PAC Activities/Events

PAC Newsletter – Oct 21, 2016

/ Ross Road PAC

HAPPY DRY FRIDAY (fingers crossed)

Hope your October is going well thus far. The storm is over and the Halloween decorations are starting to pop up. It’s an exciting time for kids (and some parents!). Remember it is getting darker out there so make sure your kids are seen.

image005

A few updates below:

Upcoming Events

General Meeting on Wednesday at 7pm in the school library

Kids love it when parents know what is going on at their school and for once know more than they do!

Attend the GM on Wednesday evening to learn more – topics below;

  • Are you a Harry Potter fan and want your child to be placed into a school house? Will it be Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?
    Come by on Wednesday and learn more about this exciting new initiative.
  • Are you aware of a new curriculum in the school system?
    There will be an update on the new curriculum straight from the classroom and how Ross Road is working it into the classes.
  • Wondering when there will be a Parent Social and/or Family Night?
    Come and hear about Family Bingo Night and the return of the Toby’s epic parent night.
  • Have some ideas, comments or general feedback for the PAC Exec?
    What do you want to see and what have you not been impressed with so far if anything.
    Have thoughts let us know about them good or bad. We want to know.
  • If your excuse is a babysitter then do not fear, childcare is available upon request
    Email Tamrah Corben, corbenst@telus.net for more information.
  • Snacks will be available and we hope to keep it short.
  • The agenda and meeting minutes from the May AGM will be sent out on Monday October 24th
  • Hope to see you there.

Past Events

Last Monday we had a really successful Halloween Costume Exchange.

The aim of these smaller of events is to build community and this one certainly did that, it resulted in a lot of happy kids. Mission Accomplished! We did raise a total of $100 which is fabulous and an added bonus.

Thank you Christy Lutz for organizing.

General

  • The Communications Coordinator role has been filled – Thank you Laks Kutty (Ms) for stepping up to support our PAC Executive body.
  • Remember to join Ross Road PAC’s Facebook and Twitter sites!
    The PAC will start posting and tweeting to help broaden our communication base in November. Please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
  • These links and more are also on our PAC website rosssroadpac.ca

Have a fabulous weekend and we hope to see you on Wednesday evening at 7pm in the school library for the GM.

Regards,

Ross Road PAC Exec

rossroadpac@gmail.com

PAC Newsletter – Oct 13, 2016

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment

After a few gorgeous days in a row, who’s going to believe the weather channel about all that rain…ok we do live in Vancouver, so you probably don’t need to be an expert!

Now let’s turn our attention to some ‘fun’ PAC related reminders.

WE STILL NEED A CO-CHAIR AND A COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR!!!

Our PAC Chair is not superwoman – despite what some may think – and wants to share her Bossy Boot shoes with another parent. Even if you are remotely curious, just send Tamrah a quick email to chat at corbenst@telus.net. You may be surprised at what you’ve been missing!

HALLOWEEN COSTUME EXCHANGE

We are still collecting gently used Halloween costumes this week. Please drop off by the PAC bulletin board in the lobby.
Costumes will be sold for only $5, and accessories $2.
Sales will be on Monday October 17th .

PAC GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday, October 26 at 7pm in the library – come and hear what we are up to!

PAC FACEBOOK & TWITTER POSTS

The PAC will start posting and tweeting to help broaden our communication base in November.
Please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. These links are also on our website https://rosssroadpac.ca.

Thanks and try to stay dry.
Ross Road PAC
rossroadpac@gmail.com

PAC Newsletter – Oct 7, 2016

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment

Greetings all!

We hope everyone has had a good week and is ready for the rain.

Here are the latest news and a few dates for the calendar.

Firstly, we want to extend a big THANK YOU to Lisa Birrell and Scott Munro who have worked really hard to update our technology and dragging us into the 21st century – better late than never. Please take a moment to check out the PAC pages on our website rosssroadpac.ca and subscribe to the school calendar rossroadpac.ca/rossroad-calendar. You’ll also see our Facebook and Twitter links. We look forward to connecting with you on all fronts.

PAC Executive Positions

We have a great PAC Exec team this year, but we are still in need of a Co-Chair and a Communications Coordinator. Please consider these opportunities and help the PAC continue to be effective at providing resources and building community for our children. Contact Tamrah Corben for more information corbenst@telus.net.

PAC General Meeting

Reminder!!! PAC General Meeting – October 26 at 7pm in the library – come and hear what we are up to and check out the volunteer opportunities.

