Families of Douglas Park,

It’s hard to believe that we are finished September! The first month of school was full of energy, learning, and new beginnings. Students have worked hard to settle into their classrooms, learn new routines, and take on new challenges. We’ve already seen so much growth in just a few short weeks—both academically and personally. Our staff have poured their hearts into supporting students, and we are so thankful to our families for their encouragement and involvement. Together, we are creating a welcoming and supportive place for all children to learn and grow.

This past week, students also took part in meaningful learning around Truth and Reconciliation. Through stories and activities, they learned that “truth” is about understanding the history of residential schools in Canada and their lasting impact on Indigenous people, while “reconciliation” is about the ongoing work of healing and honouring Indigenous people and their contributions. As part of this learning, students reflected on what Truth and Reconciliation means to them and designed orange hearts to share the important message that Every Child Matters. Listening to their reflections and seeing their empathy was truly powerful. Their compassion, kindness, and hope for healing are reminders of how much we can learn from children. 

As we move into October, we look forward to building on this strong start. With fall activities, new learning opportunities, and more community events on the horizon, there is so much to be excited about. Thank you for being an important part of our school community—we can’t wait to see all that this year has in store!

Looking forward to another awesome week at school!

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

Letter Formation - Ms. Shaw’s class is working on their lowercase letter formation using the sky, grass, and dirt method! This helps students understand where each letter belongs on the lines while developing confidence with correct letter formation and sizing. It’s awesome to see our Dragons building their writing skills and taking pride in their work!

Inspired Art - Ms. Regier’s class read Ish by Peter Reynolds, a story about a young artist who learns that his drawings don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful and beautiful. Inspired by the book, the students crumpled up their paper and then used watercolours to create their own colourful and unique designs. It was a fun way to let go of perfection, get creative, and enjoy the process of making art. Awesome to see our Dragons trying something new and letting their creativity shine!

Outdoor Learning - Mrs. Evans’ class read the book Ishi, a story about a young boy who finds friendship, creativity, and adventure through a special rock, and were inspired to create some fun rock friends of their own! After designing their rocks, the class headed outside for a nature walk to explore and enjoy the world around them. It was a fun way to connect a great story with creativity, outdoor learning, and a little adventure. Awesome to see our Dragons using their imaginations and having fun with their learning!

Learning About Fall - Ms. Olafson’s class headed out on a fun walking field trip to explore the beautiful fall leaves around our community! The students had a chance to notice the different colours, shapes, and textures of the leaves while enjoying some fresh air and time together outside. It’s awesome to see our Dragons learning from the world around them and having fun along the way! 

Secret Messages - A little secret message fun in Ms. Yoon’s class! Students discovered encouraging messages that had been secretly written on paper with white crayons. They then used watercolour paints to uncover the hidden messages. It was a fun way to get our Dragons excited about reading and writing while showing them that words can be meaningful, surprising, and fun. A great activity from Ms. Yoon that brought lots of smiles and reminded our students that kind and encouraging words can make someone’s day!

Number of the Day - A great way to start the morning! Ms. Treleaven’s class was warming up their math brains with Number of the Day. Students took a number and showed it in different ways using tallies, word form, and base-10 blocks. Representing numbers in different ways helps students build a stronger understanding of what numbers actually mean and how they are connected. It’s awesome to see our Dragons building their number sense through hands-on learning and getting their brains ready for the day! 

Looking After Our Community - Our classes take turns throughout the year helping keep our school grounds looking great, and this week it was Ms. Bhambi’s class who stepped up to help out! Our Dragons did an awesome job picking up garbage, tidying up and taking pride in our school. A big shout out to Ms. Bhambi’s class for being such great helpers and showing what it means to be part of our school family! 

Literacy Screeners - Across Douglas Park, we’re using some new literacy screeners this year to help us better understand how our students are growing as readers! Students in Grades 1–5 are using DIBELS, which gives teachers quick information about key reading skills and helps us identify where students may need extra support. Our Kindergarten students will be using a new district literacy screener designed for our youngest learners. It’s another great tool to help us support all of our Dragons as they grow as readers and writers!

