PAC Activities/Events

Friday Newsletter: Card Project | Christmas Market | Valet | Library Update

/ Ross Road PAC

Dear parents,

  • Card Project:  Last year, we raised over $1000 from the Card Project!  This year, the sample cards will be sent out on NOVEMBER 8, and ordering will be open for 1 week only from NOVEMBER 8 to NOVEMBER 15.  A standard gift box costs $20 and contains 12 cards and envelopes, and the PAC receives $5 from each order.  Information about ordering will be included with the sample card.  For more information, and to see samples from last year, please click here.
  • Ross Road Christmas Market:  The Christmas Market coordinators are doing an amazing job putting together this very special event.  As well as all your old favourites, this year the team has also put together a Holiday Shop and Wrap Room, a Silent Auction, an Outdoor Cafe and free cookie decorating. For more information, including links to order dinner on the night, please click here.
  • Valet:  The program desperately needs an adult volunteer on Thursday mornings in November. We have one parent on duty and with the rainy weather starting there will be more people driving to school, which means  more traffic in the drop off zone.  If you are available to help on Thursday mornings from 8:25 to 8:45 please contact Nancy Barton at nancybinbc@hotmail.com.
  • Library update:  Did you know you can ‘adopt a shelf’ at the school library?  Or that there’s a student-generated list of recommended books by grade level on the bulletin board?  Or that money YOU raised through fundraising has purchased over 250 new books for the library and helped to provide the library with a digital projector and laptop.  Teacher librarian Mme. McAllister has put together a newsletter highlighting all the wonderful things that are happening at the Ross Road library.  Click here for more.

Finally, if you know of a parent that isn’t getting these emails, but would like to, please tell them that subscribing is as easy as going to the PAC website, and entering their email address on the right hand side.

Enjoy your weekend,

Your PAC

Ross Road Christmas Market: Friday December 6th

/ Ross Road PAC

Mark your calendars! It’s the annual
ROSS ROAD CHRISTMAS MARKET
Friday December 6th, 5pm to 8pm

Our Christmas event has always been about supporting our school, our children and each other, as well as a great chance to get our community together. Although we’ve added some new ideas and a new name this year, the heart and spirit of the event remain the same.

Our Christmas traditions continue with;

  • The fantastic crafts made by our own students
  • The famous class basket raffles
  • Live music and sing-a-long with Ross Road parent and entertainer Michael Wong
  • Photos with Santa
  • Craft Workshops for kids
  • CD recording with Creativ Music
  • Mystery Bags
  • Delicious Dinner with Roast Beef on a bun and Pizza and veggies
  • Bake Sale
  • Drinks and Snacks
  • Coat Room

And there are some exciting new activities;

  • Holiday Shop and Wrap room
  • Neon Christmas Party Room
  • Outdoor café
  • Snowflake Spa
  • Silent Auction
  • Free Cookie Decorating

Here’s where we need your help;

New to this year’s event is the “Holiday Shop and Wrap Market.” It will be a room where your children can come in on their own (with our volunteers to help them) to shop for reasonably priced gifts. We will also help them wrap their gifts for their family. All items will be kept to $5 or less. Our children will get a chance to buy some items on their own and have them wrapped to put under the tree for Christmas morning.

From our parents, we are asking that you take a look around your home for small treasures that you could up-cycle to us for this event. These are new items such as that gift you bought for someone and forgot you had it, or the picture frame you loved and bought, but never found the right wall to hang it on, or Christmas decorations that you had bought on sale and but they have never made it to the mantle! There is no need to buy anything, it’s just a chance for you to pass on treasures that you have never had the chance to use. The children will have a chance to buy a gift on their own in a safe environment at a reasonable price while raising money for their school.

Please consider taking a look at home and bringing in any donations you may find. There will be a collection box set up starting November 8 in the AV room under the “down” stairs in the lobby right across from the office. We will put a sign on the door so it is easy to locate!

Ordering is now open for dinner at the Christmas Market;

Please log onto the Munch a Lunch website (www.munchalunch.com) and click on the Fundraising Open icon to access your meal options. The delicious beef on a bun (served with quinoa salad and veggies) is back by popular demand. And pizza this year is being supplied by Flying Wedge! There will only be very limited pizza for sale on the night, and no extra beef on a bun, so please make sure you order ahead online.

