Oct 2021

October 2021 Message from the Chair Parents and Caregivers: On Sept 30, the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I ask you to take time to listen to, learn from and amplify Indigenous voices.  We have included information and numerous events happening to mark the day. I hope that the lessons that we learn from listening to these voices help guide our actions in building a just society, that we keep these lessons in our minds and hearts as we do our work as PACs and parents. Gord Lau, 2021/22 DPAC Chair   Parents & PACs Preparing For the School Year DPAC is continuing to share access to Zoom meetings with PACs. Please contact your schools DPAC liaison or DPAC secretary (secretary@vancouverDPAC.org) to book a meeting. Note two upcoming special meetings below to help new PAC exec Upcoming DPAC Events Thursday, October 14, 7pm – DPAC Executive Meeting Thursday, October 21, 7pm – DPAC Special Meeting: PAC 101 Thursday, October 28, 7pm – DPAC October General Thursday, November 4, 7pm – DPAC Special Meeting: Treasury 101 All meeting information (registration, agendas, minutes) on our meeting page. All parents of VSB students are welcome to attend DPAC meetings Subscribe to our meeting calendar Parent engagement  There are a number of requests for feedback from the district and the province in this newsletter In "On Anti-Racism" section, provincial survey to shape anti-racism data collection policy (survey, closes Nov 30) In "BCCPAC" section, Ministry of Education survey regarding K-12 reporting changes (survey, closes Nov 5) In "VSB" section, VSB seeks input into five year education plan.  In addition to surveys, PACs are encouraged to submit briefs via DPAC.   (more info, survey closes Oct 11) DPAC Committees and Working Groups Childcare Committee The committee is focused on encouraging increased access and wider options for school-age care.  Interested parents please contact committee lead Alan at alan.patola.moosmann@vancouverdpac.org Facilities Planning Committee The committee works on Long Range Facilities Planning, Seismic Planning and will be shadowing the VSB Facilities Planning Committee providing feedback to the DPAC Executive.  The DPAC Facilities Committee will meet on Monday, October 4th at 7pm (Register Here) or please contact DPAC vice chair at vik.khanna@vancouverdpac.org. Anti-Racism Working Group The Anti-Racism Collective is a group of parents, caregivers and community members seeking to ensure that VSB antiracism efforts are successful. From within, a smaller working group is engaged in formal advocacy work to advise VSB in matters concerning racism, hate and harassment. The Collective works in support of this group. Interested people please contact Karen at karen.tsang@vancouverdpac.org Important Dates 2015 - 2024 -- The Decade for People of African Descent In December 2014, the UN General Assembly, in its Resolution 68/237, proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). Under the theme "Recognition, Justice and Development”, the Decade provides an operational framework to encourage States to eradicate social injustices inherited from history and to fight against racism, prejudice and racial discrimination to which people of African descent are still subjected. October is: ADHD Awareness Month; Dyslexia Awareness Month Thursday, September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation October 3rd thru October 9 – International Walk to School Week Tuesday, October 5 – DPAC Facilites Meeting Tuesday, October 5  – World Teacher's Day Monday, October 11 – Thanksgiving (no school) Thursday, October 14, 7pm — DPAC Executive Meeting Wednesday, October 6 – VSB Finance Committee Wednesday, October 6  – World Cerebral Palsy Day Sunday, October 10 – World Mental Health Day Monday, October 11 – National Coming Out Day Wednesday, October 13, 5pm – VSB Personnel Committee  Wednesday, October 13, 6:30pm – VSB Policy and Governance Committee  Thursday, October 21, 7pm – DPAC Special Meeting: PAC 101 Friday, October 15 – Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day Saturday, October 16 – World Food Day Sunday, October 17 – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Monday, October 18, 5pm – VSB Committee of the Whole Friday, October 22 – Province wide Pro-D day (no school) Monday, October 25, 7pm – VSB Board Meeting  Thursday, October 28, 7pm – DPAC October General Meeting Sunday, October 31 – Hallowe'en Thursday, November 4, 7pm – DPAC Special Meeting: Treasury 101 PAC Ideas A parent at John Henderson Elementary donated 4 signs and set them around school entrances on the day of a PAC Meeting to raise awareness. The sign contains the PAC website and encourages parents and caregivers to sign up for the PAC's mailing list. Send your PAC innovations to share with others in the DPAC newsletter by emailing the newsletter editor. News and Information Check out our resource page for presentation slide decks Diverse Learners October is Dyslexia Awareness Month in BC, and the need for people with learning disabilities to be supported is considerable. The Go Red for Dyslexia campaign asks that people take pictures with family, or at school with friends, demonstrating to governments how many people are demanding increased support for students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia. Send pictures to DyslexiaBC.cm@gmail.com and tag #DyslexiaBC & #DyslexiaAwarenessMonthBC on Social Media   October is also ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) Awareness Month. Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (located at Vancouver Children's Hospital) offers this information sheet for those who would like to understand ADHD better.   