The Week Ahead

Posted: February 10, 2025

Families of Shortreed,

We hope you have enjoyed this beautiful winter weather out there! Our kids have sure enjoyed the snow at school; be sure to check our social media for a ton of photos of fun in the snow (featured image on this newsletter from Ms. Coghill)! Thank you for your patience during the snow day on Monday. We know it isn’t easy for many of our families but we had to put safety at the forefront.

Friday is “Have a Heart Day” and some classes will be discussing the inequities of resources in schools and communities in some First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada. Some classes have been learning about Shannen’s Dream, a movement inspired by Shannen Koostachin, an Indigenous student who fought to ensure that every child, no matter where they go to school in Canada, will have equitable educational opportunities. We will be sharing some writing from students in Mrs. Parsons’ class so please stay tuned to learn more.

Friday is Valentine’s Day, and some classes will be doing some Valentine’s Day activities. If your child is planning on bringing cards for classmates, please ensure they bring one for every child in the class. If you need a class list of first names, please check with your child’s teacher. Thanks to our PAC, every student will bring home a flower and a card to give to someone special on Valentine’s Day.

Family Day is coming up on Monday so there is no school on February 17. We do make Family Day a bigger event at our school so our students ALL have someone (and/or some people who are) special to celebrate for Family Day. A few years ago, we moved away from emphasizing Mother’s and Father’s Day to be more inclusive and celebratory of the diversity of our families… and we do this around Family Day. We hope you have a chance to enjoy some lovely moments with family next weekend!

Our grade 5 basketball team plays their second and third games of the season this week as they host Parkside in the Shortreed Gym on Tuesday after school and then travel to Simonds/U-Connect on Wednesday. They also practice on Tuesday and Friday at 7:45. Our grade 2 basketball practice is on Friday after school this week.

Kindergarten registration for 2025-2026 continues through February. More info here.

As always, we want to acknowledge that we do our important work to ensure every child belongs on the unceded ancestral and traditional lands of the Màthxwi (Matsqui) First Nation. We acknowledge this to honour the land and the people and share our commitment to learning on our journey for Truth and Reconciliation. Last night, I watched the opening ceremonies of the All Native Basketball Tournament that takes place each year in Prince Rupert. This is the 65th year of this tournament, and it is a powerful example of the strength and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples and communities. This tourney started in 1960 to bring First Nation communities together through sport at a time when children and families were being divided through government mandates like residential schools. This year’s host nation is Kitkatla, a small island community with an incredible history of basketball. I am unsure of how many Kitkatla people were in that gym last night, but the floor was full of Kitkatla dancers, drummers, singers, and players, showcasing their culture and gifts and welcoming people from across BC and Alaska. It is such a small community, so I am unsure how many people were left in the community last night with the many Kitkatla people on that gym floor. Through my learning of the history, it continues to be clear that Indigenous communities are still here because of their tremendous strength, determination, and resiliency. Whether it is Kitkatla or Matsqui, communities continue to build and thrive through shared culture, community connection, family, and pride in the gifts of people… like sport and the arts. If you get a chance, check out a game or watch the closing ceremonies via the CFNR website to see a powerful example of how sport can bring together different communities in a healthy way.

Our students sure loved playing in the snow last week. Although the snow was not good for building snow forts, students still found a way to dig tunnels and have a blast with the cold, white stuff.

Many classes borrowed our school sleds and walked over to the sledding hill near the bridge. Students even made a small jump and ripped down the hill to get some air time. We even had a few staff members have a go at the hill! Thank you to everyone for sending their children in clothing that worked for playing and sledding in the snow!

Club Wednesdays started this past week and students had a chance to explore areas of interest, passion, strength, or curiosity. Thank you to staff for planning and hosting sessions in areas such as art, music, sport, games, and creativity! We are so proud of this Shortreed tradition.

Staff from across the District came together on Monday for the annual Odyssey professional development conference, which focused on Indigenous learning. Those in attendance enjoyed cultural teachings from the Git Hayetsk: “People of the Copper Shield”, learned about Aboriginal education in the classroom, and had lunch prepared by local Indigenous caterers. (words and image from the Langley School District)

Tuesday – Gr. 5 basketball 7:45; HOME Game vs Parkside 3:00
Wednesday – PAC Hot Lunch (KFC); Club Wednesdays continue 1:15
Friday – Valentine’s Day; Have a Heart Day; Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45; PAC Meeting at 9am; Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45

A reminder that Monday, February 17 is Family Day so school is not in session.

