Final Newsletter of 2025-2026
Families of Shortreed,
As our office closes for the summer, I wanted to share one final newsletter.
It was another memorable year with an even more memorable last week of June. We had a chance to honour and say farewell to our grade 5s, celebrate Term 3, express our appreciation for key people in our community, and say farewell to staff who are leaving.
We were also able to honour three Shortreed legends as they move into retirement. We had former students of Mrs. Kirk, Mrs. North, and Mrs. Datema all share letters of appreciation and memories of their incredible careers, especially the years spent at Shortreed. Our school won’t be the same without them, but we will do our best to continue their legacies in the years to come!
Our Grade 5 Farewell went really well, and we loved the opportunity to share a little bit about each student and to gather one final time as a group to honour them as they move on to middle school. Thank you to the Grade 5 teachers and to all the parents who helped decorate and plan for the event.
We surprised our grade 5s the next day with a water fight where they threw water balloons at the teachers and the principal, and then we had a chance to get some revenge on them! The teachers and I definitely took more balloon hits than the kids! After that, the ice cream truck showed up, and we bought all the kids some ice cream to celebrate the end of their journey with us.
We acknowledged our families in the morning before school by sharing flowers and expressing gratitude to everyone who came by. We truly appreciate all the efforts of our families in supporting our students. If you are not able to take your children to school in the mornings, we weren't able to give you a flower, but please know how thankful we are for your time, care, and effort!
The following staff are moving on to new schools, new opportunities, or into retirement, and we wish them all the best:
- Mr. Lock, grade 4 teacher
- Mrs. Thompson, grade 5 teacher
- Ms. Boyd, grade 1 teacher
- Ms. Dhahan, grade 1 teacher
- Ms. Gostelow, kindergarten teacher
- Mrs. Choi, ELL teacher
- Mr. Wejr, principal
- Mr. Nicolato, SEA
- Mrs. Whipple, SEA
- Ms. Stiglic, SEA
- Mrs. Hardwick, SEA
- Ms. Harrison, SEA
- Mrs. Kirk, teacher-librarian
- Mrs. Datema, grade 1 teacher
- Mrs. North, grade 2 teacher
- *Ms. Ensing, SEA (maternity leave)
- *Mrs. Littlejohn, SEA (short-term leave and will return in January)
Please take a look at the list of summer opportunities for children and families below.
School supply lists can be found and ordered here.
At Shortreed, we are honoured to work, learn, and play on the unceded ancestral and traditional lands of the Máthxwi First Nation. We share this not only to acknowledge the lands but also to express our dedication to learning on our journey of truth and reconciliation. I just wanted to once again share my cincere gratitude for the people of Máthxwi in supporting me throughout my years at Shortreed. Our staff and community have made large strides and this is thanks to the dedication of our staff along with the welcoming and nurturing qualities of the Máthxwi people. It has been an honour to serve, learn, and grow on these lands and I look forward to continuing to do this at North Otter!
As this is my final month at Shortreed, I wanted to also share some words of gratitude to the community. During times like these, it is difficult for me to find the words, so I created a video and shared it with the school at our final assembly. You can watch the video below.
I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to the school for the surprise send-off they did for me. It was overwhelmingly beautiful, and it is yet another reminder of the caring and kind community we have at Shortreed.
As of August 1, the wonderful Mrs. Gill will take over as principal and be joined by Mr. Martin as vice-principal. I am so excited to have them continue to the awesome culture, traditions, and high level of achievements we have all worked to create in the Shortreed Community.
I wish you all the best in the years ahead, and I look forward to seeing many of you around the community!
Community Events
To read about some fantastic family opportunities across Langley, check out the Community Bulletin Board.
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The Township of Langley offers a Summer Fun Pass for children and youth in Langley. Click here for more info.
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Creative Arts --> Aug 10-14 at Shortreed!
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Opportunities in and around Aldergrove. Please contact Stephanie Eby at SEby@sd35.bc.ca for more info.
