Posted: March 30, 2025
Families of Shortreed,
Welcome back!
We hope your children had a wonderful spring break. We are excited to see everyone and move forward with Term 3. To all our Shortreed families who are celebrating Eid el-Fitr, Eid Mubarak!
Our focus this week will be getting our students back into our classroom and learning routines. For the next couple of weeks, our gymnasium will be full of our Trestle Tree and gymnastics equipment so the students will have fun climbing, balancing, swinging, and jumping. We also have a PAC meeting on Friday at 9am (all are welcome).
Basketball is on hold for now but stay tuned for some grade 3/4 basketball starting in April (I should have more info to share this week).
Prior to the break, we gathered in the gym for a chance to celebrate Term 2 at Shortreed. We honoured our grade 5 basketball team, celebrated our amazing fundraising for Jump Rope for Heart, and looked back with gratitude at term 2 with a slideshow (this was emailed to families too).
On March 13, our grade 5s continued their successful basketball season with more strong play, but this time in mini-games as part of the year-end celebration playday. In many ways, this was the most successful grade 5 team in Shortreed history. Congratulations to the team!
Our students had their buckets filled by affirmation letters sent from the students at BGMS. Our students received personalized cards with words and messages that filled their hearts and led to big smiles. Thank you to Mrs. Waddell and the students of BGMS for doing this for our kids!
Thank you to everyone who donated to our Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser again this year. With your help, we were able to raise over $5000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation! Once we tally everything up, we will share the final total.
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. Tomorrow is March 31, and this is National Indigenous Languages Day, a day to celebrate and honour Indigenous languages in Canada. “This day reminds us of the importance of supporting the reclamation, revitalization, strengthening, and maintenance of Indigenous languages” (Government of Canada). Through our journey of learning the truth of our history, we know that student were harshly punished for speaking their languages in schools and therefore, many languages were almost completely lost. Although most Indigenous languages are still at risk of being lost, a few elders have been able to work to not only save the languages, like Halq-emeylem (spoken in this area), but also pass along to future generations to and bring back. Language is part of our human identity; when this is taken away, we lose the ability to communicate and connect with families and people within our communities. For Indigenous Peoples, this was one of the brutal, lasting effects of residential schools; teachings could not be passed along, stories could not be shared, children could not communicate with family and elders, and connections to communities were lost. The revitalization of language is yet another example of the strength and resiliency of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. It warms my heart to hear Shortreed students learning and speaking Indigenous words and phrases that were almost lost.
The Week Ahead
Monday – Trestle Tree starts in the gym
Friday – PAC Meeting 9:00; SIC Documents sent home; Purdy’s orders due
Month at a Glance:
Wednesday, April 9 – PAC Hot Lunch – Mother India; DPAC Presentation/Film – Screenagers 6:30
Thursday, April 10 – Fire Drill 1:05
Wednesday, April 16 – Class Photos
Friday, April 18 – Good Friday – schools closed
Monday, April 21 – Easter Monday – schools closed
Wednesday, April 23 – PAC Popcorn Day
Friday, April 25 – PAC Dollar Sale 1-6pm
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, have attuned relationships, and have a chance to participate in some calming activities. We shared this info with families over the last couple of months. This week, we are sharing information on Empowerment:
EMPOWERMENT
Find and celebrate successes; build off of existing skills and interests; develop mastery.
Offer choices to give the child a sense of control. Often traumatic events involve loss of control and/or chaos. The caregiver can help children feel safe by providing them with some choices or control when appropriate.
Give the child a voice in home expectations, routines, and activities (for example: “my job, your job”) at home.
Service Learning: when the child helps others in need, this expands who they are and fills their own need (i.e. reading to younger children, taking shelter dogs for walks, time with elders, etc.)
- Read the full PEACEeful Homes document as a PDF here.
Information and Reminders
Transportation Registration 2025-2026
Transportation registration for 2025-2026 is open. Please note the instructions to register are different for each category of rider. To help in the planning and creation of bus routes, registrations must be submitted by April 11th for eligible riders or May 30th for courtesy riders. The District cannot guarantee approval after the deadline. New and existing riders can find more information on our Transportation Registration webpage here.
- 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
Mark your calendars! This year’s event will be May 23rd, 3:30 to 7:30 pm. Email shortreedpac@gmail.com if you want to help out!
Community Events and Information
Click here to check out the Langley School District’s community bulletin board.
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Free Swim Lesson Opportunity for Students – Inspired Swim’s Making Waves Program
The Langley School District Foundation is excited to announce a new partnership with Inspired Swim, a leading provider of private swim instruction. This initiative is designed to make water safety education more accessible to families in our district.
Through Inspired Swim’s Making Waves Program, Inspired Swim will provide free swim lessons to students who may not otherwise have access.
Parents can apply for free lessons using the form linked here: [Apply Here]
Thank you for helping make water safety accessible to all children in our community!
For more details, visit www.inspiredswim.com or contact zach@inspiredswim.com
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International Student Program Homestay Families
Embark on a rewarding journey of cultural exchange! The District is seeking homestay families to host International Student Program (ISP) students for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. There are many benefits including learning a new culture, sharing your family traditions, and developing life-long friendships. Homestay families are provided $1200 per month to offset costs. Start your journey here: https://www.studyinlangley.com/student-life/
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Screenagers – Elementary School Age Edition: Community Screening and Expert Q&A – April 9, 2025
Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston examines the growing impact of screen time on young children, exploring the challenges families and educators face in managing digital use. Through personal experiences, expert insights, and the latest research, the film addresses key issues such as social media pressures, video gaming, screen time limits, and the effects of early exposure to technology.
Offering practical strategies for fostering healthy digital habits, Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition is a must-watch for parents, teachers, and caregivers looking to guide children toward balanced tech use. View trailer: https://youtu.be/EzzzeCny6oU
FREE EVENT: Join other Langley parents and caregivers for a 55-minute documentary screening followed by a Q&A with expert panelists.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1140497717607292
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Raising Digitally Resilient Kids
The Raising Digitally Resilient Kids parent workshop outlines how parents and guardians can support children’s well-being and help them balance the risks and benefits of digital media. Based on insights from MediaSmarts’ research with youth, the workshop provides an overview of online risk categories and provides resources and essential strategies that participants can take to manage these risks.
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/workshops/raising-digitally-resilient-kids?mc_cid=cadc5a99de&mc_eid=43f3fb04f2
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