Families of North Otter, 

Happy November! I hope you enjoyed the lovely fall weather and, if you celebrated Halloween, had an awesome evening on Saturday night! 

Friday was a fun, memorable day as we celebrated Halloween at North Otter. We started with a costume parade outside the school so every student could see every other Otter in costume. Many parents and family members joined us and cheered us on from the basketball and four-square courts. Thank you to everyone who could make it out!

After our parade, we headed to the gym and Joy (Mrs. Popil) announced the winners of our costume and pumpkin-carving contests. We loved seeing all the Otter Spirit in the gym and around the school on Friday. Throughout the day, classes celebrated in their own ways with spooky stories, fun games they created, Halloween art projects, and class parties. 

North Otter staff dressed as Disney characters (and more!). Thank you to all the North Otter staff who made Friday a day to remember for our kids! 

Earlier in the week, our Otter Cross-Country team members who qualified headed to run in the 2026 Langley Schools Cross-Country Championships. We haven't received the results yet, but our Otters once again made us all proud with their effort, support, and energy!

If you use digital calendars, please double-check the times. With the move to Pacific (BC) time zone, some of the events will be an hour ahead. We are updating things on our end but you may have to adjust your settings from Pacific to Pacific (British Columbia) or Yukon. 

Don't forget about our North Otter Winter Market this Saturday in the gym from 10-3. 

Good luck to our Otter Volleyball Teams as they travel to Wix Brown to take on the Bears this week!

Photo proofs were sent home last week. Orders are due on Thursday, November 5 through darbyphotos.ca.

The Week Ahead

• Monday, Nov 2 – Girls VB Practice 2:30; Boys VB Game @ WIX
• Tuesday, Nov 3 – Boys VB Practice 2:20; Girls VB Game @ WIX
• Friday, Nov 6 – Boys VB Practice at lunch; PAC Hot Lunch (hot dog); D&D Club after school 
• Saturday, Nov 7 - North Otter Winter Market 10-3

A reminder to subscribe to our school calendar here. 

School Information and Reminders

• Grade 5-7 Basketball at North Otter - Thursdays
• 
• Grade 7 Fundraiser - It's time to order your holiday chocolates (or just a sweet treat for yourself)! The North Otter Grade 7's are hosting their annual Purdy's fundraiser! Support our Grade 7 students by ordering your chocolates through Purdy's using this link! The deadline to place your order is December 1st. Orders will be delivered to classrooms on December 10th, just in time for the holidays! We appreciate your support!
  
• Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for images and updates about life at North Otter. You can also follow us on our NEW Facebook Page (note that this is different from the North Otter Elementary PAC Facebook Group, as the school page is more about sharing photos and less about questions/conversations for parents at the school). 
• If you need a lunch for your child each day at school, please let your child's teacher know or email the school, and we can set that up. 
• We are looking for a family who can house some materials/props for our musical this year. A larger, dry storage area would be much appreciated. If you have space to accommodate these items and can help transport them, we would be extremely grateful. Please contact the school to discuss.

District Information

It is a long-standing tradition for schools to support our veterans and the efforts of the Royal Canadian Legion. Once again this year, our school will be receiving a poppy for every student and distributing them to classes. We will continue to collect funds this year in support of the Legion’s Poppy Campaign but kindly ask students and their families to donate online via School Cash Online: https://sd35.schoolcashonline.com/

Please do not send cash or cheques with your child to school. If you need assistance accessing School Cash Online, please contact the school office. We appreciate your generosity. As always, our school is committed to educating our community about the meaning of the poppy and Remembrance Day.

Healthy Screen Use (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 Healthy Screen Use. Please see below for helpful reminders to support your child.

Why Does Screen Time Matter?

Children and families are increasingly spending time on screens such as TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones and gaming devices. Too much screen time can take away from activities that are essential for healthy development, like spending time with family and friends, playing outdoors and getting a good night’s sleep.

Choosing Quality Screen Time at Home

Not all screen time is the same. Educational screen time, such as homework, online classes or video calls with family, can be beneficial and support learning and connection. Recreational screen time includes activities like watching videos, gaming or scrolling on devices for entertainment. Too much recreational screen use can have negative impacts on childhood growth and development, such as:

• Less time for social interaction and family connection.
• Less physical activity and outdoor play.
• Less opportunity for creativity, reading and other offline interests.
• Negative impacts on mental well-being and behaviour.

How Much Screen Time is Recommended?

According to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines:

·        Under 2 years: Screen time is not recommended.

·        Ages 2–5: Limit to less than one hour per day.

·        Ages 5 and older: Limit to less than two hours per day.

Simple ways to encourage healthy screen habits

The Canadian Paediatric Society highlights the “four M’s” to help families build healthy routines:

·        Manage: Set clear rules and limits, such as creating a family media plan.