Halloween Costume Exchange

Time to clear out the closet and bring your unwanted – but still in good condition – costumes to the school from Tuesday October 11 – Friday October 14. Look for the fun poster and large box in the school lobby near the PAC bulletin board to drop off. Then come back on Monday October 17 to buy a brand “new” costume at a bargain price!

Family Photo Day

Family Photo Day was a great success again this year, getting our fundraising efforts off to a good start with not one but two days of photo sessions! Thanks to all those who participated and a big thank you to Sandy Porter for coordinating. If you haven’t already paid, please drop off an envelope with your name and money ($20) in the PAC mailbox in the school lobby. Final money raised will be confirmed soon.

Christmas Fair

As the PAC outlined in the AGM last term, we are assigning divisions to key PAC events as Ross Road Special Events Hosts. The first event is the beloved Christmas Fair. Watch out for details which will be circulated by the class reps.

Class Reps

Jennifer Nuttall has been our Class Rep Coordinator for the last couple years and doing a great job. Most classes have class reps, but we still have six more vacancies. If you have a child in the following classes, please consider volunteering to fill this very important role. If you are interested please contact Jen at jen.nuttall@gmail.com for more information.­­­­­­

  • Ms. Amy McDonald/Ms Rhiannon Wellbelove EN 6/7 E01
  • Ms. Vicki Thomas EN 6/7 E02
  • Mr. Michael Lam EN 4/5 E04
  • Mrs. Cristina Piccone/Ms Lise Smith EN 2/3 E06
  • Mrs. Joulia May EN 1 E07
  • Mme Calie Billinger FR 5 F04

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

— The Ross Road PAC
rossroadpac@gmail.com

PAC Newsletter – Oct 1, 2016

/ Ross Road PAC

Greetings Ross Road families!

We hope this finds everyone settling into the school year.  Many of us have been enjoying a fresh round of coughs, colds and sore throats…head lice seem to also be a perennial joy at this time of the school year. Perhaps many of you are thinking that you aren’t quite busy enough and have been wondering what to do with the spare three minutes you have each week!  Ruminate no more…we have some suggestions. There are several volunteer positions on the PAC that remain available. Here are a couple of opportunities to get you warmed up…we really hope you will take a minute to consider getting involved.

PAC Co-Chair – this role would suit a parent who is often at the school, and can follow up with PAC activities at the school.  The role also requires attending monthly meetings and supporting our current chair, Tamrah Corben.  If you like to know what’s going on, and enjoy feeling you are part of something big, this is the role for you.

Communications Coordinator – this role doesn’t require you to appear at the school at all!  You can be tucked up in bed with your laptop.  The task requires updating the PAC website calendar, working with the Chair to plan posts and sending the weekly PAC posts.

If you are even remotely interested in getting more involved or have any questions about the above mentioned roles, please contact Tamrah Corben, corbenst@telus.net, and she’ll do her best to get you connected.

LAST CHANCE!!!

Munch a Lunch – to avoid disappointed children please submit your orders by MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY.  In the past the deadline has sometimes been extended, but this will NOT be happening this year. Please go onto www.munchalunch.com/schools/rossroad to order and pay as soon as possible as ordering will be closed as of Sunday Oct. 2nd.  If you do not pay for your child’s lunches before that date, your order will be cancelled.  If you have any questions please contact one of our new lunch coordinators Jackie at jackie_hicks@hotmail.com.

UPCOMING

  • Halloween Costume Exchange – this is an excellent opportunity to clear out all those costumes that no one wants to wear anymore because they are so over being a bumble bee/fairy/superhero and to acquire, at minimal cost, a new set of costumes.  Bring your clean and gently used costumes on the week after Thanksgiving, Oct. 11th, to the office foyer. There will be a box under the PAC bulletin board. Once collected and sorted, drop by the school to purchase a newish outfit for your little darlings. Details to follow.
  • General Meeting, Wednesday October 26th at 7 pm – we rely on our parent community to give us input on what they’d like to see from their PAC Execs. Come and hear how the PAC spends all the money that is raised during the year, as well as finding out what events are being planned for the year.  This is a chance to ask questions about what the PAC does and to make suggestions for events or fundraising. If for nothing else, come for the treats!!!
  • Our website is in the midst of being updated. We will send out an announcement once it’s completed and you can visit us at rossroadpac.ca…this is really just a reminder for our PAC chair who had a momentary lapse in memory at the ‘meet the staff’ night last week. At least now you all know we are just parents who consistently suffer from short-term memory loss.

– Ross Road PAC Executive
rossroadpac@gmail.com

Welcome back, Ross Road!

/ Ross Road PAC

Dear Ross Road Families!

