Families of Shortreed, 

Welcome back to school and Happy 2026! We hope you had a wonderful break with friends and family. 

January is a MUCH less busy month with fewer school-wide activities, so our students and staff can settle back into routine. As usual, we finished the year with a bang... unfortunately, this bang was just down the road, due to a downed power line and transformer, and we lost power for a day. We still finished strong and hope you will read up on the awesome things that happened in the last week of school before the break. 

It looks like it will be another wet week at Shortreed. Please make sure your child has boots and a coat at school (even if they say they don't need them), as they are outside for at least 45 minutes most days. Grade 5 basketball starts back up this week with practices on Tuesday and Thursday (7:45-8:45). After this week, practices will be on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

We want to welcome Mrs. Noonan and Mrs. Fournier back to Shortreed! Mrs. Noonan will be teaching grade 2 for Mrs. Gandouin (maternity leave), and Mrs. Fournier will be teaching for Mr. Davidson (retirement). 

Kindergarten registration across the Langley School District runs from January 5, 2026 until February 17, 2026.  If your child will be five years old by December 31, 2026, you will be able to register your child online. Instructions and information about required documents is available on the District website and catchment school websites. For information, please visit this webpage 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. With a new year upon us, I want to share the reason we include a personalized land acknowledgement in the newsletter each week. Many organizations share a land acknowledgement of the ancestral lands they work on; however, sometimes, these come across as a box to tick or a tokenistic way of honouring the land. At Shortreed, we have been nudged and encouraged to make this land acknowledgment more meaningful and to do it in a way that shows our commitment to learning. We continually learn from Máthxwi people and other Indigenous peoples about the dark history in this country as well as what we can continue to do to move along our journey of Truth and Reconciliation. Sometimes, the words written will share our learning, and sometimes it will be more about a feeling that I (Mr. Wejr) have while I write this each week. We will continue to teach our students in age-appropriate ways and also share with families so we can be on this journey together, on these beautiful ancestral lands of the Máthxwi people. I hope you will take a few seconds each week to read our acknowledgement and join us on our learning paths.

Good Things to Talk About

Although we were unable to hold our evening Christmas Concert this year (due to the power outage), we had two incredible matinee shows! Our students wowed us with all their beautiful voices, short speeches, and fun dance moves and really got us into the Christmas spirit. We are not sure how she does it each year, but a huge thank you to Mrs. Muller for all her work throughout the year to prepare for the shows! The show also would not happen without the support of our entire staff team, so a big shoutout to our support staff and teachers for ALL the things they do to help our students have their moment to shine on stage. We love the community feel of our concerts and we appreciate all the community support of our parents and staff to make it happen in such a wonderful way!

On Friday morning, some of our staff headed outside to welcome families to school and join us in some carolling. We loved seeing and hearing so many kids and families sing with us at this annual Shortreed tradition! 

On Friday afternoon, we continued another tradition with our Shortreed School Christmas Sing-Along and Old Man Wejr Read Aloud! The kids showed their festive spirit as they sang along with the Shortreed Staff Band. Old Man Wejr read the story "Dasher and the Polar Bear" in between the Christmas hits played by "the band". Thank you to Mrs. Kirk for playing the piano for us!

At the end of the assembly, our grade 3 students sang a special song as a tribute to Mr. Davidson. Mr. Wejr and former VP Mr. Touzeau joined via video to sing a special song (you can watch the song here on this unlisted video), and the staff presented the amazing Mr. D with a network of birdhouses as a retirement gift. Mrs. Choi shared a presentation (in the class) that she and his class made for him. PAC VP Kyla Des Mazes also presented him with a book as a tribute. Congratulations to Mr. D on an incredible career. His caring legacy will live on at our school and in all the students who had the privilege of having him as a teacher! We will miss you, Mr. D!

The Week Ahead

• Monday, January 5 - Schools Reopen
• Tuesday, January 6 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45
• Thursday, January 8 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45

Upcoming Dates and Events:

• Tuesday, January 13 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45
• Wednesday, January 14 - PAC Hot Lunch - A&W
• Thursday, January 15 - PAC Meeting 6:30
• Friday, January 16 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45, lockdown drill 1:05
• Tuesday, January 20 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45
• Friday, January 23 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45; Spirit Day - Crazy Headwear Day!
• Tuesday, January 27 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45
• Wednesday, January 28 - PAC Popcorn Day
• Friday, January 30 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45
• Tuesday, February 3 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45
• Friday, February 6 - Gr. 5 Basketball 7:45-8:45

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:

• 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. 
• 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 CKWX 1130AM, CKNW 980AM, Country Radio 107.1FM, Pulse 107.7 or CBC 690AM or 88.1FM for updates.

   

  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.

• 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

PAC Minutes from December can be found on our PAC Page.

Thank you to everyone who supported our 2025 Winter Silent Auction!

Hot Lunch Orders can be made now. Go to www.munchalunch.com/schools/shortreed/ to order. 

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.

FamilySmart presents two “InTheKnow” events this January, 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/

Connecting with Our Kids When Anxiety Leads to Social Isolation:

When kids spend a lot of time alone because of their anxiety, it can be frustrating and challenging for parents. Learn some strategies that can help us connect with our kids when they are socially isolated.

Supporting Safety at Home When Your Child Has a Mental Health Crisis:

When your child or youth has had a mental health crisis, knowing how to keep them safe can be overwhelming. Our concerns can include suicidal thoughts, self-harming, aggression or any situation where you or your child is concerned about their safety. Learn about some ways that can help us plan to keep them safe at home.

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.