Well what a journey. To say the last few months have been an interesting time in BC Education would be an understatement. And while there is still much to resolve in the future we are THRILLED to finally be at a place where we are opening our doors to students.
As many of you already know we are truly lucky to have an amazing staff here at West Langley. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that while the past few months have been extremely difficult for them, their passion for working and learning with your children has never waned. Their dedication to making learning for West Langley students the best it can be is truly inspirational. I know that our parent community will welcome them back with the same immense gratitude and elation that I will. Even as you read this, they are working hard to make sure everything is ready to welcome our students first thing Monday morning.
There is much information below so please be sure to read through it carefully. And as always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Mr. Davids.
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
The Danger Of Silence (YouTube)
25 Ways To Ask Your Kid How There Day Was
How The Strike Defeated Me
From The PAC:
We are looking forward to having everyone back at WLE. Welcome to our returning families and also to any new students and teachers joining us here in the Lion's Den!
Parents: Our first PAC meeting will be held THIS Tuesday Sep 23 at 6pm in the library. Childcare will be provided. Come join us for an hour and hear about what's coming up at WLE.
Kindergarten Parents: Please stay tuned for a special coffee/meet and greet that will be scheduled for you in the next couple of weeks! This will be a chance to hear from Mr. Davids, Mrs. Swerdan, and the PAC. And more importantly, an opportunity for you to officially meet other Kindergarten parents!
All Parents: At the end of June we presented a survey that you could participate in which would give us an idea of how the majority want the PAC monies to be spent as well as to hear about favourite Hot Lunches. If you did not have an opportunity to fill that out, please do so by clicking here. Your feedback is appreciated!
AND COMING VERY SOON….. Entertainment Books…. $30 (cheap!) for great deals via coupons and a mobile app.
As many of you already know we are truly lucky to have an amazing staff here at West Langley. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that while the past few months have been extremely difficult for them, their passion for working and learning with your children has never waned. Their dedication to making learning for West Langley students the best it can be is truly inspirational. I know that our parent community will welcome them back with the same immense gratitude and elation that I will. Even as you read this, they are working hard to make sure everything is ready to welcome our students first thing Monday morning.
There is much information below so please be sure to read through it carefully. And as always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Mr. Davids.
Information to Share:
- Letter from Superintendent: Please click here for a letter from Superintendent Suzanne Hoffman about the state of school opening next week.
- New Bell Schedule: Due to the new collective agreement between BCTF and BCPSEA, West Langley will be changing their bell schedule. We will start and finish at the same however have adjusted recess and lunch. Please click here for the new bell schedule.
- 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 relationships 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 as soon as possible, but no later than Friday. For a more detailed outline of the first day, please click here.
- Kindergarten Students: This is such an exciting time of year, especially for those students at the beginning of the formal educational journey. To help make the transition as successful as possible, the Langley School District employs a 'gradual entry' for our Kindergarten students. Due to the job action, we are reducing our number of gradual entry days from 10 to 6 meaning their first full day will be on Monday September 29th. You can find the schedule for the first week of school by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom.
- 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.
- School Supplies: The Primary supply list is available by clicking here. The Intermediate supply list is available by clicking here.
- Twoonies For Terry: This year we will be having our annual Terry Fox run on Friday September 26th in the afternoon. This has traditionally been a great community event at West Langley so we invite all parents and families to join us for this great cause if you are able. While we normally collect pledges for the Terry Fox Foundation, due to the limited time, we are going to fundraise by collecting Twoonies For Terry on the day of the event. Please send one, two or more twoonies with your child to help others find a cure for cancer. The event will start at 1:30 with an assembly followed by a run outside (rain or shine).
- Library: Please return any outstanding library books that didn't make it back to the library in June. Mrs. Wallis is going to do a quick inventory this first week and would appreciate all books being returned. There are still 21 books out there that need to find their way home to the library.
- Strong Start Program: We are excited to welcome Lorie McDonald as our new Strong Start coordinator. She has been part of setting up Strong Start program around the province and will be a great addition to the West Langley family. The first day for Strong Start is Tuesday September 23rd from 9:00 - 12:00. We look forward to seeing you and your child there.
- 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
The Danger Of Silence (YouTube)
25 Ways To Ask Your Kid How There Day Was
How The Strike Defeated Me
From The PAC:
We are looking forward to having everyone back at WLE. Welcome to our returning families and also to any new students and teachers joining us here in the Lion's Den!
Parents: Our first PAC meeting will be held THIS Tuesday Sep 23 at 6pm in the library. Childcare will be provided. Come join us for an hour and hear about what's coming up at WLE.
Kindergarten Parents: Please stay tuned for a special coffee/meet and greet that will be scheduled for you in the next couple of weeks! This will be a chance to hear from Mr. Davids, Mrs. Swerdan, and the PAC. And more importantly, an opportunity for you to officially meet other Kindergarten parents!
All Parents: At the end of June we presented a survey that you could participate in which would give us an idea of how the majority want the PAC monies to be spent as well as to hear about favourite Hot Lunches. If you did not have an opportunity to fill that out, please do so by clicking here. Your feedback is appreciated!
AND COMING VERY SOON….. Entertainment Books…. $30 (cheap!) for great deals via coupons and a mobile app.