Our 2019 – 2020 Community Partners Program is in full swing and we need your help!
Do you work for, or own a business that would like to participate in this program? Many employers offer a matching fund program for charitable giving.
Most Bowen community members are aware that our IPS young people are excellent ambassadors in our community and beyond. Did you know that the first point of contact with families new to Bowen is often through a realtor or developer? These businesses are now finding out about our programming, our core values, our middle school team and of course our students.
Many businesses and organizations partnered with us last year, including Dee Elliott Personal Real Estate Corporation, Ames Family Foundation, Osborne Cane Serious Injury Lawyers, Bowen Island Properties, Bowenshire Stonework & Landscaping, Twin Island Excavating, the Cape on Bowen and more. Many have toured our school and have engaged in the work we’re doing with our pollinator garden, the honey bee hive and have a greater appreciation of how financial aid helps us be more diverse.
Building these relationships is mutually beneficial. It creates awareness of the “Why?” of IPS and helps our students and families have a better understanding of what our local businesses do.
We offer those businesses who partner with us exposure in our Giving Stories, media coverage and advertisements in the Undercurrent, on social media and our website and extend special invitations to events.
Osborne Cane is a personal injury law firm in Vancouver, serving British Columbians from all over the province. Partners David Osborne and Jacqueline Cane are also the parents of an IPS grade 7 student. This is what they had to say about the Community Partners program —
IPS has for 25 years embodied a vision of middle school education which provides the essential tools for lifelong thinking and learning; experiences which challenge and foster growth in all spheres; and importantly, opportunities which empower students to embrace their agency in the community and the world.
There are many ways that the connections to the Bowen Island community and to the Lower Mainland are maintained by students and staff of IPS. From charitable work which is embedded in the curriculum of all grades, regular volunteering with local community organizations to cleaning up the public spaces on Bowen. Too many to list here!
Osborne Cane supports local and international organizations working to improve the quality of life for communities. Our donation to IPS is consistent with that goal. We also receive the kind of exposure our business can benefit from – a trusted presence in the community – which people can rely upon if they or their families are ever in need of a lawyer.
Today more than ever, consumers are looking at the values of business owners and organizations as part of their decision-making in the marketplace.
There are many Bowen Island and Vancouver businesses which would benefit from a Community Partner relationship with IPS. The program offers generous advertising which reaches a broad market and it’s an investment in a non-profit force for good in your community.
At the 25 year mark of the “little school that could”, it’s time that businesses large and small recognize the current contributions and future promise of Island Pacific School to the local and regional communities. Attend one of the many open house events, check out the Giving Stories on their website, review their Community Partners Program or get in touch with the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement, Julia McCaig [email protected], cell (778) 989-0771.
Most Bowen community members are aware that our IPS young people are excellent ambassadors in our community and beyond.
Did you know that the first point of contact with new families to Bowen is often through a realtor or developer? These businesses are now finding out about our programming, our core values, our middle school team and of course our students!
Many businesses and organizations partnered with us last year, including Dee Elliott Personal Real Estate Corporation, Ames Family Foundation, Osborne Cane Serious Injury Lawyers, Bowen Island Properties, Bowenshire Stonework & Landscaping, Twin Island Excavating, the Cape on Bowen and more. Many have toured our school and have engaged in the work we’re doing with our pollinator garden, the honey bee hive and have an appreciation of how financial aid helps us be more diverse.
Building these relationships is mutually beneficial. It creates awareness of the “Why?” of IPS and helps our students and families have a better understanding of what our local businesses do.
We offer those businesses who partner with us exposure in our Giving Stories, media coverage and advertisements in the Undercurrent, on social media and our website and extend special invitations to events.
Ames Family Foundation
Our connection with the Ames Family is through John Olson, IPS parent and board member, and past president of Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. When John took over as President of the company in 2010, he was only the
John Ames
second non-family member to hold this position. Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. has won several business awards including Canada’s Best Managed Companies (for the ninth year in a row) and Canada’s Great Places to Work award. IPS is very fortunate to have John’s skills as he starts his first year serving on our Board of Directors.
