2025 Holiday Hampers

In the spirit of the season, the Charles Dickens PAC is asking for your support in helping to create holiday hampers for the families and individuals living in our community who could use a boost at this time of year.

The need this year is once again significant; all our partner agencies are seeing an increase in the number of requests for support they receive, and the reality is that nothing ever gets less expensive as time passes.

If you’re able to help this year, know that your gift will make a HUGE difference to someone living right here in your community.

There are two ways you can support our Holiday Hamper program:

1. Donate gift cards! Visit your local grocer or retailer and purchase gift card(s) and then send the card(s) to school with your kid(s). Classroom teachers will collect the gift cards on our behalf. We’ve been hearing from our partners that the gift cards that provide recipients with the most flexibility are ideal. Gift card ideas include:

• Grocery cards - Save On Foods, Buy Low, Safeway, Superstore, Walmart, Nesters or other local grocers

• Clothing gift cards - Old Navy, Gap, Walmart, Joe Fresh, Carters, Mark’s Work Warehouse, Sport Chek, etc.

• Flexible gift cards for retailers with a variety of merchandise choices: Amazon, Indigo, Toys R Us, Walmart, Best Buy, The Bay, Walmart, Sephora, London Drugs, Shoppers Drug Mart, etc.

2. Donate cash through your SchoolCashOnline.com account: 

• The link above is a direct link to the Charles Dickens PAC donation page. If you sign into your schoolcashonline account, once you’ve selected the “Make A Donation” option, be sure to select E-Charles Dickens PAC as your Fund Destination (this works for gifts from both Dickens Main and the Annex).

• When you make your gift, please let us know that it is for the Holiday Hampers by making a note in the Message box. Gifts of $10 or more are eligible for charitable receipts, which are issued automatically by the VSB.

This year’s hampers will be distributed beginning the week of December 2nd, so please be sure to drop off your donations to your classroom or office by Friday, December 6th, 2025. 

If you have any questions, please email us at charlesdickensholidayhampers@gmail.com

 

The Charles Dickens PAC Winter Holiday Fundraiser with Purdy's Chocolates is back, by popular demand!  Now is the time to let your inner chocoholic out, as this fundraiser will only be offered once this entire year.

This tasty fundraiser will raise money to support school activities funded by the PAC at both Charles Dickens Annex and Main school. The schools will receive 25% of the money spent, back to support enriching activities for all students! Last year we sold almost $9,000 of chocolate – which raised almost $3,000 for our schools 😊

To view the items and make a purchase, please click here visit this link:   

Once you are at the website, 

• Enter your email address
• Create an account
• Click on “shop online” (at the top of the next page)
• Select the "Market place" button (this allows you to see images of all the chocolate for sale) 

Submit your chocolate order to the Purdy’s website by Monday November 29, 2025.

Pick-up your chocolates on Wednesday December 10th, between 2:30pm-4pm, at 

Dickens main school.

Check it out, and consider buying treats for teachers, friends and family through this school fundraising campaign. Feel free to share the link with friends.  A little chocolate goes a long way to warming someone's heart!

Thank you in advance. We are wishing you a sweet holiday season.

Get ready to show off your school spirit in style. The PAC, together with Jackson’s General Store, has created a fresh line of Dickens Cheer Gear. It’s the perfect way to celebrate our amazing community - and every purchase helps fund future school projects and programs. 

Get your orders in by November 18th. 

 

Subject: Virtual Information Session:

 

We are pleased to welcome you to a virtual session in digital literacy. This conversation will discuss

social media awareness, digital citizenship and cyber-bullying. 

The event details are below:  

When: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

Where: Virtually through Teams. Join us using this link.  

Who: Hosted by Safer Schools Together, through VSB 

Registration: Please register by 9 pm on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 using this link: Registration for

VSB Virtual Info Session-Nov 4 

Welcome To The New School Year

We’d love more families to get involved in the PAC and the best way to do that is to join the PAC WhatsApp group

here. Annex Group here.

Read the minutes for the recent PAC meeting (Sept 25).

We Want to Hear From You!

