Families of North Otter, 

We hope you had a lovely weekend, stayed dry, and didn't lose power for very long! 

To all our families who celebrate... Happy Diwali! Diwali is a time when some of our families gather with friends and family, share food and stories, and celebrate good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. 

Today is also National Indigenous Veterans Day. There is an additional day to honour Indigenous Veterans on November 8 each year because, for many years, Indigenous Veterans were not invited to attend or be recognized and honoured at Remembrance Day ceremonies as veterans. They were also not given the same treatment when they returned to Canada and did not have access to the same benefits as their non-Indigenous peers. Over 12,000 Indigenous people are estimated to have volunteered in all three wars, including 7,000 First Nations members, and approximately 300 died during these conflicts. One of Langley’s recent graduates, Hayden Lykkemark, lost his life in the Canadian Forces Base Wainwright tragedy last month. We will take some time in Tuesday's ceremony to recognize National Indigenous Veterans Day and Hayden Lykkemark. 

We have our Remembrance Day ceremony on Tuesday after recess (approx 10:45). Students will be participating as wreath bearers (2 per class) and readers. Families of wreath bearers and readers are invited to attend. A reminder there is no school on Wednesday. A reminder to donate to the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign through your School Cash Online account. 

Our 2026 North Otter Winter Market was a huge success! We had some awesome vendors and a steady stream of people coming through to check it out. What a great way to start getting into the Christmas spirit! We want to thank all the volunteers and PAC executive for all their time and efforts with organizing and running the event; also, thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to the market!

Our D & D Clubs were locked in and strategizing with and against each other again on Friday. I popped in to watch and learn how Dungeon Master Garland facilitates the game. We love seeing the kids in their element! 

Our Grade 6/7 Volleyball Teams travelled to Wix Brown to play the Bears this past week. Both the boys and girls had close games with the boys coming out with a win and the girls coming up a bit short. The players continue to grow and improve each week! The girls host Petersen Road Elementary after school on Tuesday. 

The results came in for the 2026 Langley School District Cross-Country Championships, and our Otter runners represented our school well. We had an impressive 17 runners qualify for the finals, and the following students placed in the top 20. Congrats to all our Otter Cross-Country Team members and a big thank you to Coaches Peters, Alamwala, Davis, and Attwood, who helped me out at every practice and meet!

• Sahara - 7th 
• Jake - 3rd
• Quin-Lyn - 8th 
• Lucy - 9th 
• Colton - 6th
• Landon - 19th 
• Alex - 6th 
• Brielle - 12th 
• Maddie - 14th 

Term 1 Student Inclusive Conferencesrun from Monday, November 23 to Friday, December 4. We will email a link to sign up on Tuesday after school. As this is the formal Term 1 report, all students and a caregiver are expected to sign up for a conference. We will send more information on Tuesday. Thank you for supporting our students!

It's starting to get cooler and much darker out there... so why not wear your cozies on Friday for our Pyjama Day! With it now dark when some students head to school, please make sure your child wears reflective or bright-coloured clothing so cars can see them more easily. If they have a phone, they can also use the flashlight, or if they don't they can use a simple flashlight. Soon, all students at North Otter will be heading to school in the dark so having a safe plan for walking, scootering, or biking is so important.  

We have a basketball opportunity for our grades 5-7 students every Thursday after school, featuring the Sr. Boys Basketball coach from DW Poppy! Players need to register at www.dedicatedbasketball.ca. The first session is this Thursday!

The Week Ahead

• 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
• Thursday, Nov 12 - Grade 5-7 Basketball 2:30 (see below to register)
• Friday, Nov 13 - Theme Day: PJ Day; Boys VB Practice at lunch; D&D Club after school; PAC Treat Day - Milk/Cookies 

A reminder to subscribe to our school calendar here. 

School Information and Reminders

• 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 
• 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.
• Every day matters: attendance is crucial for a child’s academic success. Regular school attendance not only ensures that students receive essential learning experiences but also helps them build social connections and develop important life skills. Students who miss school may fall behind in their studies, struggle to keep up with classroom activities, and miss valuable interactions with teachers, staff, and peers. It also makes it difficult for teachers to catch up on instruction and assessments for students who have missed school. Research from www.attendanceworks.org shows the image below, based on a school year of 180 days. 
• 

  North Otter Backstage Pass - check our what's happening in Fine Arts at our school! See the image or click this link for live access. 

• Carols and Crafts is happening again this year and we are excited to have you come! Please mark your calendars and see info below. Our kids are getting excited!

District Information

Langley School District Foundation

The Lucky Langley 50/50 and Raffle is Underway!

The 50/50 jackpot is growing, and the countdown to December 16^th is on! There are still two ways to win: half of the 50/50 jackpot or a 7-night stay in Mexico.  Every ticket helps support Foundation programs focused on mental wellness, literacy, student opportunities, and food programs for students across Langley. Purchase Link: https://lsdf.rafflenexus.com/a/w8d5zn62j-

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

Neufeld Farms Fundraiser
Please support our PAC by ordering some delicious items through Neufeld Farms! Orders must be in by Wednesday, November 18. https://app.neufeldfarms.ca/fundraising/2026-north-otter-elementary-pac   Orders can be picked up on Monday, November 30 at 2:00 at the school. 

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  

• 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); Neufeld Farms orders due
• 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
• Monday, Nov 30 - Neufeld Farm orders pickup at 2:00; Gr. 5 Immunizations
• Tuesday, Dec 1 – Lockdown/Fire Drill 10:00 
• Wednesday, Dec 2 – SIC Day (students not in attendance unless they have booked a conference time) 
• Thursday, Dec 3 – SIC Early Dismissal at 12:10, SIC until 7:00pm.  
• Friday, Dec 4 – Winter Theme Day (scarves, hats, mittens, etc(

Community Opportunities

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

The Elves Gift Shop - Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society

-------

The Patch Kids Place - at North Otter

-------

StrongStart at Parkside

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