Dates | Program | Description | Ages | Location | Registration Info | |
NEW | July 6-9 | Boys Basketball | A fun camp to build your basketball skills. | Students entering Grades 4-5 | Shortreed | $50/person |
NEW | July 6-9 10:45-12:15 | Girls Basketball | A fun camp to build your basketball skills. | Students entering Grades 4-5 | Shortreed | $50/person https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/grade-45-girls-basketball-tickets-1991952346089?aff=oddtdtcreator |
UPDATED LOCATION | July 6-10 12:30-2:30pm | Summer Camp | Join us for art, cooking, gym play, crafts and fun. Students in summer school can join leaders for lunch | Grades 1-6 | Shortreed | $50 |
Mondays, July 6, 13, 20, 27 Aug 10, 17, 24 1-3pm | Youth Hub Drop-In | Join the Youth Hub team for a fun activity, snacks, drinks, and access to basic needs. | Ages 12-24 | ACSS Youth Portable | FREE - No need to register For more information visit | |
UPDATED LOCATION | Tuesdays, July 7, 21, 28 10am-12pm | Youth Group | Join for a morning of crafts, games, art and more. Each week will be a different activity. | Students entering Grades 6-10 | BGMS | Free |
Waitlist Only | Wednesdays, July 8, 22 Aug 5, 19 10am-12pm | Youth Swim | Join the Community School Coordinator on a trip to the Aldergrove Pool. | Students entering Grades 6-10 | ACC Pool | Free |
July 13-17 12:30-2:30pm | Summer Camp | Join us for art, cooking, gym play, crafts and fun. Students in summer school can join leaders for lunch | Grades 1-6 | Shortreed | $50 | |
July 13-17 9am-3pm | Multi-Sport & More | Try a variety of sports and active games. | Ages 6-12 | Shortreed | $100 | |
July 16 9:30am-2:30pm | PCRS Camp FIRE Finding Inner Resilience & Empowerment | A day of connection and culture including outdoor activities, games, crafts, tote making, cultural learning, art, snacks, and more. | Ages 11-18 | ACSS Youth Portable | Free Email Jaqueline Ali to register
Jali@pcrs.ca 236-889-4581 | |
Thursdays, July 16, 23, 30 Aug 6, 13, 20, 27 10am-12pm | Open Gym | Betty Gilbert gym will be open to shoot hoops, start a game of soccer, or bump, set, spike! | Students entering Grades 6-12 | BGMS | Free | |
UPDATED LOCATION | July 20-24 12:30-2:30pm | Summer Camp | Join us for art, cooking, gym play, crafts and fun. Students in summer school can join leaders for lunch | Grades 1-6 | Shortreed | $50 |
July 20-24 9am-3pm | Multi-Sport & More | Try a variety of sports and active games. | Ages 6-12 | Shortreed | $100 | |
NEW | July 27-31 9am-3pm | Multi-Sport & More | Try a variety of sports and active games. | Ages 6-12 | Shortreed | $100 |
Aug 10-14 | Creative Arts | If your child is interested in crafting, painting, creating & arts, this week is for them! Campers will have a chance to make some crafts perfect for summer, such as: wind chimes, stained glass creations and rainbows! Your child will have a week filled with learning how to paint and draw, some drama games and more! | For students born in: 2017-2019 | Shortreed | $70 https://form.jotform.com/langleybigbrothersbigsisters/-application-for-bbbsl-summer-camps |
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Community Schools Coordinator
Aldergrove Family of Schools
604.862.5943
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Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) Reading Advisor
FVRL Reading Advisor is a free resource for everyone living or studying in communities served by FVRL, including Langley. The Reading Advisor service offers personalized book recommendations for readers of all ages, making it an excellent support for students and staff across the Langley School District. All that is required is to fill out a short form about your reading interests, and trained library staff respond with a customized reading list based on genre, themes, age level, and preferred formats (print, eBook, audiobook, graphic novel, etc.) This is ideal for boosting reading engagement, supporting diverse learning needs, and possibly helping teachers quickly discover high‑quality texts for classroom use. This free community resource extends the capacity of school libraries and connects learners with a broader range of inclusive and accessible materials and would be a great resource to share with students and other staff to help them find some new great reads for over spring break. Happy Reading!
https://www.fvrl.bc.ca/my-reading-adviser
Aldergrove Family Resources
