Good Things and the Week Ahead - September 22 - 26
Families of Douglas Park,
We had another awesome week at the school, celebrating our community, building a positive learning culture, and introducing a variety of activities in classrooms. Walking around the school and visiting classrooms is always exciting. We love seeing how hard our students work and listening to them share about what they are learning in class. Earlier this week, I was in the school office when a student came running in to show me what she was learning in her Grade 1 class. It filled my heart and put a big smile on my face as I listened to her proudly tell me about how she was learning about writing sentences and adding details to her writing. As an educator, there’s nothing better than seeing your students proud of what they are learning.
This past Thursday we had a large number of families attend our Welcome Back BBQ and Meet the Teacher Open House. There was excitement in the air as our school community came together for a time of relationship-building and celebrating the new school year. Following the BBQ, it was awesome watching students excitedly bring their families into the school to tour classrooms and introduce their families to their new teachers. We want to thank all of our school community families for their ongoing support and for helping us build a positive and encouraging environment. We also want to thank our amazing PAC for organizing the Welcome Back Fair. Their hard work with planning this awesome event brought so many smiles and made the evening extra exciting for our kids! There was lots of joy and positivity as families enjoyed the bouncy castles, entertainers, and treats. We have an AWESOME school community!
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In the lead up to this day, our school will be focusing on promoting the concept, “Every Child Matters” and teaching our students about the impact of 
residential schools. At Douglas Park, we believe in the importance of teaching our students about residential schools and we know that it needs to be done in an age-appropriate way. For elementary school students, it is common practice to read picture books about the residential school experience. Here are a few examples of picture books that we use to teach our students about the impact of residential schools:
We encourage you to click on the links for the above books and listen to the stories. As we all work towards truth and reconciliation, being able to have conversations with your child at home about residential schools will further extend their learning. Because schools are closed on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we will be observing Orange Shirt Day at Douglas Park on Friday, September 26th. We will be having a school assembly on that day.
As we enter the last week of September, we want to thank you for all of the support you show to our school community. We know that our kids learn best in a positive and encouraging environment and we do our best to ensure that our school is this type of community. Continue to spread encouragement and positivity with one another.
Sincerely,
Mr. Touzeau
Proud Principal
As always, we want to acknowledge that the Langley School District works, learns and plays on the unceded ancestral lands of the Matsqui, Kwantlen, Katzie and Semiahmoo First Nations
Good Things to Talk About
Flashlight Reading - Ms. Olaffson’s class ended the week with a fun flashlight reading activity! Flashlight reading is when students read with a flashlight, which makes reading feel exciting and a little like an adventure. Activities like this are great because they help young readers enjoy books, practise their reading skills, and get excited about learning new stories.
Learning and Exploring Outside - Ms. Shaw’s class had an awesome lesson that got the kids outside exploring our local environment! The students went on a search to see what they could find around them and discovered feathers, leaves, bugs, and cool plants. While exploring, they also learned about a land acknowledgment, which helps us appreciate the land we live on and remember that we all work together to take care of it. It was a fun way to explore and learn at the same time!
Dot Day - On Monday, many classes around the school celebrated Dot Day! Dot Day is a special day all about being creative and trying new things. Students enjoyed lots of stories about being brave, showing their ideas, and thinking creatively. There were fun activities happening all day, and everyone had a great time making their own marks and being creative!
Repeating Patterns - Ms. Mackenzie’s class was working hard this week learning about patterns. The students were exploring repeating patterns, which are patterns that repeat over and over, like red–blue–red–blue or circle–triangle–circle–triangle. In grade 3, students learn not only how to build these kinds of patterns but also how to explain the pattern rule. After practicing, the students created their own repeating patterns and then shared the rule for the pattern they built. It was a fun way to learn and show their thinking!
STEM and Teamwork - Ms. Lee’s class had a fun STEM activity this week! The students worked in groups to design and build towers using paper cards and tape. Activities like this are great because they help kids be creative, solve problems, and practice working together as a team. After finishing their towers, the class did a gallery walk. They went around to see each group’s tower and listened as the groups explained how they worked together to build it. It was an awesome way to celebrate everyone’s hard work!
Learning About Capitalization - This week, Ms. Khammountry’s class was learning all about capitalization in their writing. The students used the acronym MINTS to help them remember when to use capital letters. MINTS stands for months, the word “I,” names, titles, and the start of a sentence. The students practiced finding words and sentences that needed capital letters. It was awesome to see how hard they worked and how proud they were of their learning!
