Present:

See list attached (“Attendance”). This list will be attached to the original Minutes, as kept in the Secretary’s binder, and available to Quilchena parents on request.

 

September 2005 Quilchena PAC Meeting

 

Barbara Grantham, PAC Chair, called the meeting to order at approximately 7:05 p.m.

 

The Agenda was distributed at the meeting.  A copy of the agenda is attached to these Minutes in Appendix 1.

 

MOTION: To adopt minutes of September 28^th PAC meeting Agenda and Minutes

Motion moved, seconded and carried.

 

MOTION: To adopt November 3rd Agenda and Minutes

Motion moved, seconded and carried.

 

 

a)              Safety: Safe Arrival- Barbara and Shereen made another request of PAC members to volunteer or help find volunteers for this program. If no additional volunteers can be recruited by the New Year PAC may have to forfeit their responsibility to operate the program. Shereen requested that Val Coopersmith remind teachers to send done the attendance forms ASAP. Val replied that if forms are not being sent down to notify the office and they will make an announcement.  If you need more information or to sign up call Marianne Wyne at (604) 818-7674.

 

Traffic:  Still experiencing problems with cars stopping in illegal locations to drop off/pick up students. People reported a very close call last week. Issue to be addressed by Shereen D and a City of Vancouver Engineering Department Safety Officer. Meeting scheduled for the next week.

 

b)              Book Fair and Photo Night- RESCHEDULED  to Nov 15-17th

 

A Knight to Remember – Authors Night: Tuesday November 15^th 7 – 8 PM PAC presents an evening with Author & Illustrator Cynthia Nugent. The Book Fair will be open before, during and after this event. This workshop will consist of a dramatic reading with slides of her illustrations. She will bring displays that show the progress of a book from manuscript to rough sketches, research materials, line drawings, colour art, printer's proofs and final book.

 

Quilchena benefits greatly from this Fair with proceeds coming back to the school in funding to buy more books for the library. Gross sales last year were $8,000, $3,000 of which Quilchena received in the form of new books.

 

Request for volunteers to sign up on the sheets in the lower lobby.

 

c)              Healthy School Initiatives- PAC Executive is looking for volunteers to set up a committee which will determine ways of making the school healthier. Some areas to be explored are healthier home prepared lunches, snacks, hygiene, revamping the hot lunch options.

d)               Miscellaneous:

-Teachers thank the PAC for the Q T-Shirts

-Q-PAC mailing list will be updated by a Pt. Grey student in the near future

-Fanny has started the Banner for the School.  A mock-up sample was show to the PAC.

 

Valerie was happy to reports that following the teachers job action everything was back to normal.

 

Intramural Volleyball is underway with the Grade 6&7 students playing.

 

Parent –Teacher Meeting dates have changed and been pushed back to the week of Dec 7^th and 8^th. Students will be let out of school early on these dates.

 

Student Council is up and running with several projects underway.

 

Halloween Parade was a huge success with a large percentage of all the children and teachers participating. Costumes were clever and inventive.

 

Grade 7’s are participating in a large number of volunteer activities which include: MAPS Problem Solving, MAPS Games Coordinators, Office Monitors, Morning Listening Program, Traffic Patrol, Library monitors, PE Equipment Monitors, Kinderbuddies, Student Council, Assembly Set-up  Crew, Timers/Scorekeepers, Classroom Helpers and other various jobs.

 

 

Teaches wished to thanks the parents for their support during the strike. The offers of support and encouragement, along with donations of coffee and treats were appreciated.  

 

Melanie Bailey reported that the Safety Patrol with the assistance of Mme. Mylett is up and running and scheduled until the Christmas break. Grade 6 & 7 students will be doing the Patrol for now. Grade 5 students may be recruited after the holidays.

 

Lee-Anne M suggested that Patrol also be set up at the corner of Laburnum and W37th crosswalk to possibly help alleviate traffic problems. Melanie is going to look into this idea.

 

Melanie had the opportunity to see the Vancouver Symphony along with the Intermediate grades. More classes are scheduled to attend future performances in the weeks ahead.

           

Students will attend this year's Remembrance Day Service in the school gym on November 10^th at 11:00 am. Parents are welcome to attend.

 

Melanie B. recently attended a workshop at the Arts Umbrella and was very impressed with the Artist in Residence. Though conversation, she has secured the opportunity to have our primary grade classes attend two - 1 hour sessions.  A small fee will be charged of approximately $7/ student but Melanie has approached PAC to assist in covering part of this cost.

Item for PAC Executive to follow up.

 

Melanie B’s class has been selected as a trial class for the “Roots of Empathy Program. This program involves a local parent with a newborn child visiting the school weekly. Each classroom visit is for ½ hour. Children monitor the development phases of the baby.  Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic
effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among students.

 

Teachers also wanted to say thank you to the PAC for the $125/ classroom for supplies.

 

 

Presentation and Approval of Year End Financials

Jean A. presented the year end financials for the year ending August 31, 2005.

Revenue for the year was up significantly primarily due to increased revenue from the AQA and a one-time BC Government Grant received in May 2005.

Consequently, PAC was able to fund over $40,000.00 of expenditures for the benefit of the Quilchena and its students.

As of Aug. 31, 2005, PAC has approximately $11,000.00 unallocated funds available for disbursement.

 

Motion to Accept the August, 31, 2005 Year End Financial Statements.

Moved by Shereen D, seconded by Valerie M. and carried

Copy of financial report posted on Q PAC website

 

Questions

1)Q-Are there any restrictions on the usage of the gaming funds?

    A- There are no restrictions on the one time grant but the annual gaming funds    cannot be used to supply educational classroom requirements.

