Friday Blast
Maple Ridge Elementary
Friday, Nov. 28th, 2025
THIS WEEK
Students have been finishing projects, completing reflections, and assembling portfolios in preparation for next week’s Student Led Conferences.
NEXT WEEK
Monday, Dec. 1st
2:20 pm – 4:30 pm: Afterschool program: Drama (for registered students)
Tuesday, Dec. 2nd
Afterschool program: Yoga (for registered students)
Wednesday, Dec. 3rd
2:20 pm – 3:30 pm – Afterschool program: Tae Kwon Do (for registered students)
Thursday, Dec. 4th
11:30 am – Dismissal (Student Led Conferences)
Friday, Dec. 5th
Student Led Conferences (school not in session)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Dec. 8th: Gr. 6 Immunizations
Dec. 8th & 9th: Santa Mall
Dec. 9th: Candy Cane Day! (wear red and white)
Dec 12th: PAC pizza hot lunch day (for students who ordered)
Dec. 15th Christmas Chaos! (wear your favourite holiday style)
Dec. 16th: Winter Concert (AM & PM)
Dec. 19th: Last Day Before Winter Break!
BOOK FAIR
The Scholastic Book Fair has arrived in time to complete your Christmas shopping! The Book Fair will start on Friday, November 28 until Friday, December 5. All students will get a chance to have a look at the items at the Fair during their regularly scheduled library period. Families are welcome to come browse the Fair after school until 3:00 pm from December 1st to December 3. The Book Fair will also be available during student conferences next week. The Fair will be open until 7 pm on Thursday during conferences. The Book Fair will be closed and packed up at 1 pm on December 5.
Please check out some of the featured books:
https://www2.scholastic.ca/bookfairs/featured-books/
WINTER CONCERT – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16th
We are excited to welcome families to our Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 16th, with performances at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Arrival & Seating
Please wait outside in line upon arrival. We will open the doors once we are ready to seat guests. We appreciate your patience and cooperation.
Front Row Auction
Would you like a front row seat? We will be auctioning four pairs of front-row seats for each performance through an online auction. The online auction will close at midnight on December 6th. Winners will be contacted with instructions on payment and how to pick up their tickets.
👉 Bid here: https://www.32auctions.com/winterconcert
Additional Notes
- Donations will be gratefully accepted at the door.
- No food or drinks permitted inside the building. There will be no concession on site.
- Please plan to attend only one performance to ensure there is space for everyone.
- Please plan to stay for the entire performance to support all students.
- Video recording is permitted only for your own child. We ask that you please be respectful of other families.
We look forward to celebrating the season together! ❄️🎶
GROW THE GRINCH HEART
This year Divisions 9 and 16 are inviting the school to help grow the Grinch’s heart by donating non-perishable food items and some basic winter clothing (scarves, mitts and hats). All items will be donated to the Salvation Army and the Friends in Need Food Bank. We will be collecting donations from December 1-16. If you have any food or clothing items to donate, please send them with your child to school or drop them off in the respective boxes in front of the office.
Thank you so much for helping us make this a memorable donation.
A MESSAGE FROM MS. LINDGREN
We invite you to participate in our 10 days of Christmas giving…
We are collecting items during the first two weeks of December. Each day has a different theme. The donated items will be split between the MRE community and the Hamper Society to assist those families needing additional support this holiday season.
Please note that any contribution is appreciated. If you have items you would like to donate on a non-designated theme day please do so. If you have any questions, please contact our Child and Youth Worker Cora Lindgren @ cora_lindgren@sd42.ca. Please drop the items off at the office or at Cora Lindgrens Office room 1026.
Dec 1st
On the first day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… a board game for the entire familyyyyyy.
Dec 2nd
On the second day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… self-care items like deodorant, nail polish, shaving cream, make-up, perfume, moisturizer and toiletrieeees.
Dec 3rd
On the third day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… gift cards minimum $10 (must provide receipt)
Dec 4th
On the fourth day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… craft and STEM supplies like markers, paints, art paper, art kits, playdough, science, technology or building gifts – Lego, science kits, Transformers
Dec 5th
On the fifth day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… teeeeenager presents like LED lights, vines, fairy lights, basketball hoops, headphones, gift cards, portable speakerrrrrs
Dec 8th
On the sixth day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… unnnnnnnwrapped new toys like dolls, action figures, and Barbies
Dec 9th
On the seventh day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE…Chrissssssssstmas treeeeeaats like gingerbread houses, cookies, chocolates, candy, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate
Dec 10th
On the eighth day of Christmas, the community gave to MRE… something cozzzzzzy like mittens, toques, scarves, socks and slipperrrrrrrs
🎄 REGISTER NOW FOR CHRISTMAS HAMPER SUPPORT – SPACES LIMITED
Dear Families,
As the holiday season approaches, we want to share some important news: registration is now open for community Christmas hampers through two local programs:
Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Christmas Village — Ridgemeadowssa.ca/christmasvillage
ridgemeadowssa.ca
Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society — Mrpmchristmashamper.org/register
mrpmchristmashamper.org
If your family is in need of support this Christmas—whether for a festive meal or gifts for your children—we strongly encourage you to apply as soon as possible. These programs have limited capacity, and spots tend to fill up quickly.
