Posted: January 26, 2025

Information

Family Literacy Week

In honour of Family Literacy Day on Monday, January 27th, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Graber are opening up the library from 8:15am- 8:40am each morning this week for family reading time until January 31st. Families should have also received an optional Family Literacy Day Bingo sheet to fill out for a chance to win one of three Squishmallow prizes ☺️. We look forward to seeing you for family reading if you can make it! 

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

You guessed it! The name tag is blank. Please put your child’s name in that outerwear. We have lots of kids with duplicate garments, and lots of kids who warm enough at recess breaks that they drop their coats and forget all about them. If we find a garment with a name, we have a quick chance to get it back to the owner before it ends up down there…

Come to think of it, your child might want to check the Lost & Found for those missing coats. There’s some nice stuff in there!

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar—meaning dates are based on both the moon and the sun. Known as the Spring Festival in China and often referred to as Chinese New Year, it is the most significant holiday in China and in many countries across Asia, with each having its own unique customs and traditions. The festivities last for 15 days, filled with family gatherings, feasts, fireworks, parties, and parades.

In 2025, Lunar New Year falls on January 29th and is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. While many Asian cultures follow the same zodiac animals, each region has its own unique way of celebrating Lunar New Year. In Chinese culture, the snake is seen as a symbol of wisdom, transformation, and growth. The snake is revered for its ability to adapt and transform, shedding its skin as a powerful symbol of renewal. In Chinese tradition, this act of shedding signifies change—moving from one stage of life to the next.

How about a bit of student writing?

Check out these bits of student writing from grade 3. They’re all about being trapped in a snow globe.

Or some winter art?

Out of catchment students – IMPORTANT action required

If you live outside our catchment (there are quite a few of you), you should have received a letter from the board office via email, and again from the school on paper, detailing steps for school placement in 2025-26. I’m excited to see that some of you (25, to be exact) are slated to attend Josette Dandurand Elementary School, so I won’t be surrounded by strangers. If you did not receive the letters, please contact Mr. Oliver or Ms. Davies as soon as possible, as they contain important and time-sensitive action items if your preference is to stay at RBE. The deadline for this process is February 18, 2025.

Multicultural Day (part of Diversity and Respect Week)

We are planning to hold Multicultural Day again in 2025, extending our school tradition another year. The date for this year’s event, provided we have enough volunteers from the community, will be Friday, February 28. If you are interested and willing to host a sharing table, please complete the form here, and Mr. Oliver will work to connect people representing the same culture. For information on what Multicultural Day is all about, click here. As of today, we have the following cultures: First Nations, India & Pakistan, Czech Republic & Bulgaria, and Brazil.South America. This is a great start but it isn’t enough for the day to go ahead; we need more cultures, and the people sharing those cultures could likely use some helpers. Please consider forming a team of parents to host a table from your culture.

Hot Lunch Sponsorship (repeat)

The PAC Hot Lunch program is a great fundraising opportunity, a break from making lunch, and a time you can help some of our Bulldogs families who are struggling with the rising cost of living. One of the options available to families is to Sponsor a Lunch. For $3, you can help us provide PAC Fun Lunches for some of those kids so they can feel like, and blend in with, everyone else.

Quote(s) of the week

From the PAC

Spring Fling Meeting – Monday, January 27th

Join us virtually on Monday at 7pm via Google Meets for our upcoming Spring Fling planning meeting. We would love input on our biggest event of the year! You can find the link on our PAC Facebook page.

If you would like to be involved in the planning please join our Facebook planning group. 

Wok Box & Gourmet Donut Fun Lunch is this Friday, January 31st

Please look for the lunch reminder email from MunchaLunch on Thursday January 30th. 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 31st. 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.

COBS Bread Doughraiser

Did you know that we have an ongoing fundraiser with the Walnut Grove COBS Bread location? Simply mention Richard Bulpitt Elementary at the Walnut Grove location when you make a purchase. They’re donating 5% back to us! Note that a minimum of $500 sales requirement is required for a Dough Raiser cheque to be issued to our school. Thank you for your support!

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 of Large. If any of these positions sound of interest to you, or you are simply interested in finding out what the PAC does, please email us at bulpittpac@outlook.com. You can find details about the roles on the PAC Facebook page or on our website here.

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.

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 algorithm pointed me at this musical mishmash on Saturday. Postmodern Jukebox radically reimagines (vintage-style) all sorts of music, from ’70s rock to ’80s hair metal and New Wave to Morgan Wallen and Billie Eilish. It’s pretty neat, though a bit of a rabbit hole to go down.

It’s getting noticeably brighter, isn’t it?

Things to Remember from the Calendar

Wednesday January 29 

• Basketball Practice (girls) 2:45-4:00 

Thursday January 30 

• Basketball Practice (boys) 2:45-4:00 

Friday January 31 

• Wacky hair/hat day 

• PAC Fun Lunch