January 2023

This newsletter is published on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. View this email in your browser

January 2023 Message from the Vice Chair Dear Parents, Caregivers and VSB families, Welcome to 2023! The start of a new year brings with it challenges and opportunities. To me, being part of DPAC is the opportunity to be an active part of the conversation between our school district and our school community. At this point in my first year on the DPAC executive, I'm excited about the possibilities that open up to be in face-to-face conversations with the people who direct and shape our children's education experiences. So what will those conversations entail in the coming year? What I've learned during the last three months is that there are so many different areas of education advocacy we encounter as we represent our community, assist PACs in advising their admin and lead within their school communities, and help guide parents and caregivers in advocating for their children. I've also learned over the past 3 months that it is challenging to prioritize the conversations we need and want to have, and the time we spend doing this work. This month at our DPAC General, for example, we are hosting BCEdAccess to discuss inclusive education, and the default ableism that prevents some students from learning to their fullest potential. The conversation is an opportunity to unlearn default thinking and better understand what parents and caregivers who have children with disabilities need us to know to be better advocates alongside them. Personally, I am excited to explore and learn more about this topic, and to learn how I can be a better ally for all learners in Vancouver. Over the past few years, a lot of time and effort has been put into figuring out how to best navigate education during a pandemic. In 2023 we find ourselves in a new place regarding SARS-CoV2, and health and safety in education. We have all learned more about virus transmission, vaccines, and HVAC than we ever expected we would. The coming year is an opportunity to use that knowledge to better our schools, to recognize the opportunity at hand to teach our kids about community, and to learn how to apply these lessons learned to our existing schools and future schools.  As I'm writing this, headlines about the newest Omicron variant (nicknamed Kraken) are circulating, and our PHO has started to warn the public about the increased infectiousness of this variant and recommends wearing masks in all public indoor spaces (BC PHO, Jan 4, 2022). While children's hospitals across the country have and are experiencing increased admissions, paediatricians are sounding the alarm about harms to our bodies caused through repeated SARS-CoV2 infections, whether we are young, old, or any age in between. If we actively, as a community, use the knowledge and tools we have gained to prevent transmission by cleaning the air, staying home when sick, and wearing masks when transmission is high, we can then use our time to advocate for other issues to improve education and the wellbeing of our school communities. Kyenta Martins 2022/23 DPAC Vice Chair   Upcoming DPAC Meetings Thursday, January 12, 7 pm — January Executive Meeting Thursday, January 26, 7 pm — January General Meeting, Inclusive Education: Unlearning Ablism 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. Vancouver DPAC is expanding the tent! If you are interested in specific work at DPAC, we want to hear from you. Here are the committees and working groups who meet regularly (or semi regularly) to shadow the work of the VSB and/or to advise DPAC in our advisory role at VSB: Active Transportation Safe Routes (ATSR) Working Group (Mike Lang) Inclusive Education Working Group (advocating for students with Disabilities, Neurodivergence, Compromised Immunity) (Sandra Bell / Karen Tsang) Sustainability Working Group (Skye Richards) Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Slack Group (Karen Tsang) Black and Indigenous Working Group (Black and Indigenous Working Group) Student Family and Affordability Fund Working Group (Sandra Bell / Karen Tsang) Food Framework Working Group (Celena Benndorf) Music Working Group (Robert Ford) Facilities Working Group (Vik Khanna) Childcare Committee (Alan Patola Moosmann) Important Dates 2022 - 2032 — International Decade of Indigenous Languages In February 2022, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, to draw global attention on the critical situation of many Indigenous languages and to mobilize stakeholders and resources for their preservation, revitalization and promotion. 2015 - 2024 -- 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. January  is Poverty Awareness and  Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month Saturday, Jan 7 –  Orthodox Christmas (Julian calendar) Wednesday, Jan 11, 7pm – Student Learning and Wellbeing Committee Meeting Thursday, Jan 12, 7pm – January DPAC Executive Meeting (Zoom) Friday, January 13 – Black Excellence Day Saturday, Jan 14 – World Logic Day Monday, Jan 16 – Pro D Day (Flexible) Wednesday, Jan 18 – International Martin Luther King Day Wednesday, Jan 18, 5pm – VSB Facilities Committee Meeting Wednesday, Jan 18, 6:30pm – VSB Finance Committee Meeting Jan 22 - Feb 5 – Lunar New Year and Lantern Festival (Year of the Rabbit) Sunday, Jan 22 – World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture, International Day of Education Jan 22 - 29 – Family Literacy Week: "Make it Count! Play * Sort * Measure." Numeracy" Monday, Jan 23, 7pm – Public Delegation Board Meeting (sign up to speak, deadline Jan. 18) Wednesday, Jan 25 – Robbie Burns Day Thursday, Jan 26, 1:30pm – Family Literacy Day: Celebrate Your Heritage Clay Illustration Workshop with author Barbara Reid (free of charge, registration required) Thursday, Jan 26, 7pm – January DPAC General Meeting (Zoom) Monday, Jan 30, 7 pm – VSB Board Meeting (Question Period Form, link live during meeting) News and Information Check out our resource page for presentation slide decks In this Issue: Active Transportation, Safe Routes COVID Information and Resources Neurodiversity, Disability and Diverse Needs Mental Health SLOs / Police in Schools Anti-Racism and Student Safety Sustainability Kindergarten Registration VSB Registration for Choice and Cross Boundary Programs News from: BCCPAC VSB Ministry of Education  Resources photo credit   Active Transportation, Safe Routes VSB has expressed an interest to meet with Vancouver DPAC parents and caregivers to work on on Active Transportation and Safe Routes.   Please contact Michael Lang as soon as possible to join DPAC's Working Group. Initiatives already started include a Safe Routes Tracker, a tool to be used to keep a record of dangerous incidents and crashes involving cars and vulnerable road users going to and from VSB schools. Inclusive Education Vancouver DPAC is pleased to announce our topic for the January General: Unlearning Ableism with BCEdAccess. Join Levonne Abshire and founder Tracy Humpries of BCEdAccess, as we focus on inclusion in education by first learning about ableism. What is it? How does it cause harm? What improves when we unlearn stereotypes and habitual ways of speaking and being that we've carried for generations? Everyone from School Board staff and trustees, teachers and administrators, parents and students benefit when we let go of old stereotypes and habits we don't know we carry. The January General will, as always, hold a short formal meeting first from 7 to 7:30pm to discuss DPAC business and concerns, and  follow with a discussion including a Q and A. Register for the General Meeting on January 26th, at 7pm. COVID Information and Resources Listen: A behavioural psychologist explains why Canadians aren’t wearing masks — The Globe and Mail, or read PhD Biomedical Researcher, Dr. Jeff Gilchrist summarize it in his series of tweets.   Read: Twitter thread by Dr. Sangiv Gandhi, BCCH pediatric cardiac surgeon, about COVID response. Watch: Video of UK Doctor, Rae Duncan, a Consultant Cardiologist specialising in cardiovascular diagnostics discussing the long term illnesses and complications children are experiencing post-COVID.   We Can't Wish Covid-19 Away — Geoff Nesnow   COVID-19 - Stats, Calculators, Useful Info & Articles   Lifting Universal Masking in Schools — Covid-19 Incidence among Students and Staff — The New England Journal of Medicine   Real-world data show that filters clean COVID-causing virus from air — Nature   Masks4EastVan is a group of grassroots organizers who have been providing quality masks for people in East Vancouver who need but can't afford them. Based upon a culture of community care, they redistribute donated masks, RAT tests and hand sanitizer at events and sometimes to the doors of those who need them but can't afford the cost. Neurodiversity, Disability and Diverse Needs From ADDitude: "Inattentive ADHD, According to a 12-Year-Old Boy" “2e Is a Cruel Double-Edged Sword” "I Am a Neurodivergent Black Woman — Filled with Hope" Mental Health FamilySmart presents the January In the Know Series: Self Harm: There is Always Help, There is Always Hope. Come together with other families to watch this video presentation and stay for a facilitated discussion by a FamilySmart Parent Peer Support Worker. Dates are January 9, 12, 17, 23 and 25. Check website for times. The Black Youth Helpline (BYH) offers professional, culturally relevant perspectives to understanding and addressing the root causes of challenges faced by children, youth and families. Programs include Stay in School initiatives, Parent and Family Support, and Systems Navigation Assistance. BYH can be reached by email at info@blackyouth.ca or toll free at 1-833-294-8650 SLOs / Police In Schools BC Human Rights Commissioner's Letter to BC School Trustees   VSB Equity Statement: The Vancouver School Board – a large, urban school district located on the unceded, traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – respects and supports Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. The VSB will create an equitable learning environment where every child can experience a deep sense of belonging and is free to pursue pathways of learning in ways that are authentic to themselves. The VSB will achieve this by having students see themselves and their communities in the curriculum and in the staff throughout the District; prioritizing student needs by making informed decisions and engaging in open communication with rightsholders and stakeholders; and actively fighting systems of oppression through relationship building, ongoing communication and transparency. The VSB commitment to equity will be informed by humility and accountability.   