Posted: October 2, 2023
Families of Shortreed,
We hope you had a lovely weekend and had a chance to take some time to learn and reflect on where you and your family find yourselves on the journey of truth and reconciliation.
There have been some very powerful learning at Shortreed over the past few weeks that ended up with each class sharing their learning on a bulletin board outside their classroom. I will share more in the Good Things section below.
A reminder that this week is a short week for students as we have a School Improvement Day on Friday so Shortreed staff will be collaborating and learning, but school is not in session for students. Our staff will discuss social-emotional learning (self-regulation and problem-solving skills), writing strategies, and support for reading instruction.
Our school Facebook account is still suspended but I was able to find a way to send messages to the support department. In the meantime, please use Instagram to get a small window in to life at Shortreed.
As always, we do our important work of trying to “positively impact every child’s life” on the unceded ancestral lands of the Matsqui First Nation. It meant the world to have Melissa Epp and students from Matsqui lead a traditional welcome for our assembly on Friday. We are continually trying to repair broken relationships of the past and build trust with the community of Matsqui so to walk alongside each other on Friday was significant for our school. We look forward to continuing to walk gently on these lands and work to continue to listen and build trusting relationships.
We hope you take a few minutes to read about a few of the good things happening at our school, with a focus on the even-numbered divisions.
Good Things to Talk About
Feelings Through Story – Leading up to Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, each class focused on a children’s book about some aspects of the impacts of residential schools. Students listened and then were encouraged to share what they learned and how they felt after hearing and reading the story(ies). They shared this learning on bulletin boards outside their classrooms.
A Traditional Welcome – As was stated above, we were completely honoured to have Melissa Epp and four students from Matsqui offer a traditional welcome to start our Orange Shirt Day Assembly. Melissa shared why Orange Shirt Day is significant to her family and why it is so important that Shortreed be a positive place for her children, nieces and nephews. Melissa is the daughter of Councillor Brenda Morgan (who we were also honoured to have in attendance) and the granddaughter of Chief Alice McKay (a residential school survivor).
I Lost My Talk – The grade 5 classes read “I Lost My Talk” by Rita Joe and then dove deeper into how the story made them feel. At our assembly on Friday, several of them shared their learning and feelings in front of the entire school. We are proud of their courage and reflections.
Coming Together and Dancing – A tradition for Shortreed is for all of us to come together as a community on the backfield, hold hands, and participate in a Round Dance. The Round Dance brings us together to honour the survivors and those who never made it home and send messages of hope and healing. We were thankful to have Ms. Elson and her drummers lead us to the backfield and drum during this dance.
Ready to Run! Shortreed had the largest team at the cross-country team last week with 45 runners hitting the trails. Although there was a stirred-up wasp nest on the route (that the 2nd half of the runners had to deal with), our students finished the run and some even came in the top 10 with Ryu winning his category! Our 2nd meet is tomorrow (Tuesday).
Div 2 – Defining Reconciliation – Reconciliation is not an easy word for kids (and adults) to define. Ms. Cho’s class slowed down, and took some time to really understand what this word means (and what it looks and sounds like in Canada today). Their board focused on Rita Joe’s story “I Lost My Talk,” and they coloured feathers, shared their reflections and feelings, and then chose a word to represent their journey and wrote this on wooden orange shirts.
Div 4 – Reflecting on Story – Mrs. Loverock and Mr. Li’s students listened to and read the story, “When We Were Alone” about a girl learning from her grandmother about her experiences at residential school. Students worked to understand life at residential school, what they did when they were alone there (tried to connect, speak their language, etc), and how many have tried to bring back language and culture to their families now.
Div 6 – Learning Through Word Study – Part of Mr. D’s daily routine is to have students participate in various forms of word study. They recently focused on some portions of phonics as well as identifying different sounds from consonants and syllables. The focus on phonics can provide a stable platform for growth in reading and writing.
Div 8 – Learning and Gathering in the Outdoors – Mrs. Thompson’s students read a few different stories leading up to Orange Shirt Day. They did their reflections and sharing based on the book, Shi-Shi-Etko, about a girl embracing her final few days of summer on the land near her home before she is sent to residential school. The class also headed outside to our outdoor classroom to gather, listen, and learn from the read-aloud of “On the Trapline”, which shares the importance of land to Indigenous peoples and history.
