Hello MRE Families,
As this school year comes to a close, we wish you and yours all of the very best for the summer. May it be a safe, healthy, and happy one, and whatever your holiday plans are, may they be most enjoyable!
A big thank you to our staff, students, and families for making Maple Ridge Elementary such a wonderful place. We look forward to seeing you in the fall. To those families whose children are transitioning to high school or moving away, you will be missed!
We have some staff members who will be leaving MRE. Their absence will be felt throughout the school community! We appreciate their dedication and hard work and wish them every happiness in their new endeavours. Leaving are:
Ms. Belsey – Collab teacher
Ms. Degenova – EA
Mr. Guenther – EA
Ms. MacKenzie – Prep teacher
Mr. Macnamara — Library and Prep
Ms. Mayne – Grade 3/4
Ms. Tsia – Grade 2/3
Mrs. Waddell – Support teacher
Ms. Zivin – EA
Looking forward, we are happy to let you know that Mme Andrea Schlacht will be taking on a full-time role as primary French Immersion teacher. Mme Schlacht has been teaching fine arts at MRE on a part-time basis for several years. We also extend a warm welcome to Ms. Priya Singh who will be joining the staff as a primary English teacher. She comes to us from Blue Mountain Elementary.
Wishing you happiness and health,
Barbara MacKinnon Chelsea Lendvoy
Principal Vice Principal
Mark Your Calendar
June 23 – Last day for students. Dismissal is at noon.
Sept. 6 — First day back 12:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.
Final Report Cards – Where to find them…
At, or near, 2:20 p.m. on June 23rd, you will receive a portal notification to look for your child’s report card online. Please take the time to read and discuss the report with your child. If you are not able to access the portal, contact the school immediately and we will be happy to give you a printed copy.
If you have a question about your child’s report card, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange a phone call or a time to meet on June 23rd or 24th.
Lost and Found – Last chance…
On the last day of school, June 23rd, leftover items are washed and donated to charity. Please come and have a look at the rack. You may find some long-lost items.
For next year consider purchasing labels so that your child’s supplies are clearly marked. Our school fundraiser for “Mabel’s Labels” allows you to create personalized labels with your child’s name. The labels stick on firmly and survive many washes. They can be used on school supplies or other items such as lunch kits, clothing, etc. Whenever we find items with names on them, we return them directly to the owner. See the flyer near the end of this newsletter for more information about the labels!
Student Medications
If you have submitted medication for your child (e.g., Epi-pen, Benadryl etc.), please remember to pick it up from the office on the last day of school (Thursday, June 23rd).
From the Library
Thank you to all students and families who have returned overdue and lost books. Please keep an eye out for any library books that may turn up over the summer and return them the fall. We’re happy to have the book back, no matter how late J.
Grade Seven Students
To our grade 7 students, we wish you all the very best as you move to secondary school. We have appreciated your leadership, your commitment to learning and your enthusiasm for school activities. Know that MRE will always be a place where you are welcomed. We look forward to hearing about your future successes.
Volunteers
A warm thank-you goes out to all volunteers! Your gift of time makes a remarkable difference. Most recently, volunteers planned and carried out an amazing Carnival that will live on in the memories of our entire school community.
The School Volunteer (author unknown)
A school is more than books and desks
And learning two plus two
It’s people who share their skills and care
And try their best in all they do
Please accept our heartfelt appreciation
Our school’s a better place
Because of your dedication
Student Lunch Monitors
Lunch monitors are older students who volunteer to eat lunch with the younger students. Among other tasks, they help open containers and keep the children company. This is a wonderful way to build connections in the school and our monitors are greatly appreciated.
A big thanks to:
Mrs. Halfnight’s class: Adi S., Jaiden G., Christian S., Akash J., Liam, Nicholas H., Kayden C.,
Leo B., Cooper M., Nate K., Gabe P., Riley P., James C., Cooper B., Chloe J., Zion M., Ethan C., Lucy S., Dalia S., Brooke G., Choyce H., and Keith B.
From Mrs. Pajak’s class: Danica B., Ava H., Sintia K.,Jevon M., Saje M., Nixon M., Sophia R., Vanessa S., Ashley S. Sophia R., Liam S., Julia Z., and Will M.
From Mrs. McClain’s class: Nick P., Brendan S., Ryder H., Leland M., Mason M., Zack W., Demyan B., Daniel S. Lucas A., Ilia S., Hayley M., Nathaniel H., Nehman A., Ciaran O., Sophie S., Abby L. and Nick N.
From Mrs. Ritchie’s class: Maddy S., Emmett C., Isabelle F., Xander G., Jordan M., Ann K., Vinnie Y., Chase C., Rylan J., Shameer K., Bella L., Sydney M., Owen M., Asher M., James N., Tyson P., Jennifer R., Madison B.