Apple Art - We are still waiting on our photo permission forms to be processed for our kindergarten students, but we just had to share this awesome art project from Ms. Bronwyn’s class! The students have been learning all about apples. This week, they made apple art using ripped paper. This kind of art is so fun because it helps students use their hands in creative ways, practice fine motor skills, and show their ideas through art.
Sunglasses Art - This week, Ms. Bhambi’s class worked on a fun art project! Students thought about their favourite summer memories and drew them on a pair of sunglasses. Then, they added the sunglasses to a picture of themselves. We loved seeing their creativity and how proud they were of their work!
Pirate Day - On Friday, our school was full of pirates! We saw pirates working hard on their writing, pirates doing their reading, pirates eating lunch with their friends, and even pirates outside on the playground playing fun games. It was such a great day—our Pirate Spirit Day was filled with lots of fun!
Secret Messages - Families (or Ms.Yoon for kids who couldn’t come) wrote letters for their students using white crayons at Meet the Teacher yesterday and the class used water colors today to reveal the special messages!
Surprise Visitors - Ms. MacKay’s and Ms. Baratto’s classes had an exciting nature moment today! While the students were working in class, they saw two hawks swoop into the school courtyard. The classes went outside to take a closer look and spent some special time watching the birds. It was a great learning experience because it gave students the chance to see wildlife up close and notice how animals behave in their natural environment.
Awesome Journal Writing - Mrs. Evans’ class has been working hard to become stronger writers! Their teacher gave them new words to learn, and the students tried to use as many of these words as possible in their journals. This helps them build their vocabulary, which makes their writing more exciting and helps them explain their ideas better.
The Week Ahead
Monday
- Student Picture Day!
Wednesday
- Fire Drill at 10:00 am
Friday
- Orange Shirt Day Assembly at 10:45 am
Month at a Glance
September 22nd – Student Picture Day
September 25th – Fire Drill at 10:00 am
September 26th – Orange Shirt Day Assembly
September 29th - School Improvement Day (Students Not in Attendance)
September 30th – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (School Closed)
October 3rd - Inclusion Langley Family Support Group
October 7th - Fire Drill
October 10th - Terry Fox Run
October 13th - Thanksgiving
October 16th - Earthquake Drill
October 23rd - Informal Learning Updates Sent Home
October 24th - Provincial Pro-D Day (Students Not in Attendance)
October 27th - Douglas Park Pumpkin Patch
October 31st - Halloween Parade at 9:00 am
PAC News
Message from the PAC – We are looking for parents to join our Parent Advisory Council (PAC). The purpose of the PAC is to organize activities and events and to encourage parent involvement in the school. PAC meetings are the place to bring ideas for creating social events for fundraising or simply to bring the community together. Meetings are held once a month and you are welcome to bring your little ones to our meetings. Some examples of what the PAC does are:
- Movie Nights
- Hot Lunch
- Popcorn Day
- Chess Tournament
Please join us, we’d love to have some new PAC members and we look forward to meeting you. Upcoming meetings are in the school newsletter!
Upcoming PAC Events
- TBA
Next Meeting Time
- Wednesday, September 24, 2025 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in the School Library
Messages from the PAC
If you want to help us organize or assist with any event, please shoot us an email at pacdouglaspark@gmail.com.
– Douglas Park PAC
Updates and Reminders
Nut Aware Policy - At our school, the safety of all students is a top priority. While we cannot guarantee a completely nut-free environment, we are a nut-aware school. This means we ask families to avoid sending peanut or tree-nut products (such as peanut butter, Nutella, or almond snacks) to school, as even small traces can cause serious allergic reactions. Any food brought to school for sharing, such as for birthdays or classroom celebrations, must be store-bought with a clear list of ingredients so we can ensure it is safe for all students with allergies. Food from restaurants (such as Tim Hortons) is also allowed as long as ingredients can be confirmed. Please check with your child’s teacher before bringing in treats so we can make sure everyone is included safely. Students are reminded not to share food and to wash their hands after eating to help reduce the risk of accidental exposure. Families of children with life-threatening allergies are asked to provide the school with the necessary medical forms and prescribed EpiPens each year. Staff are trained to recognize and respond to allergic reactions, and emergency procedures are in place. By working together, we can help keep our school community safe and welcoming for everyone.
Emergency Procedures in Schools - Schools follow emergency procedures and practice drills throughout the year to ensure students, staff, and any visitors at our sites are safe when unexpected incidents happen. The District encourages families to become familiar with emergency procedures to help you and your child be prepared. You will find the District’s Emergency Procedures poster in schools and on the website here.
