North Otter News - October 12, 2026
Families of North Otter,
We hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with family and/or friends and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather!
Don't forget: Friday is a theme day, "Farmer Friday." Put on your farm gear, giddyup, and have fun at school!
We did it! We reached our Terry Fox fundraising goal, raising over $1,700 as a school! Thank you to everyone who donated through School Cash Online, the Terry Fox Run website, or by bringing in cash. We truly appreciate the efforts of the North Otter community!
On Friday, we held our Terry Fox Run assembly and ran through the neighbourhood. Some students ran close to 7km because they did so MANY laps! Congrats to everyone who ran, and thank you to everyone who came out to help and/or cheer us on. An email was sent with a link to a slideshow of our 2026 Run — be sure to check it out.
We also showcased our running at our first North Otter run at the Langley School District Cross-Country Meet. Our Otters ran hard and made us proud as they raced against over 500 runners at the Aldergrove Bowl. Results should be out on Tuesday. Our team will run again on Wednesday. Thank you to all the parents who drove and to coaches Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Attwood, Mrs. Alamwala, Ms. Davis, and Mr. Wejr for their help and support!
Our Grade 6/7 Volleyball teams started practices last week with about 15 boys and girls on each team. For many of these students, this is their first time playing volleyball, so there's a lot of excitement and a steep learning curve! The teams play their first games of the season this week against Fort Langley Elementary, with the boys playing Tuesday and the girls playing Wednesday after school. If any older siblings or family members can help with reffing on Wednesday, please email Mr. Wejr. Thank you to our coaches, Mrs. Attwood and Ms. Davis (girls team), and Mr. Wejr and Mr. Isak (boys team). Good luck to our Otters Volleyball teams!
Our 2026 Fall Feast was a great success! Divisions 1 and 2 worked hard to prepare the Thanksgiving lunch and serve the kindergarten students and their families. The 4 classes even performed a line dance for all the families. Thank you to Divisions 1 and 2 for their leadership, Mrs. Threlfall and Ms. Russell for organizing and facilitating the event, and to Rhianna, Stacy (and her mom, Judy), and other parent volunteers for their help! A big shoutout to JD Farms, who came to the rescue and donated two fresh turkeys for the event!
World Teachers' Day was on Monday, and our PAC volunteers sure made us feel valued and supported. We arrived to the school with an impressive spread of treats and coffee/tea/hot chocolate for us to enjoy. Although the name says "Teachers", we know that it takes a full staff of great people to do what we do at North Otter. Thank you to all our staff for what they do each day for the kids and families... and thank you to Rhianna, Stacy, Andrea, and Kerry for their efforts with the goodies!
The Week Ahead
- Tuesday, Oct 13 - Girls/Boys VB Practice at lunch; Boys VB Home Game vs FLE
- Wednesday, Oct 14 – Cross-Country Meet #2; Girls VB Home Game vs FLE; PAC Meeting 7pm
- Thursday, Oct 15 - Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill; XC Practice at Lunch
- Friday, Oct 16 - Theme Day - Farmer Friday!; Hot Lunch (Mucho Burrito); Boys VB Practice at lunch; D&D Club after school
A reminder to subscribe to our school calendar here.
School Information and Reminders
- Parent Consent Forms on MyEDBC Ready for Families
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. - Halloween is coming soon... muhahahahahah! We encourage students to wear their costumes (or dress in black/orange) on Friday, October 30. More information will be coming out on our pumpkin carving and costume contests. As we look forward to Halloween, we kindly ask families to help ensure that costumes are appropriate for our elementary school setting. Costumes should not be excessively scary, gory, or violent, and should respect all cultures, identities, and traditions. If your child's costume involves a weapon or scary mask, please leave it at home for Halloween. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Wejr or Mrs. Davenport.
- SAFETY REMINDER: Please avoid dropping your child off while stopped on the road. You are stopped but others may not be and this can pose a direct threat to the health and safety of your child and others. Please wait until you find a spot to safely pull over on the side of the road. Thank you for your help with this!
- A reminder that fees for school supplies ($55) can be paid through your School Cash Online account. Teachers purchase the supplies for their classes, so there is no need to shop.
- 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.
- As the Langley School District shared, electric bikes and scooters are not permitted on school property.
