Posted: May 7, 2023
Families of Shortreed,
We hope you had a great weekend and are bracing for next weekend’s heat wave! This week brings our grade 3-5 track meet on Thursday morning. The schedule was emailed but is also available here. We will take some time in the afternoons this week to practice some of the track and field events within class time.
At this time of the year, we often start to get a few requests for class placements for next year. Please note that we are not accepting requests for class placements for next year. We have had a significant increase in the number of parent requests and we are never able to meet them all; this frustrates/disappoints a number of families to start the year before they truly know the teachers who will be teaching each grade. Our staff spends many hours in June and again in September collaborating and working to ensure that every child is placed in a class that will meet their academic and social-emotional needs (including having at least one friend). Although parents/caregivers want to look out for their children, we have a professional and moral obligation to look at the bigger picture and the needs of ALL our students. We must do our best to make sure our classes are equitable and balanced in areas such as academics, leadership, and social-emotional needs. We understand that some families have requested in years past but we are no longer able to continue this practice.
This week, we share a few of the good things happening in our odd-numbered divisions. We hope you take a few minutes to read up on the good things as well as some updates and reminders for the weeks ahead.
As always, we are honoured to work, learn, and play on the unceded ancestral lands of the Matsqui First Nation. In Langley, we do so on the unceded ancestral lands of the Matsqui, Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo First Nations.
Good Things to Talk About
Invisible World of Science – Professor WOW! visited our school on Tuesday to teach us about physics in the world of entertaining circus acts! He juggled, balanced, and even put himself in a huge balloon! Our kids behaved really well and were thoroughly entertained!
Showered With Love – Mrs. Soares and Mrs. Southcott popped back into the school and celebrated their little ones and motherhood with our staff with a Shortreed staff baby shower!
Time for Tea! Mrs. Goundar and Ms. Vanier celebrated their final day of their teaching practicums by inviting families in with their classes to a “Teatime From Around the World”. Both classes and their families brought traditional and cultural treats/drinks, gathered in the library, and enjoyed a teatime read-aloud! A huge thank you to Mrs. Goundar and Ms. Vanier for all their kindness, care, hard work and dedication during their practicums. We wish them all the best in their teaching careers!
Round 2 of Club Wednesdays – We had our 2nd session for Club Wednesdays last week. As we have shared before, we LOVE seeing the excitement in the kids during these sessions!
Family Night at Shortreed – Our PAC hosted their 2nd Movie Night of the year in our gym on Friday as families brought their blankets and chairs and enjoyed the showing of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Thank you to our PAC volunteers for putting this on and to everyone who is able to attend.
May the 4th Be With You – Our school had another school spirit day last week with Star Wars Day. Students donned their Star Wars gear (and some fashioned their own homemade versions) to celebrate May the 4th. Yoda definitely made his presence felt throughout the school that day!
Intrasquad Battle – Our grade 4/5 soccer team split itself into 2 well-matched teams and played each other in their first intrasquad games. The Eagles athletes played hard and ended in a 2-2 tie.
Div 19 – You Sunk My Battleship! Ms. Coghill’s class had a “blast” in the gym playing Battleship. The class is split into 2 teams and all have ships (blue mats) with 2 pins and a captain on each ship (who cannot leave the mat). The teams also have people on scooters whose job it is to scoot and go get balls and bring them to the captains. The captains try to hit the pins down on the other team’s ships to sink their ships. Great practice for throwing and good exercise on the scooters!
Div 17 – Symmetrical Springtime – Miss Peterson’s class combined some springtime interests in metamorphosis with their learning of symmetry. Students created some lovely symmetrical butterflies for an art project last week.
Div 15 – New Authors! Mrs. Rowbotham’s class had the chance to write their own books! Students were the authors and illustrators as they chose their characters, setting, and creative words to write their own stories.
Div 13 – Fairy Tale Advice – Mrs. Datema’s class showcased their awesome growth in writing as they wrote some stern advice for Goldilocks! They shared lessons about not lying, walking alone, sneaking into other’s houses (and sleeping in their beds!), eating other people’s food, and being cheeky!
Div 11 – Peaks and Valleys – Mrs. Graham’s class has been learning about different mountains and bodies of water in our area (what we call Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland) and how they are connected. They also learned the Halq’emeylem names for these places!
Div 9 – Just in TIME – Mrs. Gandouin’s class participated in their math rotations to practice their skills with counting/recording large numbers, telling time, and place value. While students worked independently practicing skills they had already learned, Mrs. Gandouin was able to work with individuals and small groups with math instruction in targetted areas.
Div 7 – A Look Inside – Mr. D’s class had a chance to look inside the fish they have been learning about as the teacher led a salmon dissection. Students learned about the different parts of the salmon and even saw how the bladder can be blown up and expanded. Mr. D’s class has been participating in the district Salmon Enhancement Program.
