Dear parents,

The Christmas fair was an incredible success.  It was awesome to see so many people come out on a Friday night to have a great time and support their school and their community.

The list of people to thank is enormous…..from the wonderful sponsors who provided prizes for the silent auctions, to the administration, teachers and support staff who let us take over the place, to the organizing committee who put it all together (especially Justine Simmons, their tireless leader), to the class parents for putting together all the raffle baskets and of course, to you, the parents, who baked, donated and volunteered your time to make it all happen.

We raised over $11,000!!!!  Way to go!

Have a safe and happy holiday season and we’ll see you in 2015.

Dear parents,

Here’s what you need to know about the Christmas Fair.

• Date and Time: December 5.  5pm to 8pm.
• Pre-order your meal on the Munch a Lunch Website- don’t be disappointed (and hungry), there will be a very limited amount of food to buy the night of the Market if you haven’t pre-ordered. munchalunch.com

• Sign up for a shift! Christmas Market Volunteer Sign-Up It really is a fun way to meet other parents.

• Bake Sale: Please sign-up in the school foyer. Drop off your cookies, brownies, squares , etc at the office on Friday December 5th. Where possible, please do not put nuts in your baking. Store bought “baking” is always welcome! We ran out of baking last year so please be generous!

• Holiday Shop N Wrap: Kids only! Shop for gifts for friends and family. For it to work we all need to pitch in and donate small new or nearly-new Clear your closets of those candles, books and soaps that you thought you would use. Donate those DVDs that you have viewed and still look new. Socks, toys, bath products, art kits – all of these things will find good homes. It does not need to be brand new – just present-able. (Pun intended!) Drop off in foyer.

• Mystery Bags: Bags can be dropped off in the foyer all week long. The children LOVE these fun bags. Bags should have an approximate value of $5 per bag, and everything in the bags should be NEW (please, NO old candy or used toys).The bags could include fun holiday- or winter-themed things such as craft kits or supplies, ornaments to colour, kids’ costume jewellery or hair bands, fun kid’s gloves, small puzzles or games, candy boxes or bags, pencils, etc. The “bag” can be anything you like… brown lunch bag, goodie bag, gift bag – with the contents a mystery! All styles are welcome and fun! Please label the bag as boy, girl, or either, and the approximate grade level as appropriate.

• Ticket sales: Save yourself time by buying tickets ahead of time in the foyer before and after school on Thursday and Friday December 4^th and 5^th. 1 ticket = $1. Price list will be posted. All kids’ crafts and activities will be by tickets only – however Adult Craft Vendors and Silent Auction will be cash sales. Tickets will also be available the night of the Market.

Thank you to everyone for your time, energy and contributions!

Dear parents,

• The Christmas Fair is fast approaching and there’s a lot you can do to help.
  • Volunteer!  All parents are requested to sign up for at least one 30 minute shift.  Here’s a complete list of shifts and jobs that are still available.  Get in quick before only the crappy jobs are left.  (just kidding – all the jobs are fun and easy and you only need to sign on for 30 minutes)
  • Mystery Bags -the more we have of these, the better.  Kids hate it when they run out in the first 15 minutes!   To help, please fill and decorate a Christmas gift bag worth approximately $5 and label either “boy” or “girl” and estimate Grade K-1, 2-3, 4-5, or 6-7.   Contact: Tereana Lazarowich ttlazaro@telus.net  for more information.
  • Holiday Shop n’ Wrap:  This is a great way for your kids to purchase presents for family and friends.  Looking for donations of small items worth $1 to $5 (or more).   Contact: Christine Birkett cbirkett5@gmail.com for more information.
  • Bake Sale – Mmmm…baked goods.  Keep your eye out for signs in the foyer with details.  Contact Ann Marie Lewis annmarielewis604@gmail.com for more information.
  • Food ordering –  The Munch a Lunch site is open now to take your orders for dinner on the night of the fair.  Options include a variety of pizza and the always popular pulled pork bun with a kale coleslaw salad.  Just use your regular login at the Munch a Lunch site and click on the fundraising tab at the top.   You must have your order in by 6pm, Friday November 21.  Want to know how to use Munch a Lunch?  Click here for more information.

• Tomorrow is election day.  Robin Hicks, Jessica Stanley and Roger Bassam are all connected with our school and are running for election tomorrow.  Find out more about what they stand for, as well as information about all candidates here.
  • Candidates http://www.dnv.org/article.asp?a=6120&c=764
  • General District Election information http://www.dnv.org/article.asp?c=764

• Just a reminder that the deadline for the Card Project is today!  For complete details and information, please click here.  Ready to order?  Click here.  Remember, that 25% of all sales go to the PAC!

Dear parents,

Thanks to everyone who’s already volunteered for a shift at the Christmas Fair.  If you haven’t already, please do so!  Click on the image or click here to choose your shift. 

Dear parents,

• Christmas Craft Fair – December 5:  THANK YOU to Justine Simmons for stepping up an volunteering to coordinate this amazing Ross Road event.  And thanks again to all the other parents who have also volunteered to help.  It’s a big job that helps grow our school community and raise much needed funds to spend on our kids.  If you haven’t volunteered yet, here’s how you can help;
  • We need food suppliers – donated or at cost – could you or someone you know help here?
  • We need crafters
  • We need bake sale vendors
  • We need dance room supervisors
  • We need decorators
  • We need you!  If you’d like to help, please contact Justine at justinerunner@gmail.com.

