​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Hello, ESR Families!

We are settling nicely into routines here at ESR and some of our sports and arts extracurricular activities are beginning already. 

Our ESR Handbell Choir will begin rehearsing next Monday, September 15th at 7:45 am. Students who are interested in joining brought permission forms home today for parent signatures. 

Intermediate students who are interested in participating in Cross Country running met with teachers today and will bring home information regarding practices and races. 

The first PAC meeting of the year will take place next Tuesday, September 16th at 6:30 pm.

Our Annual Young Entrepreneur Fair will take place on November 28th this year instead of on the spring. Students who are interested in taking part will meet with teachers next Wednesday, September 17th at 12:15.

Stay tuned also for news about basketball which will be starting soon. 

​We are excited to invite you to our first 'art gallery walk' experience of the year this month on September 24th.  Each September, students create a self-portrait in the style of a particular artist which is then displayed on hallway bulletin boards. You are invited to view this artwork during our annual Mug & Timbit event on Wednesday, September 24th from 7:45 - 8:15 am when you will be welcome to enjoy a coffee, timbit, and browse the amazing self-portraits completed by all students. We look forward to welcoming y​​ou on the 24th. *Please bring your own mug.

Our annual Terry Fox Run will take place on Thursday, September 25th. Students will be invited to bring a 'Twoonie for Terry' in support of cancer research. 

Friday, September 19th is a non-instructional day and students will not be in session.

See information below regarding the Feeding Futures Food Program:

​Subsidy Information for Families.pdf (Code:  Edwin)

Please note that the cutoff time for breakfast club is 8:15 to allow for staff to meet students. 

Please also see the flyer below about PAC Hot Lunch. You can register now and ordering will be available soon. 

ESR Hot Lunch Flyer.pdf (Code:  ESRHL)

In keeping with our theme this year of "Great Canadian Road Trip", our musical theatre production is "Trans Canada Highway". Information will come home soon regarding auditions. 

On Mondays students are invited to wear their ESR t-shirts and hoodies. If you are new to the school and want to order or need to re-order spirit wear, stay tuned for information about ordering soon. 

*All students require inside shoes. It reduces the amount of dirt, mud, and water throughout the year and is necessary for participation in gym. 

Cash online will be up and running soon and we'll let you know when it's ready for you. 

Please note that the parking lot has been designated for staff only this year. Last year there were times when staff were unable to park and enter the building before the bell as no spaces were available. Please keep the lot clear in order for staff to access parking spaces. Also, the City of Mission recently​ completed a road narrowing at the crosswalk fronting Edwin S. Richards Elementary School at Aster Terrace. This initiative aims to improve sightlines at the crosswalk, prevent parking too close to the crosswalk, and slow traffic. The changes were a result of eh recent Vision Zero work completed between the school, PAC, the schools, the City of Mission, and Fraser Health. 

** Safety Alert - Allergies - ​We have some students and staff at our school who have serious allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, shellfish, and scents.  Please note that our school is nut, sesame, shellfish, and scent aware. If your child is in a class with another student who has anaphylactic reactions to a specific allergen, we will let you know and ask you to pack snacks and lunches that will help keep students safe and reduce exposure. We also ask that students and families who visit our site refrain from using strongly scented deodorants, colognes, and perfumes. Thank you for helping us keep students, staff, and families safe!

Information will be coming to you very soon regarding the PAC hot lunch program, the Feeding Futures program, and information on how to set up your accounts for Cash Online. ​​

If your child is a returning student you will know that each student is placed in one of four ESR house teams. We have Beethoven House, Shakespeare House, Pickford House, and Odjig House. We have spirit days about once each month in which students are invited to wear House Team Colours or (for example) sport wacky hair, dress as a favourite book character, author, etc. This year our winning team is Shakespeare House with 833 points! We are planning to purchase a trophy which will display the name of the winning House at the end of each year. Congratulations, Shakespeare House; well done! *Please note that we have changed the colour for Beethoven house. Initially it was blue, which created some confusion in the tallying points as blue is also one of our school colours. We switched to black which, as you probably know, is a very popular colour for hoodies and t-shirts. The new colour for Beethoven house is purple. It is not necessary to purchase new t-shirts, any shirts, pants, etc. in the house colour will do. If you do wish to purchase t-shirts, Michaels in Abbotsford offers all of the colours at a very reasonable price. 

Our theme this year is "Great Canadian Road Trip - Adventure Awaits!", and we will be working with Canadian Juno Award winning artist Norman Foote who will be co-writing songs with students and staff in preparation for our Celebration of Learning Through the Arts, to be performed on stage in March.​

PAC executive this year:

President: Eleni Inglis​

Vice-President - Jessica Thompson

Secretary - Samantha Robinson

Treasurer - Celine  Dauphney

DPAC Representatives - Alex Strozek and Dezarae Lilley

Members at Large - Jade Carver, Melanie Walters, Stephanie Scott, Emily White, and Jennifer Barnert

We wish them all the best and look forward to another fantastic year working with our amazing parent group!