Orange Shirt Day Assembly - On Tuesday, our Dragons came together for an Orange Shirt Day assembly to learn about residential schools, Indigenous experiences, and why we remember the children who were affected. We talked about the importance of kindness, respect, listening and making sure everyone feels like they belong. We also spent some time thinking about the message that Every Child Matters and that every child deserves to feel safe, cared for and valued. It was a great opportunity for our kids to learn and reflect together as a school family.

Flashlight Reading - A fun way to make quiet reading time a little more exciting! During quiet reading time, Ms. Loewen’s class enjoyed some flashlight reading, using their flashlights to shine a light on their books as they read. Activities like this make reading feel special and give our kids another fun way to build their reading stamina and love of books. It’s awesome to see our Dragons getting comfortable with books and enjoying some quiet time to read!

The Week Ahead

Monday

• World Teachers Day

Tuesday

• Fire Drill at 9:55 am
• Grade 5 Soccer Team Home Game (VS Shortreed)

Wednesday

• World Smile Day
• Cross Country Team Race

Month at a Glance

October 6th – Fire Drill at 10:00 am

October 12th - Thanksgiving (School Closed)

October 15th - Earthquake Drill

October 16th - Terry Fox Run

October 20th - PAC Meeting at 9:00 am

October 22nd - PAC Hot Lunch

October 23rd - Provincial Pro-D Day

October 26th - School Pumpkin Patch

October 30th - Halloween Parade at 9:15 am

November 2nd - Picture Re-Take Day

November 10th - Remembrance Day Assembly

November 11th - Remembrance Day (School Closed)

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

• Hot Lunch on October 22, 2026

Next Meeting Time

• PAC Meeting on October 20, 2026 at 9:00 am in the Staff Room

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

PAC Hot Lunch - We are excited to share the our awesome school PAC will be hosting their first hot lunch of the year! Please see the poster below for more details:

Tax Information Workshops - Please see the following information regarding upcoming workshops being hosted at our school for interested families:

Choice Program Applications Open Soon for French Immersion - French Immersion is a cultural and linguistic educational program that starts at either Kindergarten or Grade 6. Students learn all their academic subjects in French while also developing bilingual proficiency in French. The online registration window opens October 5 and closes October 26. To learn about French Immersion, there is an online information meeting on October 6^th at 6 pm. This meeting features a short presentation about the programs and the benefits of learning an additional language, with time for questions. Families that want a meeting link sent directly to your inbox or to receive more information about early and late French Immersion, can also go to this link:

Curious about Early or Late French Immersion in the Langley School District? – Fill out form

General information can also be found on the District website:

Early French Immersion

Late French Immersion

Staying Healthy this Winter (from Fraser Health)  - Health, safety, and wellness continue to be a priority in our schools. To help support our students and families, we are sharing important information from our community partner Fraser Health about how to stay healthy this winter. Please see below for helpful reminders to support your child.

Keep Your Children Free From Respiratory Illnesses This Winter - As the weather gets colder and more time is spent indoors, we are more likely to get sick with things like colds, flu or COVID-19 because these illnesses spread more easily in enclosed spaces. Everyone should take these steps to protect themselves and limit the spread of respiratory illnesses: 

• • • Get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19. 
    • Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based sanitizer if soap and water are not available. 
    • Cough and sneeze into your elbow. 
    • If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home and away from people at higher risk of serious illness. If you are sick and cannot stay away from others, wear a mask. Learn more about masks here.

Vaccinations for Respiratory Illness - Vaccinations prepare our immune system to recognize and respond to viruses. When children get immunized, they are less likely to get sick or pass along illness to others. When children remain healthy, they are better able to focus on learning, playing and doing the activities they love. Their parents and caregivers also have less disruptions in their personal and work routines. Register your children with the Get Vaccinated system so you can be reminded to get flu or COVID-19 vaccinations when they are due. Seasonal respiratory vaccinations are available from pharmacies, public health units and some primary care providers.

