Posted: January 19, 2025

Families of Shortreed,

I hope you had a chance to enjoy the incredibly beautiful weather out there this weekend!

Our grade 5s continue basketball practices with morning sessions on Monday and Friday this week at 7:45. They are gearing up for their first game of the season (a home game) next Tuesday, January 28 at 3:00 in the Shortreed gym. Grade 2 basketball continues with practice on Monday at 2:45. We have found a coach for grade 3/4 basketball so please watch your inboxes soon for more information!

Kindergarten registration for 2025-2026 continues through February and March. 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. As I have shared in some previous acknowledgements, a key piece I have learned from Indigenous people in my life is that to slow down and be fully present, we need to get outside. My family and I travelled to the the unceded ancestral lands of the Semiahmoo First Nation today and we had a chance to watch the water move outwards with the pull of the tide, crabs move across the shores, eagles soar above, and marine birds hunt for food. It truly grounds us to be with Mother Nature and simply… BE. I always appreciate the reminder to slow down from the Indigenous people who have shared teachings with me.

On Monday, we had another emergency drill, and this time, it was an Earthquake Drill. While our students did well with their Drop, Cover and Hold (and then evacuate), it is also a time for our families to reflect on their level of preparedness in the home. Are you prepared? Check out some tips here.

Our grade 2 basketball players started up again this past week. With over 20 grade 2s coming out regularly each week, they are seeing tremendous progress! The practice most Mondays (with a few Fridays due to holidays, etc) up until spring break.

Our students had their 2nd week with sport wheelchairs in the gym this past week. On Tuesday, some of them even had a chance to learn from BC Provincial Team Wheelchair Basketball (and Sledge Hockey) player Matthew Norris!

Thank you to Ms. Bowers’ students who headed over to Bellevue Park Seniors Residence to connect with the residents and make some huge snowflakes! We are so thankful for our new relationship with the staff and residents at Bellevue.

PEACEful Schools and Homes

At Shortreed, we have been using some of the PEACEful Schools strategies from the Complex Trauma Resources centre. The PEACE in peaceful stands for the following strategies:

• Predictable routines
• Emotional literacy
• Attended 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). Please take a moment to read the ideas for families below:

PREDICTABILITY AND ROUTINE

• Make routine, structure and predictability a priority. For example, use a visual schedule to map out the child’s day, use a calendar to map out what is coming up. Use consistency with caregiver responses and prepare child for transitions or any changes in routine, have food/snacks to help regulate, incorporate morning rituals before leaving for school.
  • Sleep: Create a relaxing night routine with your child. Incorporate regular relaxation activities (i.e. read a story, cuddles/massages, breathing activities, relaxing music, etc.).
• Daily check ins and “broaden and build”, some ideas include:
  • ‘What was good?’: This intervention consists of encouraging the child to think about what was positive and memorable about their day. Children experiencing trauma may not be used to thinking about their day may focus on all that went badly. Beginning to call to mind the positives builds a habit of looking for what was ‘good’. Over time, this habit can promote emotional buoyancy.
  • ’10 Best Things’: This intervention consists of encouraging the child to think of their ‘ten best’ lists. Children experiencing trauma often do not think of their history as having positive value. By encouraging children to think about their ten best: memories, meals, toys, super-heroes, video games, etc., the caregiver promotes a broadening of positive memory and corresponding emotion.
  • ‘This or That?’: This intervention consists of encouraging the child to think of the ‘best’ of compared sets. The strategy is an exercise in building positive emotions. Over time, these emotions can broaden and build toward longer-lasting moods. By asking, “Chocolate or Vanilla?” the child will select their favourite ice cream. By contrasting their favourite (Vanilla) to another (Strawberry), the child then selects their favourite again. The strategy continues until there is an ultimate ‘best’. The strategy can be played using meals, toys, super-heroes, video games, etc. By doing so, the caregiver promotes a broadening of positive memory and corresponding emotion.
  • ‘Toot your own horn’: This intervention consists of encouraging the child to think of what they did well. It is designed to help children identify their strengths and build self-esteem. By doing so, the caregiver promotes a broadening of positive memory and corresponding emotion. The caregiver asks the child to think about a time they did something well and were proud of. The caregiver can ask the child to draw a picture, write a story or create a symbol that represents their activity. This creation can then be placed on display around the child’s environment.
  • ‘What went well’: Helping children identify what they are doing well, rather than what they did wrong, can change the focus of the child. Focusing on what they did ‘right’ builds positive emotions and self-esteem. “Catching” the child doing something right (instead of wrong) builds on positive focus.

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

The Week Ahead

Monday, January 20 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45am; Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45
Friday, January 24 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45am

Month at a Glance:

Monday, January 27 – Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45pm; last day to order West Coast Seeds
Tuesday, January 28 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45am; HOME game vs Blacklock Elementary 3:00
Wednesday, January 29 – PAC Popcorn Day, Lunar New Year begins
Monday, February 3 – Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45pm
Tuesday, February 4 – Gr. 5 basketball 7:45; AWAY game at Simonds/U-Connect 3:00
Wednesday, February 5 – Club Wednesday #1
Thursday, February 6 – Lockdown Drill 10am
Friday, February 7 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45
Monday, February 10 – Pro D Day – no school for students
Tuesday, February 11 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45am; HOME game vs Parkside 3:00
Wednesday, February 12 – Club Wednesday #2
Friday, February 14 – Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45; Have a Heart Day; Valentine’s Day; PAC Meeting 9:00; Gr. 2 Basketball 2:45
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

Information and Reminders

• LEAP (Outdoor Education) – Parent Information Session on Thursday, January 23^rd

  Imagine your child’s classroom in the open air! Join us on Thursday, January 23^rd at 5pm at Fort Langley Elementary for our LEAP (Langley Environmental Awareness Program) Information Session. This meeting is for families interested in kindergarten enrolment for the 2026-2027 school year, as well as any current grade 1-6 students that might want a change and an opportunity to learn in the great outdoors. For more about the outdoor education program and to watch our new stunning promotional video please visit: https://bit.ly/2T2os8r.

• 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. 

• Information About School Status During Inclement Weather

  Snow closures and power outages are an annual occurrence in the 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 at the district website. Updates are also posted to X (formerly Twitter) @LangleySchools and on the Langley Schools Facebook Page. 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.

• 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

Check out our new fundraiser with West Coast Seeds – Shop a variety of vegetables, herbs and flower seeds here. Last day to order is Monday, January 27, 2025.

If you missed the calendar and newsletter, please see the images below.

Community Events and Information

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

Social Media Awareness Family Sessions

ERASE will hold FREE virtual social media awareness sessions for parents and caregivers. Please share the link below in an upcoming communication with families for them to access these valuable sessions:

https://pages.saferschoolstogether.com/erase-family-session 

—

Generation Health is a FREE 10-week healthy lifestyle program for children and their families, delivered through YMCA BC and in partnership with the Childhood Healthy Living Foundation. Program participants will meet virtually or in person to learn about healthy eating, physical activity, goal setting, body image, self-esteem and more!

We have 4 program days to choose from: Starting in February on Tuesdays (In Person at the Tong Louie YMCA) or Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays virtually from 6:30-8:30pm. This program requires prior registration through these details: phone 1-888-650-3141 or send an e-mail to generationhealth@bc.ymca.ca.

Families who join this program receive a complimentary membership to the YMCA. 

—

FREE for Langley parents and caregivers – Register here.