Month at a Glance:

Monday, February 17 – Family Day – schools closed
Tues-Fri, Feb 18-21 – Chang’s Taekwondo teaching classes in PE
Tuesday, February 18 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45, game at Nicomekl
Wednesday, February 19 – Club Wednesday #3
Friday, February 21 – Gr. 5 basketball 7:45; Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45
Monday, February 24 – SIC Prep and Design and Assessment Day – no school for students
Tuesday, February 25 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45, game at Douglas Park
Wednesday, February 26 – Pink Shirt Day (but don’t stress if you don’t have a pink shirt!); Club Wednesday #4; Gr. 5 Basketball HOME game vs Uplands; PAC Timbit Treat Day
Friday, February 28 – Gr. 5 basketball 7:45, PAC Movie Night; Aboriginal Family Gathering at HD Stafford
Monday, March 3 – Start of Student Inclusive Conferences; Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45
Tuesday, March 4 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45; HOME game vs James Hill 3:00
Wednesday, March 5 – Early Dismissal at 12:33 for SIC
Thursday, March 6 – SIC Day – students only attend their conference timeslot (if scheduled on this day)
Friday, March 7 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45
Monday, March 10 – Jump Rope for Heart starts
Tuesday, March 11 – EQ Drill
Wednesday, March 12 – PAC Treat Day (Cobs)
Thursday, March 13 – Assembly – Quinn Beasley 1:00pm
Friday, March 14 – Last day for SIC, last day before Spring Break

PEACEful Schools and Homes

At Shortreed, we have been using some of the PEACEful Schools strategies from the Complex Trauma Resources centre. Although the teaching is focused on supporting children who have experienced trauma, it is helpful for ALL children. The PEACE in peaceful stands for the following strategies:

Predictable routines
Emotional literacy
Attuned relationships
Calming activities
Empowerment

They also have information for families. We know the importance of predictable routines for students and children – they do much better when they know what to expect (for the most part). We also know that students need to understand their emotions. We shared this info with families over the last month. This week, we are sharing information on Attuned Relationships:

ATTUNED RELATIONSHIPS

Physical proximity: Keep the child close, maintain a high level of physical presence, support and supervision, as you would for younger children.
Sends offs: Make a ritual and routine for “good-byes”, keep that routine consistent.
Do not take the child’s emotions or behaviours personally. Where are you on the stress staircase? If you feel yourself becoming angry or feeling hurt or rejected, take a moment to reflect, calm yourself and then come back to
the interaction. Remember! How you manage your own emotional arousal and regulation is vital to assisting the Child and to maintaining a peaceful home.
Counter the shame response. “I see you need help with …” (stopping an activity, moving to another part of the room, cleaning up, not kicking the chair, etc.). Warnings and second chances are less helpful for these children, as they don’t necessarily want to please adults and to establish relationships.
Time in not time out. Time out enhances rejection. Instead, ask the child to come sit with you to complete their work/task. Reframe their disruption as a need for your extra attention and help.
Non-contingent Relationship Building Time: Child-directed 1:1 time with a caregiver every day, no matter what happened with that child that day.
Consequences, not punishment. Consequences for unacceptable behaviour should be natural consequences, designed to repair any damage to relationships or property, rather than punishments that have no relationship to the behaviour. Where possible, consequences should have a relational element.
Acknowledge good decisions and choices. Try to avoid statements about internal characteristics, such as “you are a good kid”. It is better to comment on actions, so the child can feel good about something they have done.
Public versus Private Praise. Often public praise will be uncomfortable for a child who has been through a lot. Ask: “when I’m proud of you, how should I let you know?”

If you want the full PEACEeful Homes document as a PDF, click here.

Information and Reminders

Extended Absences: due to enrollment pressures in Langley Schools, if a student is absent for 25 or more consecutive days (and not due to medical reasons), they could possibly lose their space in the class and/or in the school. Once they return, they could be placed on a waitlist. If you are planning on having your child be absent for an extended trip, please contact your child’s teacher at least 3 weeks before you leave.
Strive for FIVE Days (or Less) – Attendance is crucial to your child’s learning as it helps with academics, social-emotional well-being, and peer connections. We understand children get sick, but please send them to school as many days as possible and strive for FIVE or fewer!
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 and state the following information:
- Student First Name and Last Name
- Grade
- Division
- Length of Absence
- Reason (illness, late, appointment, vacation)
If your family needs support for breakfast before school, our breakfast program runs from 8:20-8:35 each day. Students must register and come every school day. You can register here.
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.

PAC Info

Blueberries are back! X-Large Size Blueberries in 10lb (frozen) cases are available for $25.00 from Berryhill Foods; a local distributer who offers I.Q.F. Superior Grade blueberries.

ORDERS DUE FEB. 20 at 9am: Forms will be sent home with your child and are due back on Thursday, February 20 at 9am. Please submit to your child’s teacher.
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
- Etransfer to SRPACfundraising@gmail.com (password Eagles).
- Cheques are payable to shortreedPAC.
- Cash to your students teacher with the form.
PICK UP FEB. 28: Orders are ready for pick up at the Church parking lot Friday, Feb. 28 from 2 to 3 p.m. Please have you or someone else on your behalf come for pickup. No holds.

Any questions or if you require more information, contact PAC (shortreedpac@gmail.com)

PAC Meeting on Friday at 9am. All are welcome!

Community Events and Information

Be sure to check out the Langley School District’s community bulletin board here.

Parkside JB4 – Just Be Four Preschool Program

The School District is anticipating opening a JB4 – 4 year old licensed preschool program at Parkside Centennial Elementary in early February 2025. Please complete this interest form if you have a child entering Kindergarten in September 2025 and we will follow up with a formal registration package, based on space available in the program. Please contact Charlene Redekop at credekop@sd35.bc.ca with any questions.

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