Posted: February 2, 2025
Information
Winter (weather) is Coming
As I sit here, cozy in my family room, the snow is falling quite quickly. If we wake tomorrow to a significant accumulation of snow, please check the school district’s social media, listen to the AM radio news, or watch your emails (though that might be the last one to know) for information on school status.
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 at www.sd35.bc.ca. Alerts regarding school status will appear as a banner at the top of the District website. Clicking on ‘More Details’ will provide more information. School status information may also be found under News & Events’, ‘School Status Alerts’. We will also post updates to Facebook.
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. Current information is also recorded on the Langley School District’s Information Hotline at 604-532-1453. (Do not hang up if your call is not connected right away). Local radio stations are also informed of school status in Langley. Tune in to CKWX 1130 AM, CKNW 980 AM, Country Radio 107.1 FM or CBC 690 AM 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.
Baaarf! So many sick students…
It’s that time of year when we see a rise in illnesses impacting students and staff in our school. We are hearing from families about colds, respiratory illnesses, and stomach bugs circulating in our community. As a reminder to help keep our school community healthy and well, we are sharing this online resource from our community partner Fraser Health. Here you will find information about protecting your child from communicable diseases and managing their illnesses: https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/school-health/illness-and-immunizations/illness-in-the-classroom
Of note, and something I didn’t know before, people who have had norovirus can be contaigious for quite a bit after they stop having symptoms, and so should apparently be staying apart from others for 48 hours, not for the 24 I’d always believed to be the case.
February is Black History Month
February is Black History Month, which provides an the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Black Canadians, while continuing to recognize and strengthen a commitment to equality, and a world free of discrimination. Students and staff across the District will be participating in learning opportunities throughout the month.
Welcome back, Mrs. Bechtel
What more should we say? We’re excited to welcome Mrs. Bechtel back to the school!
Out of catchment students – IMPORTANT action required
If you live outside our catchment (there are quite a few of you), you should have received a letter from the board office via email, and again from the school on paper, detailing steps for school placement in 2025-26. I’m excited to see that some of you (25, to be exact) are slated to attend Josette Dandurand Elementary School, so I won’t be surrounded by strangers. If you did not receive the letters, please contact Mr. Oliver or Ms. Davies as soon as possible, as they contain important and time-sensitive action items if your preference is to stay at RBE. The deadline for this process is February 18, 2025.
Student Learning Survey 2024/25
The Provincial Student Learning Survey is unique in its scope, size and usefulness to schools. It gathers information from parents/guardians/caregivers, teachers, and students on topics related to school environment, safety, and achievement. The information is used for planning in individual schools and provides a district and provincial perspective.
Early in 2025, the Student Learning Survey will be administered to students in grade 4, their parents/guardians/caregivers, and all school staff. We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers to participate in this survey, as the results are important in identifying and celebrating current strengths, as well as determining where the school needs to focus improvement. The surveys contain standard questions for the Province – in addition, questions from the school and/or district that focus on local conditions or issues may be included.
The survey can be completed electronically and can be accessed on the Internet at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/student-learning-survey. Any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection can be used, and access to the e-survey is simple and secure. The survey can be accessed through the link and by clicking on Take the Survey. On the login page, click on the Parents icon, and then select the school district and school name where your child attends school. Provincial, District and School Reports for previous years can be viewed at the same site under the Results section.
The e-survey site will be open until May 2, 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact the school at 604-888-5393.
Parking
Triple parking? Really?
When the weather turns unpleasant, the way it did on Friday, we see an increase in rude and sometimes dangerous parking lot behaviour in our driveways. Double parking and leaving the car is bad enough, though we generally get away with it, but triple parking, and loading or unloading children in the through lane is not OK at all. Please, if everything is full, park on the street and walk in. If you’re just picking up an older child and driving on, then consider arranging a meeting place on the street – out front or at the end of the park walkway will give you a much easier getaway afterwards.
Basketball Drivers Needed
Attention, Boys’ Basketball parents. We need drivers for Wednesday’s game at Langley Meadows. If you’ll be driving only your own child, even, please let Mr. Oliver know so we can plan without panic. As of today, we are only going to be taking a confirmed 12 out of 25 players to the game.
We meet in the front foyer right after school to distribute jerseys and sort rides to the game. See you then.
Multicultural Day (part of Diversity and Respect Week) Last Call
We only have 6 cultures (First Nations, India & Pakistan, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Korea, Brazil/South America) represented so far. This isn’t really enough to run the event. We need to know by the end of this week if we will have enough to proceed.
We are hoping to hold Multicultural Day again in 2025, extending our school tradition another year. The date for this year’s event, provided we have enough volunteers from the community, will be Friday, February 28. If you are interested and willing to host a sharing table, please complete the form here, and Mr. Oliver will work to connect people representing the same culture. For information on what Multicultural Day is all about, click here. As of today, we have the following cultures: First Nations, India & Pakistan, Czech Republic & Bulgaria, and Brazil.South America. This is a great start but it isn’t enough for the day to go ahead; we need more cultures, and the people sharing those cultures could likely use some helpers. Please consider forming a team of parents to host a table from your culture.
A bit more of what you might see in the halls this week
Quote(s) of the week
From the PAC
The February PAC newsletter is now up on our website here:
Spring Fling Raffle Basket Donation Collections
Fuel Hot Dogs & TCBY Fun Lunch Order Deadline – Tuesday, February 4th
COBS Bread Doughraiser
Did you know that we have an ongoing fundraiser with the Walnut Grove COBS Bread location? Simply mention Richard Bulpitt Elementary at the Walnut Grove location when you make a purchase. They’re donating 5% back to us! Note that a minimum of $500 sales requirement is required for a Dough Raiser cheque to be issued to our school. Thank you for your support!
Are you interested in joining the PAC EXEC next year?
Are you looking to get more involved in the school community? Do you have ideas for events or fundraisers? Our current PAC EXEC will be losing 3 members in September as their kids move on to middle school.
We will be in need of a Vice-President, Secretary, Co-Fun Lunch Coordinator and Members of Large. If any of these positions sound of interest to you, or you are simply interested in finding out what the PAC does, please email us at bulpittpac@outlook.com. You can find details about the roles on the PAC Facebook page or on our website here.
Stay in the Know
Follow the Richard Bulpitt PAC Facebook page, our Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rbepac/) and now visit our website to stay up-to-date with all the details!
Something to read
- Click the poster for FREE tickets.
- I came across the term ‘negativity bias’ today. I’ve taught ‘confirmation bias‘ before to older students (and adults) but didn’t actually know much about this one. I found this article that explains a bit about why we tend to focus on and remember negative events and interactions better than positive ones. There’s a quiz in the article, though I didn’t find it terribly useful, and some tips on reducing our own negativity bias.
Things to Remember from the Calendar
Monday, February 3
- Basketball Practice (girls) 2:45-4:00
Tuesday, February 4
- Basketball Practice (boys) 2:45-4:00
Wednesday, February 5
- Boys basketball game – at Langley Meadows after school
- Girls basketball game – at home after school
Monday, February 10
- Professional Development Day – Students do not attend
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