Families of Shortreed,

I hope you had a wonderful Family Day weekend and had a chance to spend some moments with your family and friends. 

We will be celebrating the Lunar New Year this week! We encourage children who celebrate Lunar New Year to wear their traditional attire on Tuesday and/or Wednesday. We will be having our grade 5s lead the Lion Dance through the classes on Friday. Happy Lunar New Year!!!

Our Student-Inclusive Conferences signup will be released tomorrow. Please check your email for instructions. The conferences run March 2-11, with March 5 being the SIC Day (students only attend at their conference time (if they have one on that day). 

Shortreed Basketball continues this week with our grade 5s practicing on Tuesday and Friday at 7:45 and hosting Douglas Park Elementary on Tuesday after school in the Shortreed Gym. Come out and cheer them on! Grade 3 basketball practices on Wednesday after school, and Grade 4s practice on Thursday at 4:00. There are still spaces in the Grade 4 sessions, so please check your email for info or email Mr. Wejr. 

The snow is falling, but the forecast says it will ease up through the night. With the freezing temperatures also in the forecast, please give yourself a little more time to get to school in the morning and watch for slippery/ice patches on the sidewalks and roads. 

A reminder about the Berry Fundraiser happening now! Orders are due on Thursday for frozen blueberries and/or raspberries. Please check your child's backpack for the order forms (also posted below).  

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. On Sunday, I had a chance to watch (online) the Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert. I am always blown away by the drumming, singing, and dancing of the host Nation. It is such a powerful event, bringing together so many Indigenous communities, athletes, and families to celebrate sport and culture. This year, Metlakatla (Alaska) was the host nation (with the support of Metlakatla (BC)), and I loved watching them dance and share the stories of their traditional values and ways of life. Having the Metlekatla First Nation divided up into the US and Canada made me think about the impact of colonial boundaries on First Nations communities and families. The legal border drawn by colonialism divided families and separated communities that once were able to all live together. These borders not only affected Metlakatla but also nations such as the Haida, Semiahmoo, Sumas, and Máthxwi. Through my learning, I have taken these borders for granted, as they were here before my family settled here in the early 1900s; I never considered the impact of these lines on dividing Indigenous families and communities across the country. The more I learn, the more questions I have... 

Good Things to Talk About

Thank you to our PAC for providing every student in our school with a Valentine's Flower to take home on Thursday. The students were encouraged to give the flower to someone special to bring a smile to their face (and to the students' faces!). We love this Shortreed tradition by our wonderful PAC!

At Shortreed, in the spirit of diversity and inclusion, we place greater emphasis on Family Day (and less emphasis on Mother's and Father's Days). This past week, students participated in reading, writing, and creating about the many awesome makeups of families in our community. We hope your child came home and celebrated with you this weekend! 

Have A Heart Day was on Saturday. This is a day to discuss the significant inequities between some schools in Canada. Some schools in Indigenous communities still receive less funding than public schools, as they receive federal funding while public schools receive provincial funding. Younger classes talked about the many reasons they are grateful to have what we have at Shortreed, and older classes dove deeper into the differences between the state of public schools and some Indigenous communities in more rural areas of Canada.

Club Wednesdays continued this past week with our 2nd session. The activities continue through the end of February. 

The Shortreed Grade 5 Basketball Team travelled to Parkside on Wednesday to play the Panthers... and their future BGMS Raptors teammates. It was a defensive battle with both teams playing hard. Shortreed's rebounding was the difference as they came away with a 20-8 victory. The Aldergrove Star was there to capture some moments so be sure to check out the article here. 

The Week Ahead

• Monday, February 16 - Family Day - schools closed
• Tuesday, February 17 - Lunar New Year; Gr. 5 Basketball practice at 7:45 and game vs Douglas Park 3:00; SIC Signup opens
• Wednesday, February 18 - Gr. 3 Basketball 2:45-4:15; Club Wednesday Session #3
• Thursday, February 19 - Grade 4 Basketball 4:00; Cutoff for PAC Berry orders
• Friday, February 20 - Earthquake Drill 10:00; Gr. 5 Basketball practice at 7:45; Shortreed Lunar New Year Lion Dance

Upcoming Dates and Events:

