May 2022

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May 2022 Message from the Chair Parents and Caregivers: Some noteworthy items for this month. This month, the provincial government announced an anti-racism data collection law.  The press release can be read here.  VanDPAC believes that data collection in our education system is an important step in combating systemic anti-racism.  We are proud to have sponsored an accepted BCCPAC resolution to advocate for data collection on student achievement and factors impacting student achievement in the K-12 system.    This month is Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month.  Links including information about the contributions and challenges faced by these groups are below. Is your PAC interested in having a choral music extracurricular activity at your school?  DPAC is evaluating interest in a centrally coordinated choral music extracurricular (info here).  We will be asking PACs to confirm their support for this work by voting at our May 26th general meeting.  We encourage all PAC's representative to attend and vote.  Wording for our motion will be circulated to PAC executives directly.   Register here. DPAC's work needs parent volunteers.  A number of our executive are stepping down at the end of this year.  I encourage volunteers to come forward to help us participate, educate and advocate.  If you have questions, please contact chair@vancouverdpac.org 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 Every Monday except Holidays, 7pm – DPAC COVID Discussions (Chat zoom open till 7:30 or later.) Thursday, May 12th, 7pm – May DPAC Executive Meeting Thursday, May 26, 7 pm — DPAC General: Taking Inclusive Education Subscribe to our meeting calendar 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 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 shadows the VSB Facilities Planning Committee, providing feedback to the DPAC Executive. The DPAC Facilities Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 10th at 7pm. Committee open to all VSB Parents; For more information and to join, 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). Meetings are scheduled for every first Thursday of the month from 5:30 pm until 7 pm. Parents of Indigenous and African Descent can contact biwg@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 especially invite 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 ensure that parents and caregivers (and community members) can connect with others with similar experiences and support as needed. Food Framework Working Group Vancouver DPAC has a seat on the VSB Food Framework Ad-hoc Committee which will create a VSB framework including school food programs, food growing, food education. We are looking for parents interested in providing a broader perspective to inform our feedback to that committee.  Contact our rep on that committee, Celena Benndorf - email: celenabe1@gmail.com Important Dates 2015 - 2024 -- International International 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. May is: Asian Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage Month and Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month Sunday, May 1 – May Day May 1 - May 7 – BC Youth Week,  Emergency Preparedness Week May 2nd or 3rd – Eid al-Fitr: End of Ramadan May 2 - May 8 – Mental Health Week Tuesday, May 3 – World Press Freedom Day Tuesday, May 3 — Special Board / Committee of the Whole (Budget) Meeting Tuesday, May 4 – Star Wars Day Wednesday, May 4, 5pm – VSB Student Learning and Wellbeing Committee Meeting Sunday, May 8 – Mother's Day Sunday, May 8 – World Fair Trade Day: Climate Justice May 8th - 9th — Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War Tuesday, May 9, 8am – VSB Summer Programs Registration opens Wednesday, May 11, 5pm — Facilities Planning Committee Meeting Wednesday, May 11, 6:30pm — Policy and Governance Committee Meeting Thursday, May 12, 7pm – DPAC Executive Meeting May 10 - 16 – National Nursing Week: We Answer the Call Tuesday, May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia Wednesday, May 18, 5pm – VSB Finance Committee Meeting Wednesday, May 18, 6:30pm — VSB Personnel Meeting Thursday, May 19 – Global Accessibility Awareness Day Saturday, May 21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development Sunday, May 22 – International Day for Biological Diversity May 22 - 28 – Paramedic Services Week Monday, May 23 – Victoria Day Monday, May 30 – VSB Board Meeting Thursday, May 27, 7pm – DPAC General: Talking Inclusive Education May 30 - June 3 – Bike to School Week — Register your School News and Information Check out our resource page for presentation slide decks Active Transportation  Bike to School Week is nigh! From Monday, May 30th till Friday, June 3rd, activities are in place to celebrate rolling up to your school and home again on your own steam. According to the HUB website, last year 126 schools took part with 13,700 students