DPAC AGM Motion to distribute funds

DPAC receives funding from Gaming Grants as well as receiving funds directly from the VSB. These funds are intended to promote parent engagement and effective communication between schools, parents, students and the community.

These funds are not intended to be carried over from year to year.

In years where DPAC does not spend their budgeted monies, we have distributed monies to PACs to assist with their parent engagement. Although in the past we have voted to distribute the surplus evenly amongst all school PACs, in recent years we have chosen to distribute the funds to schools in need (aka “Tiered schools”). This distribution has been voted on by exec.

At our June 9 2022 executive meeting, our executive discussed a few options for distribution to tiered schools.

• (Preferred option) Distribution to all tiered schools, ~20 or so schools would receive $1500 each

• Distribution to tier 1 (most need) schools only, ~7 schools, about $5100 each

At our June 23rd AGM, prior to our vote on distribution of these funds, we would like to hear from PACs about how they would like those monies distributed. We encourage you to discuss with your PAC so that your DPAC representative or chair/co-chair/vice-chair can provide informed feedback at our AGM. If your PAC has alternate ideas on how those funds might be distributed, you can email chair@vancouverdpac.org.

DPAC Draft 2022-2023 Budget

DPAC receives funding from Gaming Grants as well as receiving funds directly from the VSB. These funds are intended to promote parent engagement and effective communication between schools, parents, students and the community.

At our executive meeting June 9 2022, a draft budget for 2022-23 was presented to our executive.

At our AGM, we ask that PACs vote to approve our budget.

Draft budget: Google Sheets and PDF version

DPAC Executive Nomination: Michael Lang

Michael Lang has been nominated to the DPAC Executive by the Kerrisdale PAC. His nomination will be voted on at our AGM on June 23, 2022.

In his own words: My name is Michael Lang. My family moved to Canada from Hong Kong in 2014. I’m a proud Vancouver Angels hockey parent of three amazing young girls(2, 7 and 11 years of age). Two are at Kerrisdale Elementary school.

I have previously served as a representative on VSB's Sustainability and Active Transportation Committees and as the DPAC Rep for Kerrisdale Elementary. I am passionate about improving all aspects of public education. I also strongly believe that active transportation can play an important role in improving the health of our children and of our wider communities. To encourage active transportation, we need safe routes to school that will make communities stronger and more vibrant for all of our children.

I believe that parents have an important part of play in having the VSB work with the city to make active transportation to schools an attractive option for families.

Thank you for your consideration in electing me to the DPAC executive.

DPAC Executive Nomination: Alan Patola Moosman

Alan Patola Moosmann has been nominated to the DPAC Executive by the Kitsilano PAC. His nomination will be voted on at our AGM on June 23, 2022.

In his own words: Hello, my name is Alan Patola Moosmann and I am asking your PAC to please consider supporting me as a candidate for a second term on the Vancouver DPAC executive. I have served on the DPAC executive for the past three years, the last two as treasurer, and if elected would stand for treasurer again. Our youngest child is going into grade 12 at Kitsilano Secondary, so if elected I would serve for one year of the three year executive term, then lay down the position as she graduates.

Although I was elected to the DPAC executive after serving as the DPAC rep for Henry Hudson Elementary and then for Kitsilano Secondary over a number of years, the past three years have nonetheless been a steep learning curve. This was particularly true as we worked through the many changes arising from the pandemic to continue to effectively support PACs in both governance and advocacy work, and to bring parent perspectives on a multitude of issues to the attention of district staff and trustees. I am running again in part because I still have a lot to learn, and in part because I would like to contribute further to several pieces of work in progress, including advocacy re area standards, exploring ways to address the shortage of before and after school childcare spaces, helping the extracurricular choral program start on a sound footing, and in general contributing to DPAC’s efforts to increase the capacity of PACs to advocate effectively for quality public education.