Before recently stepping down from that position, John worked with the Ames Family to secure this generous donation, available to us in perpetuity. Thanks also to Carol Harrison, Administrator for the Ames Foundation, for facilitating this generous gift.
As a non-profit, independent school, we are committed to a strong Financial Aid Program to ensure that no child is denied entrance to IPS based solely on financial limits. The Ames Family Foundation has helped a student attend IPS and we extend our heartfelt thanks to them!
The Ames Family Foundation generously donated $10,000 our Financial Aid Fund to keep IPS diverse and accessible.
Dee and Frazer Elliott
Dee Elliott and her son Frazer Elliott have generously donated towards our new Community Partners Program initiative.Recognizing that IPS students are excellent ambassadors in our community and that the values of our school align with the best qualities of the Bowen community, they wanted to support our Community Partners Program, specifically the “Kids in Motion” initiative. This option focuses on, amongst other things, our pollinator garden and natural habitat around our school property. Teacher Pam Matthews is embarking on the pollinator garden project with her students, drawing on knowledge from local experts in addition to her own skills and expertise. Stay tuned for more news from Pam on this exciting enterprise! Thank you Dee and Frazer for supporting this important initiative! Find out more about Dee and Frazer at bowenhomes.ca.
Bowenshire Stonework and Landscaping
Andy is always ready to step in and help out our IPS Community. Shown here helping build our pollinator garden, he readily jumps into action when we need something done in the realm of moving dirt and rocks!
Bowen Iron, Bowen Island Properties, Custom Coastal Homes, Free Wheeling Enterprises and Twin Island Excavating
All of these local businesses have come together at different times to help our students. Most recently they helped install our new basketball hoops in the upper parking area.
Scott McIntosh, Fort Langley Air and the Jarvis Family
Kristin and Geoff Jarvis donated a unique and valuable gift to our Fall Bash fundraiser — a private tour of the southern BC Coast, departing from the Salish Sea, traveling over the Coastal Range (and the glaciers and volcanoes of Garibaldi Provincial Park) to the ultimate destination, Princess Louisa Provincial Marine Park, accessible only by water.
The lucky winners Brent O’Malley and Susan Swift, owners of Bowen Island Sea Kayaking, will get to experience the life of a West Coast seaplane pilot from inside one of Canada’s most iconic bush planes, the DHC-2 Beaver, before dining on a picnic assembled by alumnus and Chopped Canada Jr contestant Hudson Stiver.
This single donation raised $5,000 for our Student Financial Aid fund to keep IPS diverse and accessible.
Osborne Cane Serious Injury Lawyers
Through their law firm Jacqueline Cane and David Osborne generously donated to our Kids in the Digital Age option of the Community Partners program. This contribution will help us purchase an entire set of Chromebooks for the school in the 2019 – 2020 academic year, putting updated equipment directly into the hands of our students.
The Cape on Bowen – Candy Ho
Sincere thanks to Candy Ho for working with us in developing our Community Partners program: Kids in Motion initiative, providing funds to help us purchase new sporting equipment and support our pollinator garden and natural habitats projects.
The Cape on Bowen believes in long-term community building that facilitates residents to grow in place and age in place. Children are the creators of our future, and they are our hope.
We are so immensely proud and blessed to have the opportunity to support Island Paci c School for the amazing work that they do with all their heart and dedication. This school ensures that kids not only receive the best possible academic education, but most importantly, they experience a program that nurtures and guides them in their development of character – their compassion, and sense of citizenship and responsibility for the world immediately around them, and the world at large.
During my visit with the school, I had the honour of meeting their leadership, who are passionate and committed to the school’s vision and philosophy through not just their words, but their actions. We know that the school will continue to cultivate children who thrive in their formative years, and go on to give the best of who they are for the rest of their lives.
We want to do our part to not only support the school financially, but also through other meaningful endeavours, whether that is helping them to give access to more Bowen children, or by integrating The Cape into their outdoor and natural habitat initiatives.
Ian and Jill Massender and their daughters Alexis and Kylie are extremely pleased to be joining the IPS family this fall.
