October 2026 Newsletter

Message from Administration

As we wrap up September and look ahead to October, Mr. Olson and I want to take a moment to share how incredibly proud we are of the start we have had to the school year. September has been remarkably smooth, and that is a reflection of the hard work, care, and commitment of our students, staff, PAC, and families.

We feel truly blessed and honoured to work in such an amazing school community. There is a wonderful sense of partnership at our school, and we are grateful for the many ways our families and staff work together to support our students.

With the school year now well underway, it is exciting to walk through the school and see so much learning taking place. Classrooms are busy, routines are established, relationships are growing, and our students continue to impress us with their enthusiasm and effort.

October promises to be another busy and exciting month, with special celebrations and traditions including Thanksgiving and Halloween. We look forward to enjoying these moments together and continuing to build the strong sense of community that makes our school such a special place.

Thank you for helping make the start of this school year such a positive one. We are excited for all that lies ahead!

Warmly,

Mr. Durnin & Mr. Olson

Important Dates to Remember

Oct 2 - GR 5 Fundraiser - Candy bag sales after school / Terry Fox Run & Toonie Drive

Oct 5 - Kindergarten application portal opens (all families must apply to be considered for a kindergarten position)

Oct 7 - GR 4/5 - Cross Country 

Oct 16 - PAC Hot Lunch

Oct 12 - Thanksgiving (school closed)

Oct 14 - GR 4/5 - Cross Country / PAC AGM 7 pm

Oct 16 - PAC Hot Lunch (listed on Oct 9th on the school magnet in error) / Kindergarten application portal closes today!

Oct 21 - GR 4/5 - Cross Country 

Oct 22 - Movie Night (doors open at 5.30 pm)

Oct 23 - Pro-D Day (students not in session)

Oct 27 - GR 4/5 - Cross Country Championship Race

Oct 29 - Student Photo Retake Day

Oct 30 - Spirit Day (Halloween/black/orange/white)

Info from the School

Kindergarten Applications for 2027-2028 School Year Information

The kindergarten application portal will be open on October 5th closing on October 16th 2026 for students born in 2022 wanting to be attending LFES in September 2027.  If you have a sibling already attending LFES or LFMSS you still need to apply and indicate that there is a sibling attending LFES or LFMSS.  

More information can also be found on the District website:

Choice Program Registration

Terry Fox Run & Toonie Drive

• Our annual Terry Fox Run will take place on Friday, October 2. Students are invited to bring a loonie or a toonie to donate to the Terry Fox Foundation in support of cancer research.
• Please note that this run will take place on school property only.

MyEdBC Parent Consent Forms

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 the 2026-2027 school year, Langley Schools will be using the MyEdBC parent portal to collect this information. Parents/guardians will receive 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 the MyEdBC Online Forms instructions for parents/guardians below:

SD35 MYEDBC Online Forms (Family Portal) 2026.pdf

If your email address or contact information has changed, please call your school to correct it in their files. If you have not received an email regarding consent forms by the end of October or have any questions/concerns, please contact your school administrator.

If you need help accessing the MyEdBC parent portal, see our MyEdBC Help webpage here or Request for Assistance webpage here.

Volunteer Driver Information

Throughout the school year, many of our students benefit from enriching field trips, sports events, and educational experiences that require transportation. Volunteer drivers play an important role in helping make these opportunities possible. We greatly appreciate the time and support our families provide to our school community.

VOLUNTEER DRIVER FORMS – summited to office at least 2 working days prior to the scheduled field trip.  This information needs to be updated very school year.

Thank you for helping us provide safe and memorable learning experiences for our students!

Reunification Forms - Emergency Preparedness

Families will be receiving an email from the school regarding student reunification in case of an emergency.  There will be a Microsoft form link for you to complete the information needed or you can pick up a hard copy from the front office or from this Student-Reunification-Release-Form.pdf link.  Only one form is required per family attending our school.

Emergencies are unpredictable. We usually have little warning that an event may cause massive disruption in our lives and our communities. As one of the major areas in which people gather, schools are places where emergency preparedness is critically important to the well-being of students and employees and to the confidence that parents/guardians feel in entrusting their children to the care of educators in BC schools. 

