Tropical Bingo Night a Huge Success!

/ Ross Road PAC

On Friday, March 4th, Ross Road gym was transformed into a lively, tropical-themed bingo hall! Parents and kids alike had a blast – it was just the summery thing we needed to cap off such a chilly week! Great to see so many smiling, happy faces and so many fantastic tropical outfits!

This event was planned as a community-builder… an opportunity for Ross Road families to connect and have fun together outside of normal school hours. But we are pleased to announce that it also raised some money for the school too! $1159 to be exact! Wow! So a big thank you to everyone who came out and had fun at Bingo Night 2011!

And of course, a HUGE Thank You goes out to Jen VanderMye who organized the whole event so efficiently along with her fantastic team! Including of course Harry Bulpit and Geoff Donohue, those dynamic MCs/bingo callers who kept the evening moving along with great humour and energy! So many other parents and students helped out …by creating those amazing tropical posters, decorating the gym, donating prizes, setting up tables/chairs, organizing food & drinks, signing people in, checking winning bingo cards, handing out prizes, clearing up afterwards, etc…a big thank you goes out to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to make the evening such a huge success!

Another big Thank You to Jen, and to Tovah Paglaro for seeking out and organizing all the fantastic prizes that made everyone so happy at the prize table up on the stage!

To the following local businesses for contributing so many great prizes, THANK YOU! Ross Road School really appreciates your generosity and support!

Click on image to see more Bingo Night photos!

• Browns Social House
• Cypress Mountain
• Starbucks Coffee
• Booster Juice – Park & Tilford
• North Van Rec
• Save On Foods Bakery
• Scotia McLeod
• Scholastic Books
• Vancouver Canucks
• Vancouver Giants
• WestLynn Bakery
• Go Bananas!
• North Shore Athletics
• BC Bike Race
• Whitecaps Womens soccer
• Lynn Valley Bikes
• Raspberry Kids
• MooJoes Kids Gear

Click here to see more photos from the event!

Ross Road Tropical Bingo Night – coming soon! It’s not too late to sign up!

/ Ross Road PAC

Not long now until Ross Road Family “Tropical” Bingo Night! This Friday evening from 5:15-8:00pm!

We are excited to welcome Ross Road Families to this fun-filled evening which was a huge hit two years ago – prizes for everyone, so get dressed up in your best TROPICAL wear (prizes for most creative costumes) and come out and meet up with your Ross Road Community! If you have not already done so we are accepting last minute sign-ups – no later than Thursday.

If you need the form, click here!

If you have any questions at all or would like to help in any way; please email Jen VanderMye at jenandclark@shaw.ca

Grade 7’s are welcome and encouraged to volunteer – please note there will be a grade 7 Volunteer Meeting on Wednesday March 2nd at RECESS in the Library for those interested.

Thank you and see you this Friday!
— The Bingo Night Committee

Call-Back Team: Volunteer positions available!

/ Ross Road PAC

Ross Road Call-back LineNEW OPPORTUNITY!

  • Looking for a new way to volunteer in the school?
  • One that requires little time but is of BIG IMPORTANCE to the SAFETY of our children?
  • Don’t want to sit in another meeting?

…then here’s the job for you!
Join our CALL-BACK team and volunteer one morning/week (or sometimes only every second week).
Time required: 8:40 to 9:30 or a bit later
Job: sign in late students, retrieve call-back messages and match to attendance list, work closely with office staff and discover how wonderful they are! :-)

We are currently looking for volunteers for Friday, and Tuesday (every second week)
Training is available! This is an awesome way to be involved and play an important role in our school!

For more information, please contact:
Sandra Bridgman at bridgwoman@shaw.ca
or 604 986-7669

January 26th PAC GM Minutes

/ Ross Road PAC

The January 26th PAC General Meeting Minutes have been posted on the PAC  Meetings/Minutes page – click here to view them.

PLEASE NOTE: These minutes are “Unapproved”
Here’s why:

  • As we move with technology and the new pace of life, we are making changes to how and when information is shared with our parent population.
  • PAC now has fewer General Meetings per school year than we have had in the past, and we are communicating much more via internet and email.
  • Moving forward, we will post minutes from General Meetings on our website BEFORE THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND ACCEPTED at a general meeting.
  • Therefore, these minutes are NOT the final version and some content may change during the May PAC General Meeting.

Community Event: Campfires – A Circle of Community

/ Ross Road PAC

The North Vancouver Community Arts Council presents:
Campfires – A Circle of Community
Saturday, February 19, 6-9pm
Ship Builders Square, Foot of Lonsdale Avenue

“We invite the community to be drawn by the warm glow of a campfire at the historic Ship Builders Square to celebrate the spirit of camaraderie, singing, music, storytelling, food and fun.

