Posted: October 22, 2023

Families of Shortreed,

We hope you are enjoying this lovely fall weather! We have been trying to get our students outside every recess and lunch (even if it is raining), so please ensure your child has a coat and boots. If you are in need of these, please let us know.

Thank you for helping your child get ready for their photos! If your child missed the photos or you are not satisfied with them, retakes will be on Nov. 16.

A reminder that we DO NOT have early dismissal this week as we do not have parent-teacher conferences. We have Student Inclusive Conferences at the end of November. Watch for interim reports that will come home on Friday of this week.

Hallowe’en is coming very quickly! A reminder of the Hallowe’en email that was sent home:

• We will have a Hallowe’en parade in the afternoon of the 31st. If the weather cooperates, this will be done outside and we would love for you to join us. More info will come out with start times and the parade route. 
• If your child’s costume has a full mask and/or weapons (sword, bow and arrow, etc), they can wear this for the parade but not at other times as this can get in the way of learning and scare other children (there are exceptions for the Mask guideline so please email Mr. Wejr if you have questions). Replica guns are not permitted. 
• Please avoid any costumes that encourage violence and/or can scare younger children (ex. scary clowns, costumes that feature blood, etc). We want to make sure this is fun for all students. 
• A culture is NOT a costume. Any costumes that imitate/emphasize cultural regalia and/or stereotypes are insensitive and offensive to the diverse backgrounds represented at our school and will not be permitted. 
• We do have some students who are afraid of clowns. Please keep this in mind when choosing a costume. 
• If you are in need of costumes, we will have our annual Free Costume racks up near the office starting Tuesday, October 24. We have a large selection of donated (mostly new and very gently used) costumes for Shortreed students and younger siblings. 
• If you have any questions about whether or not a costume is appropriate for school, please ask your child’s teacher and/or email Mr. Wejr (cwejr@sd35.bc.ca). 
• ALSO – be sure to enter our PAC Pumpkin Carving contest (see info below).

For our grade 4 students, the Foundational Skills Assessments (FSA) continue this week. Click here to read a letter from our superintendent Mal Gill, about the FSAs.

As always, I want to acknowledge that we do our important work and learning on the unceded ancestral territory of the Matsqui First Nation. On Wednesday, a few staff gathered to learn from Len Pierre, a consultant and educator from Katzie First Nation, and he reminded us of how we all have bias and prejudice, which is natural. What is important to do is to reflect on these biases as we grow and learn. When we acknowledge the land and traditional territories, we also share an important commitment to continued learning and reflecting on our biases and why we have them (and if we need to change these perspectives). It is so important in all aspects of our lives to be curious and seek to understand.

We hope you take a few moments to read up on a few of the good things that have happened at our school and some updates on what’s happening in the weeks ahead. This week, we focus on the even-numbered divisions.

Good Things to Talk About

Cross-Country Championships! Five Shortreed students participated in the district cross-country championships this past Tuesday. They gave it their all, and Maddie, Elise, and Caroline finished in the top 20, while Makinley finished 11th and Ryu finished 3rd! A great showing by all runners, and this was the icing on the cake for a successful Shortreed season!

Read Alouds in the Library! We love walking by the library and seeing the students captivated by a read-aloud by Mrs. Kirk… and even better, when she stops a longer book partway through, and the students groan and complain as they cannot wait to hear more! Thank you to Mrs. Kirk for working so hard to create and maintain a love for reading.

Photo Time – Darby Photos was here to capture the school moment with each student. We can’t wait for you to see the pics! The proofs and order info should be out this week.

Great BC Shakeout – Shortreed participated in the Great BC Shakeout Earthquake Drill last week (we did ours on Wednesday as our Photo Day was on Thursday). Following every EQ drill at school is a great time to reflect (and plan) on how prepared your family is for an earthquake. Do you have supplies to last 72 hours in case one occurs? For more info, go to https://www.shakeoutbc.ca/.

A Morning at the Pumpkin Patch – Our annual kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch was another hit with the kids and families! Students learned about pumpkin growth and had a chance to play, explore, and pick a pumpkin at Eagle Acres Pumpkin Patch.

Div 18 – Art in Nature – Ms. Bowers’ students love getting outside! They recently spent some time collecting leaves and branches to create some art inspired by artist Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy creates artwork in the outdoors with natural materials.

Div 16 – Learning in the Forest – Ms. Gostelow’s class headed to the forest last week for a scavenger hunt! They searched for signs of fall and other natural objects. Later, in class, they observed and compacted the different points, shapes and colours of fall leaves.

Div 14 – The Sounds of Reading…  Miss Anderson’s class has started their literacy routines (based on UFLI), and they have been mastering their letter sounds (phonemes) and letter formations (graphemes). These daily routines provide a solid foundation for reading and writing.

Div 12 – Growing With Reading – Mrs. Datema’s students continue to grow in their reading skills… and last week, they learned and read about growing… a pumpkin! Students practiced story sequence and reviewed what they had learned in their reading about the life cycle of the important gourd (or is it a squash… or both?).

Div 10 – Nice Form! Mrs. North’s students have also been building literacy routines as they practice letter formations. Each day, they review and practice the sounds and formations of letters and blends to build their skills in reading and writing. As students do this on the whiteboards at the carpet, Mrs. North is able to provide immediate feedback to those who need support (or a nudge).