 

Heather reported that the second parent survey asking how parents would like to see the AQA funds allocated came back with poor response. Only 2 replies were received.  PAC executive had discussions with various parents and the leading project ideas seem to be: 1) a library upgrade to so that it is a dynamic resource and learning centre, providing an array of interactive resources for our children, or 2) a playground upgrade.

 

Discussion of when to hold the AQA was undertaken by attending parents. Choices were: 1) November, prior to the holiday season when the feeling was that we would get the best financial response from families. 2) Wait until after the holidays due to delays caused by the teachers job action. 

 

Discussion involved whether a legacy project should be confirmed prior to deciding the AQA date.

 -Committees would need to be formed to assess the scope of either project.

- Discussions evolved around time required to the assess scope and if we should hold back the AQA until they were complete.

 

1^st vote- Barb put question out to parents to vote on:

1- have AQA now without a legacy project this year or

 2- wait and have the AQA in Jan. 2006 when legacy project details are more clear

Voted to have AQA now because after the New Year parents may not be ready to donate and funds collected may not be distributed in 2005-06 year due to time constraints

 

2^nd discussion evolved- parents want to know what the money they donate is going to be used for. Feeling was that people wanted to see it go to a legacy project.

 

2^nd vote

1-     hold AQA in 2006 and have committee assess options and provide scope of project and financial resource requirements

2-     hold AQA immediately in November and send out notice that we intend to do a legacy project in the library but details will have to follow once committee returns their review and AQA financials have been determined.

            Voted to have AQA now with details of project to follow.

 

Heather to send out AQA packages next week and AQA to run from Nov 14^th to Dec 2

 

Shereen D, Michelle R. and Lesley W attended VSB Task Force meeting on French Immersion. Task force was set up to study the space and capacity issues facing the French  Immersion program in the Vancouver district. Details of the VSB Task Force findings are on the VSB web site. Three Public Meetings will be held on Nov 14^th, 15Th, and 16^th. Lesley, Michelle and Shereen’s perception of the meeting was that nothing concrete has been decided. The School Board may not have the political will at this time to make any long term decisions until after the civic elections. Decisions still seem to be made as bandaid fixes instead of looking at a long term comprehensive plan for the system.

Val Coopersmith was trying have a Quilchena meeting set up for teachers parents and PAC to discuss possible impacts of any changes to FI on the school as a whole.

 

Motion made to mandate the PAC Executive to continue to advocate on behalf of Quichena on the subject of French Immersion and the Task Force.

Motion made- Michele: 2^nd- Hannah: Approved

 

a)               School Board Elections – Barb raised awareness that Vancouver Civic Elections will take place November 19^th for City Councillors, Parks Board and School Board. School Board officials have great control over how the school systems runs so it is important to understand the issues and cast your votes. An All Candidates meeting will take place Sunday November 6^th at John Oliver Secondary School.

b)               Letter to the Premier and Minister of Education- It has been suggested that to the PAC Chair write a letter to the above mentioned following the teachers strike action to request that: 1) the government ensures that the promises in the Ready Report are implemented as soon as possible; and 2) the government follow through on promises to “fix” the bargaining process.

Motion made to write the letter- Heather K; 2^nd-Zane K; Defeated

Motion made to write letter on just issue 1 above- Lesley W; 2^nd- Karen T; Approved

 

c)               Notice that Quichena PAC will be hosting a meeting on November 17^th with MLA Colin Hansen and all the Elementary school PAC’s in this provincial constituency. This is the second year that Quilchena has hosted this informal meeting to discuss the state of our education system and relevant concerns.

 

d)               District PAC meeting- Lee-Anne M attended the October D PAC meeting on behalf of Quilchena PAC.

The Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) represents parents on district level issues.  According to Vancouver School Board policy, the two main functions of the DPAC are:

1) To "bridge the gap" between board and parents by communicating board policy to parents on the one hand, and parents' point of view to the board on the other, through their presence at committee meetings.

2) To plan and coordinate activities that will foster effective parental involvement in the schools.

This months meeting included 2 workshops. One was on ‘Learning and Development’ and the other on ‘Everything You Wanted to Know about School Financials’.  The Learning and Development workshop focused on how to create an energetic and effective PAC though team work and shared leadership.

 

10.            Other Business

Lunch Hour Programs: Marisa T reported that a variety of lunch hour programs are now underway with a high number of students participating. They are:

 

>Chess Club- many new members have joined the club this year and the   instructor is working towards mentoring a group toward going to the BCIT Chess  Tournament.

>Mandarin- thank you to the 2 volunteer parents who are running this course

>Yoga- this class has been so successful that discussions are going forward to the principal to bring it to the entire student body as part of the physical education curriculum.

>Arts and Crafts- will run a holiday craft workshop

>Cinekids- will run in January 2006

>Sign language- is taught by Richie Dyck, a Family and Community Resource Worker at the Provincial Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, along with one of our Q parents. All monies collected from this program are being donated by the instructors to PAC.

 

Speaker Programs: Karen T has made arrangements for our first speaker of our Speaker series this year.

Dr. Judy Anderson has been booked for Thursday November 24th at 7:00 in the Library. She will speak on "Restitution & Control Theory” - teaching your children to take responsibility for their actions vs. consequences.

 

Other speakers which Karen is also considering having are:

> “From Grief to Action” - discussion of drugs and children

> Dr. Kimberley Schonert-Reichl who has done research in the area of child and adolescent development and on the "Roots of Empathy" program which Quilchena will start.

                       

 

11.____Meeting Adjourned   

 

There was a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:45p.m.

 

Motion: That the meeting be adjourned.

Moved, seconded, and carried.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.