- If your child rides their bike or scooter to school (we LOVE this!), please remind them to dismount and walk once they are on school property.
- 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
Election Day – Use of School Sites (October 17 and October 24)
On Saturday, October 17th (local election) and Saturday, October 24th (provincial election), many school gyms across the District will be used as election polling stations. As guided by Section 81 of the Election Act “accommodation in a school that is the property of a Board of School Trustees under the School Act must be made available by the Board for use as a voting place.”
Please take note of extra pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the area of these sites on these days. The District appreciates the support and cooperation from families and members of our community. The District is encouraging everyone who is eligible to do their civic duty and vote. For a list of school sites being used, visit the District website here.
Programs of Choice – Deadline to Register is Monday, October 26th
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 5th at 12 noon, and closes on Monday, October 26th 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.
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.
SchoolMessenger
The Langley School District uses a notification system called SchoolMessenger to communicate information to families throughout the school year. As we continue to welcome new families to our District, some parents/guardians may receive a text message notifying them about SchoolMessenger. If you need to update your contact info on file, please reach out to your school. For more info about SchoolMessenger, visit the District website here.
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.
Parent Code of Conduct
The Langley School District is committed to fostering safe and caring schools that promote mutual respect, cooperation, and 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.
PAC News
Re-introducing our 2026 PAC Executive!
- President: Rhianna May
- Vice President: Hayli Dunn
- Treasurer: Nikki Thompson
- Secretary: Kerry Savage
- DPAC Representative: Colette Walters
- Members at Large: Fatima Ali, Jessica Steele, Angelina Bryant, Stephanie Hackel, Ashleigh Morriss
Hot lunch can be ordered online through the Munchalunch website here.
Join us for our first PAC meeting on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM in the library. All parents/caregivers are welcome.
Month at a Glance
- Monday, Oct 19 - XC Practice at lunch; Boys VB Home Game vs COG
- Tuesday, Oct 20 - Girls VB Practice at lunch; Girls VB Home Game vs COG; Gr. 7 Fundraiser (Supply Store) after school
- Wednesday, Oct 21 – XC Meet #3 3:15
- Thursday, Oct 22 – School Photo Day; Boys VB Practice at lunch; PAC Halloween Dance 6pm
- Friday, Oct 23 – Provincial Pro-D Day (no school for students)
- Monday, Oct 26 - Fire Drill 10:45; Boys VB Practice after school
- Tuesday, Oct 27 - Girls VB Practice after school
- Thursday, October 29 - PAC Treat Day - Halloween Donuts
- Friday, October 30 - Halloween at School!; Informal Learning Updates sent home; D&D Club after school
- Monday, Nov 2 – Girls VB Practice 2:30; Boys VB Game @ WIX
- Tuesday, Nov 3 – Boys VB Practice 2:20; Girls VB Game @ WIX
- Wednesday, Nov 4 – Chris/Elise at Supts Meeting for AM
- Thursday, Nov 5 – Staff meeting 2:25-3:40
- Friday, Nov 6 – Boys VB Practice at lunch; PAC Hot Lunch (hot dog); D&D Club after school
- 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
Community Opportunities
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Safer Schools Together Parent Information Sessions
Safer Schools Together is once again providing Family Information Sessions on a variety of topics. These are good opportunities for parents and guardians to increase their knowledge on the evolving world of digital citizenship, social media, AI, etc. Sessions are recommended for those in care of children aged 10 & up.
The first two sessions available are titled:
- Establishing Safe, Caring, and Respectful Digital Communities
- Establishing Family Practices for Safeguarding Against Cyberbullying and Sextortion
https://pages.saferschoolstogether.com/erase-family-sessions
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Talk with Me, Play with Me, Learn with Me - Aldergrove
Talk with Me, Play with Me, Learn with Me is a fun and engaging Langley Literacy Network program designed for Kindergarten students and their caregivers. The program will run in Aldergrove on Saturday mornings from 10am –11am, Saturday, October 10th to November 28th in the Family Place portable on the grounds of Shortreed Community Elementary. It is an opportunity to read, play, learn, and connect. Each week, families will explore new books and activities that support early literacy and learning. Plus, every participating family will take home eight new books to build their home library!
Registration is required, and space is limited. Sign up today at: https://langleyliteracynetwork.com/talk-with-me-play-with-me-learn-with-me/