February 2022
Message from the Chair
Parents and Caregivers:
At DPAC, our work is to engage with and inform parents and be the voice of parents at the district level. There is much ongoing work in being a stakeholder to the VSB as well the work in creating new initiatives to engage with a broader group of parents.
Our general meetings, this newsletter and our social media posts all serve to inform parents. This month, for Black History and Futures month, our social media will include about People of African Descent who have shaped our communities. Our next general meeting on Feb 17th will include a presentation on the VSB budget process, including recent changes recommended by the Ministry of Education. Parents can submit questions about the budget process until Feb 10th using this link: https://forms.gle/xaHexTKBXX5zai5g7. The following Thursday, February 24th, DPAC will host expert presenters in a discussion about MACC programs.
To engage with a broader group of parents, we have held space for parents, created committees and working groups including: Music Working Group, Childcare Committee, Monday night COVID sessions, Black and Indigenous Working Group and Food Framework Working Group. More information/contact info for interested parents is posted below.
We continue our work as a stakeholder of the VSB. Recent recommendations about the MACC program and a proposed school closure have concerned families. We will work to ensure that the process is transparent, open and respectful of families.
Lastly, the important work above requires parent volunteers. With a number of our executive stepping down from their roles at the end of this school year, including myself (chair) and Alan Patola Moosman (treasurer), it is important for volunteers to come forward for our DPAC to fulfill our mission. If you are interested in our work, please consider stepping forward. If you have questions, please contact chair@vancouverdpac.org
May the Year of the Tiger be one of health and prosperity for your families.
Gord Lau (劉敬宏)
2021/22 DPAC Chair
DPAC is here for Parents & PACs throughout the School Year
- DPAC is continuing to share access to Zoom meetings with PACs. Please contact your schools DPAC liaison or DPAC Secretary to book a meeting.
Upcoming DPAC Events
- Thursday, February 10, 6:30 pm — DPAC Music Working Group - info
- Every Monday in February (till further notice), 7pm – DPAC COVID Discussion Meetings
- Thursday, February 10, 7pm – February DPAC Executive Meeting
- Thursday, February 17, 7pm – February DPAC General Meeting, VSB budget presentation. Submit questions until Feb 10th using this link.
- Thursday, February 24, 7 pm — DPAC Special General: MACC
- Subscribe to our meeting calendar
Student Engagement
- There is a call for students from grades 7 through 12 to participate, or to nominate a student to participate in the Youth Dialogue Series on Social Justice, an opportunity to meet to offer input and lived experiences to the Minister of Education, Jennifer Whiteside in a series of workshops, and to receive training from Equitas and partners.
Parent Engagement
The provincial government is offering parents an opportunity to offer feedback regarding Early Learning and Childcare. Deadline to respond to this self-paced survey is February 15, 2022
DPAC Committees and Working Groups
PACS - we encourage you to promote these committees and groups to your parents in your regular communications.
Music Working Group
- This working group has been struck to focus on ensuring music is a part of every student's school experience. Interested parents please contact working group lead, Robert Ford at Robert@quokkasystems.com. First meeting Feb 10th, info here.
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 is currently meeting and collaborating online using Slack. Contact DPAC vice chair at vik.khanna@vancouverdpac.org.
Anti-Racism Collective and Working Group
- Vancouver DPAC has created and is holding space for Black (of African Descent) and Indigenous Parents to gather and discuss issues pertinent to them that happen within the context of Vancouver Public Schools (VSB). Parents of Indigenous and African Descent can contact karen.tsang@vancouverdpac.org to find out more.
- DPAC hosts a Slack Group for all who are interested in furthering the work of anti-racism and anti-oppression. Please contact Karen at karen.tsang@vancouverdpac.org for an invite to the group. We are especially interested in people from equity-seeking groups (parents and caregivers of refugees and immigrants, students with disabilities, children in the foster system, kids with neurodiversity and those with disabilities, and all who identify on the LGBTQ2S, to name a few) to ensure that parents and caregivers (and community members) can connect with others with similar experiences.