·        Meaningful use: Encourage content that supports learning and active engagement.

·        Model: Show healthy screen habits in your own daily routines.

·        Monitor: Watch for signs that screen use is replacing important offline activities.

Helpful resources

• Fraser Health Screen Time for Children
• Fraser Health Screen Time Brochure for Caregivers - Ages 5-12

REMINDER - Parent consent forms can now be received on MyEDBC. Families are asked to please log in to the MyEDBC parent portal and complete the process. 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.

Information About School Status During Inclement Weather

Snow closures and power outages are an annual occurrence in Langley School District. So, where do you go to get information about the status of schools during periods of inclement weather? If you are able to access the internet via computer or smartphone, current information about Langley schools can be accessed on all school websites or www.sd35.bc.ca. Updates are also posted to X (formerly Twitter) @LangleySchools and Facebook at www.facebook.com/langleyschooldistrict. If you don't have internet connectivity but your phone is working, call a relative or friend in an area that has not been affected by the storm and ask them to check the district website for you. Local radio stations are also informed of school status in Langley. Tune in to CKNW 730AM, Country Radio 107.1FM, Pulse 107.7FM, CBC 690AM or CBC 88.1FM for updates.

In the event of inclement weather, the District may implement a delayed start or early dismissal at school sites. This information will be communicated to families via one or more of these methods: SchoolMessenger, email and/or text and on the District website. For District bus riders, schedules may change depending on the school status. Bus riders will be notified of changes via one or more of these methods: My Ride K-12 App, email, phone, and/or District website.

Please note that Langley District schools are all considered 'open' until a decision to close is required. Decisions on school closures are usually made by 6:30am. As always, it is a parent's decision whether to send their child to school based on safety and individual circumstances. If you feel it is unsafe for you or your child to travel to or attend an open school for any reason, please keep your child home and report an absence to the school.

PAC News

North Otter Winter Market

We’re excited to share that the North Otter Winter Market is returning in 2026, and we’d love for you to be part of it!

Last year’s market was a huge success thanks to amazing vendors . We hope this year will be a bigger and busier event, filled with holiday cheer, unique handmade goods, and a festive community spirit.

Event Details: North Otter Elementary - Saturday, November 7, 2025 - 10am - 3pm

To apply for a spot at this year’s market visit: https://forms.gle/8f9rU45n5KD1qd2GA - Spaces are almost gone! Be advised. We will be sending out an invoice with payment options upon approval. Please do not submit payment without approval.

We hope you’ll join us to make this year’s market another memorable kickoff to the holiday season!

Family Photo Sessions are back on November 25th!

We’re super excited for our family picture day with Made the Grade Photography! Sessions are $40 and are 12-15 minutes long - plenty of time for shots of the entire family, parents together, kids together and individual kid shots too.

Every session comes with an included 8×10” portrait of your choice, though there will be packages for those looking for a bit more, and digital download options as well.

Space is limited so be sure to book your spot today! To purchase your session, login to Munchalunch under fundraisers click ‘Family photos “ https://munchalunch.com/

North Otter PAC Hot Lunch Program

Hot lunch can be ordered online through the Munchalunch website here.

Month at a Glance  

• Saturday, Nov 7 - North Otter Winter Market 10-3
• Sunday, Nov 8 - National Indigenous Veterans Day
• Monday, Nov 9 - Girls/Boys VB Practice 2:30
• Tuesday, Nov 10 - School Remembrance Day Assembly 10:45; Girls VB Home Game vs Peterson Rd
• Wednesday, Nov 11 - Remembrance Day - Schools closed
• Friday, Nov 13 - Theme Day: PJ Day; Boys VB Practice at lunch; D&D Club after school; PAC Treat Day - Milk/Cookies 
• Nov 16-19 - Scholastic Book Fair
• Monday, Nov 16 - Boys VB Game at PRE; Girls VB Practice 2:30-3:30
• Tuesday, Nov 17 - Girls VB Game at FLE; Boys VB Practice 2:20-3:20
• Wednesday, Nov 18 - PAC Hot Lunch (White Spot)
• Friday, Nov 20 - Design and Assessment Day (no school for students)
• Monday, Nov 23 - Girls VB Practice 2:30; Boys VB Game at Peterson Rd 2:45
• Tuesday, Nov 24 - Photo Retake Day
• Wednesday, Nov 25 - PAC Bake Sale
• Thursday, Nov 26 - Gr. 7 Fundraiser - Candy Sale after school
• Friday, Nov 27 - PAC Hot Lunch (pizza); Boys VB Practice at Lunch; SD35 Indigenous Program Winter Solstice Gathering at Langley Secondary

Community Opportunities

Check out the Langley School District's community bulletin board here. 

The Patch Kids Place - at North Otter

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StrongStart at Parkside

https://www.sd35.bc.ca/strongstart

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