Families of Douglas Park,

It’s hard to believe we’re already into October! Our students have really settled into their routines, and the school is full of energy. As you walk through the halls, you can feel the excitement—classrooms are busy with reading, writing, and math, and it’s been wonderful to see how much students have grown in just a few weeks. Alongside this important work, many classes are also embracing the season, exploring the changes that autumn brings—cooler weather, colourful leaves, and creative fall projects that connect learning with nature.

This week, I had the chance to sit in on a few lessons. In one primary writing class, students were learning about descriptive writing in a really fun way. The teacher started by reading vague instructions for making a peanut butter (wow butter) and jam sandwich. Without enough detail, the “sandwich” ended up being a mess! When the instructions were read again with clear details, the sandwich turned out perfectly. The kids loved it, and it was such a memorable way to show the power of descriptive writing and the importance of adding details.

In an intermediate math class, students were exploring place value through a game against their teacher. The room was full of laughter and energy as students built numbers and showed what they knew. It was learning at its best—engaging, challenging, and fun.

Moments like these show what makes Douglas Park so special. Our students are not only working hard and learning new skills, but they’re also discovering the importance of effort and perseverance. We remind them often that it’s not about being perfect—it’s about trying your best, taking on challenges, and enjoying the journey. And our dragons always rise to the occasion!

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

Pumpkin Art - Ms. Millington, the student teacher in Ms. Evans’ class, led a fun pumpkin art activity with the students! The kids learned how to draw pumpkins and then coloured them using soft pastels. This activity helped students practise their drawing and colouring skills while exploring different textures and shades. It was a creative way for the students to celebrate fall.

Flashlight Reading - Ms. Olaffson’s class had a fun reading activity called flashlight reading! For this special activity, the students grabbed their favorite books and read quietly using flashlights in a cozy, dimly lit space. It felt a little like going on a secret reading adventure! Flashlight reading is a great way to help kids focus on their books and build a love of reading. The students loved the chance to explore stories in a new way, and it made reading feel extra special and magical! 

Fun with Math - Ms. Datema’s class was having so much fun with math games! The students used their knowledge of place value to explore numbers with numerals and base 10 blocks, and they even went on a math scavenger hunt. Activities like this are a wonderful way for kids to practice the skills they’ve learned in class because they get to think critically, solve problems, and work with others—all while having fun. It’s exciting to see students learning and enjoying math at the same time!

Pastel Leaf Art - Check out this amazing art from Ms. Mackenzie’s class! The students have been studying leaves and learning how to draw them. For their art project, they used pastels to show the bright fall colours of the leaves, and then painted beautiful watercolour backgrounds. This activity was great because it helped students look closely at nature, practice mixing colours, and try two different art materials together. They learned how to notice small details, be creative, and make their own unique artwork.

Planning with Pictures - In writing, Mr. Boehmer’s class has been learning how to use a picture plan to help with their stories. A picture plan is when you draw simple pictures to show the beginning, middle, and end of your writing. It’s a great way to organize ideas, remember what you want to say, and add extra details. It’s awesome to see our students learning all sorts of helpful tools to become stronger writers!

Grade 5 Leaders - One of the leadership opportunities for our Grade 5 students is helping to lead the morning announcements. This is such a great experience for the kids because it helps them build confidence, practice public speaking, and take responsibility for an important role. The students really enjoy being in charge of the announcements, and it’s wonderful for the whole school to hear their voices starting the day with important news, reminders, and positive messages.

Working on Writing - Ms. Treleaven’s class was working hard during their UFLI lesson. After learning some important literacy skills, the students put them into action with a fun writing challenge. Their teacher read a sentence out loud, and the students did their best to write it on their own. This activity is valuable because it helps students practice listening, spelling, and writing all at once. The kids had a lot of fun showing what they could do!

Cross Country - Our cross country team has been working so hard this season, and on Wednesday they got to run their very first race at Aldergrove Regional Park. The kids were amazing—pushing themselves and doing their best the whole way through. It was so fun to see how proud they were as they crossed the finish line, and even better to have so many staff and families there cheering them on. What an awesome start for this great group of runners!

Ticket Out The Door - Ms. Yoon’s class has been working hard on UFLI, a literacy program that helps students learn sounds, words, and reading/writing skills step by step. Before heading outside for recess, each student takes a moment to read a heart word, which is a word they remember by heart because it doesn’t always follow the regular sound rules. They also read a word using the reading strategies they’ve been practicing in class. This quick activity is called a ticket out the door, and it’s a fun way for students to show their teacher what they’ve learned before they run out to play.

Fall Tree Art - Ms. MacKay’s class has been having fun learning about the seasons! Lately, they have been exploring fall and noticing how the leaves on the trees are changing colour. To celebrate this, the students made beautiful fall art. They used their handprints to create tree trunks and then added colourful leaves by dipping Q-tips in paint and dotting them onto the branches.

Triple Scoop Words - Ms. Khammountry’s class has been having fun learning about triple scoop words! These are interesting words that make writing more exciting—just like how three scoops of ice cream are better than one. The students each have their own mini thesaurus to help them find new words. They picked their favourite words and added them to a triple scoop ice cream cone, which they decorated after writing their words on it.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday

• Fire Drill at 10:00 am
• Grade 4/5 Soccer Team Home Game at Douglas Park

Wednesday

• Cross Country Team Race at Aldergrove Regional Park

Friday

• Terry Fox Run and Assembly

Month at a Glance

October 7th - Fire Drill

October 7th - Grade 4/5 Soccer Game at Douglas Park

October 8th - Cross Country Race at Aldergrove Park

October 10th - Terry Fox Run

October 13th - Thanksgiving

October 16th - Earthquake Drill

October 20th - Diwali

October 23rd - Scarecrow Day

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

November 3rd - Photo Re-Take Day

November 4th - Fire Drill at 10:00 am

November 7th - Inclusion Langley Family Support Group

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

• October 22, 2025 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

Terry Fox Run and Fundraiser - Next Friday, we are excited to be hosting our Terry Fox Run at Douglas Park! In the days leading up to the run, we will be collecting donations for the Terry Fox Foundation to support cancer research. Students who wish to contribute can bring change to school throughout the week, Monday to Friday. Our Grade 5 volunteers will be visiting classrooms each day to collect the donations.

Photo Re-Take Day - Photo Re-Take Day is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3rd. If your child missed the original photo day or would like a re-take, this will be their chance to have their picture taken.

Free Clothing Store - We are excited to be hosting a Free Kids Clothing Store for Douglas Park families this coming Tuesday, October 7th, from 3 – 6 PM at Douglas Park Elementary School. Please see the below poster for more details:

Programs of Choice – Deadline to Register is Monday, October 20^{th -} Langley School District offers a rich diversity of programs that are designed to meet the specific needs and interests of students. Programs include Fine Arts, French Immersion, Fundamental, Langley Environmental Awareness Program (outdoor education), Montessori, and UConnect. Registration for Kindergarten entry (for most programs) begins on Monday, October 6^th at 12 noon, and closes on Monday, October 20^th at 12 noon. For UConnect, please contact the school directly. For more information and instructions to register your child, visit our District website here and review our FAQ choice programs resource here.

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.

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.

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.

Douglas Park School Calendar 2025:26.pdf