Ordering will remain open until Wednesday, November 20 at 5pm. Payment must also be received by this time or your order will be canceled. Please pay by credit card/Paypal online at the time of ordering if possible. If not, please place a cheque made out to Ross Road PAC in the PAC box located in the school lobby under the “down” stairs by November 18. If you need help, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Wendy Ross at jwrosshome@gmail.com.

There will be more details to follow in the coming weeks.

Any questions, please contact:
The Christmas Market Coordinators
rossroadcraftfair@gmail.com

Friday Newsletter: Jesse Miller Presentation | Canadian Parents for French update

/ Ross Road PAC

JESSE MILLER Internet Safety/Social Media Awareness Presentation

  • Wednesday October 16th
  • 7:00- 8:00pm in the School Library (parents only)

Join us on Wednesday, October 16th for this FREE, PAC-sponsored presentation with Jesse Miller of Mediated Reality. Jesse Miller is a national speaker who has addressed thousands of participants over the past years.  Presenting and consulting to schools and companies across British Columbia since 2007, Jesse is in high demand as a keynote speaker on the topics of social media awareness, social networking behaviour and online content evaluation.

Jesse’s presentations have received rave reviews from the many parents who have seen his presentations at other schools. The presentation is geared towards parents of Intermediate students but parents of children in younger grades are encouraged to attend. Parents from other schools are also welcome to come to the presentation.

Wednesday evening’s talk will give parents background information on the presentation that Jesse will be sharing with Intermediate students (Grades 4-7) on Thursday, October 17th at school.

Picture 30

Canadian Parents for French:
North Vancouver Chapter Update

SURVIVING FRENCH IMMERSION: A CPF PARENT WORKSHOP
Supporting your child through their Intermediate years of French Immersion
Join CPF North Vancouver for this interactive workshop with Susan Owens, a noted French Immersion teacher with the North Vancouver School District. Mme Owens will share her knowledge and provide tips and resources for parents of Intermediate-age Early and Late French Immersion students. Click here for more info about the presentation.

Date: Thursday, October 24, 2013
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Cleveland Elementary Map
Cost: FREE (Registration required)

Seating is limited so register early at:
https://survivingfrenchimmersion.eventbrite.ca

SFI Screenshot

Click image to view poster in Acrobat

FALL 2013 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Renew your membership! Ask others to join! And do it before October 31st because during CPF BC/Yukon’s membership drive you can win wonderful prizes! Remember 80% of your membership fee goes right back to our local chapter. That means more fun events in schools, more resources for parents, teachers and students, and more extra-curricular activities in French for our kids!

  • Renew online now for only $25/year or $60/3 years. Or download/print membership forms here.
  • SPECIAL OFFER! CPF North Vancouver is currently offering an introductory $10 one-year membership for NEW members, click here for more details, tell your friends!
  • Click here to see the list of fantastic prizes! Winners will be announced in December 2013 so don’t delay, the membership drive ends on October 31st!

NEW CPF NORTH VAN WEBSITE
Check out www.cpfnorthvan.ca where you will find information about CPF North Van’s events, meetings and contacts as well as student activities and opportunities, resources, and ways to support your child’s learning in French.

CPF MAGAZINE – INAUGURAL ISSUE
Have a look at the Fall/Winter 2013 issue of “CPF Magazine”, a joint publication from CPF’s Branches and National aimed to promote FSL in Canada. This issue features articles on the benefits of bilingualism, the value of a CPF membership, how social media helped one chapter change the mind of a school district on FSL programs.

Merci from your CPF reps,

Lisa Birrell: info@cpfnorthvan.ca
Annette Arndt: cpfrossroad@gmail.com

CPF_NorthVan_website_logo

Friday Newsletter: Meetings, Class Reps, Enviro Club & Valet

/ Ross Road PAC

Dear parents,

There’s a PAC General Meeting in the library next Wednesday, October 9.  All parents are encouraged to attend.  The meeting will start at 7pm and babysitting will be provided upon request.  (email Sarah Dennis at denniss@sutton.com if you need babysitting)

The following classes still need class reps….

  • Ms. Vicki Thomas – English 5/6
  • Mrs Denise Esterer – English 3
  • Mme Danae McKay/Mme Apameh Aryanpour – French 3

If your child is in one of these classes, please consider volunteering to become the class rep.

The valet service needs a few more volunteers….particularly on Thursdays.   As the weather gets worse, this job becomes more important.  The time commitment is tiny….just 20 minutes (from 8:25am to 8:45am) one day a week.  If you’d like to know more, please contact Nancy Barton at nancybinbc@hotmail.com

The Environment Club was recently awarded a $4,500 TD Friends of the Environment Grant to help achieve some amazing projects for the school.  Over the coming months, look out for a naturalized outdoor classroom, interpretive plant signs, an outdoor bulletin board and a weather station.  This year, the Environment Club (Grades 3-7) will be working on several lunchtime projects, including composting, water conservation and making crafts from recycled materials.  Many thanks to parent sponsors Gillian Gorton, Laurie Ainsworth, Layne Christensen and Jill Mackay, as well as principal Carla Orr and teachers Danae Mckay and Anne Zayonc for leading the club.

If you’d like to help out, the Club is looking for a volunteer carpenter or handyman for a one-off project, as well as a mosaic specialist, (or enthusiast) to create a mosaic with the children.  The club is always looking for lumber and gardeners, so if you’d like to help, please contact Gillian Gorton at thegortons@shaw.ca

Friday newsletter: No Christmas event at Ross Road?

/ Ross Road PAC / Leave a comment

Dear parents,

Ross Road families have enjoyed a Christmas event at the school for many years now.  It serves as both a great social/community evening and an important fundraiser for the kids.

But this year, there’s a chance it won’t happen.  The coordinators for the past two years have moved onto other roles within the PAC, and they need to hand over the reins to someone new.

Will you help?

The event could be anything you want it to be.  It could be a Craft Fair like last year….or it could be a sing-a-long with a concession stand full of Christmas treats…..or it could be something else entirely.  Our school needs someone to step up and help out.

The past organizers are happy to help you get started, and you’ll also have help from the class reps.  Maybe it’s something you could do with a few friends to make it easier and more fun.

If you’re interested in finding out more, or if you have any suggestions, please get in touch with the PAC chair, Sarah Dennis: denniss@sutton.com

Thanks

 

 

Family photos. Spots filling fast!

/ Ross Road PAC

Have you booked your family photo time yet?  For $20, you get a family photo and ALL the proceeds go to your PAC.

There are only 25 or so timeslots left….and once they’re gone, that’s it!

Here what’s you need to know.

 

This year, you will sign up online via the MjM website at the following links:

and then have the option of paying either by cash/cheque (on days listed below or in drop box under stairs in lobby).

There will be a table set up for information and payment options outside the front lobby doors on the following days, or until all spots are filled

  • Wednesday Sept 18th from 8:30-9am and 2:30-3:00pm

Please make cheques payable to Ross Road PAC.

You can also pay through the Munch a Lunch website.

First time users:

First time users must create an account by clicking here.   Follow the steps to create your account.  Once you’ve done that, look for the Fundraising tab at the top and follow the directions.

Returning users:

You can login to your account at any time here www.MunchLogin.com.  Once you’ve done that, look for the Fundraising tab at the top and follow the directions.  You can also  click Account Balance to view your child’s orders, reprint your receipt, or pay an outstanding balance.

For more info, please contact Caroline Leonard: cbodie@shaw.ca

Thank you!

 

 

PAC Meeting Dates

/ Ross Road PAC

Want to get more involved in your school?

Here are the upcoming dates for PAC meetings.