The ONE TO ONE Literacy Society is seeking volunteers for their virtual after school program, which connects tutors with students to read together once a week for two to three hours. Apply for this program here. Sustainability Self-motivated, hardworking high school students who want to be involved in climate justice work and the VSB's annual Sustainability Conference can apply for the VSB Sustainability Conference’s 2022 Youth Head Delegate team. Application deadline is October 4th.   The Sustainabiliteens are a climate-justice oriented organization led by Metro Vancouver youth. Youth can learn more and get involved by visiting the website. On Anti-Racism According to the BC Government website, systemic racism exists everywhere, including in government policies and programs.The BC government is crowdsourcing better information to ensure equitable access to government services. Help shape B.C.’s anti-racism data legislation by participating in this survey. Information on grants available to aid in the organizing of community consultations by communities is also posted to this page.   This year, Ethọ́s Labspace will be launching a new physical space at 2nd and Main for youth to gather and enjoy learning STEAM skills in a intentionally anti-racist space. With an online virtual arena and safe, limited-attendance in-person workshops, Ethọ́s Lab powers safe, accessible, technology-forward youth spaces created from the imagination of the Black community, and for all youth. (Fee based.) Gender Identity Woke Read Alouds: It Feels Good to Be Yourself is a video made for kids and their parents and families by Woke Kindergarten. The video discusses at a level for young children the topic of gender identity and acceptance.   Mental Health and Wellness Help For The Hard Times for Vancouver families with an in-patient experience at BC Children's Hospital including P1, P2, CAPE and Provincial Eating Disorders, one-hour sessions on October 18, 20, 25 and 27 at 12:00pm. Sessions include "How to support a safety plan at home"(1&2); "How to take care of yourself and family after a crisis" (3); and "How to find the resources you need" (4).  Register at no cost   Experiencing racism, both systemic and random, is harmful to a person's health and wellness. An organization in the States has created a website containing resources specifically tailored to People of African Ancestry that has relevance to Canadians as well.   Self-care workshops for youth are being offered online via the Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC and can be booked through their website. They are fully booked for October and are taking bookings for November and December. September Feature September 30th is the National Day of Reconciliation By now, it is widely understood and accepted that Residential Schools were neither schools, nor were they safe places for children to thrive but rather one of many tools that Europeans used to attempt to assimilate or destroy Indigenous People in the ongoing attempts to build and strengthen the corporate nation state of Canada. September 30th has now been made a National Day of Remembrance. As Canadians, we have much to learn, including ongoing attacks on Indigenous People, including the current low criteria for apprehending Indigenous children specifically, rather than assisting families to heal. Here are two pieces of historical relevance about residential schools: The Residential School Timeline from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and this article in Scientific America. September 30 Events in Vancouver Xweýene:msta:m ?əkwəsqwel, seýeḿ – translated to “call to witness / listen to respected one”, this traditional song and dance performance takes place at the Vancouver Art Gallery‘s North Plaza on 12 noon.   Intergenerational March for Orange Shirt Day – UBC departments are holding a march on campus starting with tea and bannock at 11:45am by the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (outdoor area) and ending with an opportunity to create art including writing messages of support and solidarity and making handprints.   A Walk with Elders takes place starting at 9 am at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre at 1607 East Hasting. The whole community is welcome to take part. The walk will start at the Centre and end at Granview Park where there will be activities, food, drum circle, crafting and sharing from 11am to 2pm.   Drumming At Trout Lake starts at 1:30pm. There will be orange shirts available for purchase. Online Events National Truth and Reconciliation Week presented by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. A full week of online programming is underway, featuring short videos created by Indigenous storytellers, and conversations with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Survivors and the children of Residental School Survivors from September 27 – October 1 at various times   Drum for the Children – given the ongoing pandemic, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is asking everyone to share videos of themselves online playing the Secwépemc Honour Song at 2:15pm   Paddles Up – an online panel discussion about Indigenous history from a maritime perspective, hosted by the Vancouver Maritime Museum on September 30th at 6:30pm   Admission is free at the Museum of Vancouver on September 30th for all visitors wearing an orange shirt to honour those who have suffered from the residential school system Related Organizations Orange Shirt Day — The Orange Shirt Day Society is situated on the Secwepemc territory known as William's Lake. Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a third generation survivor of the  St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School (1891-1981), is the inspiration for the wearing of orange shirts as a show of support and care for the survivors of residential schools and their descendants. Watch her speak of her experiences in the videos featured on the society's website.   