Posted: September 8, 2024
Information
Ministry Announcement/Traffic Monday
Do you remember in spring, when the crane was here and we asked everyone who possibly could to walk to school? That day, I counted only about 25 cars at drop-off. Tomorrow needs to be another of those days. As we shared Friday via email, there will be a Ministry of Education announcement happening at 9:15, and so a portion of the driveways will be blocked off from 6:30 am onwards, and the entire driveway will be closed at both ends from 9:00 to 10:15.
First Day in permanent classes
Also on Monday morning, we will be moving to our permanent classes for the year. To keep the process manageable, though, we will have all students dropped off and picked up tomorrow at the same place as they were last week. On Tuesday, drop-off and pick-up will happen in the location for students’ new classes.
When we build classes, we undertake an exhaustive (and exhausting) process that considers many factors: learning styles, social connection (both ‘together’ and ‘apart’ recommendations are considered, with input from kids, families, teachers, and support staff), Collective Agreements, the School Act, Diverse Learners, effective learning teams. We routinely receive parent requests for a space, a teacher, an SEA, friend groups (and sometimes all of these at once). While we do consider them, parent requests do not drive our decision making, they only inform it. And they are sometimes based on assumptions of who will teach what grade, and where, that are not actually valid. We strive to create classes where students will find a positive learning experience suited to their needs and personalities.
Cops for Cancer & Terry Fox Run
The Cops for Cancer Tour de Valley comes this Friday, coinciding with our Terry Fox Run kickoff assembly. We’d love to have your join our fight against cancer. Of special note this year is that one of our own students, Alyssa, is an honourary member of the Tour de Valley team with Cops for Cancer! To donate, you can go to the Cops for Cancer or the school’s Terry Fox Foundation web pages. You can also start looking around in the couch and the car cupholder for loose change, as we will be doing a Toonies for Terry fundraiser again this year as part of our fundraising work. There might even be some special incentives for our collective fundraising, so stay tuned!
Catchment Boundary Changes REMSS Family of Schools (Elementary)
The District is excited to be opening a new elementary school in the Northeast Latimer area of Langley. Ahead of September 2025, the District is communicating the catchment boundary change process which could impact children attending elementary schools in the R.E. Mountain family of schools. There will be NO changes to the catchment boundaries for R.E. Mountain Secondary, Peter Ewart and Yorkson Creek Middle schools. However, the District welcomes all families in the Willoughby Slope region to attend an info session, ask questions, and provide feedback.
Attend this info session to learn more about the proposed changes, ask questions, and provide feedback.
Location: RICHARD BULPITT ELEMENTARY
Date: SEPTEMBER 23, 2024
Time: 7:00PM
If you have any questions about the info session, please contact the school. If you have questions about the catchment boundary process, please email: feedback@sd35.bc.ca
Townhouse or Condo resident sought…
I was approached on Friday by a reporter from the Langley Advance who is looking to interview a family from our region who live in a townhouse or condo for a supplement the paper is working on.
They are trying to find a local family for an interview for a new supplement on Langley’s neighbourhoods coming out later this fall. The goal is to locate a Willoughby family who live in a condo or townhouse, to highlight Willoughby’s status as the newly dense, multi-family portion of the Township.
They would be asking what people like/don’t like about Willoughby, and about why they chose to live here, and would need to take a photo of the family.
If you are interested, please email Mr. Oliver and he will put you in touch with the reporter. Time is short on this one, though, so don’t wait!
Langley Children’s Choir
Langley Children’s Choir is looking for singers! Openings are now available for singers in grades 3 to 7
What are we looking for?
- School choir members (if your school has one)
- Good attitude and enthusiasm!
- Advanced vocal skills, and the ability to focus
- A firm commitment to the group
- Desire to develop as a singer and choir memberWhat do you get out of this?
- Make new friends who like to sing, too
- Learn about how to sing better and learn lots of music
- Perform at other schools (a day off!)
- Have fun on a choir tour or camp in the spring
- Sing at festivals and hear other great choirsRehearsals? Langley Secondary School, 21405 – 56 Ave on Tuesdays, Sept – April from 4:30 – 6 pmFees? $275 per year (reduced rate for families) plus refundable $100 deposit
Directors? Kim Hardy and Patti Thorpe (both Langley music teachers) plus accompanist Heather HicksHow Do I Join?
Contact us for an audition time before Sept 9, 2024. Auditions will be Tuesday Sept. 10Please include singer’s name, phone number, school and grade.Patti Thorpelangleychildrenschoir2022@gmail.com
Summer Homework Congratulations
Well done, Phoebe, who sent in several photos of her Summer Homework ‘assignments’. She clearly had a wonderful summer full of adventure and learning. One of her tasks was to make Gratin Parmentier, a dish from France. It looks so good, I’m going to try it too. Watch for Phoebe sporting her prize in the coming days! If you have any photos from the Summer Homework list that you’d like to share, please let Mr. Oliver know.
Young Rembrandts
Quote(s) of the week
From the PAC
Welcome Back!
Spirit Wear Orders will open on Wednesday!
Community Values Coupon Books will come home Friday, Sept 20th
General PAC Meeting – Monday, Sept 23rd
Flip Give Fundraiser
We can earn cash back on every purchase we make all year long! All you have to do is shop anytime with the brands you already love, like Home Depot, Walmart, Sport Chek, Indigo, Old Navy, Apple, Esso, and Loblaws. No more going door-to-door selling chocolate bars – it’s completely virtual and contactless.
Join our team now and you’ll get a $5 bonus the first time you shop: https://flipgive.app.link/teams/join?joincode=WYW49S
Or enter this code: WYW49S
Want to learn more? Check out this 2 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vTO_Qg4n80
Stay in the Know
Something to read
- Given some of the activities I watch our students do, and the stories they tell me about their summers, this is already happening pretty widely, but this article on the importance of child-directed play, and of how we can help kids find ‘flow’ (which is a bit of psychology I remember from my undergrad work). State of Flow: The Benefits of Child-Directed Play (thegeniusofplay.org)
Things to Remember from the Calendar
Monday, September 9
- Move to permanent classes
- MoE/Media Event (in front of the SkyBridge) 9:00
Friday, September 13
- Cops for Cancer
- Terry Fox Run kickoff
Friday, September 20
- Terry Fox Run (after lunch)
Monday, September 23
- PAC Meeting – 7pm in the library
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