Information

Innovation Fair is Coming

Our grade 5s have been working hard at product development, manufacture, and marketing. The culmination of that work will be the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Fair next week. Keep those toonies & loonies safe, because each class will have a chance to come shopping in the gym.

Scholastic Book Fair Returns

New Middle and Secondary Schools on the Willoughby Slope

This week the Langley Board of Education announced the names of the two new schools in the Smith neighbourhood of the Willoughby Slope. The schools are currently under construction and are expected to be completed in fall 2027.

The new secondary school is named Emery Dosdall Secondary. The late Emery Dosdall was a longtime Superintendent in the Langley School District as well as a former Deputy Minister of Education in the BC government. You can read more about it in the media release here.

The new middle school is named stɑtl̓əw̓ Middle School. stɑtl̓əw̓ is a word that means ‘little river’ or ‘little creek’ in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, and the name stɑtl̓əw̓ signifies an acknowledgment of the land, the preservation of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, and a renewed commitment to truth and reconciliation. Phonetic pronunciation [stot – low].You can read more about it in the media release here.

Willoughby Slope Catchments Information Sessions Update

The District is currently undergoing the second round of consultation meetings in Willoughby Slope schools to discuss the boundary change proposal in the R.E. Mountain Secondary and Smith Secondary regions. The presentation shared in these in-person meetings is available on the District website in video and slide format. If you are unable to make it to these meetings, we encourage families to access these resources and provide questions and feedback to the District by emailing: feedback@sd35.bc.ca. For more information, about this process, visit the District website here.

U-Connect

U-Connect offers programming at the elementary, middle and secondary level. For elementary and middle years (K-8), U-Connect offers multi-grade classes with a focus on small classes and a collaborative approach to learning between school and home. The secondary program is for students in grades 9 to 12. Students in the secondary program have the option of the blended pathway program and blended mornings. U-Connect also offers online-only courses for Langley students in grades 10-12. The school will be hosting Information Sessions this spring; please see the attached for more information.

For families with incoming Kindergarteners

Gifts and Gatherings is a 90-minute program from 8:30am - 10am hosted weekly at one of the Langley Strong Start sites. Any family member or caregiver is welcome to participate along with children ages 0-5 years. Families will explore activities that emphasize indigenous perspectives, highlighting the many interconnected gifts of land, people and animals. Experiences may include: art, sensory exploration, story-time, table top activities and more.  During each session, participants will receive a gift that will allow families to continue to explore their learning at home. The program is intended to build connections between families and the school and to support children in their transition into Kindergarten. Please see the flyer at the link below with locations and dates.

Quotes of the Week

Something to read (or watch)

As I pinched and zoomed and scrolled the other day, trying to read something on my phone screen (I will grant that my eyes are getting old and working worse), it got me wondering if there are any differences between the reading process on a small screen and a big one, or between a screen and paper. Naturally, I found out.

Why Reading on Mobile is Different (and what course developers can do about it). Point 4, about multitasking, maybe explains why I often feel like I haven't actually read something I just read on my phone. You can probably tell that this newsletter is built on a computer, and views best that way (or at least on a tablet in landscape orientation).

Reading on Paper Versus Screens: What's the Difference? This one was written right around COVID, and I think the screen experience has changed even more since then. How often do we find something only for the actual content space to be shrunk by banner ads top and bottom, and dynamic content that gets in the way? 

Is one way better than the other? It depends on what you want to get out of the experience. I don't think I found anything that really felt unbiased, and ironically, the defenses of paper-based reading were all presented on a screen.

I like commas. Probably too much, to be honest. When I saw this graphic the other day, I decided to work on writing a single sentence that used all of these types in a way that doesn't seem too forced. It isn't ready for publication yet, but I'm working on it.

Calendar Dates to Remember

Monday, March 2

Boys' Basketball Practice - 8:00

Girls' Basketball Practice - 2:45

Pop-up Strong Start - 12:30

Tuesday, March 3

Girls' Basketball Game - AT HOME vs Willoughby

Boys' Basketball Game - AT Willoughby

Scholastic Book Fair - 2:40-7:00 in MPR

Wednesday, March 4

Student Inclusive Conferences - students dismissed at 12:33

Scholastic Book Fair - 12:40-4:00 in MPR

Thursday, March 5 

Scholastic Book Fair - 9:00-4:00 in MPR

Student-Inclusive Conferences - ONLY students with scheduled appointments attend, and only for their conference time