Community Volunteers in Emergencies - Emergencies can happen unexpectedly due to weather events (e.g., earthquake or flooding) or unforeseen situations in the community. The health and safety of students, staff, and families is the District’s priority. The District, together with schools, follow emergency procedures to respond to incidents as well as prevent them from happening. As stated in the provincial Emergency Management Planning Guide for Schools, Districts and Authorities, staff have a legal “duty of care,” meaning that they “must ensure that students are cared for until such time as they can be safely reunited with their parents.” Depending on the situation, the school may be caring for students for many days. In these circumstances, schools may rely on members of the community to assist with emergency responses. Administrators may send a request to parents/guardians to help volunteer with first aid, facilities and maintenance, safety and security, and general labour. Adults with special skills in health care, policing, and engineering would be an asset in an emergency. No action is needed from families at this time as the purpose is to keep families informed.
Choice Program Applications Open Soon for French Immersion - Did you know there are two options for families looking for French Immersion for their students? Early Immersion starts in Kindergarten and goes to grade 12; the Late Immersion program begins in grade 6. The online registration window opens October 6 and closes October 20, 2025. To learn about French Immersion, there is an online information meeting on October 1stat 6 pm. This features a short presentation about the program and the benefits of learning an additional language, with time for questions. Here is the link for the online meeting:
Meeting ID: 248 048 850 522 9
Passcode: P9rc9J9X
More information can also found on the District website:
https://www.sd35.bc.ca/programs-initiatives/programs-of-choice/immersion-programs/
All inquiries can be emailed to languages@sd35.bc.ca.
Parent Consent Request - Each year, Langley Schools asks families to complete a set of parent consent forms for their child. These consent forms are required by our schools to ensure the health, safety, and security of all students. Langley Schools uses a secure web form to collect this information. Beginning mid-September, please watch for an email request (subject Parent Consent Request) that contains one link for you to submit consents for all children in your family attending any Langley School. If your email address or contact information has changed, please call your school to correct it in our files. If you have not received an email regarding Parent Consent Request by the end of the month or have any questions/concerns, please contact your school administrator.
Breakfast Program – The breakfast program is open Monday – Friday from 7:30 – 8:27 AM. It is located in the Boys & Girls Club Portable. The program is FREE for all Douglas Park students. It is run by volunteers and supported through donations. You do not need to register for this program. Parents/guardians are welcome to join their child(ren). For more information about the breakfast program, please contact the school office.
Strong Start – Douglas Park Strong Start hours are 8:30 - 11:30 am with a first come first served limit of 20 children. To register for the 2025/2026 Strong Start year, please bring a birth certificate to be copied. A registration form can be filled out at your first visit.
Student Accident Insurance - The District is offering two options for a voluntary student accident insurance plans for students. This plan is voluntary, but provides significant benefits for accident insurance coverage for families. Please note, enrolment in the program can be done online only, through one of the following options:
OR
Inclusion Langley Family Support Group – We are excited to be hosting a family support group organized by Inclusion Langley. The group will be meeting once a month in the SWIS portable and exploring various topics for supporting families who care for children aged birth to 12 years old with support needs. If you are interested in joining this group, please see the attached poster for more details:
Langley Family Support Group at Douglas Park 2025:2026.pd
Parent Code of Conduct - The Langley School District is committed to fostering safe and caring schools that promote mutual respect, cooperation, social responsibility, and support optimal learning. Trauma Informed Practices and Procedures promote the creation and maintenance of safe, inclusive, equitable, welcoming, and nurturing school environments. Families play an important role in helping students achieve success as well as helping create a compassionate learning community. Just as students are expected to follow the District’s Student Code of Conduct, there is an expectation for parents/guardians to uphold the District’s Parent/Guardian Code of Conduct. The District’s Parent/Guardian Code of Conduct can be viewed on the District’s website here.
Attendance – If your child is going to be away or late please be sure to call the office and leave a message @ 604-533-4491 or email Ms. Langford @ klangford@sd35.bc.ca.
FaceBook – Be sure to follow us on Facebook for updated information
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Douglasparkcommunityelementary
Bell Schedule
8:42 – Warning Bell
8:47 – Instruction Begins
10:10-10:25 – Recess
11:47-12:20 – Lunch
2:30 – Dismissal
School Calendar 2025/26 – Please click the link below to access our school calendar for the year. It provides general dates about when the school is open and closed.