School-aged Immunizations - Getting your child vaccinated on schedule is one of the best ways to protect their health. To set young people up for long-term health and well-being, vaccines are offered routinely in kindergarten, grade 6 and grade 9 with catch-up opportunities in other grades. Protection is long lasting for most vaccines, except for whooping cough. This vaccine is one of the infant immunizations that can wear off and needs to be given again around Kindergarten and Grade 9 to provide protection. All routine school-aged immunizations are free in British Columbia. If your child is not up to date with their vaccines, please make an appointment with a public health unit, family doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacy. If your child’s record shows their vaccines are not current, but they did get vaccines from a health care provider outside of public health: 

• Contact the health care provider who immunized your child and ask for a copy of the immunization record. 
• Provide these immunization records to Public Health online at: http://www.fraserhealth.ca/immunizationform

Learn more about school-aged immunizations, including how to access your child’s records, here: Children and youth immunizations – Fraser Health Authority

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. For more information about the breakfast program, please contact our school community coordinator, Ms. Langford (klangford@sd35.bc.ca).

Parent Consent Forms on MyEdBC - 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. Beginning in this school year, Langley Schools will be using the MyEdBC parent portal to collect this information. During the second week of school, please watch for an email from the MyEdBC system notifying families to log in to the MyEdBC parent portal to complete the online consent forms. A set of consent forms will need to be completed for each child attending a Langley school. It is advised to access MyEdBC and complete the parent consent forms using a desktop or laptop as the process requires the full site version (which is not mobile-friendly). For step-by-step instructions, please read here. More information can be found on the District website here. 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 consent forms by the end of September or have any questions/concerns, please contact your school administrator.  

Strong Start – Douglas Park Strong Start will resume on Monday, September 21st. Hours are 8:30 - 11:30 am with a first come first served limit of 20 children. To register for the 2026/2027 Strong Start year, please bring a birth certificate to be copied. A registration form can be filled out at your first visit.

Douglas Park Family Info Sessions - This year, we are excited to introduce our monthly Family Info Sessions. Hosted by Ms. Langford and members of our school team, these sessions provide an opportunity for families to connect with one another and learn about school tools and community resources. Below you will find a poster that includes upcoming dates and session topics. We look forward to seeing you there! 

E-Scooter and E-Bike Guidelines for Langley Schools - To help ensure student safety and comply with district regulations, the Langley School District has updated its guidelines regarding e-scooters and e-bikes on school property. Effective September 2026, e-scooters and e-dirt bikes will not be permitted on any Langley school site, including elementary, middle, and secondary schools. E-pedal bikes remain permitted at secondary schools, provided students meet the legal age requirements: light e-bikes for students aged 14 to 15 and standard e-bikes for students aged 16 and older. Adults may use e-pedal bikes at all school sites. Families are encouraged to review these guidelines with their children and make alternative transportation arrangements if needed. Thank you for your support in helping maintain safe school environments for all students.

Privacy Reminder: Recording Devices in Schools - To protect the privacy and security of all students, staff, and visitors, the Langley School District reminds parents and students that digital recording devices, such as Meta Glasses and AngelSense Trackers, are not permitted at school for staff, students, nor members of the community. If parents have concerns about safety and supervision, please refer to our robust district planning (Student Success Plans, Plans of Supervision), and supervision schedules. If parents still have concerns about supervision, please reach out to your Director for guidance. This policy is in place to ensure compliance with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the District’s procedures for responsible information management.

Parking Lot Safety Reminder - Thank you for helping us keep our students safe! A quick reminder that our parking lot is for staff only. The front area is a drop-off/pick-up zone—please stay in your car so traffic can keep flowing smoothly. If you need to park, street parking is available along 205 Street by the back field. Adding a couple of extra minutes to your commute helps ensure a safe and efficient experience for everyone. We appreciate your continued support in putting safety first!

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.

Communicating With Your School - Schools and families continue to work together to ensure success for students. If you have an issue or concern but don’t know who to speak with, the District encourages you to read these helpful Communicating with your School guidelines for parents/guardians found on our District website here. As an additional reference, review this one-page resource here.

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.

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. Jack @ jjack@sd35.bc.ca.

FaceBook – Be sure to follow us on Facebook for updated information

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Douglasparkcommunityelementary

Bell Schedule

8:40 – Warning Bell

8:45 – Instruction Begins

10:05 -10:20 – Recess

11:47-12:20 – Lunch

2:32 – Dismissal

School Calendar 2026/27 – 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.

Douglas Park School Calendar - 2026 - 2027.pdf