We have planned our next fundraiser to be a bottle drive on January 18. Today our students were sent home with approximately 50 flyers each to place in the doors or mailboxes of your neighbourhood. Students in the same neighbourhood were put in groups and asked to talk and work together to get the flyers out in their area. We are asking that all student get this done before the Christmas break. Please make sure you keep track of which houses you gave a flyer to.

On January 18 we are looking for any parents with trucks to help us out in collecting bottles. We will be meeting at 9:30 AM on Saturday January 18 at the front of Vedder Middle School. We are hoping to send students from each neighbourhood out with a truck to collect bottles from the areas where they delivered flyers. We are looking to get 7 to 8 trucks. If you can only make it out for a morning or a few truck loads that is fine. Any help is welcome. Please email me at chris_falk@sd33.bc.ca if you can help.

Kurtis R's mom, Jennifer, is helping us organize this drive and she will be coordinating the sorting in the front of the school. A recycling company will be picking up the cans and bottles directly from VMS at the end of the day. We will need students and some parents to help with the sorting for the day as well. 

We hope to capitalize on the post New Year party bottles but there may be other groups doing the same thing, which is why we really want to get our flyers out now. Jen has told us that for a few hours of work the payoff can be really great. Feel free to let any friends or relatives know that we will take their bottles as well. 

We are quite happy with how far we have come with our fundraising but we still have more work to do. I have attached the flyer below.

Students also received a consent form for our cross-country ski unit that begins the first week back to school. Please get this back to us by Friday as well. Students were given this form today and I have attached it below as well. Please note the departure times for each date. This information is also on our calendar.

There are two more Whistler/Blackcomb ski trips planned this winter as part of the VMS Ski club. The dates are Sunday January 12 and Sunday March 2. 

Current students, if you are interested in more skiing after getting a taste this week, print off the attached form and bring payment and the form to me this week. 

Former students, I wanted to send and invite to you as well. Consider it a perk of being an OEA alumni. Please fill out the attached form and bring it to the VMS office with payment. Deadline for forms in December 19. I look forward to seeing some of you there.

After a month of focussed academic classroom time and field trips, the outdoor pursuits return with two ski trips to Whistler before Christmas. This is the beginning of our winter sports season, which also includes cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter camping. This is just a reminder that our first ski trip is Dec 12. We will be leaving the school at 5:20 so meet at the front of the school, completely ready to go, at 5:10. Its a long day but incredibly worth it. We will be home by approximately 6:30. The second trip has the same departure and return times and will be on December 18.

Our Purdy's fundraiser was a huge success. We raised $1425 for our canoe trip. The chocolate has arrived and will be ready for pick up after school on December 10 from 3:00 to 5:00. Please be there to pick up all the chocolate ordered under your name to deliver to your members. We are very pleased with how well this fundraiser worked. Thank you to all of your support and help. We have two more fundraisers in the works for the new year, so stay tuned.

Finally, we have uploaded a number of pictures from our fall term. What a great start to the year! Great river kayaking and perfect weather to complete our three day trip on the Flora Loop Trail. Hoping for some more snow in the mountains before our ski trips and great winter. Click on the link below to see the photo gallery.

Photo Gallery