Div 10 – Colours of the World – We love the diversity of our school and love how we have families from throughout the world! Crayola came out with a set of crayons called “colours of the world” so students could match their skin colour with the corresponding crayons. Students had some fun matching their colours and then colouring in a tracing of their hand. I
Div 12 – Little Spellers – Although it was not even the end of September, Mrs. Datema’s students are well on their way with their spelling practice! With their daily routine, students separate their individual whiteboards and then practice sounding out words shared by Mrs. Datema. The students have been so excited to show me and others their writing and spelling skills!
Div 14 – Counting Collections – Ms. Anderson’s students had a class-wide discussion of estimating, making guesses, and explaining their thinking in math. They practiced their skills with counting collections, where students grabbed different bags of objects, estimated how many were in the bags, counted, and then showed how they counted through a picture.
Div 16 – Names in Nature – Ms. Gostelow’s students had a chance to head outside and explore the forest while also practicing the printing and spelling of their names! Students had to find and use sticks and other items to spell their names on the ground. The class has also been learning some new math games and practicing their counting skills too.
Div 18 – Unbe-LEAF-able Learning! Ms. Bowers’ class has been learning about fall leaves. They walked to the forest to collect leaves and observed and described their treasures. They then sorted them by colour, size, and shape! We love seeing our students learning in the outdoors!
Check out the article “Conservation Starts in the Classroom: How Aldergrove Students are Supporting Salmon Habitat” which features Mr. Davidson and his and his students’ efforts through the years. Well done, Mr. D!
The Week Ahead
Tuesday – Cross-Country Meet #2
Thursday, Oct 5 – World Teachers’ Day; Neufeld Farm order pick up from 2-3 at church parking lot.
Friday – School Improvement Day – no school for students.
Monday, Oct 9 – Schools Closed – Thanksgiving
Shortreed Calendar: Did you know Shortreed has a digital calendar to view and subscribe to? Once you subscribe, you will get all our school events right to the calendar on your phone and/or devices at home. Click here for more info. You can also connect with us on Instagram and Facebook and join the PAC Facebook Group.
Month at a Glance
Monday, Oct 9 – Schools Closed – Thanksgiving
Tuesday, Oct 10 – Gr. 4/5 Cross-Country Meet #3
Thursday, Oct 12 – Terry Fox Run and Assembly – 1:15pm
Friday, Oct 13 – PAC Hot Lunch, PAC Meeting 9:00
Wednesday, Oct 18 – Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch
Thursday, Oct 19 – Photo Day!
Friday, Oct 20 – Pro-D Day – no school for students
Wednesday, Oct 25 – PAC Treat Day
Wednesday, Nov 8 – National Indigenous Veteran’s Day, PAC Hot Lunch
Thursday, Nov 9 – Remembrance Day Assembly 11:00
Friday, Nov 10 – Design/Assessment Day – no school for students
Monday, Nov 13 – Schools not in session (Remembrance Day stat)
You can download a list of the important dates in the district for 2023-2024 here. A reminder that we are not doing magnets this year as we had some confusion and complaints when the dates had to change.
Information and Reminders
- As the weather cools, 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.
- We are excited to have early learning opportunities such as “Strong Start”, “Gifts and Gatherings” and “Come As You Are” available for families and children in the Langley School District. Check out more in the flyer here.
Programs of Choice – Deadline to Register is Monday, October 16th
Langley School District offers a rich diversity of programs that are designed to meet the specific needs and interests of students. Programs include Fine Arts, French Immersion, Fundamental, Langley Environmental Awareness Program (outdoor education), Montessori, and U-Connect. Registration for Kindergarten entry (for most programs) begins on Monday, October 2nd at 12noon, and closes on Monday, October 16th at 12noon. For U-Connect, please contact the school directly. For more information and instructions to register your child, visit our District website here and review our FAQ choice programs resource here.Communicating With Your School
Schools and families continue to work together to ensure success for students. If you have an issue or concern but don’t know who to speak with, the District encourages you to read these helpful Communicating with your School guidelines for parents/guardians found on our District website here. As an additional reference, review this one-page resource here.- Support Cops for Cancer! We are proud to support Cops for Cancer this year! There are a few ways you can help with fundraising:
- The Langley School District uses a notification system called SchoolMessenger to communicate information to families. As we welcome our new families to our schools, some parents/guardians may receive a text message notifying them about SchoolMessenger. For more information about the system and how to opt-in to receive text messages, visit the District webpage here.