Div 8 – Mrs. Thompson was ill this past week, so we will feature this class next week!

Div 6 – Draw… Then Write – Sometimes, students have difficulty getting going with their writing as they cannot think of something to write. Teachers often provide a “writing prompt” to help with this. In Mr. D’s class, he uses a strategy called “Draw… Then Write” in which they learn about a topic, draw what they have been learning, and then start writing about some of what they learned. This past week, they were learning about frogs so they had a chance to draw and write about these fascinating amphibians!

Div 4 – Making Motion With Stories – Ms. Loverock’s students have been learning about the different parts of stories, such as character, plot, and setting. They have been using iPads to plan and create stop-motion video stories using stuffies and other items to show their learning.

Div 2 – Pretty Pumpkins! Ms. Cho’s students completed some beautiful pastel artwork of pumpkins in a pumpkin patch. Students could use cool or warm colours in the background and could choose to do a pumpkin or a jack-o-lantern. Be sure to check out these beautiful pieces of artwork on display on the bulletin board across from the intermediate washrooms.

Div 5 – Coast to Coast – As was briefly shared last week, Ms. Ewald’s class has been learning about Canadian geography. They spent some time learning about the different provinces and territories and then created maps of Canada.

Div 13 – Fall Artwork – Ms. Kaur’s students created some wonderful fall artwork this past week. They used watercolours to create and paint their choice of leaf. We loved seeing all the different types of leaves and choices of fall colours!

The Week Ahead

Monday, Oct 23 – PAC coffee orders due
Wednesday, Oct 25 – PAC Treat Day
Friday – Oct 27 – Gr. 2-5 Dance Session in the gym 7:45am; Interim Reports sent home

Month at a Glance

Tuesday, Oct 31 – Halloween at Shortreed!
Friday, Nov 3 – Gr. 2-5 Dance Session in the gym 7:45am
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)
Thursday, Nov 16 – Photo Retakes
Friday, Nov 17 – Fire Drill 11:00
Friday, Nov 24 – PAC Dollar Sale, PAC Treat Day
Tues-Thurs, Nov 28-30 – Scholastic Book Fair
Wednesday, Nov 29 – Student Inclusive Conference Day
Thursday, Nov 30 – Early Dismissal for Student Inclusive Conferences

You can download a list of the important dates in the district for 2023-2024 here. You can also check out the PAC Facebook Group for a NEW monthly calendar!

Information and Reminders 

• Friday Dance Sessions starting October 27!  Does your grade 2-5 child love to move? Come to the gym at 7:45 on Friday mornings 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!” See you on October 27^th at 7:45 in the gym! From Ms. Kaur

• Information About School Status During Inclement Weather

  Snow closures and power outages are an annual occurrence in Langley School District. So, where do you go to get information about the status of schools during periods of inclement weather? If you are able to access the internet via computer or smartphone, current information about Langley schools can be accessed on all school websites or www.sd35.bc.ca. Updates are also posted to X (formerly Twitter) @LangleySchools and Facebook at www.facebook.com/langleyschooldistrict. If you don’t have internet connectivity but your phone is working, call a relative or friend in an area that has not been affected by the storm and ask them to check the district website for you. Local radio stations are also informed of school status in Langley. Tune in to CKWX 1130AM, CKNW 980AM, Country Radio 107.1FM, Pulse 107.7 or CBC 690AM or 88.1FM for updates.

  Please note that Langley District schools are all considered ‘open’ until a decision to close is required. Decisions on school closures are usually made by 6:30am. As always, it is a parent’s decision whether to send their child to school based on safety and individual circumstances. If you feel it is unsafe for you or your child to travel to or attend an open school for any reason, please keep your child home and report an absence to the school.

• Emergency Procedures & Response

  Health and safety are a priority in the Langley School District. Schools follow emergency procedures to ensure students, staff, and any visitors in our schools or sites are safe when unexpected incidents or events happen. At the start of every school year, administrators, teachers, and staff review these emergency procedures. Schools practice a set number of drills annually in preparation for unexpected situations. The District encourages families to become familiar with these staff emergency procedures and the drills that are completed in our schools. You can read them in the Staff Emergency Procedures Poster here or find them posted in areas throughout our buildings. If you have any questions or concerns about emergency procedures, please get in touch with Mr. Wejr or Mrs. Tarasoff. 

• 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.

• 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 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 breakfast/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 they have improved and they are well enough to attend school. This will help keep our staff and students as healthy as possible.

PAC Info

Community Events and Information

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

Langley RCMP: Candy with a Cop

Our community partner, the Langley RCMP, is inviting our students, staff, and families to have “Candy with a Cop.” On Tuesday, October 31^st, police will be sharing treats with visitors throughout the day at their community police offices across Langley. For locations and times, please see flyer here.

Erase Family Sessions: Establishing Safe, Caring, and Respectful Digital Communities

Three virtual Erase learning sessions for families will be held on November 8^th, 28^th, and 30^th, focusing on establishing safe, caring, and respectful digital communities. These sessions are best suited for families and youth aged 10 and above. Please see the form here for links to register for these sessions.