The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) was founded in 1982 by participants at a provincial First Nations education conference at the Vancouver Friendship Centre. It is a First Nations-controlled collective organization focused on advancing quality education for all First Nations learners to improve the success of all First Nations students in BC. Classroom resources are also available.   For anyone looking for a well-regarded organization for which to make a contribution, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society assists Survivors with the litigation process pertaining to Residential School abuses. In more recent years services include assisting the descendants of Survivors and implementing Community education measures for both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people.   Nahanee Creative is a local Squamish matriarchal ways-of-being led educational business offering classes and workbooks for purchase. On-demand mini courses are being launched for purchase on 30 September 2021. Resources Check out our resource page for presentation slide decks   Truth and Reconciliation Resources For those who have been affected by the residential school systems and other acts of genocide, we have compiled the following resources: Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society, locally you can call 1-604-985-4464 or Toll Free, 1-800-721-0066   Lu'ma Medical Centre, run by Lu'ma Native Housing Society provides comprehensive physical and mental health care to Indigenous People in Vancouver   The KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides First Nations and Indigenous-specific support and can be reached toll-free 24/7 at 1-800-588-8717   The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, 1-866-925-4419, is available to support former residential school children and their family members   Tsow-Tun-Le-Lum Society substance abuse and treatment centre's toll free number is 1-888-403-3123   Indigenous Peoples face unique forms of discrimination and are under-represented in human rights complaints. This 3-part series of videos by BC Human Rights Clinic explains the BC Human Rights Code with regards to employment, tenancy (housing) and access to services, explores examples of discrimination and offers information about what you can do if you or someone you care about experiences discrimination. First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) has suggested the following actions for PACs looking to be more inclusive and welcoming for Indigenous Families: Listen and learn   Join or form an anti-Racism committee at your school's PAC. Here is the Hastings Elementary anti-racism group   Seek to create space in your school community for a First Nations Parents Club   Invite parents and caregivers of Indigenous ancestry into your PAC, and be curious about the possibility that adjusting meeting practices in consultation with the FN Parents Club or Indigenous members of your PAC   Share authentic Indigenous Peoples' resources   Raise awareness about teaching materials created by Indigenous educators. These can be added to schools and school libraries, and read them for personal learning   Advocate, at the provincial level, for the adoption of a mandatory Indigenous Peoples history course or bundled curriculum for high school students from grades 10 to 12, as a requirement for graduation   Support the use of First People's content across the K-12 curriculum. Examples of PACs doing this include their funding speakers, workshops and performances to come into schools, by supporting field trips, and by supporting the cultivating of Indigenous medicine plant gardens guided by local knowledge keepers.   Once the VSB establishes its Indigenous Education Council (IEC) to attend PAC meetings, and allot time in the agenda for updates from the IEC rep. VSB is currently forming an IEC. Watch this newsletter for updates   Continue to educate yourself and your children about Indigenous Peoples' histories and cultures, as well as the history of colonial interference   Read the reports: Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Calls to action from the TRC: Numbers 5 through 12 are specific to education Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Missing Children and Unmarked Burials, Volume 4 Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards Vancouver School Board's list of scholarships, bursaries and awards available to VSB students The Ultimate List of Scholarships for Women and Girls includes information about scholarships and other financial awards available to Canadian women and girls, and for Canadian universities BC provincial government scholarship and bursary information SOGI Everyone has a sexual orientation and gender identity. In recognition of this, DPAC has compiled this list of information and resources. Everyone is equally deserving of human rights Trans Care BC is an education team developing resources with community members, care teams, as well as health and human services to increase health literacy for clients and knowledge, competency, and cultural safety for care teams, to ensure gender-affirming care is practiced across British Columbia Support information for gender creative children and trans youth, and their parents and caregivers Learn More about Trans and Non-Binary Identities & Holistic Trans Body Poster Trans Rights are Human Rights -- BC Human Rights Commission Why Accepting your LGBTQ2I+ Child Matters, and How To Start -- Option B Org SOGI 123 in BC Education -- On sexual orientation and gender identity Youth Mental Health Jack.org offers mental health presentations for students in grades 9 to 12. The talks are delivered by trained and certified young people with lived experience and an understanding of the practice of