They have arrived with a bang, generously supporting our Community Partners Program last month which helped bring our total to just over $9,000, thank you to the Massenders!
Ian is a veteran Fire Captain in Vancouver and while on island, he operates his own real estate business (which began here in 2004). Jill assists with the business, volunteers with school activities, as well as being full time Mom to their twin daughters.
Alexis and Kylie have varied interests, from Frisco (their Giant Schnauzer) to walking, skiing, boating, playing soccer, dance, and time with Bud and Nan Massender (their grand parents) — one busy family!
We look forward to welcoming them to IPS in September 2019.
SPUD fundraising is a program for schools and community organizations.
IPS is promoting the purchase of SPUD fundraising produce boxes and/or fundraising gift cards to our families. In return SPUD will handle all orders, deliveries, and assist in promotion.
25% of the total sales (not just profit) of the fundraising produce boxes will be donated and 10% of the total sales of all fundraising gift cards will be donated back to IPS.
As long as we’ve raised at least $50, SPUD will send us a cheque for the total donation amount once per quarter.
SPUD is B-Corp certified Canadian owned and operated business. SPUD has a local-first purchasing policy with strong focus on organic status and other sustainability indicators that guide their partnerships. Their retail model significantly reduces food waste and makes grocery shopping more energy efficient.
Any SPUD box from SPUD.ca/fundraising will generate a donation to our fundraiser. While most are produce-only and will generate a 25% donation, there are several that have non-produce items and will generate a 10% donation – each box is clearly labeled. These boxes have various themes such as local-only, organic fruit only, organic greens only, office fruit, or peak season produce.
To register for fundraising, simply enter the promotional code “Fundraising” at checkout and select your group from the drop down menu – this only needs to be done once.
Most boxes have several options to swap out specific items for others and other groceries can be combined with the fundraiser boxes.
Place your order today and start fundraising for IPS!
The Ames Family Foundation generously donated $5,000 in support of our Financial Aid Fund to support student bursaries at IPS.
John Olson
Our connection with the Ames Family is through John Olson, IPS parent and board member, and past president of Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. When John took over as President of the company in 2010, he was only the second non-family member to hold this position. Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. has won several business awards including Canada’s Best Managed Companies (for the ninth year in a row) and Canada’s Great Places to Work award. IPS is very fortunate to have John’s skills as he starts his first year serving on our Board of Directors.
Before recently stepping down from that position, John worked with the Ames Family to secure this generous donation, available to us in perpetuity. Thanks also to Carol Harrison, Administrator for the Ames Foundation, for facilitating this generous gift.
As a non-profit, independent school, we are committed to a strong Financial Aid Program to ensure that no child is denied entrance to IPS based solely on financial limits. The Ames Family Foundation has helped a student attend IPS and we extend our heartfelt thanks to them!
IPS is a registered non-profit organization and can provide tax receipts for donations.
Rick Brzezowski sits at one of the new study carrels recently installed with his family’s funding
A story from my past and another reason why I love and support IPS
Several years ago, I opened a box and found my grade 7 year book (class of ’75 – yikes, I’m getting old). Incredibly, my class had 36 students and in looking at everyone’s picture, it reminded me of the wide range in academic, behavioural, and social-emotional development. It highlighted that it was more of an exercise in crowd control than education.
I grew up on the “wrong side of the tracks” in a proud hardworking community in North Edmonton that did not have the opportunity to experience the power of education. Only about 20 out of almost 600 students in my grade 12 class went on to post secondary. I remember tutoring two students in a buddy system in this grade 7 class who had severe academic struggles. There were many others as well, and most of them quit before finishing high school. In hindsight, what is evident to me is that the learning strategies program we have at IPS would have vastly improved many of these people’s lives.
IPS gives our students many advantages and learning strategies is an important one because it helps our students develop important learning skills which leads to warranted confidence and improved self esteem – what could be better! I love IPS and one of my joys has been watching a wide range of students thrive at IPS who would likely have had a much different outcomes in my day. We are very fortunate to have IPS. Because of that, my family has made a 5 year commitment to fund innovation and professional development in our learning strategies program and I encourage other families who have seen the huge benefits of this program to participate in helping to improve the program from excellent to extraordinary.