• November 15th is election day.   School Trustee elections have a direct effect on how our public schools prioritize their funds, decide which programs add value and how we can best support our students.  Mayoral and Councillor elections have a direct effect on housing, transportation and community planning.  This year there are two parents running who have students at Ross Road, Jessica Stanley for school trustee and Roger Bassam for district of North Vancouver councillor.  There are all candidate meetings scheduled for school trustees Nov. 4th and District Mayoral and Councillors Nov. 6th.  Please see the links for more information on dates, places and times as well as the candidates.

Important Dates http://www.dnv.org/article.asp?a=5990&c=764
Candidates http://www.dnv.org/article.asp?a=6120&c=764
General District Election information http://www.dnv.org/article.asp?c=764

Have a great weekend,

Your PAC Executive

Dear parents,

Just a reminder that the PAC GM is on Wednesday night, starting at 7.30pm in the library.  All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.  If you need childcare, please contact Sarah Dennis (denniss@sutton.com)

The agenda is;

1- Approval of Minutes from May 21,2014 AGM
2- Business arising from the minutes
3- Principal’s Report
4- New Business
5- Vote in new PAC Members
6- Vote in School Planning Committee
7- Update from CPF
8- Treasurer’s Report
9- Other

Dear parents,

• Munch a Lunch:  Good news!  If you missed the chance to order, you’ve got one more chance.  The site will be re-open from Saturday  (October 18) till next Friday (October 24) .  You must pay and order by Friday for the food day session that runs until the end of February.  Click this link to find out more
• Lice:  As many families are already aware, lice is back at Ross Road, and has been reported in a number of classrooms.  There is a dedicated page on the Ross Road site with plenty of awesome information about lice, but here’s the things you need to know.
  • Lice does NOT cause disease.
  • Lice is VERY common in schools
  • ANYONE who has hair can get it.
  • Having kids with lice does not mean you have done anything wrong.

If you want to know how to check for lice, there’s a great video here.     If you’re at your wits end and need someone to talk to about it,  please call the public health nurse on 604-983-6700.

• Enviro Club:  The Enviro Club is just one of the many things that makes our school and community awesome.  One highlight from last year was a field trip to the Well Fed Kitchen, where the kids cooked a delicious meal using ingredients grown in the school garden. Find out more about the club here.    The club needs more volunteers to keep going.  Specifically, it would be great to have parents who can take a leadership role in regular garden cleanups (spooky island and/or edible garden), grant-writing, art (mosaic/mural creation), lunchtime workshop assistance. Parents of primaries are especially needed to ensure the club’s future.

And finally, just a few housekeeping notes about the PAC;

• There’s a PAC noticeboard underneath the ‘down’ stairs in the lobby.  Check this for a calendar of PAC events and other notices.
• Do you know someone who isn’t getting these emails?   Please let them know it’s super-easy to sign up.  They just have to go to http://www.rossroadpac.ca and look for the box on the right hand side.
• Do you know that there is a PAC Google Calendar that lists important dates like Food Days, Pro-D days, early dismissal etc?  Here’s the link.  Want to get really fancy and sync it with your own calendar?  Here’s the XML link and here’s the iCAl link
• Don’t forget the PAC GM is next Wednesday in the school library, starting at 7.30pm.

Dear parents,

Family photos are THIS SUNDAY AND MONDAY!   For only $20, you get a family photo taken by a professional photographer and ALL the proceeds go to your PAC.

There are still some slots open on both days….and the photography studio will offer more time if there’s demand.  If you don’t see a time that suits you and your family, please get in touch with Caroline Leonard (cbodie@shaw.ca).

Here what’s you need to know.

You can sign up online via the MjM website at the following link

Ross Road PAC Family Photos – Oct 19 & 20

and then you have the option of paying either by ‘munch a lunch’ or 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 inside the front lobby doors on the following days, or until all spots are filled

• Thursday October 9^thfrom 8:30-9:00am OR 2:30-3:00pm
• Friday October 10^thfrom 8:30-9:00am OR 2:30-3:00pm
• Wednesday October 15^thfrom 8:30-9:00am OR 2:30-3:00pm

Please make cheques payable to Ross Road PAC.

You can also pay  via the Munch a Lunch website as well.  

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

Dear parents,

• The Annual Ross Road Christmas Craft Fair needs a coordinator.  The Fair is one of the school’s largest fundraisers but it will not happen unless we find someone to coordinate it. We have lots of people who have offered to help with different stations and we have lots of information from last year to pass on, but we need someone (or two people) to step up to make it happen. If you can do this, please email Sarah Dennis as soon as possible at denniss@sutton.com. TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!!
• Have you signed up for your Family Photo yet? They are scheduled for Sunday October 19^th from 9-4pm and Monday October 20^th from 5-8pm and they are filling up fast! MJM Studios will continue to open up new sitting times as soon as the early ones are full (they don’t want any long breaks in between photo sittings) so keep an eye on the link ( Ross Road PAC Family Photos – Oct 19 & 20  ) and once you’ve signed up, you can pay your $20 either via Munch a Lunch or drop your payment into the drop box under the ‘down’ stairs in the lobby. Once you sign up, you can always change your time to a more convenient one as they become available.

• Class reps – we are still looking for a few more class reps for the following classes. If your child is in one of these classes, please consider being the class rep this year. Please let the teacher know and then contact Caroline Leonard at cbodie@shaw.ca.

Mme Belanger (French 6)

Mme Bertrand (French 7)

Mr Bowering (English 4/5)

Ms Macdonald/Ms Mah (English 6/7).

• The next PAC general meeting is Wednesday, October 22nd at 7.30pm in the school library.  Come and learn about what the PAC does and how your child benefits from the PAC’s activities.  Childcare provided on request.  Please email Sarah Dennis at denniss@sutton.com if you’d like childcare.

Thanks!