Food framework Working Group
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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.
February is Black History Month and Inclusion Month, too.
- Feb 1 - February 6 — Lunar New Year: The Year of the Water Tiger
- Week of Feb 1-7 – Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2022
- Wednesday, Feb 2, 5pm — VSB Personnel Committee Meeting
- Monday, Feb 7 — DPAC Special Meeting — COVID Omicron Edition
- Thursday, Feb 10, 6:30pm — DPAC Music Working Group (info in next section)
- Thursday, Feb 10, 7pm — DPAC Executive Meeting
- Wednesday, Feb 16, 5pm – VSB Finance Committee Meeting
- Week of Feb 13-19 — Real Acts of Caring (RAC) Week (more information in next section)
- Monday, Feb 14 — Valentine's Day
- Monday, Feb 14 — DPAC Special Meeting — COVID Omicron Edition
- Monday, Feb 17 — DPAC February General — Budget with David Green
- Friday, Feb 18 – District Wide Pro D Day (no school)
- Monday, Feb 21 – Family Day (no school)
- Monday, Feb 21 — Louis Riel Day
- Monday, Feb 21 — DPAC Special Meeting — COVID Omicron Edition
- Wednesday, Feb 23, 5pm – VSB Committee of the Whole (Delegations) Meeting — How to speak at COW
- Thursday, Feb 24, 7pm — DPAC Special General Meeting — MACC
- Wednesday, Feb 24 – Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying event
- Monday, Feb 28, 7pm – VSB Board Meeting
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News and Information
February is Black History and Futures Month
- This month, Vancouver DPAC's social media will be posting stories about People of African Descent who have shaped our city and province and communities through their work, art and presence both now and in the past, to create stronger, more inclusive and safer society in which we can all thrive. Keep an eye on our socials for more.
- This is a tweet thread that lays out an educator's approach to Black History Month, but it can speak to us all:
- "Black History Month is a time where educators should take seriously the history of violence and oppression that have been done to Black people, but also make clear that Black life is not singularly defined by that violence. The story of Black life is far more expansive than that."
Find the complete thread by author Clint Smith here.
- Here are some upcoming events, online and in person, happening during Black History Month:
- VPL presents: A Musical Celebration for Black History Month, available to view on Youtube for the month of February, premiering at 4 pm on February 1, produced by Joy Bullen and featuring Rashaan Allwood and Yanick Allwood, young Canadian musicians of Caribbean heritage, and joined by BC performance artist, Shayna Jones,
- History of anti-Black Racism in Canadian Schools and Universities, on Zoom with Dr. June Francis. Saturday, February 5th from 1:30 – 3:00 pm
- An evening with Dr. Cornel West to explore themes of economics, democracy, racial justice and Black identity, on February 16 at 5:00pm
Expand your Indigenous Understanding
Music Education
- DPAC has struck a Music Working Group to provide parent input and encouragement to the VSB to ensure that all efforts are being made to update the K-7 music program as per the VSB mission statement. Headed by the former chair of Henry Hudson Elementary PAC, Rob Ford, [above], the group will also investigate supporting a parent funded district-wide extra-curricular choral program that supports the VSB's mission. The first meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb 10, 6:30pm. Info here. Link to the meeting here.
Focus on Inclusive Education
- February is Inclusive Education Month. Inclusion means many different things, from specialized programs for those who need specific supports to a child with special needs attending a class with other students of varying abilities. There are good reasons for both models to exist at the same time, for different students' needs.
- Since COVID has been with us, many students with complex needs have been excluded from education, as there is no policy or planning to ensure that kids who must work from home are accommodated. In My Daughter Shouldn’t Be Sacrificed to ‘Get Back to Normal’ (The Tyee) one mother describes how instead of BC having an inclusive public health policy that respects the risk to vulnerable people in schools and elsewhere, public health has been telling those with or who love someone at higher risks from COVID19 to not be so fearful. That is not accommodation, and some argue it is a form of eugenics at play.
- Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality explores neurodiversity — autism to be precise — from the point of view of understanding people's gifts, rather than the disorder of our society (narrowness of who belongs) that keep this from happening. From the article: "While cognitive biases commonly sway decision-making, Autistic people might be less susceptible to such biases."
- Currently parents are fighting to stop the cancelation of a District Program, Multi Age Cluster Class (MACC) for kids who are neurodiverse and benefit from a program that meets their abilities and specific developmental needs. Here is a description written is a parent whose kids attended a MACC program outside of VSB.
- A presentation featuring experts in student neurodiversity and MACC will present at a Special General meeting of DPAC on February 24, at 7pm. Register here
Opportunities for Youth
- Vancouver's Poet Laureate is hosting a poetry competition, focused on telling stories about Vancouver, past and present. What historical, cultural or ecological sites in Vancouver intrigue or inspire you? From the ancient Musqueam village and burial site at c̓əsnaʔəm, to any specific building in a historic neighbourhood such as Chinatown, Davie Village or Hogan’s Alley and beyond. What's the story you'd like to tell? More details about this contest can be found on the VPL website.
PAC Spotlight: Tillicum Annex PAC Lantern Parade
- On December 15, Tillicum Annex PAC held an outdoor lantern parade. Students made LED-lit lanterns using materials supplied by the PAC, and the school community held a socially-distanced parade around their neighbourhood. It was led by a brass band and including a fire dancer at a park along the route. Light in gloomy times!
- Has your PAC come up with creative ideas for community building events while COVID restrictions are in place? Are you willing to share the ideas? DPAC wants to know! Contact Alan Patola Moosmann with your stories and ideas.
VSB Budget 2022-2023
- The VSB 2022-2023 public budget survey will be available between Feb 14th and Feb 25th DPAC is collecting questions from parents to be answered by VSB staff about the budget process at our general meeting Thursday Feb 17th.
- At this meeting, staff will provide a high level summary of the budget process and new additions to the process, including new procedures on financial planning and reporting (FPAR) and reporting on accumulated operating surpluses (AOS). These procedures have been brought forward earlier this year in response to recommendations from the provincial government. Information has been provided in committee meetings *
- Our goal is to provide parents and caregivers information so that they can participate in the public budget survey and inform DPAC feedback on the 2022-2023 budget. If you have more than one question related to the budget, you can fill out this survey more than once. Survey closes Feb 10th, 2022.
COVID Update
- Guidance for schools was revised in January. Latest VSB updates are here, and include updates to their communicable disease plan, updated daily health check and COVID-19 testing and what to when sick (one pager).
- Eric Hamber Secondary's nationally-recognized student newspaper, The Griffin's Nest, has been publishing stories about pandemic response. The stories are unique because they represent the experience of education and COVID from the student point of view. Here are some stories worth checking out:
- The debate on COVID being airborne continues in BC, although not in other places. Here is an article about coming to terms with knowing COVID is airborne and how to respond to this fact.
- Here is a twitter thread about COVID and air filtration systems that should help "clear the air" about some misinformation that has been spread by people who are not specialists in this area.
- Jose-Luis Jimenez and Kimberly Prather on how public health history has influenced what we know about COVID-19 transmission and lessons for science communication — A podcast featuring two atmospheric chemistry experts convene on Stereo Chemistry to discuss their frustration with public health officials and their work to understand and communicate how diseases spread through air.
- Even if you've already been infected with COVID19, you are not immune to next infections. In fact, with Omicron, people, children included, are becoming reinfected weeks after recovering from an initial infection. Further, COVID19 causes an illness that first presents as respiratory, but is in fact a vascular disease. It is causing scarring on lung tissue, brain injuries, and interfering with the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to babies, in-utero, by damaging the umbilical cord.
- Masks continue to be an effective tool in protecting one's self against catching COVID.
Antiracism in Education
- The Anti-Oppression Educators Collective (AOEC) is a provincial specialist association dedicated to challenging systemic oppression in education. This is their resources page.