tracking 40,500 bike trips! Be sure to register your school this year and get biking! Please consider signing this petition, Show Your Support for Safe Routes to School In Vancouver on Change.org to improve upon and ensure a safe cross-town active transportation route for Vancouver students and their families Music in Schools The Extracurricular Choral Music Initiative has received critical support from a dozen PACs, with more  expected to offer their vote in the coming days. If your PAC is not yet aware of this project but would like more information, please contact Rob Ford. The PAC-led motion will be voted on at the May 26th DPAC General. Jewish Heritage Month May is Jewish Heritage Month. According to a 2018 Environics study, about 7% of the Canadian Jewish population call Vancouver home. The Jewish Diaspora includes those who practice variations of Judaism (religion), and others, who experience and express a Jewish identity that is more cultural and secular.   Wikipedia reports that Vancouver has 10 synagogues across the city. Jewish Family Services provides social services care for community members, the Jewish Community Centre provides recreational facilities and a theatre that is often open to the broader community, and the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre provides education to the public and for schools to use to promote human rights, social justice and genocide awareness through education and commemoration of the Holocaust.   Learn more about the Canadian Jewish People on the Jewish Heritage Month website   Listen to this CBC The Current episode that explores how intergenerational trauma affects the families of Holocaust Survivors Asian Heritage Month  May is Asian Heritage Month. People of Asian descent call have been in the area now known as Canada, and living in relationship with Indigenous People on these lands for longer than Canada has been in existence.   The Diaspora of Asian people living in Canada is wide, as evidenced on the Government of Canada website. You can learn more about and enjoy the many faces of Asian Peoples and cultures who make Vancouver home by checking out ExplorASIAN 2022, and the Hua Foundation.    In the face of rising anti-Asian expressions of hate and harassment, check out #Elimin8Hate, which offers a reporting tool to all Canadians who experience anti-Asian expressions of hate and targeted harassment.   Read this statement by Minister Hussen on Asian Heritage Month   Check out this story about the diversity of Asian cultures highlighted through the foods as shared by Vancouver chefs    Consider attending the next Vancouver Asian Film Festival to catch stories of people of Asian descent   Peruse these celebrated voices of Canadians of Asian descent Report from Facilities Committee  The Queen Elizabeth Annex school closure is the first of a possible 13 closures/consolidations believed to be planned by the VSB. While the VSB engagement on QEA has just concluded, parents, caregivers and PACs are encouraged to send feedback to engage@vsb.bc.ca, as it is meant to inform Trustees but will also serve as a record of the process. Unfortunately, in a recent presentation VSB implied incorrectly that DPAC agree with the rationale for the closure of QEA school because parents were involved in the Preferred School Size Working Group process. DPAC contends this was misleading. For more details see Vik Khanna's twitter thread on the matter.  Most importantly, please consider being a delegation who speaks directly to Trustees on Thursday, June 2nd at the Committee of the Whole. Email dgreen@vsb.bc.ca & cc: chair@vancouverdpac.org, ask to be a delegation, including one sentence that states your view. You will have up to five minutes to speak. Trustees will decide the fate of QEA at a Special Board Meeting on Monday, June 6th. Increase Your Indigenous Understanding The North Shore is often overlooked as an interesting destination aside from snow and mountain sports. The North Shore Culture Compass is an ongoing project that compiles the cultural assets that are located in the North Shore Region, which includes the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver, the Squamish Nation and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to better highlight the cultural diversity of the area. According to the website, cultural mapping has been recognized by UNESCO as a crucial tool and technique in preserving the world's intangible and tangible cultural assets.   A cool slider tool on the First Nations section of the project, lets us view a land map and imagine what has changed over the centuries since colonization. As you drag the tool across the screen, the buildings, roads, parks, and all English language map features disappear to revealing the natural land, and highlight the waterways and mountains alone. Note that the map is optimized to be used on a laptop or a tablet.   