Please take a minute to fill out our quick PAC surveyLet us know how you’d like to get updates, what events or committees interest you, and share any ideas for this year!

HALLOWEEN COSTUME SWAP

Have your child bring in their gently used Halloween costumes from Oct. 8th to Oct. 15th and have

them drop them off in the boxes outside the main office.

We will then resell these costumes on Oct. 17th and Oct. 20 from 3 to 4:30 in the red courtyard.

All proceeds help the School Parent Association Council (PAC).

Any questions please email dickens.fundraising@gmail.com

Spring Fling Info

Thursday May 29th, 2025

Sign up to volunteer!! 200+ Volunteers are needed! Most shifts are 1 hour onsite on Thursday, May 29. We also need help with setting up the night before and a few hours before the event.

Pre-Event Set Up, Tear Down, Recycling & Garbage, Face Painting, Cotton Candy, 

Musical Desserts, Sausage Stand, Ticket Sales, Made It (crafts table), Silent Disco, Plants Sale, Indoor Games, Games Prize Table, Outdoor Games, Photo Booth and Mystery Bottles.  

 

New Stalls this year: 

Arcade games - these will include Dance Dance Revolution, Whack A Mole and San Fransisco Rush driving game. Volunteers will need to assist with taking tickets and starting the games.

Silent Disco - this is a dance party where participants listen to the music through their own headphones rather than a speaker. Volunteers will assist with getting people set up and putting on and taking off headphones if needed.

Cotton candy volunteers will be assisting a "cotton candy professional" this year who will be in charge of the making!

Sign-up to Volunteer here!

 

Ensure you are seeing the entire sheet. INCLUDE your Name, Phone Number and Email 

so that the Team Leads can contact you. Thank you!

 

When and where to bring all items:

Main School: On the day, drop donations at the Main School Gym from 8:45am - 3:30pm.

Annex School: On the day, drop donations at the Annex Office from 8:45am - 3pm or take them directly to the Main School Gym. After 3pm, please take items to the main school.

Donations for Mystery Bottles

We are asking for bottles of white, red, sparkling and non-alcoholic wine or fancy mixers to the value of above $15 these will be sold for $20 on the day. Please make sure the bottle is completely hidden in brown paper or a gift bag and please indicate wether it is alcoholic or non alcoholic. Please fill out how many bottle you will be donating and we will let you know when and where to drop.

Donations for Musical Desserts

Small items please! Cookies, Squares, Cup Cakes, Brownies, Muffins, Cake Pops and other sweet treats. We’ll also need some gluten-free and/or dairy-free items. No home baked goods please only packaged and store bought. Please let us know what you will bring here

Donations for MADE IT

We welcome any Home-made Crafts and Handiwork! Paintings/Drawings, Pottery, Ceramics, Woodwork, Sculptures, Photographs, Greeting Cards, Jewellery, Friendship Bracelets, Hair Accessories, Buttons, Pins, Magnets, Key Chains, Candles, Soaps, Beeswax Wraps, Knitting/Crocheting: e.g. Toques, Gloves, Scarves etc. and Sewing/Quilting: e.g. Pillow Covers, Totes (cloth bags) etc. Label your items with your name + number if you want unsold items returned. Please let us know what you can contribute here!

 

Donations for Field Games

Badminton nets, grass volleyball nets with poles, pop-up soccer nets, corn hole sets, horseshoe games, oversized jenga.

Let us know here if you plan to donate to any of the above stalls! Scroll across to find the stall you want to donate to.

Donations for Plant Sale

Flowers, Plants, Bulbs/Tubers, Shrubs, Seedlings, Seeds etc. Buy new or pull from your garden! Garden accessories, Decorative pots and containers are welcome too.

Silent Auction

The Silent Auction is looking slightly different this year, we are calling on community members to come forward with donations! Please get in touch at dickens.spring.fling@gmail.com to let us know whether you have something to contribute!!

Questions?

Contact us at dickens.spring.fling@gmail.com if you have questions regarding Volunteering or Donating. Thank you for your time and generosity! — Dickens SPRING FLING Team