The Week Ahead - October 27-31, 2025
Families of Shortreed,
We hope you had a lovely weekend and found some ways to get outside when the rain stopped for a few hours... and stayed inside to watch the Jays games! To our families who celebrated last week, we hope you had a fantastic Diwali!
A reminder that Photo Retakes are this Tuesday morning for those who were absent and those who registered for a retake.
We are looking forward to Halloween at Shortreed on Friday! We encourage students to wear their costumes.
- Please ensure that costumes are age-appropriate and suited for all elementary-aged children. Costumes that are gory or glorify violence can frighten our younger students, so please leave these costumes at home.
- If your child needs a costume, starting on Monday afternoon, we will have a free costume rack set up near the front office for you to choose from. If you have any "like-new" costumes you would like to donate, please bring them to the school and we will add them to the rack.
- If the costume contains a weapon (ie. nunchuks, sword, etc) or prop, we will ask the student to keep it in their backpack until the parade. Too often, the use of these results in a child getting hurt or the prop getting ruined.
- We will have our Spooky Gym open throughout the day for our classes to walk through. The gym is not scary but it is all decorated with an incredible display by parents/families at Shortreed! Please watch for a request for volunteers being shared by PAC.
- We have a Jack-o-Lantern display in the Spooky Gym so we invite families to bring in their carved pumpkins (and pick up at the end of the day) to add to the festive fun!
- At 1:30 on Halloween, we invite families to come out and cheer us on in our 2025 Shortreed Halloween Parade! You can watch from outside your child's classroom or along the side of the playground at the school.
Informal learning updates were sent home on Thursday. Please check your child's backpack/agenda to take a look on how they have been doing so far this year.
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 to not only acknowledge the lands but also to share our dedication to learning on our journey of truth and reconciliation. We have been so honoured and lucky to do our 2025 Langley Schools Cross-Country meets on Máthxwi lands. Each week, I get to go and walk the trail and set up the race for the hundreds of runners who attend. I absolutely love this part as I get to stop, breathe, and take in the beautiful gift that is Aldergrove Regional Park. There is so much to be grateful for in this area... especially when we have a chance to get outside and touch the trees and grass. Although I don't get to walk to the transformer Méqsel (the Nose, Big Rock), when you go to the park, be sure to stop there and take in the beauty of it too.
Good Things to Talk About
The winning streak continues! Our grade 5 soccer team travelled to Douglas Park last week to play the Dragons in their third game of the season. The teams were tied with 2-3 minutes to go in the game when Calvin scored from way out on a deep kick that sailed over the defence and goalie and into the back of the net to seal the win for the Eagles. Shortreed's soccer team is 3-0 this season.
Many of our classes painted Diyas, coloured rangoli, and learned about Diwali last Monday. The festival of light that celebrates good over evil and good over bad is celebrated by several families in our community and it was wonderful to see so many students wearing traditional attired to honour the day.
Shortreed staff members spent Friday's Pro-D Day collaborating at the school, participating in virtual conferences, at conferences, and even doing some outdoor learning. The learning never stops at Shortreed!
Our grade 2 students had a ton of fun at the farm last week as they travelled to Taves Farm to learn more about the science of farming and life on the farm, and visit the pumpkin patch. Thank you to the teachers for organizing, and to the staff and families for their support in making the trip a success!
Four Shortreed Eag
les represented our school at the 2025 Langley Schools Cross-Country Championships last week. The rain poured while the course was being set up, but the skies cleared just in time for the race. Our kids ran their hearts out! Congratulations to Abel (7th), Isaac (9th), Lucas (16th) and Braxton (31st) for being some of the top runners in all of Langley! Thank you again to our Coaches Wright, Coghill, Kaur, Johnstone, and Nicolato!
The Week Ahead
- Monday, October 27 - Kindergarten Trip to the Pumpkin Patch; Gr. 5 Soccer practice 2:45; Neufeld Farm orders due
- Tuesday, October 28 - Photo Retakes
- Friday, October 31 - Spooky Gymnasium, Halloween Costume Parade 1:30 (caregivers welcome to attend).
Upcoming Dates and Events:
- Monday, November 3 - Gr. 5 Soccer Practice 2:45
- Tuesday, November 4 - Lockdown Drill 10:00, Quincy Mack Assembly 1:15, Gr. 5 Soccer Home Game vs Uplands 3:00; Neufeld Farm order pickup at 6:00.