It is indeed that time of year once again…  Whether you are wishing the summer would never end, or have been counting the days until the beginning of term, school starts up again on Tuesday, September 6th, 8:45-10:45 am.  For those of you who are returning to Ross Road once again, we hope you are returning refreshed and rejuvenated and, like many families are enjoying the hot debate as to which teacher your child/ren will get.  To those of you who are new to the school, we wish you a warm welcome and hope that you will get involved with the Ross Road parent association (PAC).  The Ross Road PAC is active in supporting the school community throughout the year.  We facilitate a variety of social and fundraising initiatives to foster a strong school community and support the kids’ needs.  Last year, for instance, the PAC was able to provide the school with $43,200.00 to purchase new IT equipment for the classrooms.  We also hosted a parent night where the grown ups enjoyed having the opportunity to hang out and get to know each other away from the schoolyard.  Please come and join our first PAC GM on October 26 and find out more about what we do…

Coming up soon:

WELCOME BACK COFFEE

All families:  Tuesday, September 6th at 8:30 at the front of the school
Kindergarten families: Friday, September 9th at 8:30, in front of the Kindergarten classrooms

ANNUAL FAMILY PHOTOS

Back by popular demand!  Family photo day will be Sunday, September 25th in the school gym.  This is a great chance to get some fun family photos which will be ready well in time for the holidays (these make great presents).  Keep an eye out for PAC emails with further details.

PAC GENERAL MEETING

This may sounds like a snooze fest, but this is your chance to come and find out what the PAC is up to, how the money you spend at school events is used to support your kids, and to get involved if you’d like.  The PAC facilitates a wide variety of social events and fundraisers.  Getting involved is a great way to get to know other parents and contribute to the school community.  There is lots that you can get involved with that doesn’t require a big time commitment (or a post graduate degree in maths).

WHEN?: Wednesday October 26th at 7 pm
WHERE?: In the school library at the top of the stairs

OTHER EVENTS

Stayed tuned for information about the Halloween Costume sale, mid-October and the Christmas Fair in December.

We will be offering the hot lunch program again, details to follow.

The PAC is also joining the 21st century this year, so look out for information about our Facebook page and Twitter account!

WELCOME BACK ROSS ROAD!!!

Sincerely,
Ross Road PAC Executive Committee
rossroadpac@gmail.com

Ross Road PAC: Year-end Summary

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment

Hello Ross Road Parents,

As this year’s PAC Chair, I would like to share all the wonderful things our PAC has been doing during this school year.

But first here are a few details about your PAC and what to expect next year.

There is a PAC Executive committee who meet once a month to plan and discuss all school and PAC related business. This year’s group consists of Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications, Class Rep Coordinator, IT Coordinator, and Fundraising Coordinator.

All parents are welcome to join us at any of our meetings and be part of the Executive body. We also have three large meetings every year, one per term. Fall is our General Meeting, Winter is our second General Meeting and Spring is our Annual General Meeting. Our website has a lot of great information including an up-to-date calendar of all our meetings, events and activities. Our meeting minutes, budgets and PAC email posts are also found on our website. We encourage everyone to visit it often, rossroadpac.ca.

In order for the PAC Exec Committee to continue functioning next year there are two very important roles that urgently need to be filled: Co-Chair and Secretary. Without these two roles, the committee will be dissolved. Please consider joining us to carry on the wonderful work we do for our kids. In addition, we recognize the incredible value a Communications volunteer brings to the group. To ensure information is shared in a timely manner we need someone to manage our emails and social media messages (stay tuned for our new Facebook and Twitter accounts for next year). If you are interested in an opportunity to become more involved in this way, please email me at corbenst@telus.net.

Finally, next year we are launching our first ever assigned PAC Events to specific divisions. This idea first introduced at our February GM in response to increasing difficulty in finding volunteers to take the lead at which time parents were invited to give input. At our May AGM, the PAC formally decided to use next year as a trial run. For simplicity, we’ve used grades to indicate volunteer groupings, but in September we will adjust according to next year’s division list. The goal is of course to share volunteering, but also to encourage more integration between French and English families and build community. Class reps will facilitate the initial communication but will not be responsible for organising the event. We ask that you be open to this initiative and are happy to receive feedback.

K-1: Staff Appreciation Lunch
Grades 2-3: Spring Carnival
Grades 4-5: Christmas Fair
Grade 6: Grade 7 farewell
Grade 7: Grade 7 celebrations

As one proud parent to another, we do so much for our kids. Ross Road is a big part of their childhood and we all strive to make it a positive and rewarding experience.

