Posted: February 25, 2018

Information

• This week is Respect and Diversity week throughout Langley. At WLE, we are talking about, and doing activities related to a selection of themes – diversity, empathy, kindness, solidarity. We will have High Fives day, Compliments day, and more. On Wednesday, 28th, the province has Pink Shirt Day. Wear a pink shirt, or your ‘Same Pride’ shirt, or a green shirt. We are committed to valuing and including you no matter what shirt you wear, because at West Langley, we’re all in the same pride.
• The grade 7 fundraising group are hosting a Parents’ Social Night at the Fort Pub in Fort Langley on March 3 at 6 pm. Tickets cost $25 for dinner and a drink, and there will also be raffle baskets and games, and of course great fun for all. Tickets are available for order from Erin McDonald at jaemcdonald@shaw.ca. And last time I ate there, the burgers were really good.
• Report cards don’t come out for a while yet, but they will be published online again. If you have not yet logged on to MyeducationBC, please do. If you don’t have a username, please email Mr. Oliver for assistance.

Walnut Grove Middle School Implementation: Update, February 16, 2018

Discussions around transition to middle schools in the Walnut Grove region have been taking place over the last several months. Administrators from the Walnut Grove family of schools have been meeting and taking actions based on feedback from the community.

Specific actions taken within the Walnut Grove community include the submission of a request to the Ministry of Education to secure land for a new middle school in Walnut Grove. The location of a new middle school, should it be approved, would be determined by a suitable land acquisition. The second middle school location, based upon the conversion of a current elementary school, will also depend upon the location of the land acquisition. Once a response from the Ministry of Education regarding the capital request to acquire land is received, a transition team made up of representatives from the community and district staff will be formed to further guide the process.

In the meantime, the WGSS family of schools have been implementing the middle school pillars in their existing site configurations in an effort to provide grades 6-8 students with the core principles of the middle school model so that they may benefit from the middle school experience. Please refer to the Middle School Pillars & Core Values graphic below to see how the core values of the Langley School District connect to the middle school pillars. Mr. Gill has also extended the offer to visit with WGSS family school PACs to further discuss transition to the middle school model within the community.

Previously (October of 2018), Assistant Superintendent Mal Gill, met with WGSS administration and three PAC representatives from each of the WGSS family of schools to discuss feedback from the May 2017 meeting. Information from the October meeting was shared with the Walnut Grove family of schools via school newsletters (information from this meeting and all previous meetings may be found under Walnut Grove Community in the ‘Consultations and Info Meetings’ section of the district website at www.sd35.bc.ca)

On March 9, Assistant Superintendent, Mal Gill, will be at WLE to talk directly with parents about the Middle School Implementation. 9:00 in the multipurpose room.

 PAC Happenings

Thanks to everyone who supported the Babysitting and Home Alone Safe courses on Friday. It was great to see so many kids out!

The Assistant Superintendent will be coming to West Langley on March 9 to talk with interested parents about middle schools in Walnut Grove. 9:00 in the multipurpose room (or maybe library). Watch this space for further details.

Quote(s) of the Week (one per day, in order)

Interesting Reading & Viewing

Calendar of Events

Monday

• CompliMonday – Give Compliments to your Schoolmates
• SPCA Cupcake Day – Cupcakes for sale at recess and right at dismissal. $1 or $2, depending on size. All proceeds to the SPCA.
• Report Card Prep day – Students dismissed at 11:26

Tuesday

• DiversiTuesday – a great day to celebrate how we’re different, instead of just the same. Differences are awesome!
• Grade 7 Boys’ basketball game @home vs
• Grade 67 Girls’ basketball game @

Wednesday

• Grade 6 Boys’ basketball practice – 2:30
• It’s Anti-bullying/We’re all in the same pride day. Wear your pink shirt, or your Same Pride shirt or your favourite shirt (or layer them up and change your message during the day. At the end of it all, the message is the same: we value you no matter what you wear. But whatever you wear, treat everyone like they’re on your team, and you care for them.

Thursday

• EmpaThursday -ask someone how they are doing, and really listen to the answer. Just listen, and then feel with them as they answer.
• Grade 67 Girls’ basketball practice – 7:30 am.
• Ache Brasil – Arts Starts performance at 1:15.

Friday

• High Five Friday – how many can you give? Nice ones, not the kind that make my hands hurt. High Five someone from every grade, every division, everyone in your class. High Five someone you see every day, and someone you don’t.
• Hot Lunch Ordering opens
• Grade 7 Boys’ basketball practice – 2:30

Beyond

March 9 – Report Cards Published online; Middle School meeting at WLE – 9:00

Hot Lunch Ordering Open March 2-16

Parent Teacher Interviews – March