• Monday-Friday, February 23-27 - Diversity and Respect Week in Langley Schools
• Monday, February 23 - Gr. 5 Basketball vs Nicomekl (home game) 3:00
• Tuesday, February 24 - Gr. 5 Basketball practice 7:45-8:45; PAC Berry orders delivered
• Wednesday, February 25 - Club Wednesday Session #4; Pink Shirt Day; Gr. 5 Basketball at Uplands Elementary 3:00
• Thursday, February 26 - Grade 4 Basketball 4:00
• Friday, February 27 - Gr. 5 Basketball practice 7:45-8:45; School Assembly 1:30
• Monday, March 2 - Gr. 5 Basketball at James Hill 3:00; Start of Term 2 SIC
• Wednesday, March 4 - Early Dismissal at 12:33 for SIC
• Thursday, March 5 - SIC Day (students only attend their SIC if they have one booked); Gr. 4 Basketball 4:00
• Friday, March 6 - Grade 3 Basketball 2:45-4:15; PAC Movie Night
• Monday, March 9 - Grade 5 Basketball playday 3:00-6:00 at ACSS
• Wednesday, March 11 - PAC Treat Day (Cobs Bread)
• Thursday, March 12 - last day of SIC
• Friday, March 13 - last day before Spring Break
• Monday, March 30 - Schools Re-open
• Tuesday, March 31 - Rock Your Socks Day (Spirit Day - World Down Syndrome Day)
• Thursday, April 2 - Term 2 SIC Reports sent home
• Friday, April 3 - Good Friday (Schools closed)

You can see our digital calendar here. We encourage you to add our school calendar to your phone/device by clicking here. 

Information and Reminders:

• Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) are hosting Kindergarten Orientation Sessions for newcomers to Canada. They are also happy to make contact with newcomers to support their settlement into schools. Click here for more information. 
• Our Shortreed Breakfast Program runs each school day from 8:20-8:35. This is free for any students registered, and they must come each day they are in school. To register, click here. 
• We know that illnesses occur and absences can happen. If your child is going to be absent, arriving late, away or leaving early due to an appointment, please notify the school of your child’s absence by doing either of the following:
  • E-mail SCEAttendance@sd35.bc.ca or call 604-856-4167 and follow the prompts for the attendance line, and leave a message with information including:
    • Student First Name and Last Name
    • Grade
    • Division
    • Length of Absence
    • Reason (illness, late, appointment, vacation)

  • Please be aware that if your child is often late, they will miss significant lessons, as much of the literacy and math instruction takes place at the beginning of the day. If your child is ill (flu-like symptoms), please keep them home until they are no longer contagious and can participate in regular school activities. Homework will be provided upon request. Please avoid long absences due to holidays, as this can seriously jeopardize your child’s academic achievement. Homework may not be provided as assignments based on lessons your child missed, as it can be more confusing than helpful. If you will be away for an extended period, please notify the school, as this may impact enrollment. 

  • We STRIVE for FIVE absences or less at Shortreed. We know that children will get sick, but it's important to minimize absences.

• There is no parking or pickup/drop-offs in our school parking lot. Please park along 28th Ave or 273rd Street. The Catholic Church allows us to park there for pickup and drop-off. Do not block the driveways of any residences. 

PAC News

Don’t miss this berry exciting fundraiser! Shortreed PAC is offering frozen Superior Grade blueberries and raspberries from BerryHill Foods, grown locally!
Blueberries, 10 lbs: $30           Raspberries, 7 lbs: $30
ORDERS DUE: Thursday, February 19
Students will receive an order form at school (or print off image). Submit your form and payment to your student's teacher.

Spring Hot Lunch Orders are now live on 

Please join us for our next PAC Movie Night on Friday, March 6! We will be showing Bad Guys 2 with doors opening at 6 and the show starting at 6:30. You can pre-order pizza up until Thursday, February 26. Late orders will not be accepted. Students were sent home with order forms. 

Save the Date! Our PAC Fun Fair is Friday, May 22 from 3:30-7:30. 

Have any questions? Email us at shortreedpac@gmail.com. 

Join our Shortreed PAC Facebook Group too!

Community Events

To read about some fantastic family opportunities across Langley, check out the Community Bulletin Board.

https://www.aldergroveminorbaseball.com/

FamilySmart presents two “InTheKnow” events this February, and we’d love to see you!  All our events are free, and parents/caregivers can register for the date that works best using the link below:

https://familysmart.ca/online-events/

Parenting ADHD Children: A Neuro-Affirming Approach

Join FamilySmart and Mary Klovance live online for an evening to learn neurodiversity-affirming communication strategies to reduce power struggles and strengthen connection. Build a deeper understanding of how the ADHD brain works and learn about the strengths and challenges of ADHD. 

Wednesday, February 18, 6:30 pm

A Conversation About Eating Disorders:

Learn about disordered eating, what to be aware of, the importance of connections, and strategies that help support recovery. Join a therapist and educator, a young person and parents with lived experience. 

Thursday, February 19, 6:30 pm

Thursday, February 26, 6:30 pm

Mental Health and Preparing for the Transition to Post-Secondary:

Discover ways we can prepare our youth for school and support their mental health and independence while they are there. 

Tuesday, February 24, 6:30 pm

MediaSmarts has launched a new, free, self-guided workshop to help families develop healthier technology and screen-time habits. Building Better Tech Habits provides practical, research-informed strategies for managing family screen use and addressing common digital challenges at all ages. The workshop can be accessed 24/7 via the link here and completed any time, making it easy to fit into busy schedules.

Healthy Minds BC has provided preventive and early intervention tools and resources to support the mental health of neurodiverse students. Parent Resources can be found here. 

Aldergrove Family Resources