Located at 27330 – 28 Avenue in Aldergrove, Shortreed Elementary was constructed in 1978 to handle the influx of students from the area south of Fraser Highway.
The school was named after Christina Shortreed, a daughter of Robert and Margaret Shortreed who had bought land in the Aldergrove area in the 1880s. Other members of the family also owned land in the area, including James, Findley, Bob, Duncan, Thomas, and Christina. Bob Shortreed had a telegraph and post office, along with a general store at “Shortreed Corners,” which was at Old Yale and County Line Roads (264). Findley donated the land for Aldergrove’s first school in 1888. Bob was Justice of the Peace for 36 years and had the first telegraph key installed in the area before 1893. Christina attended school in Aldergrove, and later became the first school teacher at Patricia School and then at Beaver School. She earned $50 a month, according to the 1892 Sessional papers. She married Charles Deans in 1899, and they had six children. Descendants of the Shortreeds lived in Aldergrove for many years, and the school is built on land once owned by the family.
In 1981 six classrooms were added on the south side. In 2000, three classrooms and a multi purpose room were added on the south. The school now has 18 standard classrooms, a full size gym, a library, Kindergarten room, computer room, and a multi purpose room. There is also a privately-owned daycare facility in a portable on the school grounds. The construction is brickwork with wood siding. The school is attached to the municipal sewer on 28 Avenue. There is a galvanized chain link fence around the grounds, with the east side being commonly shared with the Township park. There are 2 asphalt multi ‘purpose courts, 3 swings, a gym climber, geodome, 3 bars, a slide, 4 teeter-totters, and capacity for 126 bicycles. The adventure play structure has wheelchair access, and there are 2 grass play field areas.
In 2002, the principal was Ron Bunting, with Lois Goy as vice principal and Barbara Bicknell as head secretary. There are 291 pupils in the school in 2004. The principal is Dave Peele and the vice principal is Luigi Demarco.
Classified as an “inner city” school, Shortreed has a lunch program arrangement with Aldergrove Community Secondary, whose cafeteria students make the food for those students who are eligible.
The school’s breakfast program is funded by the “Breakfast for Learning” Foundation.
Shortreed is also a community school and contracts Aldergrove Neighbourhood Services to provide for community school programming. The Family Place is a provider of preschool and parent programming and is located on Shortreed’s site and run by ANS.