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 (note this is a NEW email address for 2022-2023) or calling 604-856-4167 and state the following information:
- Student First Name and Last Name
- Grade
- Division
- Length of Absence
- Reason (illness, late, appointment, vacation)
- Our district received funding for breakfast programs staffing this year. We are still determining staffing so have been unable to get our breakfast program up and running yet. We do have our snack and lunch programs running and if your child is in need of a snack when they arrive, please have them let their teacher know.
- 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.
- Please bring inside shoes for your child. This helps to keep our school clean and dry. If you need some help with shoes, check out our FREE Shoe and Boot Exchange at the office.
- Not Feeling Well? If your child has cold or flu-like symptoms, please keep them home until the symptoms have improved and they are well enough to attend school. This will help keep our staff and students as healthy as possible.
PAC Info
Reminder! The first cut of date for the first hot lunch (Subway) is Tuesday, Oct. 3.Returning Parents: Please sign in to your Munch-a-Lunch account at https://munchalunch.com/login and update your child’s grade and teacher.
Community Events and Information
Check out events and activities around Langley by clicking on the Community Bulletin Board!
B2U Basketball Camps are BACK at Shortreed!
Professional coaches and college players working with interested athletes from Aldergrove every Tuesday for 8 weeks!
Gr. 1-3 – Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00 (Oct 17-Dec 12) – $50
Gr. 4-5 – Tuesday from 4:15-5:45 ((Oct 17-Dec 12) – $90
Click here for more info and a chance to register. Space is limited to 30 players, and the camp sold out in the spring, so register soon! If the fee is out of reach for your family, please let Mr. Wejr know.
From Fraser Health:
Make dental, hearing and vision checks part of a healthy routine
Health screenings help find issues early which can make treatment easier and more effective. It’s important for your child to have regular eye exams and routine dental checkups. It is also important to recognize any hearing loss early as this is essential for speech and language development. Read on to learn when and how to access services for your child.
Dental
Tooth decay is the most common, but preventable, childhood chronic disease. It is important to establish good oral hygiene at a young age and have children’s teeth checked by a dentist regularly. To find a local dentist near you who is accepting new patients, visit the BC Dental Association’s Find a Dentist database. If you are a member of a low-income family and you do not have extended health coverage, there are several programs that can help you access affordable dentistry for your children. You can also contact the dental program at your local public health unit and ask about resources available in your community.
Vision
BC Doctors of Optometry recommends children receive their first eye exam when they are six to nine months old with a follow up exam at least once between the ages of two and five and then yearly once they enter school. You can find an optometrist accepting new patients near you at the College of Optometrists of British Columbia’s Find an Optometrist database. In B.C., basic eye exams, one per year, are free up to the age of 18. Some optometrists may charge a small user fee of about $35 per visit so be sure to ask about any fees before you make an appointment.
Hearing
Good hearing is essential for speech and language development and plays an important part in a child’s social and emotional growth. It is important to recognize hearing loss early and seek out testing and treatment if needed. Fraser Health’s Public Health community audiologists provide hearing services for children from birth to 19 years of age. If you have a concern about your child’s hearing, referrals can be made by a parent or caregiver, a health care provider or education professional to your local public health audiology (hearing) clinic.
Find more information on child health screenings and how to access free vision, hearing and dental exams on Fraser Health’s website: https://ow.ly/oK9z50PegZB
Pacific Sport Fraser Valley is back, providing some athletic opportunities for our students for a very reasonable price! Click on the links below to register. (note that the early ones are at Shortreed and the later ones are at Parkside)
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Shortreed– Coed – Grades K-4 – Wednesdays – 2:45pm – 3:45pm – $20
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Coed – Grades K – 4 Tickets, Wed, 18 Oct 2023 at 2:45 PM | Eventbrite
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Shortreed – Coed – Grades 4-7 – Wednesdays – 4:00pm – 5:00pm – $20
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Coed – Grades 4-7 Tickets, Wed, 18 Oct 2023 at 4:00 PM | Eventbrite
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Parkside – Coed – Grades K-4 – Wednesdays – 5:30pm – 6:30pm – $20
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Coed – Grades K – 4 Tickets, Wed, 18 Oct 2023 at 5:30 PM | Eventbrite
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Parkside – Coed – Grades 4-7 – Wednesdays – 2:45pm – 3:45pm – $20
XploreSportZ Aldergrove – Coed – Grades 4 – 7 Tickets, Wed, 18 Oct 2023 at 6:45 PM | Eventbrite