Hello, ESR Families!
The news this week contains information on cross-country running, the parent handbell choir, Young Entrepreneur Fair, parent conferencing, and the Book Fair. Remember that you can scroll down to the FYI section for a snapshot of the upcoming week. Have a great weekend!
Congratulations to our ESR Soccer Team who played with great enthusiasm and sportsmanship at their tournament. It was wonderful to see their excitement while they were picking up their jerseys on Thursday. Well done, team!
Our cross country runners are practicing regularly for their races and will run next Thursday, September at Heritage Park at 3:15. Good luck, runners!
Please note that samples for the Young Entrepreneur Fair are due on Wednesday, October 8th.
Parent Conferencing will take place on October 23rd from 2:30 - 7:30 pm.
As you know, conferencing time is also Book Fair time! The book fair will begin on October 23rd and our teacher librarian, Ms. Sward, is looking for parents volunteers who can help. If you are able to assist during the book fair, please sign up on the list in the front lobby, or email Ms. Sward at alison.sward@mpsd.ca
We are looking for two more individuals to join our parent handbell choir. Rehearsals will take place on Wednesday mornings in the music room at 8:45 am as soon as we have enough ringers. If you are interested in joining a music ensemble and would like to try English Brass Handbells, please let me know as soon as possible so we can start ringing. If you are not a music reader, not to worry; if you can count, you can play. Let's get together and make some music!
Our amazing PAC is currently doing the Community Values Fundraiser which will go until the 8th of October. Please remember that the coupon books which are sent home are NOT free - if you don't want to purchase them or sell them to a friend or family member, they need to be returned.
Walktober is Coming – Let’s Step up Together
This October, with support from Fraser Health and the City of Mission, our PAC is excited to launch Walktober, a month-long celebration of active school travel We’re encouraging students and families to walk, bike, or wheel to school as often as possible—and we’ve added some fun challenges to keep everyone moving!
🎉 Walktober Kickoff Event – October 1st Walk, bike or wheel before school on Tuesday, October 1st and meet PAC for a special prize to start the first day of Walktober. Then join us after school for our Walktober kickoff celebration! There will be booths, activities, and some giveaways to get the month started on the right foot. It’s a great way to connect with other families and build excitement for the weeks ahead.🏆 Classroom Challenge – Track Your Steps! Throughout October, each classroom will track the total minutes walked by its students. Whether walking all the way to school or partway from a drop-off point, every step counts! The class that walks the farthest will win a pizza party and the Golden Sneaker!💛 Weekly Prize Draw – Keep up the progress! Every week participants will have a chance to have their name drawn for a prize!⭐️ ESR Crosses Canada – School Challenge! Let’s make all our steps count and see if ESR can make it across Canada. Keep an eye out by the PAC kitchen for a map of the school’s progress and class tallies.
Why Active Travel Matters💛 Healthier Children: Supports better mood, sleep and focus. It also supports healthy hearts, lungs and bones.⚠️ Safer School Zones: Less traffic and pollution from vehicle emissions.⭐️ Skills for Life: Promotes development, resilience, awareness, confidence and independence.🤝Connected Communities: Promotes social connection, trust and increases opportunities for all ages and abilities. How You Can Help
- Encourage your child to walk, bike, or wheel to school whenever possible.
- Help them plan a safe route and wear bright or reflective clothing.
- If you live farther away, consider the ‘Drive to 5’ approach by parking a few blocks from school and walking the rest.
Let’s make Walktober a fun, healthy, and inspiring month for our students. Thank you for supporting active school travel and helping build a vibrant school community.
Student Fees:
* The fee for planners is $8.00 again this year and can be paid through cash online.
*The arts programming fee of $20.00 per student has also been posted to cash online and are due by October 10th.
We are inviting interested parents to help coach basketball again this year. If you are interested in coaching, please email Mr. Beckmann at John.beckmann@mpsd.ca for information regarding days and times.
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.
** 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
Absences - When your child is going to be absent, please notify the office either by telephone (604-826-2834) or email (amy.masuch@mpsd.ca). Thank you.
Current House Team Points:
Shakespeare (red) Beethoven (Purple) Pickford (yellow) Odjig (green)
833 831 825 742
Next Week and FYI's
October
Monday 6 It's Monday - Wear Your Spirit Wear!
Handbell Choir Practice 7:45 am
Feeding Futures Hot Lunch
Intermediate Cross Country Practice 12:15
Tuesday 7 Div. 6, 10, and 11 Green Bricks Presentation
Wednesday 8 Young Entrepreneur Fair Samples Due
Feeding Futures Hot Lunch
Community Values Fundraiser ends today. Please remember to return any unsold books.
Intermediate Cross Country Practice 12:15
Thursday 9 Intermediate Cross Country Race - Heritage Park 3:15
Friday 10 Feeding Futures Hot Lunch
In addition to emails and the Eagle News for parents, you can also subscribe to our school calendar. Important dates can be found on the district and school websites, the Eagle News, and the parent Facebook Page. You can also see the district calendar in your child's planner.
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
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.