I have the great privilege of helping with this alongside many other PAC volunteers. The money raised this year afforded us to spend $43,200.00 on IT, sports, playground  and music equipment which our kids will enjoy for next year.

Here is a quick snapshot of the past year:

SEPTEMBER

  • Welcome Back Coffee. PAC Executives put together coffee, tea and baked treats for all returning families on the first day of school.
  • Welcome Kindi Coffee. PAC Executive put together another coffee, tea and baked treats for all the kindergarten parents on the first full day of class.

OCTOBER

  • Food days begin. Kids and parents love this program and it’s our biggest fundraiser each year. Thus far, we have raised approximately $22,000. Our coordinators Wendy Ross and Kim Berg have been amazing at organizing this for years, but need to pass it along to another fabulous duo. Training and support is provided. Please let me know if you are interested.
  • The Card Project. This is also another favourite with students and families. With the support of the teachers, students create works of art and have them converted into beautiful greeting cards. Families choose to purchase sets with 25% of sales going to the PAC. This year we raised $1633.75 with a portion of the money being donated to North Shore Search and Rescue.
  • Family Photos. This annual event offers families a chance to have their family photos taken before the holidays. It is also another fundraiser and this year we raised $720.
  • PAC General Meeting. As our first GM, we invited one of the school trustees to speak on the Argyle Rebuild project. It was a very informative evening and spurred on good discussion.

NOVEMBER

  • Safe Teen workshop. With the generous donation from Polygon Homes, we were able to offer this amazing program to our grade 6 and 7 students. We also offered a parent information night the day before the workshop to parents who wanted to learn more about it.

DECEMBER

  • Christmas Fair. Jody Labriola stepped up to take on our traditional Christmas Fair event. It was smaller than usual, but with only three weeks of planning, it was a huge success raising $7,720.50.

JANUARY

  • Jesse Miller, Social Media Safety. The PAC has regularly been inviting Jesse Miller to speak to our children about internet safety and social media awareness. We also offered a parent night for parents to gain some insight and tools on how to support their children with their online activity.

FEBRUARY

  • PAC General Meeting. The PAC invited the Argyle Principal, PAC Chair and the school trustee to give an update on how the Argyle Rebuild project is going.

MARCH

  • Best ever Parent Night at Toby’s. Shan Bodie and Jacquie Stebbings organized a fabulous evening with good food, music, games and lots a fun hats. Although this event wasn’t intended as a fundraiser, it did raise $2,375.67. If you missed out, don’t worry because the party is on for next year.

APRIL

  • Tennis Club. The PAC rotates three themes every year, Sports, Science and Math, and Arts and Theatre. This year was our Sports theme and we decided to fund a three week tennis program for our kids. We’ve heard fantastic feedback on the instructor, and the school is considering having the program return next year.
  • Kilometre Club. This has been a Ross Road tradition for quite some time and with the help of the KM committee and funding from the PAC, we had a record year of participants and weather.
  • BrainSTEM demo night. This is an after school program offered at Ross Road for families who choose to pay for a five/six week session. It was a lot of fun building roller coasters and learning all about kinetic and static energy. Please contact Sarah Baldwin for more information about next year, sarah.baldwin@brainstemlearning.ca.
  • Two River Meats. New fundraising initiative that allowed families to purchase quality local meat in a convenient way. We raised $750.75. This is an ongoing fundraiser that families can continue to order year round. Just remember to mention Ross Road and the PAC will receive a portion of the sale.

MAY

  • Clothing Drive. Our first ever clothing drive. We collected about 120 bags and raised $240. This is an easy way to raise money, get rid of things you don’t want and donate items to charity. It’s a win, win, win all around!
  • Theater and Music performances. The PAC funded three performances this year: Tillers Folly, a trio band and Raven Meets the Monkey King, a play.
  • PAC Annual General Meeting. This was our final meeting of the year and unfortunately our lowest attendance. The PAC works hard to prepare for these meetings giving opportunities for parents to vote on how we spend our money and what they’d like to see in their school. It’s important the parent community try to attend these meetings to give feedback to the PAC Executives. Minutes and budget are posted on the website, on our Meetings page.
  • Bike to School Week. Jackie has been spear-heading this event for the last couple years and it’s been great. It’s wonderful to see how active our kids can be.

