Friday Blast
Maple Ridge Elementary
Friday, September 13th, 2024
THIS WEEK
Students and staff enjoyed a positive and productive first full week with their new classes. Community building activities took place throughout the school including games and art. Much laughter could be heard coming from various classrooms!
Should you need to reach out to school administration please feel free to call the school to book an appointment or email Mme Lendvoy – Principal (chelsea_lendvoy@sd42.ca) or Mme Perry – Vice Principal (rachael_perry@sd42.ca) directly. To ensure that we can provide the best support to all families, we aim to respond to emails within 24 to 48 hours. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address all inquiries as promptly as possible.
We are thrilled to have your family with us for another exciting school year. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance as we get started.
NEXT WEEK
Monday, Sept. 16th
6:30 pm: PAC Meeting in the MRE library
Tuesday, Sept. 17th
Wednesday, Sept. 18th
All Day: Individual Student Photos
Thursday, Sept. 19th
All Day: Spirit Day – Wear your jersey!
Friday, Sept. 20th
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Terry Fox Assembly & Run
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Individual Student Photos
Terry Fox Run
Our 2024 Terry Fox School Run will be taking place on Friday September 20th. This event supports cancer research while also building school spirit for our students. Your generosity can help us reach our fundraising goal of $1000!
The Terry Fox Foundation has created an online fundraising page customized for our school at https://schools.terryfox.ca/MapleRidgeElementary
Click the link to donate online or search for our school name at terryfox.org. Receipts for eligible donations are issued immediately to donors by email from the Terry Fox Foundation. Stay tuned for announcements about bringing cash and coin donations to school as well! You can further support this great cause by sharing our customized fundraising link with your family and friends to help us reach our goal. Thank-you in advance for your support!
DROP OFF
The driveway at the front of the school is open in the morning for student drop off. This is the “kiss n’ go” option. Please pull over to the right (do not exit your vehicle) and allow your student(s) to exit your vehicle. If your student needs more time to say goodbye in the morning, or you need to exit your vehicle for any reason, utilize “neighbourhood parking” option. Please avoid stopping to pick up your student(s) on River Rd. A photo of available local parking is attached for your convenience. Let’s work together to keep our children safe.
PICK UP
The driveway at the front of the school is closed to vehicles at the end of the day to prioritize student safety, except for buses and vehicles with an accessibility decal. Please avoid stopping to pick up your student(s) on River Rd. A photo of available local parking is attached for your convenience. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring student safety.
BELL SCHEDULE
8:25 am – students line up
8:30 am – classes begin
10:20 am – 10:35 am – recess
12:00 pm – 12:15 pm – students eat in their classrooms
12:15 pm – 12:40 pm – outside playtime
2:20 pm – dismissal
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
CONSENT FORMS
A number of consent forms for your student(s) are now on the Parent Portal awaiting your approval. An instruction guide on how to complete consent forms is attached.
For your convenience, copies of these forms are available for your review on the district website at https://www.sd42.ca/consent-forms/. The school district website has a translate tool in the top right menu, which will produce approximate translations in a variety of languages.
If you would like to make a change on any of your consent forms after they have been completed, please contact your child’s school directly to have the form reset.
If you have any questions about the collection of information on these forms, contact privacy@sd42.ca.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
If you are still needing to purchase your student’s school supplies, there are various options:
Kindergarten – Grade 3
Supplies are bulk-ordered by the classroom teacher. There is a flat fee which covers all art and school supplies for the year. This includes the cost of a planner (agenda):
Kindergarten: $55.00
Grade 1 – 3:
$50.00 (no planner) or $60.00 (planner)
You can pay your child’s teacher directly with cash or cheque. If you prefer online payment, the parent portal is available.
Grade 4-7
Students have the option to pre-order from Creative Packs or purchase their own supplies. If you have not yet purchased your grade 4-7 child’s school supplies, you may still order directly from Creative Packs at: www.creativepacks.ca, but there will be a late fee. You may also purchase items on your own. Please use the following link to access lists: https://elementary.sd42.ca/mapleridge/school-supplies/
Students who pre-ordered supplies in June will have their supplies delivered to their classrooms.
There is still time to order a Creative Pack for your student, but please be aware that the delivery time is estimated to be one week.
Some intermediate classes will be using planners. The cost is $10 and you will be notified if your child needs one.
Please contact the office to discuss financial support options.
COMBINED CLASSROOM COMMUNITIES
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will a student miss or repeat curriculum material?
In today’s classrooms, the focus has shifted away from memorizing facts and learning content knowledge. Instead, there is an increased emphasis on the development of skills and understanding concepts and processes, in addition to developing the attitudes and mindset of a lifelong learner. With rapid changes in science and technology, it is essential students learn how to access information, evaluate ideas, make judgments, collaborate with others, and transfer knowledge in novel ways.
Teachers of combined classes create learning engagements that meet the needs of all learners, often incorporating learning outcomes from both grades into holistic, theme-based units of study. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework helps teachers design curriculum to meet individual student needs while recognizing student strengths. Using this framework helps all teachers, whether straight grade or combined, succeed in creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
How can families support their children?
Regardless of their child’s class placement, families are encouraged to stay positive and interested in their child’s learning. Families can demonstrate support by encouraging open-mindedness, risk-taking, and principled learning. Families are also encouraged to monitor schoolwork and to communicate openly with the teacher around their child’s strengths, stretches, and learning goals.
HEALTH AWARENESS
We are continuing to practice Health Awareness this year for everyone entering our school – this includes staff, students, and visitors. Health awareness includes checking regularly for any symptoms of illness (including, but not limited to, COVID-19 symptoms) and staying home when sick.
ATTENDANCE
If you know that your child is going to be late or absent from school, please let us know through either the parent portal, by calling us at 604-467-5551 or by emailing mre_reception@sd42.ca. If you know your child will be absent multiple days in a row you can enter them all at once so that you do not need to update it each day.
PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
There are many fun and exciting events taking place at our school in September. We encourage you to get involved! If you are interested in volunteering and supporting school activities, please sign up for a time slot at: https://signup.com/go/dgsaFVo.
Our first PAC meeting will take place on Monday, September 16th at 6:30 pm in the school library. We hope to see you there!
IN OUR COMMUNITY
Foundry News
The Foundry provides mental health care, substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth, and family peer supports, and social services to youth aged 12-24 years of age. It provides drop-in counselling as well as various social events that your child can attend. This is a terrific way to build positive connections with others within the Maple Ridge community.
