increase in students requesting snacks at school. The snacks given out at our Eagles Nest are designed to be for students who cannot afford snacks, have forgotten snacks, or, on the odd day, may need a bit more food. Students in these situations are welcome to use the snacks program. We also have a fruit and veggie program that is also available.
• Our breakfast program is up and running! Please register by clicking this link.
• Friday Dance Sessions!  Does your grade 2-5 child love to move? Come to Ms. Kaur’s room at 7:45 on the last and first Fridays of the month to learn Bhangra, line dance, and other forms of dance!
  ” I dance to bring meaning, to bring possibility, and to bring inspiration to others. I dance because it makes me whole, so would you like to try some dance moves with me on Friday mornings!”
• If you are in need of boots and/or a coat, please check out our free Boot and Coat exchange near the office and gym. If you cannot find something there, please contact Mr. Wejr.

• Attendance/Absence – If your child is going to be absent, arriving late, away or leaving early due to an appointment, please notify the school of your child’s absence by emailing SCEAttendance@sd35.bc.ca or calling 604-856-4167.

• Our school parking lot is closed between 8:15-9:00 and 2:00-2:45 (other than daycare, buses, and vehicles for people with a disability). The church across the street graciously allows us to use their parking lot for pick-up and drop-off so please park there or along 28th Ave. Do not park in the “no parking” (coned) areas along the yellow curbs. No u-turns.
• West Coast Recess – As we have done over the past few years, every day is an outside day at Shortreed. Unless there is a severe rainstorm (or snowstorm), we will be heading outside. Please make sure your child has a coat to wear outside. We have a good selection of coats in our FREE Coat Exchange near the office, so come by and check them out.
• Not Feeling Well? If your child has cold or flu-like symptoms, please keep them home until they have improved and they are well enough to attend school. This will help keep our staff and students as healthy as possible.

Community Events and Information

Check out events and activities around Langley by clicking on the Community Bulletin Board.

Explore nature in your backyard or local park with fun family activities and games! This spring break, join a Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Interpreter in discovering the world through your senses.