March 2019

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March 2019

Message from Vancouver DPAC Chair

  • Thank you to those of you who attended our general meeting on Supporting Caregivers of Children with Diverse Learning needs in February, as well as our executive meeting.  We're very pleased to take suggestions on other topics to organize presentations on.

    The LRFP is the most important issue facing our district right now.  The first draft of this plan was released in February -- in addition to identifying a priority list for seismic upgrades, it lays out the groundwork for school closures.  The LRFP will potentially shape our district for many years -- not just for your children but for their children. It could impact schools across the district, not just those identified in the closure feasibility study.

    DPAC has advocated in favour of more opportunities for consultation on this plan -- both for parents as a stakeholder group and the public.  We are pleased to have board staff attend our special meeting this coming Thursday, March 7th at 6:30PM regarding the Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) to do a Q&A.

    We urge you to read the report (https://www.vsb.bc.ca/District/Planning_and_Facilities/Long_Range_Facilities_Plan/Pages/Default.aspx), email your feedback to LRFP@vsb.bc.ca and to come to our meeting with staff and trustees next Thursday.  Help us plan by registering your attendance here - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/long-range-facilities-plan-qa-tickets-56364456607

    We have received nominations to the DPAC executive for Peter Couch (nominated by Simon Fraser Elementary) and Skye Richards (nominated by Magee Secondary).  All PACs should have already received links for voting. Their nominations will be ratified at our next executive meeting on March 14th.  There are still more open positions for parents who wish to serve in a district role for the remainder of this school year. Nominations need to be received at least 24 hours prior to an executive meeting; please contact any DPAC executive for more information.

    Shaun Kalley, 2018/19 DPAC Chair
    chair@vancouverdpac.org

Upcoming DPAC Events

  • Thursday, Mar 7, 6:30pm – DPAC Special Meeting: Long Range Facilities Plan Q&A Rm 180, 1580 W. Broadway

  • Thursday, Mar 14, 7-9pm – DPAC Executive Meeting Rm 120, Vancouver Education Centre 1580 W. Broadway

  • NOTE: DPAC meetings are open to all parents and guardians of children in VSB schools. Voting is limited to DPAC executives at executive meetings and PAC representatives at general meetings, but all attendees may otherwise participate in the meetings.

Upcoming PAC Events Open to the Wider Community

  • Tuesday, Mar 5, 7pm – David Thompson PAC is hosting - Vaping Products - Let's Clear the Air 1755 East 55th Avenue

  • Thursday, Mar 7 at 6:30pm, join PIE (Partners for Inclusive Education) at General Gordon for Looking into the Future: Building Resilience Against Anxiety with Dr. Bethany Michel (poster) Tickets are available at Eventbrite. The cost per ticket is $7.00 (plus minimal Eventbrite fee) per adult and includes ‘pizza & presentation’ for adults and childminding with ‘pizza & movie night’ for kids. (Childminding will be provided by Grade 7 volunteers and supervised by an adult skilled in working with diverse learners.) Follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/looking-into-the-future-building-resilience-against-anxiety-tickets-56852800256 

Important Dates

Useful Information & Resources

Diverse Learners

Expand/Embrace Your Indigenous Knowledges

  • Wednesday, Feb 20 - Saturday, Mar 10 - The Cultch presents Children of God at the York Theatre. A musical about the impact of residential schools that celebrates resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit.  tickets.thecultch.com 

  • Cultural Teachings: Welcome to Territory & Land Acknowledgments by Reconciliation Canada

  • Indigenous Awareness – A FREE self-paced course offered by BCIT. Three self-paced modules in this course were created to promote and increase understanding about Indigenous people and their place and space in Canada, past and present. Together, the modules will provide you with a foundational knowledge of Indigenous people in the hopes that when the true history and contemporary reality of Indigenous people is known, Reconciliation can begin. It should take about 2 hours in total to complete the entire course and you will receive a Certificate of Completion at the end. To get access to the Indigenous Awareness course, send and e-mail to techhelp@bcit.ca asking for an account and access to the Indigenous Awareness online course. Please provide your first and last names.

  • Indigenous Arts & Stories Contest is open to Canadians of Indigenous ancestry (self-identified Status, Non-Status, Inuit and Métis) between the ages of 6 and 29. Deadline is March 31. For more details: http://www.our-story.ca/guidelines/

Mental Health / Substance Abuse

SOGI (Sexual Orientation Gender Identity)

VSB 

News

  • Highlights: Special Board meeting of February 25, 2019 (Watch the meeting)

    • The 2018-2019 Amended Annual Budget was presented to the Finance Committee on February 20, 2019 where a proposal was put forth that the District establish a $1.5 million special fund that will distribute some of the vacancy savings for Special Education Assistants (SEAs) back to support students who experienced a loss of services. The Amended Annual Budget was presented for approval to establish this special fund with the adjustments. See the Board report for full details

    • 2019/2020 Budget Timeline – should be here when published

  • Accepting applications until Mar 8 for next (2nd) Education Assistant (EA) program. Find out more: http://ow.ly/bzjk50mgoCW

Seismic Project Input Opportunities

  • VSB is looking at a potential land exchange between David Thompson Secondary School and Gordon Park (submit feedback)

  • Thursday, Mar 14, 2-6pm – David Lloyd George public information session in the gymnasium. (display boards)

Long Range Facilities Plan

French Immersion Program Review: Henry Hudson Focus

  • The District is proposing that the Early French Immersion (FI) program currently located at Hudson Elementary be relocated to Strathcona Elementary for the 2020-21 school year and that current Hudson students will have a choice to apply to other programs.

  • A report (Item 2.2) was presented to the Facilities Planning Committee on January 23, 2019.

  • The Board of Education approved a motion to support the goal of meeting the demand and to endeavour to have more than one Kindergarten FI division in each school offering the EFI program.

  • Give your feedback before a decision is made by the Board of Education in April

    • Tuesday, Mar 5, 3:30-7pm – Hudson Elementary School (Library), 1551 Cypress Street, Vancouver

    • Thursday, Mar 7, 3:30-7pm – Strathcona Elementary School (Auditorium), 592 East Pender Street, Vancouver

    • An online survey will also be available from March 5 to March 20, 2019.

BCCPAC

Updates

  • Conference & AGM Details Speakers & Schedule announced. Online Registration Open.

  • Inclusive Ed Myths There are lots of myths about Inclusive education. Have you heard any of these? How do you respond?  

  • ERASE erase website has info/resources for bullying, violence prevention, online safety, mental well-being, substance use,...

  • Parent's Guide to Curriculum Review the recently released Parent’s Guide to revised curriculum.

  • Ordinary Resolutions - March 15 Deadline (extended) Resolutions passed at the AGM form the basis for the operations and advocacy work of BCCPAC on behalf of its members. Details and forms.

Ministry of Education

Updates

  • Feb 27 - ERASE expands to protect students from bullying. Government leaders joined together with students and education advocates to introduce new online safety sessions to help support and protect students against cyberbullying.

  • Feb 19 - Budget 2019 creates opportunities, makes life better for people. Budget 2019 is creating opportunities for all British Columbians by delivering a new B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit for kids up to the age of 18, removing interest from B.C. student loans, reducing taxes for businesses and investing in clean energy and climate solutions.

  • Feb 11 - Safer schools coming to better protect Vancouver students. Hundreds of families, students and staff in Vancouver can look forward to safer schools as funding for seismic upgrades has been approved for Lord Byng Secondary, Lord Selkirk Elementary and Dr. George M. Weir Elementary schools.

Upcoming