School District #35

Principal: Esther Schmit eschmit@sd35.bc.ca

Together We Succeed

Douglas Park Community School

http://douglaspark.weebly.com/
th
5409 206 St.
Langley, BC V3A 2C5
Phone: 604-533-4491
PAC President: Jennifer Tolonics
Newsletter #15 Jul 7, 2015

**WE ARE A BUCKWHEAT & LATEX AWARE SCHOOL**

SAVE THE DATE

Wed, July 8

Last day of school for 2014/2015; students will receive their Final
Report Card; we will have our last Assembly at 10:40 AM; Students

will be dismissed at 12:05 PM Schools Out for Summer!

Tue, Sept 8

First day of the 2015/16 school year; students will attend from
8:45 (first bell) to 10:20 AM.

The Boys and Girls Club will not be open the 1st day of school
(Sept 8); the 1st day of drop-in for the new school year will be
Wed, Sept 9.
Date to be determined

The Breakfast Program will start once we are back in session in

September date to be determined.

PRINCIPALS MESSAGE
Well here we are at the end of the school year. The staff has worked hard together as a team to make it a
terrific one! For ten months the teachers have planned and instructed and corrected and reported on all
the students learning. The final report card should serve two purposes: a celebration of your childs
learning this year and also an indicator of what your child should continue to be working on to enter the
next grade as ready as possible.
It is essential that we have our students reading at grade level and the staff and I have worked very hard
throughout the year to ensure that is happening. One of the reasons we have a balanced calendar is to avoid
the summer slide where students academic levels actually fall back to where they were earlier in the
year. Studies show that students from communities such as ours often fall two full years behind more
affluent students by the end of grade 6. This in turn, greatly lessens their chances of finishing high school.
So PLEASE make time to read every day. This year, I have taken some money out of the school budget to
make sure that every single student is able to pick a free book to read this summer. The City of Langley
Library has free programs over the summer with prizes.
Make reading fun! Become an expert at something (e.g., dinosaurs, fairies, monster trucks, outer space,
etc.) or read an entire series of books (e.g., Llama Llama, Skippy Jones, Fly Guy, Captain Underpants, If you
Give a Mouse a Cookie, Junie B Jones, Magic Schoolbus, Arthur, Scooby Doo, Spiderman, Mindcraft, etc.).
IT DOESNT REALLY MATTER WHAT YOU READ BUT IT DOES MATTER THAT YOU DO READ. We look
forward to hearing about your reading adventures in September.

Jul 7, 2015 Newsletter

At the end of each school year, two things are inevitable. Our oldest students will move on and staffing will
change. The grade five students have been terrific leaders and role models this year. We will miss them as
they move on to H.D. Stafford. We wish them well and invite them to come back and visit. Also, we will have
some changes in staffing. Some are not finalized yet as interviews are still happening. We are hopeful that
Ms. Shepherd will be returning in some capacity. We do wish the following staff a fond farewell:
Ms. Clayton, Miss Okada, Mrs. Brooks, Miss Yeung, Mrs. Coyle and Mrs. Schuetz. Each of them has had a
profound influence at Douglas Park. We will miss them and wish them all the best in the adventures that lay
ahead of them.
As we hand the kids back over to you for the next eight weeks, please do what you can to keep the learning
happening and keep it fun. Remember that experiences are important too, so visit the beach, go for a bike
ride, camp and most importantly enjoy this time together: it will pass all too quickly. I look forward to
welcoming you all back on Tuesday, September 8th.

Class Act Leadership Awards 2014-2015

Kier Tut was awarded the
Class Act Leadership Award for June.

Best Classroom Attendance for June

Congratulations Kier!

goes to Division 3 Mr. Marazzis class.

Well done Div 3!

Collaboration Mornings will be Collaboration Afternoons

Next years school calendar will be coming home with your childs progress report tomorrow. Please note
that our Collaboration Meetings are taking on a new time of day. Like this year there will be 6 in total, the
first one being on Monday, October 26. Students will be dismissed at 1:35 PM on the dates noted. Students

should NOT be left alone outside on school grounds as there will be no outside supervision available after
1:50 PM. Like this year we will need parents to let us know if their child will need supervision after dismissal
at 1:35 until 2:50 PM at the very latest. It is most important and appreciated if we can be advised of this
need so that we can ensure that we have the required supervision.

Calling all Library Books!!!

If your child has any outstanding library books please return them to your teacher by tomorrow at the
latest. If you need to pay for a lost book, please do so at the school office tomorrow as well.

Read Box Free Book Rental

Are you looking for a book to read
over the summer? Check out our
Read Box in the front hallway and
select a book to take home.