Finally, I would also like to give a heartfelt thank you to Amanda, Diana and Jen Z. for all they do to make our Learning Strategies Program so successful.
I caught up with Rio last week and was telling her how much her donation meant when we launched our 2nd Annual Giving Appeal earlier this year.
Our board led our Annual Giving Appeal with unprecedented support, then we went out to staff and faculty, asking if they could match the 100% participation of their board. With few exceptions, they all stepped up and donated to their school, generously and wholeheartedly, reinforcing our Culture of Philanthropy.
The first of those donations, in particular, still stands out in my mind. I checked my cubby in the staffroom upon arrival the next morning, and there was a small envelope, with cash in it…and a smiley face on the front. It brought tears to my eyes. It was from our cleaner, Rio Bailey. As I was thanking her, I asked about how she came to be at IPS and what kept her here. Here’s what she said:
“I started cleaning IPS in 2014. The one thing that has always stood out is how much I have always felt my work is appreciated. All of the staff at IPS work extremely hard, multitasking overtime and still take the time to say thanks let alone notice. A fond memory that comes to mind is Ted telling me he loves the way I polish the kitchen sink and wished no one would splash water on it. (in my mind I was thinking – Ted, it’s a sink!!!)
I started making the morning coffee one day when I saw how crazy busy everyone was at report card time and wrote the note “despierta conmigo” (Spanish: “awake with me”) and everyone commented that it made them feel happy and Adrian called me “the coffee fairy”. Sold!
I believe the students that attend IPS really do learn integrity wisdom and courage and I am grateful to be part of the team. You are all fantastic!”
Rio Bailey
NB: Rio continues to leave us regular notes on the coffee maker which we’ll share with you from time to time.
Parents and supporters of Stong’s can have their groceries delivered to their doors on-island and help support our work at the same time, thanks to an innovative giving program initiated by Stong’s Markets.
Stong’s, one of IPS’s community partners, will deliver groceries to Bowen Island addresses weekly, and parents/faculty can nominate to have 4% of the value of their bill donated to Island Pacific by Stong’s as part of their corporate giving program. The cost to you as their customer remains the same. Simply visit express.stongs.com, choose Island Pacific School during the checkout process and they will take care of the rest!
This means that for every $1000 spent, $40 will be donated to IPS. An average 4 person household spends a minimum of $500 or more on groceries per month. If we have 5 families use Stong’s online shopping, that would earn us $100 or more per month — the more parents that participate, the higher the revenue will be generated for the school!
Mabel’s Labels feature many useful products, and let’s face it, kids lose stuff!
If you noticed the lost and found pile at year end, you’ll know – kids lose stuff. Lots of stuff. Labeling everything you send to school/excursions will help to things find their way back home. Mabel’s Labels is one option for personalized labels. These labels can be ordered online and Island Pacific School will receive 20% of all sales.
A parent tells us that including name and a phone number on the labels has helped them reunite with lost hoodies and a jacket thanks to BC Ferries calling to say they had them in the lost and found!
IMPORTANT: When promoting your Mabel’s Labels Fundraiser, you must promote 1 of 2 ways:
Go to campaigns.mabelslabels.com and choose “your organization” from the School/Organization list. or Visit mabelslabels.com, press the “Support A Fundraiser” button and choose “your organization” from the list.
** Don’t share any other links or URLS as we cannot guarantee they will properly track and credit your fundraiser.
Here’s a sampling of their products:
customizable allergy alert labels
kids medical labels
patches
clothing/uniform labels
Thanks for helping our fundraising partners support us!
SPUD fundraising is a program for schools and community organizations.
SPUD Fundraising FAQ
For more information about the Ames family’s business, Ames Tile & Stone, see this article in Canadian Business Executive magazine and 
Parents and supporters of Stong’s can have their groceries delivered to their doors on-island and help support our work at the same time, thanks to an innovative giving program initiated by Stong’s Markets.
