Once again, welcome back! Hopefully everyone has been enjoying these last few days of summer. The weather continues to be quite incredible for enjoying the many outdoor activities in our wonderful province.
As many of you know, the state of education in British Columbia is still in a state of instability and things seem to change on a daily (and sometimes hourly) basis. Even as we send this out, we are awaiting the results of a meeting between the two sides with mediator Vince Ready. It is still our sincere hope that school will re-open on Tuesday, September 2nd, as scheduled. So to that end, below is some information you will need for the first week of school.
Information to Share:
The Invisible iPad: It's Not About The Device
Educational Reform: Later Start To The School Day
The McDonaldization of Education: The Return Of Slow
How Sugar Affects The Brain
Rude vs Mean vs Bullying: Defining The Difference
The Battle Between Your Present And Future Self
From The PAC:
Hello West Langley Families
On behalf of the PAC, we hope you had a great summer and we look forward to the return of our staff and students to school soon! That start will be a busy one as will the year for our PAC!
Coming up right away will be our biggest fundraiser of the year, ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS (and its mobile app!) Stay tuned. Other beginning of the year events will be our Welcome morning for our Kindergarten parents! A time for these parents to enjoy some coffee and treats while getting to know each other! Info to come on this. We'll also be looking for room parent volunteers as we begin the school year!
Every parent at WLE is a member of the PAC so you are welcome to any PAC meetings. Our first one is planned for Tuesday September 23rd at 6pm with childcare provided. Hope to see you there!
For now and through the year, please feel free to contact the PAC if you have any questions! We can be reached at [email protected] or on our Facebook Page (West Langley Pac) or come talk to one of us! This year's PAC positions are held by:
Monday
Labour Day - no students
Tuesday
Scheduled First Day of School - students here 8:31 - 10:00
Wednesday
First full day - 8:31 - 2:30
Thursday
Friday
School-wide Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS - assembly starts at 2:00pm
As many of you know, the state of education in British Columbia is still in a state of instability and things seem to change on a daily (and sometimes hourly) basis. Even as we send this out, we are awaiting the results of a meeting between the two sides with mediator Vince Ready. It is still our sincere hope that school will re-open on Tuesday, September 2nd, as scheduled. So to that end, below is some information you will need for the first week of school.
Information to Share:
- Letter from Superintendent: Please click here for a letter from Superintendent Suzanne Hoffman about the state of school opening next week.
- On-going Strike Action/Lockout: Please continue to monitor the local media outlets for the latest information on the labour dispute. As mentioned, things can change very quickly. And as always, we will strive to stay in constant contact with the West Langley community as things unfold so please be sure you are connected to one of the following West Langley communication tools: Facebook, Twitter, Remind 101 or email. There is also a link on our website homepage. We will share information as it becomes available to us. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact Mr. Davids at the school.
- Attendance: As you can imagine, the first week of school is a time when enrolment numbers are extremely important. We need to know which students are returning to West Langley and which students have moved to other schools so we can best create classes and plan for the year. If you have changed to another school over the summer, please contact the office. Also, if your child will be away for the first week of school but still plans to attend West Langley, it is important the office is aware.
- Staffing Update: We would like to welcome all of the new staff joining our amazing team at West Langley. Many of them have already commented on what a special school this is and we look forward to their skills and talents making it even better. You can see the full list of staff and their roles by clicking here.
- The First Week:The first few days of school are always such an exciting time for staff, parents and students. People are anxious to get their year underway, developing those important relationship that enhance the learning experience. And while we want to have students placed in classes as soon as possible, it is crucial we take the time to not only confirm our enrolment numbers, but to create learning environments that maximize the opportunities for student success. So to that end, students will be returning to their classroom from last year on the first few days of school. This will allow for some closure from the disruptions at the end of last year while giving staff the time to finalize class lists. New students will meet in the library on the first day and will be placed in temporary classes for the remainder of the week while we complete finalized class lists. The plan is to move students into their permanent classes by the end of the week. For a more detailed outline of the first day, please click here.
- Kindergarten Students: If school opens as scheduled, the Kindergarten gradual entry schedule will proceed as planned. Please click here to access the schedule. Kindergarten parents will go to Mrs Gordon's room to sign up for an interview time on September 2nd. At that time, you will be assigned to either Group A or Group B. This will guide when you come for the gradual entry process. A reminder that on the first full day of Kindergarten (September 15th) the PAC will be hosting a coffee and muffin breakfast at 8:45am in the library for parents to enjoy some great baking and learn more about ways to get involved in the West Langley community.
- School Supplies: The Primary supply list is available by clicking here. The Intermediate supply list is available by clicking here.
- School Wide Ice Bucket Challenge: As many of you have seen, the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and money for ALS has gone viral over the past few weeks. And for us at West Langley, this disease hit close to home last year with our own Marie Robinson’s husband being diagnosed. Over the summer, many staff, parents and students participated in the challenge however, we want to do it together as an entire school community.
So on Friday we are asking every student and staff (and parents are welcome to join us) to bring a small bucket and a twoonie. The money will be donated on behalf of Mrs Robinson to the ALS society. At the end of the day, we will fill everyone’s buckets and have a school-wide dump before dismissing for the day! Will be a great way to start our year off with some positive spirit while helping out a great cause. - Professional Learning: Every week, as we continue to grow as professionals, we come across articles, blog posts, video, etc that help guide our understanding in how best to work with students and empower their learning experience. We are able to curate these great resources using a web tool called "Scoop It." As parents, this information can be a great way to not only understand how the learning process works at school, but also how to assist your child to grow and develop at home. During the past few weeks, we have “scooped” a few professional learning articles, websites and videos to Lions Lowdown: Professional Learning at West Langley Elementary. Be sure to check out the following:
The Invisible iPad: It's Not About The Device
Educational Reform: Later Start To The School Day
The McDonaldization of Education: The Return Of Slow
How Sugar Affects The Brain
Rude vs Mean vs Bullying: Defining The Difference
The Battle Between Your Present And Future Self
From The PAC:
Hello West Langley Families
On behalf of the PAC, we hope you had a great summer and we look forward to the return of our staff and students to school soon! That start will be a busy one as will the year for our PAC!
Coming up right away will be our biggest fundraiser of the year, ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS (and its mobile app!) Stay tuned. Other beginning of the year events will be our Welcome morning for our Kindergarten parents! A time for these parents to enjoy some coffee and treats while getting to know each other! Info to come on this. We'll also be looking for room parent volunteers as we begin the school year!
Every parent at WLE is a member of the PAC so you are welcome to any PAC meetings. Our first one is planned for Tuesday September 23rd at 6pm with childcare provided. Hope to see you there!
For now and through the year, please feel free to contact the PAC if you have any questions! We can be reached at [email protected] or on our Facebook Page (West Langley Pac) or come talk to one of us! This year's PAC positions are held by:
- President: Wendy Southam
- Vice President: Christine Thorpe
- Secretary: Heidi Martin
- Treasurer: Shauna Bailey
- DPAC rep: Carmen Grywacheski
- Hot Lunch Coordinators: Sylvia Poitras and Erin MacDonald
- Fundraising Committee: Teri George, Eryn Carey, and Frances Robinson
- Sunshine Rep: Candice deNiet
- Room Parent Coordinators: Ashleigh & Ravi Ramnarine
- SPC committee: Mia Sieben and Danika Dickson
Monday
Labour Day - no students
Tuesday
Scheduled First Day of School - students here 8:31 - 10:00
Wednesday
First full day - 8:31 - 2:30
Thursday
Friday
School-wide Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS - assembly starts at 2:00pm