- Wednesday, November 5 - PAC Hot Lunch (Panago)
- Thursday, November 6 - No Stone Left Alone (Gr. 5) 10:30
- Friday, November 7 - Remembrance Day Assembly 11:00
- Saturday, November 8 - Indigenous Veterans Day
- Monday, November 10 - Design/Assessment Day - no school for students
- Tuesday, November 11 - Remembrance Day - schools closed
- Thursday, November 13 - PAC Meeting 6:30
- Monday, November 17 - Gr. 5 Soccer practice 2:45
- Tuesday, November 18 - Fire Drill 11:00; Gr. Soccer game at Nicomekl 3:00
- Wednesday, November 19 - PAC Popcorn Day
- Friday, November 21 - PAC Dollar Sale 1:00-6:00
- Monday, November 24 - Student Inclusive Conferences begin
- Wednesday, November 26 - Student Inclusive Conference Day (students only attend their conference appointment time)
- Thursday, November 27 - Early Dismissal at 12:33 for SIC
- Saturday, November 29 - Shortreed Winter Market (gym)
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:
- Road and Pedestrian Safety
With less daylight hours and as we enter the season of wind, rain, and ice, we are sharing an important reminder from our community partner ICBC to students, staff, and families to help keep our community safe. Drivers should be alert, focus on the road, watch for pedestrians, especially at intersections and transit stops, and always be ready to stop. Pedestrians and travelers on bikes or scooters should be careful at intersections, always use designated crosswalks, remove headphones and devices, and be aware of your surroundings. For more tips read this resource Kids Pedestrian Safety or visit ICBC’s webpage here.
- Halloween Food Safety Reminder for Langley Parents
With Halloween just around the corner, the Langley School District encourages families to keep food safety top of mind as children enjoy seasonal treats and school festivities. Here are a few important tips to help ensure a safe and healthy celebration:
Inspect Treats Carefully
Before children dig into their candy haul, take time to discard anything that’s unwrapped, damaged, or unfamiliar. Be especially cautious of homemade treats unless they come from trusted friends or family.
Be Allergy Aware
Many Halloween treats contain common allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, or gluten. If your child has allergies, consider sending safe snacks to school and reviewing labels together.
Hand Hygiene Matters
Remind children to wash their hands before and after eating—especially when handling shared treats or participating in classroom activities.Thank you for helping us keep Halloween safe, fun, and inclusive for all Langley students. Wishing your family a spooky and sweet celebration!
- 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.
- Student in Distress and School Safety
Health and safety are a priority in the Langley School District. Our schools follow procedures to help keep students, staff, and the community safe. Depending on the situation, communication to parents/caregivers is needed to keep families informed about incidents in our school, such as during lockdowns, hold & secures, and room clears, or in the event of a student in distress. Sometimes these situations may not be emergencies but events that require a school response. It is important to note that the decision to send communications to families is dependent on a variety of factors including the nature of what happened, who has witnessed or was directly impacted by what happened, as well as student and staff privacy. Communication is unique and dependent on the specific situation; there are times when a student is in distress, yet the situation may or may not require a message or letter to families. In addition to communication with parents/caregivers, teachers and staff may debrief with students after an incident that may have upset them. In some cases, the school counsellor may offer support to students in need. As always, we want families to let us know if your child requires support. If you have any questions or concerns about communication related to situations or emergencies, please reach out 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.
- 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:
- 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
SPOOKY GYM Volunteers needed:
We need many volunteers to help set up the gym and turn it into a spooky, kid-friendly, haunted house-style gym! If you can come and volunteer for 20 minutes, an hour or two, or three, we can enjoy our Halloween eve at home. We will be starting around 4:00pm. If you want to come at four and have to leave for something, that's understandable. The more helpers we get to have to set up and decorate, the quicker it's done and we're out to relax at home, and the kids will have smiles and ohhs and awws on October 31! We are also in need of string lights (clear christmas lights work great), and extension cords, please make sure they are labled with your name. If you are available to help, please review the available slots and sign up here. (Please no kids during the decorating times as its a surprise the next day (Teen can help too)).
The Neufelds Farms Fundraiser is now open and can be ordered here!
Start date: open now!
End date: All orders must be in by MONDAY OCTOBER 27th
Pick up date/time: Tuesday November 4th 6:00PM in the Shortreed Parking Lot
This year, the only option for payment is by credit card. If this poses any problems, please email us at Shortreedpac@gmail.com, and we can work together to find a solution that will work to place your order. Thank you for your continued fundraising support.
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 - FamilySmart services are free with no waitlists, and we serve parents and caregivers experiencing mental health or substance use challenges with their children or youth. This includes talking and collaborating, offering possible resources, helping parents navigate community resources, and sharing monthly events.
October Events: