Hi all,

The last email said the AGM started at 7.30pm, when in fact it starts at 7pm.  If you arrive at 7.30pm, you’ll still be very welcome, but just be aware that we may have spent the previous 30 minutes talking about you.  If there’s an awkward silence when you turn up, you’ll know why.

Oh, and if you want to bring your kids, we can arrange to have a babysitter for you….but please let Tamrah know (corbenst@telus.net) ASAP.

And, as one final tidbit of what’s to come….one thing we’re planning on voting on is to approve the purchase of 14 new laptop batteries.  “Apparently”, that’s more important to the kids then a hot-tub.  Whatevs.

Thanks!  See you Wednesday.

Dear parents,

Here’s a bunch of good reasons why you should be coming to the PAC AGM in the school library at 7.30pm this Wednesday night.

1.  It’s a chance to hear from Principal Carla Orr and School Trustee Barry Forward about issues affecting our school and community AND you get to ask them questions.  You’ll also get to hear how the PAC would like to spend the money that you’ve raised and find out about some upcoming school-wide programs.
2. We’re going for a record for the number of parents we can stuff into an elementary school library.  Guinness Book of World Record staff will be in attendance to verify numbers.  This might be the only chance many of us get to see our names in the Guinness Book of World Records (apparently stuffing olives in your ears isn’t an achievable record anymore)  You don’t want to let down your fellow parents do you?*
3. There’s a reality series being shot in the neighborhood at the moment (you might have noticed the production vehicles parked on the soccer field).  We weren’t able to say anything till now, but they’re actually shooting a new series called The Real PAC Parents of North Vancouver.  Come and be a part of the action!*

Here’s the agenda….

* Some of these statements may not be true.

Dear parents,

1.  Don’t forget that ordering for Food Days closes on Friday at 6pm.  Miss the cut-off and you’ll have to make lunch every day between now and March 2016!  Click here to find out more and order.
2. Did you sign up for a family photo?  If you did, now’s the time to pay.  You can leave a cheque (made out to Ross Road PAC) in the PAC box under the stairs, give Caroline $20 on Thursday morning in person or pay online here.  Please pay no later then Friday at 6pm.

Thanks!

Dear parents,

1.  On November 18th, Safeteen will come to Ross Road to give our grade 6 and 7 students a three-hour workshop in non-violent conflict resolution. The program empowers pre-teens with skills to deal with all forms of violence safely and effectively and provides them with strategies to stand up for themselves and what they believe in without violence. In other words, it’s a great positive assertiveness and empowerment program! We ran this outstanding program two years ago and are proud to be able to present it again to a new group of grade 6-7 students.  This year’s program would not have been possible without a generous donation from Polygon Homes.  Thank you, Polygon! We truly appreciate your help!  While the Safeteen workshop is only for grade 6-7 students, we welcome all Ross Road parents to attend the Parent Night on November 17th!  Details to come.  For more info on safeteen, please see safeteen.ca (select ‘Programs’ in dropdown menu, then ‘Elementary’).
2. The ever-popular Card Project is back this year.  This is a popular fundraiser at the school, with 25% of total sales going directly to the PAC.  To give back to the local community, the PAC will also donate a portion of the proceeds to North Shore Search and Rescue this year.  On November 6 your child’s free sample card will be delivered to their classroom and sent home with ordering information. Orders received by the due date will be delivered in early December. There is an exciting product range to select from including cards, prints and notebooks or simply order a high quality digital file.  For more information click here.
3.  If you hurry, (like really hurry cause it’s happening right now), then you can meet Sarah Dennis in the schoolyard and help her and others do some essential gardening.  Don’t worry if you missed it this week, cause she might be back next week as well.  Stay tuned.
4. Family Photos:  All slots are filled.  If you signed up for this, it’s time to pay up!  There will be a separate email coming out about this.  Exciting!
5. Food Days: Now open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Enough said.  Click here to find out more. Deadline for ordering is 6pm, Friday October 2.
6. The AGM is on October 21.  There’s free babysitting, so maybe take advantage of it and make it a cheap date night!  Cause nothing says ‘new way to keep romance alive’ like a PAC AGM.

The annual and very popular Family Photo day is back!  Here’s all the details!

When: Sunday Oct 4th between 10-4pm and Monday Oct 5th between 5-9pm

Follow this link to sign up:

Click here to book a slot!

Where: Ross Road Elementary gym

Miscellaneous: Feel free to bring the family pet or any other fun props you’d like in your photo. OR, just bring your family and make a nice family photo for Christmas cards perhaps?

There will be a table set up for information, sign up and payment outside the front lobby doors on the following days, 

• Thursday Sept 24 from 8:30-9am
• Thursday Oct 1 from 8.30-9am

Payment of $20 can be paid by cash or cheque and dropped into the PAC box under the ‘down’ stairs in the lobby. Please make cheques payable to Ross Road PAC.  The entire $20 will go to the PAC and you get an amazing 8×10 photo of your family to cherish for years.

Dear parents,

Hope you’re staying dry this weekend….

• Food days are open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for the excessive number of exclamation marks, but my wife and I have three children at Ross Road, and the thought of not preparing lunches once a month makes us giddy. Want to sign up or find out more? Head on over to this page on the PAC website.

• October 21st is the day the Doc sent Marty McFly thirty years into the future in Back to the Future II. Assuming you’re not out celebrating this momentous occasion or time traveling yourself, please come to the first PAC GM for the school year. Babysitting is available upon request and if there’s enough interest, we may see if we can build our very own flux capacitor using materials found in the library.

• Looking for a low-key volunteer job where you can work on your tan and help kids play? Starting September 18 after school, Sarah Dennis is heading up a working party to trim the school bushes and stop them poking kids in the eye. No need to sign up, just turn up and bring something to cut with.

• Finally, It’s FAMILY PHOTOS TIME. This is a great fundraiser for the PAC that always sells out.   It will be happening from 10am to 4pm on Sunday October 4 and from 5pm to 9pm on Monday, October 5. Just $20 for a 15 minute sitting. You get awesome family photos (hopefully better than these ones) and all the money goes to the PAC. Watch this space.  An online booking email will come out later this week.

Have a great week.

Hi folks,

Couple of things to tell you about in this last week of school….

• On Thursday June 25th, a Farewell ceremony and reception will take place for the grade 7’s and their families. An area will be flagged off behind the school beside the music room after lunch and organisers have kindly asked that noise is kept to a minimum at pick-up time and that younger kids stay out of the flagged area.
• Just to plant a thought in your mind over the summer break about volunteering next school year…we need someone to fill a few positions, including assistance with the Safe Arrival, Enviro Club and Valet programs.  It would also be awesome to find someone who might have experience in applying for grants.  There’s cash in them grants for our school if we know how to find it!
• If this turns out to be the last newsletter this year (but who knows!), have a fantastic summer break and see you in September.

Your PAC exec.

Dear parents,

You are all awesome!  Thank you so much for supporting last Friday’s Spring Carnival!  Because of your volunteering, hard work, donations and enthusiasm, we raised over $9,000 for our PAC!  ($9260.69 if you want to get precise).  And while that’s very cool, what was even cooler was seeing the whole community come together to have a kick-ass good time.  Here’s the proof that show how kick-assedy it was!

Now for the thank yous – because amazing events like this don’t just happen without a lot of people putting a lot of work into it.  Firstly, our amazing organiser – Tamrah Corben who gave up nights, weekends, her personal life and perhaps even a little bit of her sanity to pull it all together.  Then there were people like Shelley Smith Clarke, Adrian Clarke, Sine Scott, Louise Byron, Heather Merry, Dana Kovanda, and Nichole Randal from the planning committee.  Caroline Leonard did an incredible job coordinating and communicating with all the classes about their booths and volunteer sign up, not to mention a lot of running around on the day of, Dana Lyseng put together an outstanding Crazy Hair booth,  Lisa Birrell did an amazing job on the posters and Bettina Harris, Sarah Denis, Madeleine Tattersall and a few more PAC Execs also did double and triple duty selling tickets, manning booths and counting money.  Let’s also not forget the fabulous MCs, Darren Davis, Chris Randall and Ryan Edgar for the community games, they really got the crowd going and spurred on some awesome enthusiasm.

While you’re thinking good thoughts about these people, give some to yourself as well for volunteering at the booths and the Cook Shack as well as donating towards the mystery bags, silent auction, raffle baskets and cake walk.

You may have also noticed a few teachers and staff who joined us in the festivities. Normand Ponton, Mr Choi and Ms Ivana P all signed up to be dunked, which really got the kids excited. Linda Gelley, Sylvie Trigg, Anne Zayonc, Monique Belanger, Joulia May, Anami Naths and Carla Orr, who stayed late to help clean up, were also there. It was great to see them participate and support us.

A very special thanks to The Lynn Valley Lions and SaveOn Foods for a yummy cook shack.

For those lucky winners of the silent auction prizes please contact Heather Merry at heather.merry@yahoo.com and raffle baskets please contact Shelley Clarke at scsmith00@hotmail.com . If you have any receipts for purchasing supplies for the Spring Carnival and would like to be reimbursed please contact Kara Burgoyne at burgoynekara@gmail.com .

And finally, we would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback that you feel is important to share, for example booths you’d like to see return, suggestions about new booths, etc., please email Tamrah at corbenst@telus.net. We value your input and work towards making this carnival better every year.

Now – let’s start talking about the Christmas Craft Fair.

Just kidding.  :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

The PAC Executive

 

 

Ross Road News Extraordinaire

Volume No. 2, Issue No. 3

Today’s Top Story

Less than two weeks from now on Friday, June 12, 2015, groovy, good times are coming to Ross Road Elementary School! At this point everyone knows that the 2015 Spring Carnival has been carefully planned and that our school is going to stage a night to remember, but here are some more details on the evening’s events you won’t want to miss.

Hippie Days Are Here Again. This is your chance to sport the fashions of the sixties you never got to wear. Your organizers are hoping everyone—young and old—will get Hippie and dress for fun, flair and freedom!

Dunk Tank. Only the bravest grade 7s will dare to take a seat in the dunk tank. See if you can get away without getting wet. One of your fun-loving teachers has signed up, too. It will be too good to miss when he or she goes swimming!

Community games. Team up to race in the parent and child three legged race. Try your skills in the sack race or assemble the strongest group of adults vs students and then again in girls vs boys tug of war.

Music Entertainment. We couldn’t have Hippie Days without some groovy sounds filtering through the air. This year The Flying Sofas will be our musical guests for the Spring Carnival.

Inside Scoop

Here’s more on what you need to know to get the most out of our carnival.

• The popular mystery bags will be offered in two openings at 5:30 and then again at 6:30. Half the bags will be distributed during each time slot. In order to ensure that every child gets at least one, we will be stamping children’s’ hands when they receive their bags. No double dipping, please!
• Tickets are only $1 each and will be available for purchase the week of the Spring Carnival starting Monday, June 8th as well as on the day of the fair
• Community is a big part of this year’s carnival — we want to see parents out there engaging in some friendly competition and fun with the Join the sack and three legged races or pull your weight in tug of war.

Help Wanted Ads

• Mystery Bag Maker. To ensure the success of this station we need all the parents to do one of two things –donate one mystery bag for each child attending Ross Road or contribute $3.00 per child to cover the cost of bags we will put together. For the older children, consider gift cards to booster juice, hair accessories, fun stationary, and Please do not include toy weapons and add only new items to the bags. We are aiming for 250 mystery bags this year. Drop it off at the PAC donation box or bring them on the day of the carnvial.
• Skills required – sweet tooth and sharing nature. The Cake Walk is always one of the most popular booths. On the day of the event, please drop off home-baked goods as well as store- bought items. Every cupcake and cookie helps.
• Cook Shack Hands. Skills required – grill ready and The Cook Shack needs to be set up, manned during the BBQs, and torn down. We need fourteen people to sign up. Shift times are 3-5, 5-7 and 7-9 pm.
• Raffle Baskets. This year’s game prizes are popsicles. Earn 3 and trade them in for a fun raffle basket. We need more baskets for kids. Please donate a kid friendly basket or money towards one.

Please contact the Spring Carnival Coordinator, Tamrah Corben at corbenst@telus.net to volunteer, donate and for any questions.

Ross Road News Extraordinaire
Volume No. 2, Issue No. 2

Today’s Top Story
The 2015 Spring Carnival is around the corner, Friday, June 12, 2015 from 5-8 pm, and it’s sure to be a great Ross Road community event. This year it will be a HIPPIE theme and a performance by The Flying Sofas, so get ready to get groovy. Think tie-dye, flowers in your hair and clothes with flair.
Come hungry for our classic Cook Shack favourites brought to us by the Lynn Valley Lions: burgers, hotdogs, fries, onion rings, and much more. And what’s a carnival without popcorn, cotton candy, and wholesome home-made goodies.
Community is a big part of this year’s carnival and we want to encourage parents to participate in some friendly competition. Pair up with your children or go solo and enjoy our sack races, three-legged races and Tug of War. Try for victory in multiple events – adults against kids and girls against boys.

Inside Scoop
Here’s more on what you need to know to get the most out of our carnival.
• This year’s Spring Carnival brings the chance once again to win a very special Raffle Basket. This is the way it works: You receive a popsicle stick for each booth you visit and for each activity you try. Collect 3 popsicle sticks and then redeem your sticks for 1 raffle ticket. The more popsicle sticks and raffle tickets you collect―the better your chances are of winning a fantastic raffle basket.
• Silent Auction items will be on display during the event. Stop by to see what amazing things you can bid on.
• The top stations like Cake Walk, Crazy Hair and Bouncy Castles are back!
• New this year, a Dunk Tank. Only the bravest grade 7s will be dunked. So get your hippie on and share the love!

Recap from last week

Reminders from last week about our carnival.
• Tickets are only $1 each and will be available for purchase the week of the Spring Carnival as well as on the day of the event.
• Raffle Baskets are again this year’s big prizes as a reward from your hard work at the each station. This means that the more fun you have at the fair, the better your chances are of winning a fantastic raffle basket.
• Midway Games are always a popular place to have some fun!

Help Wanted
• We need DONATIONS. Please help us make this another huge success. One way to do this is to donate Mystery Bags, and items towards Raffle Baskets, Silent Auction, Cake Walk. Financial donations are also an easy way to help and very much appreciated!
• Parents:  the Cook Shack needs your help setting up, manning BBQs, serving food and tear down. We need 7 people to sign up.
• Do you have a truck and some time to pick up and drop off the Midway games? We need new volunteers to help. If this is something you can do, please send an email to Tamrah – corbenst@telus.net.

Please contact the Spring Carnival Coordinator, Tamrah Corben at corbenst@telus.net to volunteer, donate and for any questions.