JUNE

  • Spring Carnival. Susan Neale coordinated this year’s carnival and did a fantastic event. We raised $7550 and had a lot of fun doing it. We’ve also received some great feedback on how we can make it even better. Thank you.
  • KidsWorld. This is our last fundraiser of the year. Another quick and easy way to contribute towards the PAC, but more importantly a fabulous way to spend the summer. The membership offers opportunity for parent and child to try a wide range of new experiences, and to see what types of activities they love but have not tried. You can see the calendar of summer events here and remember to use the code KIDS ROSS ROAD 2016 to earn money for our school.
  • Aboriginal dance troop. This year the PAC invited an aboriginal dance troop to perform for our kids in honour of Aboriginal Day and incorporate this amazing culture with our new curriculum.
  • End of Year Assembly. This year the PAC recognizes M. Ponton and the many years he has taught at our school. We also say goodbye to Carla Orr for her time as principal.
  • Grade 7 Farewell. As we do every year, we say good bye and good luck to all the grade 7 students and families who leave Ross Road. May your memories of Ross Road be ones to remember.

Thank you again for a fantastic year. Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing everyone again in September.

Sincerely,
Tamrah Corben
corbenst@telus.net

Successful Spring Carnival + Kidsworld Fundraiser

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment

IMG_1295

Have you heard the news?

The Spring Carnival raised $7550 a few weeks ago!

Thank you to Carnival organizer Susan Kneale, our sponsors, volunteers and donations…we couldn’t have done it without you!

If you have any feedback, please email Tamrah Corben at corbenst@telus.net.

Kidsworld Membership Fundraiser

Kidsworld_logo

Our final fundraiser for the year is buying a Kidsworld membership.

  • Kidsworld provides a calendar of events for families to enjoy fun, athletic, and educational experiences all summer, and now all year as well!
  • A membership is for kids aged 4-13, along with one accompanying adult, to enjoy countless events and activities in Greater Vancouver – with no additional cost – plus bonus discounts!
  • Kidsworld Summer membership & Kidsworld 44 membership are each $50, or you can experience events all summer and all year for $95!
  • This unbeatable value for all you get!
  • Check out the calendar of summer events here.

Kidsworld is also a fundraiser for your school! Just enter your school code when signing up to have $5 donated to your school.  Your code is:  KIDS ROSS ROAD 2016

www.kidsworldprogram.com

Spring Carnival is this Friday, June 10th, 5-8 pm!

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment

This year’s theme is Superheroes!

Come dressed up, but please leave masks and weapons at home.

Rain or shine, we will have a good time!

Please drop off pop-up tents to help with setup.
Email Susan Neale at skneale17@gmail.com to coordinate.

Get your tickets, $1 each, before the rush!

  • Presales in the school lobby on Friday 8:15-9 am and again at 2:45-3:15 pm.
  • There will be two tables selling tickets at the Carnival also.
  • See price list below for info on how many tickets are required for food/activities

50/50 tickets will be sold for $2 each.
Bring cash for a chance to win half the money!

Make this a BBQ dinner. All food is donated by SaveOn Foods, so this is a great way for Ross Road to make money. Serving: Hotdogs, Burgers, Veggie burgers, Coleslaw, Water, Juice

We need many, many more $5 Gift Cards for our Mystery Gift Card station.

  • Suggestions: Starbucks, Delaney’s, Tim Hortons, iTunes, Michaels, Claire’s, Walmart, Winners, Best Buy
  • Please drop off in the PAC mailbox in the lobby or bring on the day of.
  • Only two times to line up for Mystery Gift Cards: 5:30-6 pm and 6:30-7 pm.

Cakes needed for Cake Walk! Homemade or store bought – cakes, brownies, cupcakes etc.  Please no nuts and if the cake may contain nuts please indicate that it does. Parents can drop the cakes/sweets off on the day of and leave them in the staff room or bring them to the Cake Walk game at the start of the carnival.

Raffle Baskets. There are nine $25 baskets.

  • Just like last year, kids get 1 popsicle stick for every station they do.
  • Once they get 3 popsicle sticks, they can trade them in for 1 raffle ticket at the ticket booth.
  • Make sure you fill in your name and phone number before dropping the raffle ticket for a basket.

Volunteers, please sign up for a 30 minute shift at your class booth.
Contact your class rep to sign up.

Screen Shot 2016-06-08 at 6.15.43 PM

RR_Spring_Carnival_tickets_2016

Ross Road PAC: Ross Road AGM Wednesday!

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment
It’s an AGM overload!  The last email was about the District PAC AGM.  This one’s about the Ross Road AGM.  We understand that too many AGMs can be hazardous to one’s health, so if you’re only going to do one AGM this year, please make it Ross Road’s.  It’s in the library at 7pm tomorrow night!  (Wednesday, May 25).   Here’s what’s happening;