From Mr. Jones’ class: Tyson M., Emily N., Damian S., Zya W., Kingston E., Ethan P., Ava M., Madden P., Ashe R., Ben L., Magnus D., Linden N., Gurveer J., Bashir S., Lawren M., Ellie L., Ella L., Daisy P.
PAC
All MRE parents and guardians are members of the PAC. A huge and heartfelt thank you to you! You have been incredibly flexible and resilient as you worked within changing health guidelines for more than two years. Your tireless work is valued and has made so many things possible for our students, e.g., the return of hot lunches, a pumpkin patch in our field, Santa Mall, Book Fairs, a virtual visit from a Storm Chaser, and Body Science presentations, to name only a few.
A special thank you goes to this year’s executives:
Chair Nicole K.
Vice Chair Tanya H.
Secretary Leanne M.
Treasurer Jeannie H.
Members at Large Amanda G. and Janna M.
DPAC ` Christine
PAC Meetings
Meetings take place in the school library at 7:00 p.m.
The first meeting of the coming year is on September 12th. (There will be a budget meeting immediately beforehand at 6:00 p.m.)
PAC meeting dates for coming year are planned for:
Sept. 12, 2022
Oct. 11, 2022
Nov. 14, 2022
Jan. 9, 2023
Feb .13, 2023
Mar. 6, 2023
Apr. 11, 2023
May 8, 2023
The PAC has worked hard to organize information so that it is easily accessible for all families. Please have a look at the quick reference guide for links to all PAC related information, including our FB Group (Maple Ridge Elementary PAC), the Google Drive and volunteer signup links. They love to hear from all families. If you have any questions, comments or feedback please email pac.mre@gmail.com.
Summer Activities and Programs
Check the end of this newsletter to find ideas for summer fun in the community.
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Looking ahead to the 2022-23 school year…
School Supplies
For those who like to plan ahead, below is information about school supplies for the 2022-23 year. Students do not need to bring school supplies until they are placed in the new classes. This is likely to happen on Sept. 9th or 12th.
Kindergarten to Grade 3 (Primary students)
No shopping needed. School supplies are bulk ordered for MRE students in Kindergarten – Grade 3. There is a flat fee that it covers all art and school supplies for the year. Please submit payment on the portal after students have transitioned to their new classes in September.
Kindergarten fee: $50.00
Grade 1-3 fee: $55.00
Grades 4 – 7 (Intermediate Students)
You can do your own shopping (the list is included in this newsletter) or use the convenient online system through Creative Kids.
Kits from Creative Kids will be delivered directly to the school during the first week of September. If your grade 4-7 child needs a planner, you will receive a separate message once classes are finalized in September. The cost of the planner is $10.00
To order supplies through Creative Kids online, go to https://creativepacks.ca and use the pull-down menu to find Maple Ridge Elementary and your child’s grade. (English and French classes have the same supply lists.)
If your family is experiencing financial constraints that make purchasing school supplies challenging, you may be eligible to receive a Salvation Army school supply backpack. These backpacks come filled with the necessary school supplies free of charge and will be delivered to the school in September. To check if you are eligible, please visit: https://ridgemeadowssa.ca/back-to-school
First Day Back — Tuesday, September 6th 12:30 to 2:20 p.m.
We recognize that there will be changes in enrolment over the summer, therefore returning students go back to their 2021-22 classrooms for the first few days until class placements are finalized. (This will likely be on Friday, September 9th or Monday, September 12th.)
Students who are new to the school enter at the main doors and go to the library.
*Please do not send any school supplies until students are placed in their new classes.
Should there be any changes that arise from orders from the Public Health Officer, we will communicate them via our portal and website.
Translations now available
Do you prefer to read school communications in another language? The district team has added a Google translate plugin to our district and school websites.
You will find the translation drop-down menu in the top right corner (see screenshot below). Families who require a translation of (most) new content on our website are now able to select their preferred language from the drop-down menu and the content will be auto translated to up to 48 languages. At this time, images cannot be included, so you will see two options on the MRE Elementary site – one in English only, with pictures and the translatable version with text only. Our website is at: https://elementary.sd42.ca/mapleridge/
School Communication
As we continue to reduce the consumption of paper, most school-based publications, including the Friday Blast and this monthly newsletter will be sent home via the parent portal. Pertinent information will be updated on our school website: http://mre.sd42.ca. You can check the website at https://www.sd42.ca for district information. We also have a school-based Facebook page called Maple Ridge Elementary SD 42. Teachers will be using a variety of methods for their class level communications.
Have you thought about a career with our school district?
To see the opportunities we have available, visit us at http://www.sd42.ca/career