- The Black and Indigenous Working Group at DPAC is currently looking for more people to join in the discussions. Contact karen.tsang@vancouverdpac.org
- Are you an immigrant family to Vancouver? Vancouver DPAC is seeking immigrant parents and caregivers to meet at DPAC to discuss what is working and what isn't in schools for immigrant students. Please express interest to karen.tsang@vancouverdpac.org.
Sustainability
- Climate Emergency Home Heating and Cooling Plan: As part of the Climate Emergency Action Plan, Vancouver City Hall is looking to cut Vancouver’s carbon pollution in half by 2030. Staff want help in fine-tuning the proposed regulations and supports to lower carbon pollution produced by Vancouver’s detached houses. You can sign up for an online workshop (Feb 2, 7pm or Feb 28, 10am) or complete a survey at your leisure.
- Climate Education Reform BC is a group of high school students who are working to get the issues of climate education into K-12 classrooms and beyond. This toolkit is for parents, teachers, and the community at large to engage all to take actions to mitigate climate change.
- This is the VSB Sustainability Plan
- Last weekend, VPL and Push Festival held a public interactive art event that saw people answering the question "Does Capitalism Work For Me?" As part of the PuSh Festival, VPL also hosted a panel conversation with Alejandra Bravo, Steve Lambert, and Joel Bakan, moderated by Anita Bathe, on whether capitalism is working for us. Here is that conversation, archived on Youtube.
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BCCPAC
Upcoming Events:
Important Dates and Deadlines
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VSB
News
Updates from January Committee & Board Meetings
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Ministry of Education
News
News from other Ministries
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Resources
Check out our resource page for presentation slide decks
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. Vancouver DPAC and other groups call on the government to mandate health authorities provide consistent, detailed information that parents can use to make informed decisions for their families.
- A grassroots group of physicians, nurses, health scientists, health policy specialists and community advocates have formed Protect Our Province (PoP), and are working to help people in BC stay safe by sharing accurate information about the COVID-19 pandemic in the province,, and advocating for evidence-based policies, with a stated goal to end this pandemic. They are holding weekly press conferences every Wednesday afternoon.
- An 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. Currently it appears Coastal Health is not accurately reporting exposures in our schools, so this app may not reflect accurately exposures in Vancouver schools.
& 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.
& Masks
& Culturally Specific Resouces
& Further Resources
Truth and Reconciliation Resources
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.
- VSB has commenced its Indigenous Education Council (IEC). The first meeting was held in September. Our representative at these meetings is Leona Brown.
- Continue to educate yourself and your children about Indigenous Peoples' histories and cultures, as well as the history of colonial interference
- Read the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
- Read the many reports written over the years, now held by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Further Education
Transcripts
Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards
Higher Education
- Here are some local options worth exploring as your child approaches their senior years of high school
- The University of British Columbia offers several ways for teens and their families to familiarize themselves with programs and the campus, including tours, both virtual and in person, fairs, information sessions, student experience events and school visits. Individual departments also offer specific open house opportunities. UBC Engineering, for example, is holding an online open house on November 6, and an on-campus event on November 20th.
- The University of Victoria offers several dates in November and January to prospective students to "Discover UVIC". They also offer parent nights, faculty open houses, faculty events, education fairs, and Registration 101 for interested students.
- Up the hill (and downtown Vancouver and Surrey), Simon Fraser University is offering several webinars for those considering attending Simon Fraser University. A student experience page offers an overview of student life at SFU's three campuses. They also offer webinars including virtual campus tours, information about living in residence, assistance in better understanding fees, scholarships, and financial aid.
- Some young students benefit from smaller campuses or are looking to learn a trade. Here are some more higher education opportunities to consider:
- We spoke with an higher education student advisor (not affiliated with above schools) and learned this:
- Students and parents can find a comprehensive overview of post-secondary education options in BC (programs, admission requirements, registration processes and dates, fees, financial assistance) at https://www.educationplannerbc.ca.
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
Youth Mental Health
Tutoring
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Banner art courtesy of Georgia, Korinne and Adam Tsang, 2022
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