Langley Fundamental Elementary School conducts regular practice drills for fire, earthquake, shelter in place, hold and secure and lockdowns. By definition, an emergency is an event or circumstance that is caused by accident, fire explosion, technical failure, human action or force of nature that requires a coordinated effort of a team to protect the health, safety or welfare of students, staff and visitors or to limit damage to property. 

One step in our coordinated efforts involves releasing students in a safe manner. Please fill out the Student Reunification Release Form in a timely manner for your children’s safety in case of a school emergency. Children will be picked up from the school with the use of this form for them to be released to the contact person(s) documented. 

Please choose wisely when selecting your “Pickup Persons”. Think about where you and others work in terms of bridges, cell towers down etc. It is advised to choose someone who may be from your neighborhood who you trust in picking up your child from school. Your child will only be released to those names who are documented on the Reunification Form. This form is not to be confused with your emergency contacts who you chose for the Verification form that you also completed and returned to the school. 

Once you have decided who your “Pickup Person” may be, please have the conversation with them, as well as your child, so everyone is in the know of who will be coming to the school. 

From the District

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.

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. 

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.

Library Information 

LFES Home Reading Program

"Reading Takes You Places” starts on October 1^st and runs until the end of April. The goal is for students to read 20 minutes a day, for at least 20 days each month. An October calendar and instructions will be coming home with students. Students are encouraged to return the monthly calendars to school by the beginning of the following month, and the calendars will be entered into prize draws. If students meet the goal of 20 days of reading in a month, they will be awarded an “I Love Reading” token for their backpack for each month of the program. Certificates will be awarded in June if students meet this goal for all seven months of the program. 

Langley Book Of The Year (LBOY)

This district wide optional reading program for grades 4 - 5 begins on October 5^th at our school. The ten books will be introduced to students, and they can read as many books as they like. Students can vote in May for their favourite book if they read at least four of the books. For students who excel in their reading, we will have a pizza celebration lunch in May. To attend the party, students must reach the following goals: Grade 5 - 8 books read, Grade 4 - 7 books read, Grade 3 - 5 books read (our grades 3’s may participate too even though the program is largely for grade 4 - 7 students). A short description of the books will be available as of September 28^th on the district website.

Reading Link Challenge

The six books for this optional reading competition will be announced November 1^st by the Fraser Valley Regional Libraries. More information will follow for those grade 4/5 students who are interested in participating. 

PAC Information 

Movie Night

Get Ready for Movie Night: Toy Story 5!

Join us on Thursday, October 22nd for an evening of fun and community as we screen Toy Story 5! With a Pro-D Day following on Friday, it’s the perfect time to stay up a little later and connect with other school families.

When: Thursday, October 22nd | Doors open for seating at 5:30; movie starts at 6:00 PM.  (If you arrive earlier, please form a line outside of the school.)

Where: School Gymnasium

Admission: $3 per ticket (includes entrance and a bag of popcorn!). Tickets must be purchased online in advance.

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New to Movie Night? Here’s How It Works:

Limited Seating: Past movie nights have completely sold out! To ensure we stay within capacity, all attendees (both adults and children) require a ticket. Grab yours early so you don't miss out.

Seating Options: Kids love bringing a favorite blanket to sit on the gym floor. If your kids are going to be sitting on the limited soft mat seating in the center, you must sit and supervise your child(ren) in the row or off to the side where you can either bring a camping chair or use one of our folding chairs.

Pre-Order Pizza: Want dinner taken care of? Pizza orders must be placed online in advance through our ordering portal.

Treats at the Door: Popcorn is included with admission, and sweet $2 candy bags will be available for purchase on movie night!

Supervision: Please note that this is a family event, not a drop-off. All children must be accompanied and supervised by a ticketed adult.

Come out, relax, and help us make this another fantastic sold-out community night!

Tickets sales and ordering opens up Tuesday, Oct 6th.  (https://lfes.hotlunches.net/)

Grade 5 Camp Fundraising

Grade 5 Camp Fundraising Underway!

Our Grade 5 students are excited to be working hard to raise funds for their annual year-end camp experience. Throughout the year, students will take part in a variety of fundraising activities that not only help offset camp costs but also build important skills such as teamwork, responsibility, and leadership.