  • Wed Sept 25th:  Executive Meeting
  • Wed Oct 9th:      GM (voting on Teacher’s wish list & new PAC executive members)
  • Wed Oct 30th:  Executive Meeting
  • Wed Nov 20th:  Executive Meeting
  • December- electronic meeting
  • Wed Jan 15th:  Executive Meeting
  • Wed Jan 29th or Feb 5th:  GM
  • Wed Feb 19th:  Executive Meeting
  • March: Electronic meeting
  • Wed Apr 16th:  Executive Meeting
  • Wed May 14th:  Executive Meeting
  • Wed May 21st or 28th:  AGM

Want to get really involved?

Why not join the PAC executive?  The following positions are still waiting to be filled.  Click here for complete descriptions.

  • Advertising Coordinator
  • Meeting Coordinator
  • Community Outreach Coordinator
  • Christmas Craft Fair Coordinator
  • Spring Carnival Coordinator
  • School Directory Coordinator

And don’t worry – if your dream job isn’t here or has already been taken, we’d love to have you join us anyway.  It’s always good to have new voices join the group even if they don’t have a special task assigned to them! 

If you would like to help out with any of the activities listed above as a volunteer, but not in a leading role, that can certainly also be arranged! Please contact us at rossroadpac@gmail.com if you would like to get involved or have any questions.

Welcome to the 2013-14 school year from Ross Road PAC!

/ Ross Road PAC

Dear new and returning parents at Ross Road,

Time flies and we’re all getting back into the groove of school, homework, sports and play dates! We hope you’ve all had a wonderful, relaxing and fun summer holiday! Welcome back to school and to another exciting and productive school year!

Here are a few items to note:

Welcome Back Coffee – Tuesday, September 3
The kids will be in session from 8:40 AM to 10:45 AM so the Ross Road PAC would like to ease you into school by serving you Welcome Back Coffee in the lobby tomorrow morning from 8:30 AM onwards! Come have a cup of coffee while catching up with friends!

PAC Communications System
Our communications system relies entirely on email subscriptions via the PAC website. Once you have subscribed, whenever a post is added to the website, you will receive the same post in your mailbox! Simply enter your email address in the box at the top right, click the button and follow the easy instructions. Click here for more information about this service.

Class Reps
While school-wide notices are distributed via the PAC website, notices concerning each individual class will still be managed through Class Reps. This is one of the key responsibilities of Class Reps, who are vital links between teachers, parents, classroom activities and PAC-sponsored events. Becoming a class rep is a great opportunity to meet other parents, to get to know your child’s teacher and to work to enhance our school community! If you are interested in becoming a Class Rep, click here for more information.

Other ways of getting involved
Ross Road events, initiatives and programs all require volunteers in order to run smoothly, so there are many ways to get involved in the school by volunteering your time. Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet other parents, to get to know school staff, and to enhance our school community! While all of the positions require communication with the PAC Executive, not all of them require you to attend regular meetings! Click here to check out our “Volunteering” page.

Contact the PAC
We always welcome your input!
If you would like to get involved with any of our PAC events and activities – or have any questions, comments or suggestions for the PAC Executive, please send us a message: rossroadpac@gmail.com

Thank you,

Ross Road PAC
www.rossroadpac.ca

PAC End-of-School-Year Letter to Ross Road parents

/ Ross Road PAC

Hello Ross Road Parents,

The school year is drawing to a close and we’re looking back to see what we’ve accomplished in the past year!

The Ross Road PAC has had a busy and very successful year! We had several smaller fundraisers such as the ever-popular MjM Family Photo event, a Halloween costume sale, a Twitter workshop and the Park Royal Starry Nights event as well as our major fundraisers: the Christmas Craft Fair, the Spell-a-thon and our Wild, Wild West Spring Carnival just a few weeks ago (Yee-haw)! Our Food Day program was expanded and our valet service program is still going strong!

We raised $42,766 in the 2012-2013 school year, which is an amazing record! We’re proud to say that most of those funds were raised community-building while fundraising! Well done, Ross Road! The fantastic $14,000 earned at this year’s Spring Carnival got us off to a great start of our new fiscal year, which started June 1. We would like to extend a special THANK YOU to Sonia Han and her crew for this spectacular success!

