Posted: January 12, 2025

Information

Good luck and welcome…

We want to wish two of our Bulldogs staff the best as they begin their maternity leaves this week. All the best to Ms. Turner and Ms. Olic as they begin exciting new life journeys with their families. We also extend a warm welcome to Ms. Chochrane who will be taking over in Division 1. Other welcomes are on the horizon.

Also, welcome to the 10 new students who have enrolled since the winter break. We are glad to have you as a part of the Bulldogs family.

Black Excellence Day

It is Black Excellence Day this Wednesday. This is a day to celebrate black excellence in all aspects of life. The video below captures much the Black Excellence Day observed in 2024. It is well worth a watch.

Kindergarten Registration 2025 (repeat)

Kindergarten registration across the Langley School District runs January 6, 2025 – February 18, 2025. If your child will be five years old by December 31, 2025, you will be able to register your child online. Information about required documents and instructions is available online and will also be posted on catchment school websites in January. For information, please visit the District webpage here. To learn more about Kindergarten in the Langley School District, read our brochure here.

January Health Information (from Fraser Health)

Mental Health Information

Health, safety, and wellness continue to be a priority in our schools. To help support our students and families, we are sharing important information from our community partner Fraser Health about mental health. Please see below for helpful reminders to support your child.

Support Your Child’s Mental Health

Mental health is a key component of healthy child and youth development, and it has an impact on their relationships and their performance in school.

How Can Parents Support Positive Mental Health?

Parents can help support positive mental health by forming strong and caring relationships with their children.

• • • Connect – talk and listen to their feelings and experiences.
    • Be active together – take a walk and build physical activity into family time.
    • Take notice – encourage and praise the positive behaviours and choices your children make.
    • Keep learning – encourage your child to learn from both positive and negative experiences.
    • Give – your time, your words, and your presence.

Sometimes, parents feel like they don’t know what to say or how to interact with their youth. Learn more about tips for how to talk to your child or teen about mental health.

Get more information about positive mental health for children and youth: Positive mental health for children – Fraser Health Authority.

Find out what services, programs and resources are available for your child and/or youth: Child and youth mental health – Fraser Health Authority

Quote(s) of the week

From the PAC

Earl of Sandwich & Booster Juice Fun Lunch is this Friday, January 17th

Please look for the lunch reminder email from MunchaLunch on Thursday January 16th. If you do not receive it, it means you did NOT pay for your order, and your child(ren) will NOT be receiving their order on Friday January 17th. Please make sure you pack a lunch if this is the case. 

If you did receive the email, don’t forget to pack a snack and water bottle for Fun Lunch day. 

If you have any questions please email hotlunchbulpitt@outlook.com.

If your child will be absent on Fun Lunch Day, please come to the PAC kitchen between 12 and 12:30 pm on Friday to pick it up.  If you cannot pick it up, please consider it as a donation as there are no refunds. 

If you’re able to volunteer for Fun Lunch day please email rbevolunteers@gmail.com.

You can also view the full list of upcoming fun lunches and general information about fun lunches on our website here.

Are you interested in joining the PAC EXEC next year? 

Are you looking to get more involved in the school community? Do you have ideas for events or fundraisers? Our current PAC EXEC will be losing 3 members in September as their kids move on to middle school.

We will be in need of a Vice-President, Secretary, Co-Fun Lunch Coordinator and Members at Large. If any of these positions sound of interest to you, or you are simply interested in finding out what the PAC does, please join us at our next PAC meeting on January 20th. More details are below!

General PAC Meeting – Monday, January 20th

Please join us for the January General PAC Meeting on Monday January 20th at 7 PM in the Richard Bulpitt Elementary School Library.

You can enter through the main entry doors at the front of the school.

This is open to all parents of the RBE school community. Hope to see you there!

Spring Fling Vendor Market – Looking for Vendors

We are now accepting applications for vendors at our Vendor Market at our annual Spring Fling Carnival!

It will be on Friday, June 6th from 5-8:30 PM. More information, including vendor fees, can be found on the registration form.

This year the market will be held outside rain or shine. No exceptions will be made. You will have to walk through grass to get to your vendor spot, so please keep that in mind when deciding whether to register. Volunteers will be available to help you access your vendor spot from the parking lot.

Fill out the application form here: https://tinyurl.com/rbespringmarket

You can email rbepacspringfling@gmail.com with “Vendor Market” in the Subject line with any questions.

Flip Give Fundraiser

This year, fundraising for RBE PAC is going to be so much easier with FlipGive, a free team funding app.
We can earn cash back on every purchase we make all year long! All you have to do is shop anytime with the brands you already love, like Home Depot, Walmart, Sport Chek, Indigo, Old Navy, Apple, Esso, and Loblaws. No more going door-to-door selling chocolate bars – it’s completely virtual and contactless.
Join our team now and you’ll get a $5 bonus the first time you shop: https://flipgive.app.link/teams/join?joincode=WYW49S
Or enter this code: WYW49S
Want to learn more? Check out this 2 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vTO_Qg4n80

Email bulpittpac@outlook.com with any questions.

Stay in the Know

Follow the Richard Bulpitt PAC Facebook page, our Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rbepac/) and now visit our website to stay up-to-date with all the details!

Something to read

The Wooly Bear (an impromptu learning story)

At recess on Thursday, we spotted a Wooly Bear caterpillar working its way across the gravel in the playground. It was safe behind the yellow fence, so we just watched. By lunch it had moved several metres, and was about to come out of the fence and into what we call the ‘squish zone’. Needless to say, many students were worried, and so we moved him carefully over to the gardens. Then we got to thinking that early January seems an odd time for a caterpillar to be out cruising around. So like any self-respecting inquiry learner, we started doing some research. We learned that (source: Wikipedia):

• • The wooly bear is the larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). The adult form looks like this:

• • Their hairs are sharp and pointy and can irritate some people’s skin if contacted (so kids, don’t touch!)
  • Folklore says that the pattern of black and brown can be used to predict the severity of the winter. Using this table as a source, our winter started early and will be quite mild, with the harshest weather at the beginning. I suppose, with hindsight, we might think that the atmospheric rivers were the harsh start, and we’re in for an easy ride to the end of the season, since our wooly bear has all the black at the head end.

• • The kids were quite worried that our friend might be out too early, as it’s only January. When Mr. Oliver did some more research, he learned that the caterpillars survive the winter by letting themselves freeze. Seriously! “First its heart stops beating, then its gut freezes, then its blood, followed by the rest of the body.” (Source: wikipedia). Now I want to know if ours will be safe if it re-freezes due to cold weather between now and February or March. Or if it will have formed a pupa before the next freeze-up.

Things to Remember from the Calendar

Wednesday, January 15

• Black Excellence Day
• Earthquake Drill – morning

Friday, January 17

• Fun Lunch

Monday, January 20

• Welcome, Mr. Olson. Mr. Olson will be an additional Vice Principal to support as Mr. Oliver’s duties at Josette Dandurand Elementary start to ramp up. 
• PAC Meeting – 7pm in the library