Key Details:
The Christmas Hamper Society offers a grocery gift card for a traditional Christmas dinner, plus gifts for children under 17.
Once approved, families will be assigned a time to “shop” for toys at their Toy Barn or via their Good Neighbour Program.
The means test and proof of income are required as part of the application process.
https://www.mrpmchristmashamper.org/
For the Salvation Army Christmas Village, registration opens on Tuesday, November 18 at 12:00 pm.
https://ridgemeadowssa.ca/christmasvillage/
How to Apply:
Visit the links above to complete the online application.
Make sure all parts of your application are filled out clearly — incomplete forms may delay processing.
mrpmchristmashamper.org
Keep an eye on your email / phone: volunteers may need to follow up for additional information or documentation.
If you have any questions or need help with your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out:
Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society
Call: (604) 463-6922 or Email: admin@mrpmchristmashamper.org
Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Ministries
Contact: Corina Ardelean, Community & Family Services Coordinator – (604) 463-8296 ext. 112
ridgemeadowssa.ca
We’re here to support you — please apply early to ensure your family doesn’t miss out. 💛
PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Happy Friday, MRE families!
BOOK FAIR – NOV 28 – DEC 5 Our Scholastic Book Fair is running Nov 28 – Dec 5! The librarian is looking for volunteers to help. Sign up at https://signup.com/go/dgsaFVo
SANTA MALL – DEC 8 & 9 A heartwarming MRE tradition! Students can choose one or two gifts for loved ones this holiday season. Send your child with a $1-$5 donation (everyone will choose gifts). Donations of new or gently used items are accepted year-round. All proceeds go towards purchasing new stage curtains for our Fine Arts program. Volunteers needed to help students shop and wrap gifts! Sign up at https://signup.com/go/dgsaFVo
URGENT: BASKETBALL COACH NEEDED! Our Gr. 6/7 Boys Basketball team needs a coach. No coach = no team this year! No child on the team or coaching experience required, just a basic understanding of basketball. Practices can be scheduled around your availability and coaching can be shared. Games are once a week at MRE or nearby schools. Sign up: https://signup.com/go/dgsaFVo
NEUFELD FARMS – LAST CHANCE! Orders close Dec 1st! Order here: https://app.neufeldfarms.ca/fundraising/2025-maple-ridge-elementary-c40fefff0c/ref/em Pick up: Wednesday, Dec 10 at 7pm at MRE Funds go towards new stage curtains!
HOT LUNCH REMINDER
Orders due Dec 4th for PIZZA PIZZA on Dec 12th! Order at mre.parentcouncil.net | Questions? hotlunchmrepac@gmail.com Stay tuned for next session dates!
Questions? Email us at pac.mre@gmail.com or find us on Facebook: Maple Ridge Elementary PAC
💚 THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS! Your time and dedication continue to make such a difference in creating wonderful experiences for our students. We couldn’t do it without you!
🎅 Santa Mall is Coming to École Maple Ridge Elementary! 🎁
We’re excited to bring back our annual Santa Mall, a heartwarming school tradition that inspires students to experience the joy of giving!
Students are invited to make a small donation (usually between $1–$5) and then choose two special gifts for family members. Donations will go towards funding new stage curtains for our school Fine Arts program.
The items available for students to select range from household treasures and self-care goodies to books, jewelry, and more. All items are donated by our generous school community and organized by our wonderful volunteers.
Our goal is to encourage students to give to others without expecting anything in return. While we recognize that not all families celebrate Christmas, we believe that learning to share and show kindness is a meaningful value for everyone in our school community.
Students will visit the Santa Mall on December 8–9, and teachers will share your child’s exact time slot soon. Gifts will be lovingly wrapped by parent volunteers and Grade 7 helpers before heading home.
If you’d like to help make the event magical, please sign up here: https://signup.com/group/47703560186256400
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.