So what have we spent money on this year? Here are some of the main items:

  • Bike-to-School week events: Speaker Ryan Leech and Escape Bikes
  • 6 laptops (so that our ‘new’ class set is now complete with 30 devices)
  • A projector for PAC use
  • Laptop + projector for the library + $2,700 extra for library books (Spell-a-thon proceeds)
  • Our usual $3,000 donation to the school library
  • Three fantastic musical performances at school assemblies (Bluesberries, Duffelbag Theatre and Tap Co.)
  • IT Reserve Fund started with $8,000
  • Saleema Noon Body Science workshops
  • Classroom discretionary funds
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Front garden beautification
  • Grade 7 Farewell reception
  • Up to $10,000 put aside for teachers’ wish list for 2013-2014 (Come vote for the particulars at the October 2013 PAC General Meeting!)

All in all, it’s been a great year! We would like to thank the parents at Ross Road for all their support, be it as volunteers or as participants in our events and activities. We would like to extend a special thank you to the class reps, who are such an important part of everything we do. We couldn’t put on events and activities without their help and we are hugely appreciative of their efforts!

What’s happening next year? A few things are on the calendar already:

  • Family Photo days with MjM Studios on September 22 and 23rd.
  • Brock Tully anti-bullying presentation (September 25)
  • Young Actors’ Project workshops (November). All classes will participate in three drama workshops in French or English.
  • Christmas Craft Fair and Spring Carnival: We’re still hoping to find volunteers to coordinate these events. No organizers, no events!
  • Four musical performances for the students. We’ve increased our budget for this, so the students will experience four instead of three performances next year.
  • Valet Service every school day morning (provided we continue to have enough parent and student volunteers)

We wish you all a wonderful, relaxing and safe summer! Looking forward to next year!

Ross Road PAC Executive Committee
rossroadpac@gmail.com

Welcome to the 2012-13 school year from Ross Road PAC!

/ Ross Road PAC

Dear parents at Ross Road,

Time flies and it’s time to get into the groove of school, homework, sports and play dates! We hope you’ve all had a wonderful, relaxing and fun summer holiday! Welcome back to school and to a hopefully exciting and productive new school year! Here are a few items to note:

Welcome Back Coffee – Tuesday, September 4
The kids will be in session from 8:40 to 9:30 AM so the Ross Road PAC would like to ease you into school by serving you Welcome Back Coffee in the lobby tomorrow morning from 8:30 onwards! Come have a cup of coffee and check out the Volunteer Fair posters in the lobby while catching up with friends! Read on for more info about the Volunteer Fair…

Volunteer Fair
This year the PAC is trying something new to help recruit volunteers for the valuable volunteer services that our parent group at Ross Road provides. We are going to have a “Volunteer Job Fair” that will be set up in the lobby along with the FREE coffee tomorrow morning. This will give parents an opportunity to find out about all the great services our parent group provides as well as sign up for volunteer positions that they are interested while enjoying a cup of coffee with their friends. Come check it out if you are hanging around the first day of school waiting for your children. The Volunteer Fair posters and sign-up sheets will be in the lobby till Friday and will also be posted on the PAC website: www.rossroadpac.ca/volunteer

Agendas
The PAC will help out the school by selling AGENDAS during the first few days of school.
Price: $7.50 (cash or cheque made payable to Ross Road School)
Days and time of the sale:
• Tuesday : 8:30 – 9:30 AM
• Wednesday: 8:30 – 8:45 AM and 2:50 – 3:15 PM (approx)
• Thursday: 8:30 – 8:45 AM and 2:50 – 3:15 PM (approx)
• If necessary, Friday 8:30 –8:45 AM
Available agendas: Primary, Intermediate, French and English. Primary agendas sold to students in Grades 2& 3 only. Intermediate: Grades 4-7
Teachers would appreciate it if students could have their agendas purchased by Thursday

New PAC Communications System
Starting this school year, we will roll out our new communications system that will rely entirely on PAC website subscriptions. No more duplicate notices! ;-) Please note that notices concerning each individual class will still be managed through the class reps. Click here for more information about this new system and how to sign up. Thank you to all those who are already signed up!

MjM Family Photos
Our ever-popular Family Photo sessions are back! This year, MjM Studios will come to Ross Road on Sept. 23 and 24. Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you,

Ross Road PAC