Welcome Back Newsletter 

September 2026

Dear Shortreed Families,

Welcome back! We are so excited to begin another school year together and to welcome our students and families back to Shortreed Community Elementary.

There is something pretty special about the start of a new school year, new beginnings, new friendships, new learning, and lots of excitement about what the year ahead will bring. We are so fortunate to be part of such a wonderful community, and we are looking forward to continuing the incredible work that our students, staff and families have invested in making Shortreed the school it is today.

I am absolutely thrilled to be back as the Principal of Shortreed, and excited to welcome Joseph Martin as our new Vice Principal. We are also very happy to welcome back Chantale Hubbs and Tori Krauss as part of our fantastic administrative team.

A HUGE thank you to our amazing custodial team Troy, Trevor and Jayden who worked throughout the summer to get our school ready for the year ahead. They have worked incredibly hard, and our school is absolutely SHINING!

At Shortreed, we believe that school is a place where we build relationships, discover new interests, take risks, make mistakes, celebrate successes, and grow together. It is a place where we support the ethical, social, intellectual, emotional, and physical growth and well-being of every child. Elementary school should also be a time for curiosity, play, exploration, and discovering what makes each of us unique. We want every student to find their place at Shortreed, a place where they feel known, valued and connected, and where their talents and strengths have a chance to flourish.

Most importantly, we want every student to know: You Belong Here!

Throughout the year, we encourage our students to take advantage of the many opportunities we hope to provide, including music and band, sports teams, clubs and other activities. We also encourage our families to find ways to become involved in our school community, whether through volunteering, supporting classrooms, coaching, or connecting with our PAC.

It is through these shared experiences that we build relationships, strengthen connections, and create a sense of belonging that makes a school community truly special.

Save the Date!

Please mark your calendars for our Welcome Back BBQ and Meet the Teacher Night:

Thursday, September 24

5:00–7:00 p.m.

Welcome Back BBQ: 5:00 p.m.

Meet the Teacher: 6:00 p.m.

We can't wait to see everyone, catch up with our returning families, meet our new families, and officially kick off another great year at Shortreed!  

Please help the PAC Executive Team determine how much food and supplies will be needed for our Welcome Back BBQ.  Please submit your responses by September 17th.  Click Link for BBQ Form

A Special Welcome

Since last June, there have been a few updates to our Shortreed team. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented group of staff, and we know that our new team members will only make our team stronger.

A Big Welcome to our new and returning SCE staff:

• Joseph Martin (VP)
• Melissa Southcott (K)
• LindyKadagies(g1)
• Jenna Schmidt (g2)
• Guneet Sekhon (g3)
• Amy May (g3)
• MeganMiryans(g3/4)
• Cassidy Chegwidden (g5)
• Kristen Power (g5)
• Victoria Rafighi (g5)
• Ho Sun Kim (ELL)
• Jodi Stiglic (SEA)
• Brynna Thorlakson (SEA)

We still have a few additional spots to fill, so stay tuned.

Bell Schedule

This bell schedule will begin on Wednesday, September 9th.

8:43    Warning Bell

8:48.   Start of Instructional Time

10:20  Beginning of Recess

10:35  End of recess

12:00  Beginning of lunch

12:55  End of lunch

2:35    End of school day

The First Week Schedule

The most common question for next week is always about the schedule. Please take a moment to read this information carefully. We will be outside each morning to help with anything you might need. The focus of our first week is always on CARE and CONNECTION, so we want our students to go back to their last year's classrooms as temporary homerooms for the week. Students will be placed in their new official 2026-2027 classrooms on Monday September 14th.

Tuesday Sept. 8th from 8:43-10:20

All returning grade 1-5 students return to their last year's classroom for Tuesday (see table below). This will be their temporary homeroom for the week, so students can be dropped off and picked up from this classroom all week. All new students and families are welcome to enter through the front entrance and proceed to the gym. Our admin team will welcome you, and then some of our staff will walk you and your child to their temporary class homeroom.

Lastly, a reminder about back to school. Switching back to the school routine is tiring, exciting, and overwhelming for all of us. Please rest up, hydrate, play, turn off tech, and sit down for dinner together. A few tears may be shed as we get back into routine, so keeping things simple will make it easier, for parents, staff, and students!

You Belong Here.

Shortreed Community School is located in the town of Aldergrove and is a part of the Langley School District. We currently have a student population of 450+ students with a strength of diversity. This school is designated a community school, which means that it enjoys a strong connection with the citizens of the community and involves many individual volunteers and service organizations.

Our school is one of the district and provincial leaders in the area of self-regulation and we also have strong backgrounds in literacy instruction and inclusion. Our school goal focuses on reading achievement through the support of effective instruction, self-regulation opportunities, and sound assessment practices.

Our school has a community-run breakfast program (for all students who choose to participate) as well as a school-run snack and lunch program for those students who can benefit from this. Aldergrove Neighbourhood Services runs an after-school program at Shortreed for grade four and five students. In addition, we offer a variety of clubs (such as Ego-Tigers), sports, and leadership opportunities for students.