The First People's Map of BC British Columbia contains  home to 204 First Nations communities and an amazing diversity of Indigenous languages; approximately 50% of the First Peoples’ languages of Canada are spoken in B.C. To access information on all the First Nations languages and communities in B.C., use the search bar at the top of the page or click on any of the tabs below.    Taking action against racism and colonialism with Sarah Augustine — SFU Public Square News from PACs Tyee Elementary is having a Spring Fair on Friday, May 13 from 2:30 to 6 pm to celebrate community with food, entertainment and fun for all ages. Fun activities including a bouncy castle, a cotton candy machine, and a few new games like a candy count jar and tombola raffle, and everyone is welcome to join in the festivities! Grants Available to Women's Groups The Vancouver Status of Women group is accepting applications for Community Action grants. These grants, which will range in size from large ($5000) to smaller ($1000 to $2000) are designed specifically for grassroots projects, small businesses, and community organizations that are led by individuals or small groups that are underserved by mainstream grants and wealth distribution, and are available to any women or gender diverse person seeking funding for a project/initiative that will benefit community in the Vancouver Lower Mainland. Those with underrepresented and marginalized positionalities are encouraged to self-identify in their application. The deadline for application is June 30, and the grants are distributed in the fall. Sustainability UBC sustainability initiative relaunches as "Sustainability Hub" with new 5 year plan — UBC News   Seven ways to manage climate anxiety — EcoWatch   What is the Triple Planetary Crisis? — United Nations Climate Change "The triple planetary crisis refers to the three main interlinked issues that humanity currently faces: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Each of these issues has its own causes and effects and each issue needs to be resolved if we are to have a viable future on this planet."   Chilliwack’s Hooge wetlands score a victory for natural flood defence — Chilliwack Progress Antiracism in Education The above poster was designed by @clinpsy.ind, trainee clinical psychologist. See their website for more brilliant graphics that you can download. Remember to always credit the creator. Being Black in School: Peel students open up about the racism they face in the classroom — CBC News   These Canadians are helping Black history become part of everyday learning in schools — CBC News   Anti-Asian Racism: Roots, Impacts, and the Role of Educational Technology — UBC Education   The Black and Indigenous Working Group at DPAC is currently looking for more people of African and Indigenous Descent to join in the discussions. Meetings are every first Thursday in the month at 5:30 pm. Contact biwg@vancouverdpac.org to learn more   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 Gaming Grants Applications PACs and DPACs are reminded to apply online for Gaming Grants immediately for funds in Fall 2022. New this year - Schools with less than 100 students will be provided a base rate of $2000.You must apply before June 30th to receive next year's funding. Read the digital handbook   Sign up to attend BCCPAC's Gaming Grants Webinar, which is scheduled for May 12 at 7pm. Mental Health Supports Family Smart is offering several mental health workshops in early May and on June 1st:   The ABCs of Substance Use and Connecting With Our Kids with Cindy Andrews, (The ABCs of Youth Substance Use, a BC gov't funded project supporting schools), Angela Lawrence (educator and a registered clinical counsellor with SD73) and Art Steinmann, (Youth Substance Use Health Promotion, Bunyaad Public Affairs) on May 4th from 6 to 8pm What to Say to Kids and Teens when Nothing Seems to Work is a video presentation by Dr. Ashley Miller, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Family Therapist and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. In the video, Dr. Miller shares quick and effective strategies to help you weather difficult moments alongside of your child in a way that strengthens resilience and relationships. Following the video, will be a facilitated discussion by a FamilySmart Parent Peer Support Worker. June 1st from 6:30 to 8pm FamilySmart supports families one on one. Send them an email at Vancouver@familysmart.ca if  you have a child who is struggling with their mental health and are looking for emotional support, resources or have questions about how to navigate services and /or information. More information about parent peer support is available On COVID  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and science reporter, Ed Yong: Normal Led to This: On Two Years of Covering The Pandemic — Yale Law School   ‘Exhausting and Heartbreaking.’ The Other Side of Eased COVID Measures — The Tyee   Charting an Omicron Infection — The New York Times. DPAC encourages parents and caregivers to continue to keep children at home when they have symptoms of a cold or flu.   