Friday Blast
Maple Ridge Elementary
Friday, Dec. 19th, 2025
Friday Blast
Maple Ridge Elementary
Friday, Dec. 19th, 2025
THIS WEEK
Our Winter Concert was an amazing success! The students and their holiday decorations were a joy to see. Thank you to our MRE families for supporting this greatly anticipated annual event. This opportunity to come together and celebrate student learning and community would not be possible without months of planning and work by our dedicated Fine Arts teacher Mme Alliette. Happy holidays everyone, see you on January 5th!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Jan. 5th – First Day Back!
Jan. 27th– Pro D Day (school not in session)
Feb. 13th– Pro D Day (school not in session)
Feb. 16th– Family Day (school not in session)
LOST & FOUND
Thank you to everyone who checked the lost and found items on concert day! All items remaining at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 19 will be donated.
WINTER READING BINGO
The MRE Literacy Committee would like to invite all students to participate in our Winter Reading Bingo! Let’s have fun and keep reading over the break!
INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES: SNOW
As the weather cools, please review the school district’s inclement weather procedures as they relate to snowfall and possible school closures.
The decision to close schools due to accumulating snowfall is ultimately the responsibility of the superintendent, who must balance the safety of students, staff and parents with the need to provide learning. The decision is not taken lightly and is the result of a carefully thought-out process that is reviewed after each experience and refined if necessary.
Except in rare circumstances, no announcement will be made if schools are open.
The decision to close schools is made by 6:30 a.m. Details are:
- posted on the SD42 Website (www.sd42.ca).
- posted on the SD42 Facebook feed (SD42Facebook);
- posted on the SD42 Twitter feed (@sd42news);
- shared with News 1130, CKNW, and CBC 690 radio stations.
Please note: The district supports individual and family decisions regarding safety. Parents/guardians have primary responsibility for their children’s safe travel to school. If, for any reason, there are personal concerns about the ability to travel safely to school, other arrangements should be made.
THE MIDDLE YEARS DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENT (MDI) – GRADE 5 STUDENTS
SD42 has partnered with the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at the University of British Columbia to measure and promote children’s social and emotional development, health, well-being, and assets through the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI). The Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) is a self-report questionnaire that asks children in middle childhood about their thoughts, feelings and experiences. The MDI is the first survey of its kind to gather information about the lives of children both in school, in the home and in the community, from their own perspective. The survey questions align with the BC Ministry of Education’s K-12 curriculum, which includes a focus on promoting children’s personal and social competencies.
Grade 5 students are invited to complete the MDI during class time between:
January 13th and March 13th, 2026.
For more information and to view the questionnaires:
https://earlylearning.ubc.ca/monitoring-system/mdi/mdi-overview/
Parent FAQs:
https://earlylearning.ubc.ca/monitoring-system/mdi/parent-caregiver-info/
If you don’t want your child to participate, please contact your child’s teacher, fill out the withdrawal form at the end of the parent/guardian informed passive consent letter, or contact the MDI project staff at mdi@help.ubc.ca.
PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Happy Friday, MRE families!
🎄 HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 🎄 As we head into winter break, we want to thank our incredible MRE community for all your support this year. Wishing you and your families a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished moments together. See you in 2026!
HOT LUNCH – JAN-MARCH SESSION DATES Mark your calendars and get ready to order!
- Jan 16 – TREAT DAY – TIM HORTONS DONUTS (Orders due Jan 8)
- Jan 30 – HOT LUNCH – SUSHI (Orders due Jan 22)
- Feb 12 – TREAT DAY – BUBBLE TEA NEW Vendor! (Orders due Feb 4) Note: Thursday Treat Day due to Pro-D on Friday
- Feb 27 – HOT LUNCH – PIZZA PIZZA (Orders due Feb 19)
- Mar 6 – TREAT DAY – TCBY New Flavours! (Orders due Feb 26)
Order at mre.parentcouncil.net | Questions? hotlunchmrepac@gmail.com
BINGO COMMITTEE MEETING Monday, Jan 12 at 7pm in the MRE Library – Join us to help plan our upcoming Bingo fundraiser!
NEXT PAC MEETING Monday, Jan 19 at 6:30pm in the MRE Library. All are welcome! Agenda and previous minutes will be circulated one week prior.
DON’T FORGET – BINGO TICKETS Sale is open! Get your tickets for our ’90s-themed bingo night! Prizes up to $1000! https://mre-pac.square.site/
Enjoy your winter break! Questions? Email us at pac.mre@gmail.com or find us on Facebook: Maple Ridge Elementary PAC
IN OUR COMMUNITY
COINS FOR KIDS
For many years, schools in the Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows School District have supported the Coins for Kids fundraiser benefiting the Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society. In the past, schools received collection containers to gather donations. In recent years, based on feedback from participating schools, the Society has encouraged more flexibility with inviting schools to choose their own creative ways to collect donations and to engage students in sharing ideas on how best to contribute. If your school would like to participate, please collect, count the donation and write a cheque for the amount to Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society.
For additional information:
https://www.mrpmchristmashamper.org/about
Contact: Tina Kirkpatrick
Office Hours and location for cheque drop off
23448 Jim Robson Way (Albion Fairgrounds), Maple Ridge, BC
From Wednesday, 19th November to Monday, 22nd December 2025, office will be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
CRISIS SUPPORT DURING WINTER BREAK
While the holiday season is a time for celebration, it can also be a time of year when people may feel lonely, stressed or triggered. Crisis supports and resources are available online, over the phone, and in person for youth and adults.
Learn about mental health and substance use supports available during the holiday season on the erase mental health and substance use web page.
A reminder that reports from students may be received through the Report It tool over winter break. Please consider this in your planning to ensure students have the supports they need.
KEEP YOUR CHILD HEALTHY DURING WINTER
As the chilly winter season approaches, there are things you can do to help keep your children healthy
and well.
Get ready for winter at home and in the community
Winter can bring extreme weather and it’s important
to have plans to be safe during cold weather, storms
and power outages, including staying warm, having a carbon monoxide detector and planning for emergencies. Learn about programs that can support your family:
- Get ready for winter: Snow and cold safety for you and your home – Fraser Health Authority
- Indoor air quality – Fraser Health Authority
Bundle up for the cold
Dressing appropriately for cold weather keeps your child comfortable and protected. Wearing multiple layers is a great way to trap body heat and provide insulation against the cold.
Keep a warm hat, gloves, scarves and warm, waterproof boots handy. Remind your child to wear these items before heading outside to play or going to school.
Learn about hypothermia and frostbite as children can be more susceptible.
Protect against winter illnesses
Winter brings an increased risk of colds and flu. Ensure your child receives their annual flu vaccine and talk to a health care provider about any additional vaccines that may be recommended. Teach your child good respiratory etiquette such as regular hand washing, covering their coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick. If they are sick and cannot stay away from others, masks can help to reduce the risk of spreading illness. Learn more about masks here.
Keep their bodies moving
It is important to keep your child active during winter as regular physical activity is important for good health. Outdoor activities such as skating, sledding and going for walks as a family are all great ways to keep active. On colder days, indoor play and activities such as dancing, yoga or sports are great ways to promote movement. Look for drop-in programs at local community centres or indoor sports facilities.
If you play on frozen lakes or ponds, be sure that the ice has been tested for strength and safety. Learn more on the Lifesaving Society’s website.
Find more tips for a healthy winter on Fraser Health’s Winter Health page.
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.