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Feeding Futures Hot Lunch - If your child is away and you want us to hold their hot lunch, please let the office know before 10:30 am. ​ Otherwise, it will be donated. Thank you. ​

Please do not block the fire hydrant on Cherry Ave. during drop off and/or pick up so that it is easily accessed in the event of an emergency. 

​SOGI Myth Busters (1).pdf

Current House Team Points:​

Shakespeare (red)             Beethoven (Purple)                     Pickford (yellow)                  Odjig (green)                  

         833                                     831                                              825                                           742        

Facebook - For those families who are new and who have access to Facebook, there is a page for ESR parents that you can join. The group posts relevant information and will update with the Eagle News as well as school district messages and other notices. You can request to join the group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/630266870328153

Please remember that there is a $20.00 arts programming fee for each student which will be due by October 1st. This fee helps sustain our integrated arts program by supporting our artists-in-residence, arts training for teachers, and other aspects of our program. The fee will be payable through cash online. 

Staying Safe - ​Please, please, do not send your child to school sick. If they are fevered, headachy, or are having stomach pains, they should stay home. If your little ones have vomited the night before, they must stay home the next day. ​​

​Important note! It is important to remember that students who are sick need to stay home. Stuffy nose, combined with fever and green nasal discharge (yuck!) are signs of infection and can spread at school. We have several students in our building who are immune-compromised who can become seriously ill when exposed to illness. If you child throws up at home, please keep them at home for an additional 24 hours until they are feeling well. ​

Allergies - ​We have children at our school who have serious allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, shellfish, and scents.  Please note that our school is nut, sesame, shellfish, and scent aware. If your child is in a class with another student who has anaphylactic reactions to a specific allergen, we will let you know and ask you to pack snacks and lunches that will help keep students safe and reduce exposure. 

* Remember that you can subscribe to our school calendar which can help keep you up to date on events and activities. You can find the calendar on the main page of our school website. 

​

From the Office

​

Edwin S. Richards Arts Based Curriculum School

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 REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL MISSION PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

✓ Children born in 2020 are eligible for Kindergarten in 2025-2026 (Registration will take place for siblings of current ESR Students from December 1-20.  Starting January 13, 2025, if there are any spaces still available we will start calling parents who have children on our Kindergarten Wait List to come and register.

✓ Proof of age is required at time of registration: I.E. Birth Certificate, Passport, Permanent Residence Card, BC Services Card (Photo Version Only), Aboriginal Status Card, Certificate of Citizenship or Immigration Canada document. Please Note: The BC Care Card is not acceptable proof of age.

✓ Proof of Residency in BC:

•  Parent's Care Card (not student's) / Parent's BC Services Card (not student's) /

    Driver's License / Municipal Tax Bill / Rental Agreement or Utility Bill
​

Early Pickup

If you are coming to the school before usual dismissal, please notify your child's teacher as well as the office in advance. Miss Amy will page your son/daughter and have them waiting inside the school at the front doors. Please pull up to the front of the school and we will send your child out to meet you.

School Cash Online

We are not accepting cash/cheques in the office. If you need help signing on to the School Cash online system, please stop by the Office. 

Absences

If your son/daughter will be away, please call and let Miss Amy know 604-826-2834 or email her at amy.masuch@mpsd.ca

Afternoon Pickup

Please arrange play dates and pickup location with your child before school. End of day is a very busy time in the office - it may not be possible to get pickup messages to all students, so please make sure your child knows in advance where to meet you at the end of the day.

Volunteer Forms (1 Page) need to be completed every year & returned to the Office (you can fill them out & print them out from ESR's website or you can get a copy from the Office to fill out & return).

Criminal Record Checks are now done online on the ESR Website:

• Please go to the Parents (Top Tab)
• Volunteer Forms (Side Tab)
• Got to the bottom and click the CRC Link
• Write down the Access Code before you click the actual CRC Form Link to complete your Criminal Record Check (CRC remain effective for 5 years and there is no cost associated with the check).

PAC News

We are very grateful for our dedicated PAC here at ESR for all the hard work they do to benefit students. There are many ways you can become involved. If you are able to assist the PAC in any way - hot lunch, fundraising, etc., please contact them via email at esrichardspac@gmail.com   If you have questions regarding any fundraisers, events, etc. that are sponsored by PAC please email them directly for a quicker response.

Thank you to those parents helping with hot lunch! We couldn't have hot lunches without volunteers, and we appreciate everyone who comes to help. 

You can also check out the  latest PAC news and events at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/630266870328153/  

General Information
Homestay Families Wanted 

Mission Public Schools International Program is accepting applications for nurturing homestay families who want to provide a caring home for our elementary age students. Please clink the link below to apply online or you can email kim.hunter@mpsd.ca if you have any questions. 

http://www.studyinmission.ca/become-a-host-family.