Aldergrove News, January 23, 2026

Message from Admin 

Dear Aldergrove Families,

This week, the colder temperatures kept us indoors on several days, and with that came an increase in the number of cars arriving for student drop‑off. As a reminder, our parking lot has very limited space, and our number one priority is student safety, which is why access to the lot is restricted both before and after school. This practice aligns with the safety-focused messaging found in previous updates.

We kindly encourage families to walk to school whenever possible, or if driving is necessary, to park off school property and walk in. These small choices make a significant impact on safety and traffic flow.

With winter weather expected to continue next week, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the cold and snow, including warm layers, boots, hats, and mittens. As seen in past messages, we continue to emphasize preparedness in all kinds of weather.

Learning and Activities at Aldergrove

Despite the chilly conditions, learning and engagement continue to flourish throughout our school:

• Our volleyball and basketball teams continue training with dedication, modelling teamwork and perseverance.
• The Learning Commons remains a vibrant hub of creativity and curiosity, with students exploring the makerspace and engaging in a variety of STEM activities.
• We are excited to launch our Junior LEGO Robotics Club, providing students with rich opportunities to problem‑solve, collaborate, and innovate.
• Our Hackergals program is underway, promoting coding and digital creativity for our female students; an initiative that aligns with our commitment to equity and student voice.
• Meanwhile, our school bands continue to rehearse and grow, filling our halls with music and reinforcing the power of dedication and teamwork.

Theme of the Week: Hopefulness

As we settle into the heart of winter, our theme for the week is hopefulness—hope for brighter days, warmer weather, and continued growth for our students.

Hope helps us look beyond the snowbanks and short days, reminding us that even in the coldest moments, our community remains warm, connected, and resilient.

Quote of the Week

“Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.” — Samuel Smiles

Warm regards,

Mr. Louca                         Mr. Pamayah

Principal                           Vice Principal

2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten Registration Opens January 16, 2026

Is your child turning 4 or 5 in 2026? Or do you know someone who is? 

Mark your calendars and follow these simple steps. 

1. Find your home school. 

Use our school finder to find your home school - the school in your neighbourhood. 

2 .Register for Kindergarten. 

You can register online, in person, or by phone or email.

Visit www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten to access the online registration portal or download the registration form. Once you have completed your application, the school will contact you to make an appointment to review and verify the required documents. 

3. Register early for Before and After Care 

All schools offer before and after-care programs. Check your school’s website or our before and after care directory for details. Contact providers early to secure your spot. 

4. Explore and Prepare for Kindergarten

Kindergarten is where big dreams start small. Learn how Kindergarten helps children develop the academic and social skills they need to thrive in Grade 1 and beyond. Our skilled and caring teams of certified teachers and early childhood educators work together to support every child in a welcoming, inclusive environment.

Ready to Begin?

Start your journey at www.yrdsb.ca/kindergarten.  

2026-2027 French Immersion Registration

This year, the Information session for Grade 1 entry into the French Immersion program (FI) will take place in French Immersion schools on January 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. French Immersion registration will begin on January 16, 2026. Parents or guardians of Year 2 Kindergarten students entering Grade 1 in 2026, and wishing to enrol in the French Immersion Program, can email or call their home school office and indicate their intention to enrol. 

Extracurricular Calendar

Learning Commons Updates!

Over the last two weeks in the Learning Commons, we have engaged in many new and exciting activities and finished up our YMCA workshops.

KINDERGARTEN:

During their Library visits this week, our Kindergarten friends watched videos about Thai Pongal and danced along with some traditional Tamil dancers. They learned about the importance of Kolam and how they are made. 

PRIMARY:

During Makerspace, students have been engaged in learning about Thai Pongal by creating salt art pieces by following step by step instructions of how to draw a Kolam piece. They have made firework art while learning about the significance of fireworks during several different cultural celebrations. They are engaged in many different winter themed activities like winter tangram art, making snowmen rings, wintery elastic scenes on Geoboards, and having a “snowball fight” with pieces of paper with letters on them that they use to make words from.  They have also been given a very difficult task of balance rock building where the emphasis is on perseverance and communication with others. For STEM, makers are engaged in coding with Bee Bot to help it pick up supplies on the way to a party while avoiding obstacles in the way.  Makers are also being challenged to build the tallest tree they can using 70 plastic cups, and I must say many have been amazing! Makers are also experimenting with our “Makedo” kids using safe saws and problem solving techniques to build a free standing evergreen tree from cardboard.  Makers have also been challenged to make a sled from “Lego” that carries a passenger down a ramp and doesn’t eject the passenger or suffer damage on its journey down the ramp

JUNIOR:

Ms. Ghafouri and Ms. Arakelian had their YMCA workshop about “Gambling and Money” where they learned the importance of how many common games they play involved more change than actual skill and are designed to make you spend more money by offering small successes to entice you to play more.  They also discussed how gaming currency (e.g., v-bucks, fair tickets, etc.) are purchased using real money and that it is important to keep track of financial transactions. 

Mr. Kaszel and Ms. Choe engaged in their workshop called “Game Bling” where they discussed how online games make virtual currency seem like real money, and how virtual currency needs real money to execute transactions. They also discussed the term "microtransactions" referring to the small amounts games ask you to pay but in frequent times leading to larger than perceived spending amounts.