Posted: February 4, 2024

Today is 4-2-24. Or maybe it’s 2-4-24. Either way, I like it.

Information

Lunar New Year

This Saturday, February 10 is the start Lunar New Year celebrations. 

“Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration is usually celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar’s New Year. In 2024, Lunar New Year begins on February 10.

China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết.

Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives.” (source: The History Channel)

This year is the Year of the Dragon. This article from the Los Angeles Times digs into what the year might hold, and explains the significance of the Wood Dragon.

Bulldogs, whether your heritage is Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Singaporean, Indonesian, or Pilipino, we wish you and yours a healthy, happy new year.

Black History Month

February is Black History Month. We will onclude someting each week here in TWARBE, as well as looking at black history in Canada and beyond through our literature and other class activities this month. Today, we’ll draw your attention to this resource at the BC Black History Awareness Society: The British Columbia Black History Timeline. It has stories about significant black pioneers in BC, about business people, about community leaders and helpers. It’s full of interesting things we may not have known before.

Multicultural Day is coming…

We already have teams forming for Costa Rica/Latin America; China; Czechia; Fiji Islands & Philippines; India, Bengal & Pakistan; Russia & South Korea. Thank you to all of the family members who have already volunteered to share your ancestral cultures with us. We’d love to have a few more, and it’s not too late to sign up! Emails connecting volunteers will go out early this week. Please use the link above if you’re able to be a part of our day of learning.

Song translation request…

Provincial Announcement Regarding Cel Phones & Digital Technology in Schools

On Friday, January 26, the Province announced actions to help keep students safe when it comes to using cell phones and digital technology in schools. The District will be working with the Ministry of Education and Child Care on these strategies which are expected to be in place in the new school year. District and school staff will be taking the time to learn more about these changes and understand their impacts on students, staff, and families. You can read more in the news release B.C. launches concrete actions to keep kids safe, healthy here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PREM0004-000088

A learning opportunity for 4-year-olds

The district is opening a new preschool program at Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary (soooo close to us!). Click here for the registration form, and here for the parent handbook.

PAC News

Last Call for Grade 5 Grad Hoodie Orders

Last call to order your Grade 5 Grad Hoodie. Hoodies are $45 each. 

If you would like to purchase one, please email bulpittpac@outlook.com with your student’s name, division, and size. Payments can be made via e-transfer, cash or cheque. 

Triple O’s Fun Lunch is this Friday, February 9th

If you don’t receive a lunch reminder email from MunchaLunch on Thursday February 8th, you did NOT pay for your order, and your child(ren) will not be receiving their order on Friday February 9th.

Don’t forget to pack a snack and water bottle for Fun Lunch day. 

If your child is absent on Fun Lunch Day, please email hotlunchbulpitt@outlook.com and we will prepare it for pick up. If you cannot pick it up, please consider it as a donation as there are no refunds. Fun Lunch must be picked up between 12:00-12:30pm on Friday at the PAC kitchen.

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

General PAC Meeting – Monday, February 12th

Please join us for the February General PAC Meeting on Monday February 12th 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 7th from 5-9 PM. More information is available 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/sfmarketrbe

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!

Quote(s) of the week

Something to read…

• Did you know that 2024 is the first time since 1803 that Cicada Broods XIX and XIII will emerge at the same time? The emergence is in Illinois, and I’ve never actually seen a Cicada, but I think it’s pretty cool. They sit as eggs for 13 or 17 years before they emerge. And there will be billions of them. So maybe steer clear of Illinois this spring.
• I heard about this on the radio the other day. There is a new camera & software system that lets filmmakers and scientists ‘see’ a representation of what other animals, who perceive the world differently than we do, can see. It has some neat videos showing the differences. The example of what a human putting on sunscreen looks like to a bee was particularly surprising to me. It made me think of recess conversations I’ve had with students who wonder what the world might look like to a fly.

Things to Remember from the Calendar

Monday,February 5

• Grade 5 Boys’ Basketball Practice – 2:45-4:15

Tuesday, February 6

• Grade 5 Girls’ Basketball Practice – 2:45-4:15

Wednesday, February 7

• Grade 5 Girls’ AND Boys’ Basketball Intrasquad Game -2:45-4:30

Thursday, February 8

• Don’t forget to book a time for a Student-Inclusive Conference for each of your children.

Friday, February 9

• PAC Fun Lunch