One of the challenges of executive service is managing time and balancing multiple priorities - much of the work demands an ability to be responsive in a timely way to whatever comes up. Over the past three years I have been much more effective at meeting this challenge at some times than at others (I’ve given the Childcare Committee, for example, less time and attention than needed to make it effective this year and would like to focus more energy there.) At the end of this summer I will be retiring from 13 years of work as a licensed family childcare provider and closing the small daycare I run from our family home. So I anticipate having significantly more time to keep up with the work in the coming year!

I have enjoyed working with my frequently inspiring colleagues on the DPAC executive and getting to know dedicated volunteers from a number of PACs, and look forward to an opportunity to continue this service for another year. I have solid family support for taking on this work. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at apatola@telus.net.

DPAC Executive Nomination: Karen Tsang

Karen Tsang has been nominated to the DPAC Executive by the Tupper PAC. Her nomination will be voted on at our AGM on June 23, 2022.

In her own words: I am Karen Tsang. I am a non-fiction writer/editor. I'm interested in continuing to serve on the executive of DPAC as we strengthen the processes of advocating with and for families and PACs. My specific focus is around issues that affect racialized families, reconciliation efforts with the local Indigenous Nations, and accountability of VSB to students who experience any sort of hate or harassment. I would like to be re-elected as an executive and as secretary to continue the work of strengthening DPAC as a place where PACs, parents and caregivers will find support and information as they look to advocate on behalf of their schools and students wellbeing and education.

DPAC Executive Nomination: Kyenta Martins

Kyenta Martins has been nominated to the DPAC executive by the Tyee PAC. Her nomination will be voted on at our AGM, June 23rd.

In her own words: I am Kyenta Martins, parent to a child at Tyee currently in grade 5 and a child who will enter grade 8 at Ideal Mini next year.

I have been active in school PACs since my oldest was in Kindergarten at Cunningham. I have filled the roles of secretary and co-chair, as well as worked on fundraising and community building projects. For the past two years, I have worked to have all families represented in schools, and for our schools to foster equity in education. Part of this advocating has involved creating the group Option 4 Families of Vancouver and working with Safe Schools Coalition BC. This advocacy has included communicating and working with DPAC to provide information and representation for at-risk families in Vancouver.

I believe passionately in the importance of transparency in government and communication with the community.

DPAC Executive Nomination: Ian Rowe

Ian Rowe has been nominated to the DPAC executive by the Lord Roberts Elementary PAC. His nomination will be voted on at our AGM, June 23rd.

BIO:
As far back as Ian can remember dinner table conversation has centred on education. His parents and step-sister have all been teachers, his step-dad was the president of the Alberta Teachers Union and his mom developed provincial standards and testing for Social Studies and English in Alberta. Since she led the provincial standard exams he grew up picking up elastics in the provincial marking centre while teachers and Ministry of Education employees worked around him.

As a parent Ian has spent 6 years on his son’s school’s PAC, including a three year term as PAC chair. In this time (and with the help of many volunteer parents) their school has established an annual FunFest, delivered annual welcome to school tours, set up division reps, increased PAC participation through covid, fought to have all teachers and admin receive diversity and bias training, successfully fundraised to install modern teaching equipment in every classroom, and more. For the last two years he has been leading the parent community’s drive to change the school’s name, as it is currently named after a man made famous for using concentration camps in South Africa.

Outside of elementary school Ian coaches soccer and is a leader with 20 years of experience in leadership positions at Earls, Apple retail and now BCLC. He is focused on product management and customer experience delivered through the development and success of his teams.

Joint DPAC statement on school safety measures 2021-2022

Vancouver DPAC has signed on to a joint letter from DPACs to the Minister of Health and Minister of Education calling for additional safety measures in schools.

The letter is here: Joint DPAC letter to MoE and MoH

DPACs continue to discuss their support for this letter. Currently, this letter covers:
Vancouver, Surrey, Sooke, New Westminister, Burnaby

This letter covers: 173000 students.

Some DPACs have expressed public support for some of the measures in our letter and are discussing remaining measures.

North Vancouver DPAC, covering 11500 students, has spoken publicly in favour of a K-3 Mask Mandate, additional exposure reporting and vaccinations for volunteers entering the school - link

We have written our trustees in support of their motion for a K-3 Mask Mandate - link