maintaining mental wellness to their peers. Their Virtual Jack Talk is available online   Check out resources that focus on youth at TeenMentalHealth.org   Kids Help Phone is a 24/7 national service offering professional counselling, information, referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support for young people in English and French   Here to Help is an online guide to navigating mental health struggles and crises, as well as substance use information   Help for the Hard Times offers online workshops for families of kids and teens who have been a patient in a psychiatric unit   Free mental health program for teens - YMCA   TrevorSpace is an affirming international community for LGBTQ young people ages 13-24 Tutoring Edu Beyond offers free tutoring for K-12 students whose families don't have the resources, using student volunteers for subjects including science, social studies, English and French, and math. See above section for more information about EDU Beyond, and sign up here   Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland have a free Study Buddy weekly mentoring program for female identifying youth ages 7-17. Big Brothers of Vancouver also offer similar free-of-charge mentoring programs for male-identifying youth COVID-19 & Crowdsourced Information Parents, caregivers and communities have been sending notifications into BC School COVID Tracker to collectively share information about school exposures. School exposure reports can be submitted by ccing or bccing bcschoolcovid@protonmail.com when notifying your child's school by email after receiving a positive test result.   A new app has been launched for families to easily know what schools in BC have experienced an exposure to COVID. Exposure Watch allows you to sign up for notifications according to the schools you select. & Tests Based on Science: What is the best type of COVID-19 test to get? -- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine & Immunizations As of September 29, 2021, 7 831 229 doses of approved COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in British Columbia. Read more Government of BC Immunization Plan (translated versions provided) Vancouver Coastal Health Information Page (book your vaccine appointment) & Mental Health Kelty Mental Health together with FamilySmart parent peer support workers have created a new digital tool, Ask Kelty Mental Health, which offers answers to common questions families have about accessing mental health supports and services. Participate in a BC Children’s Hospital study of the impact of COVID-19 on youth mental health. Students who are 10 to 17 years old, and parents of children and youth aged from 6 to 17 years old are invited  & Masks Kids and masks list by accredited academics Canadian manufacturers have created re-usable N-95 quality respirator masks with non-disposable filters. Here is one example available on order For your reference, Children and Masks by the World Health Organization (WHO) & Culturally Specific Resouces First Nations Health Authority's Mental Health and Cultural Supports during COVID19 COVID19 resources for individuals and families, to aid in creating opportunities for constructive interactions with children during COVID19 times from the Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) Resources for supporting  & Further Resources BCCPAC's COVID Resource page Provincial COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings Information for School Districts & Independent Schools: Back to School Plan BCCPAC Updates The Ministry of Education is proposing changes to how & when student progress is communicated to parents and caregivers. Complete a short anonymous survey on the proposed new K-12 Student Reporting Policy. Information collected will be used to draft the policy and and to assess its readiness for implementation.   2021 AGM Minutes – Read the minutes from the 2021 AGM DPAC Leadership Summit is scheduled for November 19-20, 2021. It will be held virtually over Zoom. Review presentations from the 2020 Summit Important Dates & Deadlines Now - Dec 31 – Membership fees due in order to be a voting member. New for this year, PACs can use their Gaming funds to pay for their membership. Renew. VSB  News Marking National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day Mask mandate extended to kindergarten to Grade 3 students in Vancouver VSB seeks public input about its education plan: Participate in a 10 minute survey to contribute to the Board's next 5-year Strategic Plan Looking forward to making memories in their final year of high school: VSB checks in with three grade twelve students about their final year of public school Looking Forward to being a first-time principal: Vancouver-raised man takes on a new role Mask wearing and hand hygiene lessons from primary students District Staff Undertake Anti-Racism Training Secondary semester schedule – 2021-2022 school year Updates from June Committee & Board Meetings Board meeting highlights from September 27, 2021: Board votes in a mask mandate for all students, K-12 Special Board / Committee of the Whole meeting highlights, September 22, 2021 Finance Committee meeting highlights, September 15, 2021  Student Learning and Well-Being Committee meeting highlights, September 22, 2021   Upcoming Committee Meetings (see all) Ministry of Education News Recovery Plan investment supports safe K-12 return News from other Ministries New curriculum can be searched by keyword or course The Student Transcripts Service lets people view, order, and send transcripts and or graduation certificates online Information about Bursaries, scholarships and other awards Province to provide funding for 60 new playgrounds Two more seismically safe schools open in Vancouver DPAC, October 2021

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