VSB - SLO Engagement Report, May 2021   How Public Schools Supported Settler Colonialism in BC — The Tyee   A history of Policing in Canada: Negotiating Colonial Encounters: (Un)Mapping the Policing of Indigenous Peoples' Protests in Canada Anti-Racism and Student Safety Anti-Semitism is happening in schools across Canada, with reports of swastikas and other anti-Semitic symbols marking up school walls. Here is what affected Ottawa students and their families are seeking: Jewish groups call on Ottawa-Carleton board to act against antisemitism in schools — Ottawa Citizen   Skin in the Game — Political Research Associates A look at the current anti-Black and anti-Semitic narratives, and how they intersect Sustainability Air pollution linked to almost a million stillbirths a year — The Guardian   Book your MetroVancouver Watershed Tour: Snowshoe Edition! Great for older teens and adults: Explore the connection between snow and your drinking water. Learn about your water supply in a fun and active way while discovering alpine plants and animals. After a moderately strenuous snowshoe, warm up with a cup of hot cocoa. 16+, $18, $25 incl shoe rental. In other seasons, watershed tours (also shown here) are free of charge. Kindergarten Registration Kindergarten Registration for September 2023 closes this month  for for children born in 2018. The "priority registration period" is from November 1 to January 31, schools without capacity for their neighbourhood population will hold a draw for available spaces, if oversubscribed, in February of 2023. Please let friends, family and community members know they can find more information about registration via the VSB website.   If you plan to apply for a space in a kindergarten district choice program, you must still complete this two-step process first and further apply for the choice program through a separate process that runs from January 9 to February 3, 2023. Families who wish to apply for their child to attend a cross boundary school must complete the cross boundary process, which happens in February.   For families with pre-K students, VSB offers free Strong Start drop-in programs available in various locations. Find a location via this map, using the middle dial to search by program for "Strong Start". A registration package to complete and further instructions can be found on at the website, where you will also find the "Preparing for Kindergarten" flyer translated into several languages.   Ready, Set, Learn is a VSB program designed to prepare children for entering into Kindergarten. Contact your local neighbourhood school for event dates.  VSB Registration for Choice and Cross Boundary Programs You will find information and deadlines for various Cross Boundary and Choice Programs offered in VSB on their website.   Check out elementary school district choice programs, including Fine Arts, Indigenous Focus, International Baccalaureate (IB), Mandarin and French programs, Montessori. Dates for information sessions, when decided upon, can be found on this site.   Here is a list of the high school district choice programs, including Mini Schools (information nights happening now), French and Mandarin, International Baccalaureate (IB), Career and Alternative School options. Advanced Placement Exams, for students who are "self-studying" for them where there were once AP classes available, can be found in this list.   Note that Vancouver Learning Network, Vancouver's online learning program, is also listed as an option for both elementary and high school students. Parents should note that VLN's success rate for students remains extremely low, statistically speaking, and Vancouver DPAC advocates for better funding and upgrades to this option to ensure it is a viable option for students to find success.  BCCPAC News and Resources Understanding Parent Stakeholders in Public Education VSB  News The power of stories: District staff participate in Indigenous Focus Day Priority Kindergarten Registration Celebrating the collective contributions of VSB Administrators: Principals exemplify commitment to continuous learning through cross-continental learning exchange Happy International Volunteer Day to all VSB volunteers! ​ Musqueam and VSB rename Sir Mathew Begbie Elementary – a new seismically safe school Community connections at Weir! Students at Carleton Cunningham receive generous winter coat donation VDSC’s most treasured initiative: The CANley Cup At Hamber, there’s no such thing as a mis-fit toy! Ministry of Education  News DPAC welcomes Honourable Rachna Singh as new Minister of Education Two seismically safer schools reopened in Vancouver Seismic improvements continue in Vancouver schools News from other Ministries New cabinet ready to take action on cost of living, health care, housing, climate Premier, parliamentary secretary’s statement on Human Rights Day Province expands whistleblower protections Province seeks input on social work oversight First rent supplements begin for youth from care in B.C.  Province helps B.C. non-profits break down barriers in their communities Committees ready to help create B.C.’s first accessibility standards Resources Check out our PAC 101 presentation delivered to all PACs in October, and Treasury 101 presentation, which took place in November. Find our presentation decks for PAC 101 and Treasury 101 on our website.   Our Family Resources document for the various ways students and their families can find support during the years they are in schools. Topics include Indigenous Family Support and TRC information, antiracism materials, SOGI resources, further education (including college, university and scholarship links) info, youth mental health resources and community-supported free-of-charge tutoring services. Photo credit: karen tsang, Fraser River

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