Lost and Found

Dont forget to check the
lost and found items in the
front hallway for anything
that may be yours.

Will you be returning in September?

Please let the office know if you are not planning to return to Douglas Park
in September so we can keep our information up to date. Thanks!
2

Jul 7, 2015 Newsletter

Summer Session
This year we have 48 students registered for Elementary Summer Session. Three of our staff members
(Mrs. Peterson, Mrs Roberts and Mr. Sidhu) will be part of the teaching team at Blacklock. Good luck to all
our students at Summer Session! Its not too late to join in the learning fun, go to sd35summersession.ca
(you can find your childs PEN # required to register on their report card).

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
________________________________________________________________________________
FREE Family Community Dinner Brought to you by Southgate Church (604-532-7769)
When: 1st Monday of every month starting at 6:30 PM
Where: Boys and Girls Club
________________________________________________________________________________
Summer 1:1 Tutoring Literacy or Math for ages 6-14
We can help your child improve their skills! Register at (604) 591-5156 subsidies are available.
1-1/2 hour sessions, 8 to 9 sessions/program; 2 week daily or twice/week monthly programs during July
and August (July 6-31 or Aug 4-28 between 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM).
Where: Langley School District Admin. 4875 222 St at Fraser Hwy
Steps to Success Self-Advocacy Training for youth grades 6 to 9
For the student with learning disabilities/differences or Attention Deficit Disorder, self-advocacy skills
are essential to success at secondary school and throughout life. Students will learn about how they learn
best, and how to communicate their needs to teachers and others.
Aug 31-Sep 4; 9:30 AM 12:30 PM or 1:30 to 4:30 PM
$250 for 5 sessions; partial subsidies available
Where: LDAFS Resource Centre #201-13766 72 Ave., Surrey
Contact: Learning Disabilities Association Fraser South Chapter at info@ldafs.org or www.ldafs.org
________________________________________________________________________________
Aboriginal Family Picnic Day of Teachings, Sports, Games, Info and Lunch
When: Thursday, July 23 from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Where: Langley City Park (207 St and 47 Ave)
There will be activities for families with children 0 to 15 years of age. Bring a lawn chair, blanket, a hat,
sunscreen and your drum or rattle. We will be joined by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Langley
Environmental Partners. Children must be accompanied by a parent/caregiver. Call or email to register by
July 21, at 604-534-1155, ext. 144 or lfvasociety@fastmail.fm.
________________________________________________________________________________
Downtown Langley Business Association (DLBA) provided the following calendar of events coming up.
For all of the events the contact number for more information is 604-539-0133, email
info@downtownlangley.com or visit www.downtownlangley.com. All events are free to the public.
Saturday, July 25th Art in the Plaza noon to 3 PM
Art is thriving and can be found almost everywhere you look in Downtown Langley. Visit McBurney Plaza and
enjoy presentations by local painters, cartoonists and sculptors. Bring out your inner artist and try your
hand at your very own masterpiece - no experience required!

Jul 7, 2015 Newsletter

Saturday, August 8th Animals in the Plaza noon to 3 PM

Do you love things that crawl, slither, hop, and climb? Or maybe you prefer the cuddlier four legged
friends. Join fellow animal lovers in McBurney Plaza for a fun filled day of animal education and partake in
some fun & fabulous animal crafts.
Saturday, September 26th Circus in the Plaza noon to 3 PM
The Circus is coming to town! Expect to see stilt walking, juggling, unicycles, carnival games, face painting,
balloon twisting and more. Immerse yourself in the circus experience as you test out your own skills and
maybe youll be running away to join the circus one day!
Open Air Sale - Saturday, July 18th 11 AM to 3 PM
Fantastic sales will once again be happening both out doors and in-stores as part of the 2015 Open Air Sale.
This is the perfect opportunity to shop local, discover hidden gems, and uncover a great bargain or two.
Enjoy all sorts of great entertainment including the popular Discover Downtown Scavenger Hunt. Downtown
Dollar prizes totaling over $1000!
22nd Annual Arts Alive Festival - Saturday, August 15th 10 AM to 5 PM
With over 200 visual and performing artists, our festival has become a signature event in the lower
mainland. This free, family event features live musical performances, artists and artisans showcasing a
myriad of mediums, live demonstrations, a children's venue and special performance surprises throughout
the day!
Fork & Finger Foodie Event - Saturday, August 22nd 11 AM to 4 PM
Calling all Foodies! Join us to celebrate the unique and delicious restaurants located in Downtown Langley.
Visit McBurney Plaza for exciting food demonstrationby local chefs. Reward yourself by participating in the
Passport Program and you could win Downtown Dollar prizes totaling over $1000!

Jul 7, 2015 Newsletter