Div 5 – Lions, Tigers, and Bears… Oh My! The rain didn’t stop the smiles in Mrs. Loverock’s class on Friday as they went on a field trip to the Greater Vancouver Zoo! Students had a chance to learn about the various animals and the protection and rehabilitation efforts that take place there. At the end… they had a pit stop for slurpees too!
Div 3 – Their Learning Area – Mostat’s students were practicing their skills with determining perimeter and area last week by using math tiles and grids. Students placed the tiles on their tables and then were able to calculate the perimeter and area by using whiteboard markers on the tables.
Div 1 – Red Dress Day – Friday was Red Dress Day. Mrs. Parsons and Ms. Bedard have worked hard to create lessons and activities that were engaging and age-appropriate for grade 5s for this important topic about injustices and inequity. Division 1 students were able to share their powerful learning with me. We all encourage the adults in our community to learn more about #MMIWG2S and Red Dress Day and what we can do to bring awareness and change in our country.
The Week Ahead
Monday – Gr. 4/5 Soccer Intrasquad Game
Tuesday – Gr. 5 Volleyball 7:45; Gr. 4/5 Soccer 2:45
Wednesday – Hot Lunch – White Spot; Club Wednesday #3 1:15
Thursday – Gr. 3-5 Track Meet 9-12
Friday – Gr. 3-5 400m race at lunch; Neufeld Farms deliver at 2:30 (Church parking lot)
Month at a Glance
Monday, May 15 – Gr. 4/5 Intrasquad Game 2:45
Wednesday, May 17 – Kindergarten Welcome Event 12:45-4pm (half day for current K students); Aquarium Field Trip (Gr. 1-3)
Friday, May 19 – Pro-D Day – no school
Monday, May 22 – Victoria Day – no school
Wednesday, May 24 – PAC Popcorn Day
Friday, May 26 – Spirit Day – Anything But a Backpack Day; PAC Fun Fair!
Monday-Friday, May 29-June 2 – Bike/Roll to School Week; Gr. 5 Swim Program
Monday, May 29 – Gr. 4/5 Intrasquad Game 2:45
Tuesday, May 30 – Grade 3-5 Regional Track Meet
Wednesday, June 7 – Gr 5s visit BGMS; Frozen Yogurt day
Friday, June 9 – Shortreed’s Got Talent 12:45
PAC News
Attention Shortreed Community!!!
Our Fun Fair is a month away. Please save the date, May 26th from 3:30 to 7:30pm.
Notices and order forms will be coming home this week. This year the PAC has decided not to offer a discounted pre-sale rate. Instead, we didn’t raise prices and we have a Climbing Wall coming!
For more information take a look at our event page on Facebook ” Shortreed School Fun Fair. Or email Shortreedpac@gmail.com
Please take a look at the volunteer sign-up linked here. Please volunteer if you can. Without all our parents, teenagers from the high school and the staff’s support, we would not be able to throw great events for our kids. Most volunteer jobs will have a PAC Executive member at the station to help and show you what to do.
Thank you, Shortreed Community.
Important Updates and Reminders
- Another reminder that in February, we worked to celebrate all parental roles and families for Family Day as we shifted the focus from spending instructional time on Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts at school to more inclusive Family Day gifts. We encourage you and your family to celebrate Mother’s Day next weekend in whichever way works for you (and stay cool in that heat!).
- Transportation Registration 2023-2024 – Transportation registration for 2023-24 is now open. Please note the instructions to register are different for each category of rider. To help in our planning and creation of bus routes, registrations must be submitted by May 15 (eligible riders) and June 18 (courtesy riders). The District cannot guarantee approval after the deadline. New and existing riders can find more information on our Transportation Registration webpage here.
- Summer Session 2023 – Elementary/Middle/Secondary
Are you looking for skill-building or new learning opportunities for your child to keep them engaged during the summer? The District offers a variety of courses as part of Summer Session. Online registration begins on April 20th at 9:00am for Langley School District students. For dates, times, and courses available to grade 1-12 students, please visit our webpage here.
- Before/After School Care at Shortreed – now confirmed for 2023-2024 as well!
- If your family needs some support for breakfast before school, our breakfast program runs at 8:20 each day. Students must come every day and be on time. Please register here.
- Please have your child come prepared for the weather (coats, hood, gloves, boots) as most days are outside days at Shortreed. If you are in need of coats or shoes/boots, come and check out our selection in our Coat/Shoe/Boot exchange!
- If your child is sick, please keep them home until the symptoms have improved.
- 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.
Community Events and Information
Check out all the community events and opportunities on the Langley School District Community Bulletin Board by clicking here.