Now that it is agreed upon that COVID is airborne, this website is offering easy-to-understand videos and graphic comics: Explainer Comics: The Quest of Virosols from the Aerosol Science Research Centre BCCPAC Upcoming Events: May 12 —Gaming Grants Webinar Available on demand: Treasurer 101 Workshop recording VSB  News Summer Learning registration opening soon 51 school projects to address environmental change thanks to VSB Sustainability Grants Students lead another successful sustainability conference to tackle climate action 13,000 plants donated to VSB schools Crosstown Students Train for the Sun Run on the Seawall Educators Eager to Explore Outdoor Learning, School Gardening, Climate Education Trafalgar Elementary join a Walking Curriculum movement on Earth Day A civics and sustainability lesson to be remembered Updates from April Committee & Board Meetings Highlights: Finance Committee of April 20, 2022 Budget 2022-2023 Engagement Summary Report Highlights: Budget Development Committee-of-the-Whole Highlights: Personnel Committee meeting of April 6, 2022 Highlights: Special Board Meeting – Committee-of-the-Whole Upcoming Committee Meetings (see all) Ministry of Education News Kids, families benefit from more funding for accessible school playgrounds B.C. makes changes to better support francophone students, families Minister’s statement on child care month Richmond to get seismically safer schools Thousands of B.C. families benefit from expansion of $10 a Day ChildCareBC More early childhood educators receive increased wages Vancouver and Sea to Sky families benefit from new child care spaces News from other Ministries Joint statement on National Day of Mourning Capilano University adds first on-campus housing Province launches public post-secondary funding review B.C. campaign reminds post-secondary students about culture of consent Learners of all ages to benefit from new Centre for Childhood Studies Thousands share their thoughts on using data to address systemic racism New service helps clarify rights under Mental Health Act Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and affordable place to call home Litigation directives uphold Indigenous rights Funding helps 60 organizations tackle racism Whistleblower act expands to more public-sector organizations Earth Day spurs action on plastic pollution Province extends free, affordable community counselling services More than 9,400 British Columbians lost to toxic illicit drugs since 2016 Resources Check out our resource page for presentation slide decks COVID-19 & What Experts are Saying A grassroots group of physicians, nurses, health scientists, health policy specialists, engineers 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 scientifically-sound, evidence-based policies, with a stated goal to end this pandemic. They hold regular press conferences on Youtube.  & Masks Canadian manufacturers have created re-usable N-95 quality respirator masks with non-disposable filters. Here is one example available on order N95 masks are now being made in Canada. Find PPE makers through The Canadian Association of Medical Mask Manufacturers (CAMMM) & 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 Provincial COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings Information for School Districts & Independent Schools (last updated October 1, 2021) 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.   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 Calls to action from the TRC: Numbers 5 through 12 are specific to education   Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Further Education Transcripts The Student Transcripts Service lets people view, order, and send transcripts and or graduation certificates online 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 information about training grants, scholarships and bursaries   BC Scholarships and Education Planner BC also have listings including BC Excellence Scholarships Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarships Beedie Luminaries Scholarships BC School Trustees Association Scholarships   Students and their families can also find scholarship and bursary information through counsellors at their school.   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 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. 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 LGBTQ2s+ Child Matters, and How To Start -- Option B Org SOGI 123 in BC Education -- On sexual orientation and gender identity Youth Mental Health 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.   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   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. 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     Photo courtesy of Michael Lang from previous Bike to School Week

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