Posted: September 26, 2021

Information

Masks & Spacing Outside

This is a friendly reminder to do your best to observe social distancing while dropping off or picking up students. It’s also not a terrible idea to wear a mask if you’re going to be in areas where more people gather, even if outside. Let’s work together to protect each other, and to respect those who are uneasy in large groups.

Thanks!

Thank you to all family members who attended Meet the Teacher last week. While it wasn’t fully ‘business as usual,’ it did feel wonderful to see you in person, and to talk about the learning we have in store this year.

National Day of Truth & Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day)

We have been observing Orange Shirt Day for several years now in Langley, and that will not change this year. We do still ask that students wear orange to school on Wednesday to honour the victims and survivors of Residential Schools. What has changed is that it is now called the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation. We will be having assemblies to commemorate the day on Wednesday, September 29, and on Thursday, September 30, schools in BC will be closed to allow families to pay respect to victims and survivors of residential schools. Here are a pair of nearby events available for you to mark the day.

Day for Truth & Reconciliation: Organized by the Ballantyne Project, runs from 4:00pm – 8:30pm at the Riverside Community Church in Port Coquitlam. Admission by donation, with all money going to the Orange Shirt Society. 

Skookum Surrey – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: At Holland Park near the fountain from 2:00 – 4:00pm; Invited to an afternoon of stories, tea, bannock and drumming 

For parents/guardians of grade 4 students: Foundation Skills Assessment

Each year, the Ministry of Education requires students in grades 4 and 7 to complete the Foundation Skills Assessment. Our completion window this year is October 4 to November 10. Please take a few minutes to read this letter from Superintendent Gord Stewart regarding the FSA.

Terry Fox Run

Our annual Terry Fox Run will be held, rain or shine, on the afternoon of Friday, October 15. We have a school fundraising page online at the Terry Fox Foundation, and encourage families to support our efforts there. Thanks to the parent who has already donated, even before we put out the request!

BC Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation for Students

Fraser Health is sharing information with families regarding the BC Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation for Students. Vaccine reporting, which is a regulation that has been in effect since 2019, supports the gathering of immunization data and to offer immunizations in school settings. Examples of routine immunizations offered to grade 6/7 and 9/10 students may include Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, and Meningococcal Quadrivalent vaccine. These in-school immunizations do not include the COVID-19 vaccine. The District will continue to assist Fraser Health in this process including distributing and collecting information and accommodating public health staff on school sites. As always, our schools will continue to follow all COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Please read this letter from Fraser Health here.

Birthday treats

Everyone likes birthdays (well, to be honest, I’m getting less enthusiastic with each one I mark), and everyone like s cupcake, but we request that, for now at least, students do not bring class treats on their birthdays. We want to keep working to keep all of our community members safe.

Driveway

As soon as the rain started, many people appeared to feel that the expectations for traffic flow in the driveway did not apply. Please be considerate. Don’t park in a way that blocks others from proceeding, and until we have an official change to angle parking, please park parallel to the curb. Even better, though, park the car and walk a bock or three, or have your kids walk around to the front crosswalk, and meet them at the street curb on 209th. We will be consulting again with the township and the RCMP to get suggestions from them on how to keep our driveways safe and civilized. If our driveway becomes so clogged at pickup times that emergency vehicles couldn’t access the school, we will have to close the gates entirely during the day.

Quote(s) of the week

PAC News

We are excited that hot lunch/fun lunch is back, starting October 8, 2021. You can order on Munchalunch at: http://www.Munchalunch.com/schools/Richardbulpitt

Also, don’t forget that our first PAC meeting of the year will be October 4 at 7pm in the gym.

Something to read (or watch)

What is Orange Shirt Day? – from CBC kids. This might help you to know why we mark Orange Shirt Day, and what it is about.

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Honouring Song

Last week, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc put out a call to the world to drum and sing in honour of the child victims of residential schools. This is significant, as such songs are not often recorded and gifted to everyone – they have ceremonial significance for the nations that made them, and there are protocols for sharing them.

You can read about the Nation’s request here, and the Chief’s video, as well as a video to teach you the Honouring Song are below.

An art exhibit you might find interesting

Kwantlen First Nation artist, q̓ʷɑti̓cɑ / Phyllis Atkins, has an exhibit running at the Surrey Art Gallery from now until early December. It’s definitely worth seeing.

21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act

Things to remember from the calendar

Wednesday, September 29

• Truth & Reconciliation Assemblies – Wear your orange shirts.

Thursday, September 30

• National Day for Truth & Reconciliation – no school
  • 2:15 pm Honouring Song

Friday, October 1

• What? October????

Thursday, October 14

• Individual photos

Friday, October 15

• Terry Fox Run