Join us for Free Food, Fun and Fire. Enjoy campfire foods. Make a Bug Lantern and Children’s Craft. Listen to live music. Watch live performances. Listen to animated storytelling. Join in the singing.”

— North Vancouver Community Arts Council
335 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, BC www.nvartscouncil.ca
604.988.6844

Announcing a new, improved Lost and Found!

/ Ross Road PAC

Notice on white board in lobby

Hello Ross Road parents!

Something new to start off the year is a more organized strategy for the “Lost and Found”.

Being a parent of a child in primary grades often leaves me trudging to the school to look for lost items only to be confused about where the lost and found is located. After locating and sifting through garbage bags under the stairs, I noticed a number of items with phone numbers, names and initials and thought I would offer support through the PAC to the staff responsible at the school to find the owner of the items.

So what do we hope to accomplish?
It’s simple. Make sure parents are informed about where “lost and found” items are located, reunite families with items that are clearly labeled, and assist office staff with the management of found items.

What will this look like?
Announcements through class reps, the website and the newsletter about items found. Phone calls to those families who label their items, and regular displays of lost and found items in clearly visible locations that are accessible to children and parents.

Where is the Lost and Found located?
Found items are located in the hall outside the Music room on a rolling coat rack. There is also a wooden collection box in the Annex at the end of the hall. Those items will be transferred to the coat rack regularly. During special events, such as Bingo Night and parent teacher conferences, the coat rack will be brought to the foyer.

Lost and Found rolling rack located outside Music room

What is currently in the Lost and found:
There are a number of boy items including sweatshirts, t-shirts from size 6 to 14. Boys and girls rubber boots, shorts and plenty of matching mittens and single mittens.

Come out and have a look! And if your child/ren participate in after school activities at Ross Road (i.e. soccer practice, Beavers/Scouts, Girl Guides etc.), please pass this on as we recognize some found items may not belong to Ross Road students.

If you have any questions about found items please contact me at tanyabrown@shaw.ca

Thank you for your time and attention to these items.

—Tanya Brown

Lots of clothes, umbrellas, food containers etc waiting to be “found”!

Bingo Night, Friday March 4th: Don’t forget to send your order forms and cheques in!

/ Ross Road PAC

Click to view poster

Not long now until “Tropical” Bingo Night! March 4th is coming up, so make sure you get your order forms and cheques in to secure your family’s bingo game cards on the big night!

These forms went home on Thursday, Feb 10th and should be returned to your child’s teacher by Friday, Feb 18th. If you didn’t receive an order form, you can download it here!

If you’d like to help out, check out the Volunteer Sign-up sheets in the lobby (to the right of the office, by the back doors) or contact Jennifer VanderMye at jenandclark@shaw.ca for more info!

Environment Club Update!

/ Ross Road PAC

The Environment Club is not wasting any time working towards their goal for a “Zero Waste Program” at Ross Road. The Program was launched on February 14th at the Valentine’s Day Assembly on “Caring”.  The Critics are raving about the theatrical performances of Sara McKibben, Anna Smith, Sophie Sluis, Elyse Baragar, Ava Johnson and Jenny Froese in their acting rendition of an operation to save Mother Earth.  The Composting Project will not only teach the children about the magic of science but it will greatly reduce the garbage at the school.

The Environment Club Members are in the process of going around to each classroom to educate all of the students and teachers on the composting process.  Each classroom will have a bucket for all recess and lunchtime composting scraps (green material) which will be composted daily at the school.  By doing so, we not only will reduce our daily waste that is going to the landfill – but we will generate hundreds of kilograms of rich earthy soil.  The Club’s future dream is to one day plant an edible garden at the school using our own composted soil.

Feeding the worms!

Many thanks to Debbie Iveson who has graciously donated our two new composters, which are located near the fence in the primary playground.  The Club would also like to thank everyone for their bucket donations, with special mention going to Barb Woznow who not only donated over 20 buckets, but she saved these buckets from being dumped in the landfill.

– As the Environment Club would say “Compost daily and feed the worms.”

Launched in December 2009, the Environment Club is a student-driven program that aims to help Ross Road School become more sustainable, save resources and protect the environment. The students will identify environmental deficiencies within the school and create a “Plan of Action”. The Club offers teamwork and leadership for all those involved and should prove to make Ross Road an active school in making a difference in our community.

A big Thank You goes out to Gillian Gorton for getting the ball rolling with the Environment Club and for her ongoing dedication in helping the Club achieve its environmental goals!