The year-end camp is a special opportunity for students to strengthen friendships, challenge themselves, and create lasting memories as they wrap up their elementary school journey at LFES. We appreciate the support of our school community in helping make this meaningful experience possible for all Grade 5 students. Together, we can help our students celebrate the culmination of their years at LFES and prepare for the exciting transition to middle school!

Friday, October 2nd the Grade 5 Fundraising Committee with be selling candy bags after school by the side gaga ball pit for $2 each! (Cash or card)

Neufeld Farms Fundraiser

Our fundraiser will open Oct 22nd at 9:00 am and will close November 9th at midnight - stay tuned for ordering details.

Delivery will be Wednesday, November 18th at 2:30 pm.

Purdy's - fundraisers will start in November so stay tuned!

Community Information

Odds and Ends

Student Absences

1. Be sure to let the office know when your child will be absent from school.
2. Call the office at 604-530-9973 and leave a message or send an email to LFEAttendance@sd35.bc.ca  

Dress for the Weather

Students should come prepared for cool and wet weather with:

• waterproof jacket or raincoat with a hood
• warm, layered clothing
• waterproof footwear to wear outside and a separate set of shoes to wear indoors
• an extra pair of socks, especially on rainy days

Other Considerations

• please label jackets, boots, and other rain gear with your child's name
• consider sending a change of clothes for younger students or on particularly wet days
• recess, lunch, and KM club continue outdoors in most weather conditions (unless it's unsafe)
• an umbrella is optional, but rain jackets with hoods are often easier for students during active play

Thank you for helping students stay warm, dry, and ready to learn and play outdoors!

Hockey at Recess/Lunch Play Periods

In the past, students have used the school’s floor hockey equipment to play outside during recess and lunch. Unfortunately, this equipment is not designed for outdoor use, and we have been replacing broken sticks far too often. The ongoing cost has become unsustainable, so the school will no longer be able to replace damaged floor hockey sticks.

Moving forward, students who wish to play hockey on their assigned day are welcome to bring their own hockey stick from home. Students will need to work with their classroom teacher to determine an appropriate place to store personal sticks when they are not in use. Please note that the school cannot take responsibility for lost or broken personal hockey sticks.

Grade-level hockey days are as follows:

• Mondays - Grade 5
• Tuesdays - Grade 4
• Wednesdays - Grade 3
• Thursdays - Grade 5
• Fridays - Grade 4

Safety on School Grounds – Watch Where You’re Running!

As a school community, we want to ensure that all students feel safe and cared for before, during, and after school. Throughout the day, we are encouraging students to be mindful of one another by walking in the hallways, moving safely around the school grounds, and taking a moment to look around before heading off to where they’re going. Recently, we’ve had a few collisions when students were moving too quickly, and we want to prevent any further injuries.

We kindly ask families to remind their children to move carefully on school property, especially during busy drop‑off and pick‑up times, and to watch out for younger and smaller peers. Your support helps keep our school a safe place for everyone.

Reminder: Toys and Valuables at School

We kindly ask families to ensure that students do not bring toys or valuable personal items to school. These items often lead to conflict between students, feelings of jealousy, and unnecessary distractions during learning time.

Additionally, the school cannot take responsibility for any personal belongings that are brought from home and become lost, damaged, or misplaced. To help keep our school environment positive, focused, and safe for all learners, we strongly recommend that these items remain at home.

Thank you for your support in helping all students have a great day at school!

Dogs on School Grounds

We enjoy seeing families out with their pets, but we want to remind everyone that not all members of our school community feel comfortable around dogs. To help ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all students, staff, and families, please keep the following in mind:

• If you choose to bring your dog during drop-off or pick-up, you are responsible for your dog’s behaviour at all times.
• Dogs must be leashed at all times while on school property.
• Any dog that has shown physical aggression is not permitted on school grounds and should be left at home.

Our priority is that every student and community member feels safe and at ease. Thank you for your cooperation and consideration.

Nut Aware

We have quite a few students at Langley Fundamental Elementary who are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts. We are working to become a Nut Aware school in order to keep students safe.  Your child’s classroom teacher will let you know if it’s inadvisable to send nuts of any type (in