If so, sign up at the BC School Trustee Association website:

http://www.bcsta.org/

Look for “Sign up for Headlines” on the right.

Today’s email included the following links:

DPAC members have been invited to attend the Zone Conference (Spring Fling 2012) on March 9, 2012, at PGSS. The website address for the conference is www.bctf.ca/northcentralzone.

Depending on the number of parents interested, they are willing to accommodate as many as possible. However, please understand that parents may not get into every workshop, and that this is being offered as a courtesy to parents.

If you are interested, please email Kim Rutherford, the Conference Coordinator, at krutherford@sd57.bc.ca. Parents must register in advance.

The Parent Voice: Creating Connections To Support Student Success at the Executive Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, Coquitlam.

All parents from around the province are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in all or part of the weekend. Further Information coming soon.

Are you interested in attending as a delegate from Prince George? Our policy for conferences is found here:

http://sd57dpac.ca/2011/12/revised-draft-policy-for-conference-delegates/

We invite all interested parties to submit a brief written application, detailing your reasons for wanting to attend the conference, and how you believe this experience will benefit DPAC and/or your PAC.

BCCPAC Nominations are closing in two weeks (February 28, 2012)- “Parents required! 

We have a number of positions open – are you an excellent note taker?  BCCPAC’s Board has an opening for a Secretary.  If you were born to lead our President’s and both Vice President’s positions are open.  If you are a quiet achiever, we have two Director’s positions open.  Be an active part of the provincial parent voice and join the Board!”  Please contact Cathy Jewett (cathyjewett@bccpac.bc.ca) if you have any questions.  Our forms may be found on our website at: http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/index/event_calendar/2012AGM.aspx
BCCPAC Awards – BCCPAC is very pleased to offer the following four awards – three for parents and one for a student. The George Matthews Award for Excellence in Parent Leadership, The Bev Hosker Motivational Award for newly involved parent leaders, BCCPAC Life Membership Award, The BCCPAC Educational Award.  February 28^th is the deadline for the four awards offered to BCCPAC members. Do you or someone you know meet any of the criteria?  If so, please nominate them for an award. Information, criteria, forms and posters (for your bulletin board) for each award are posted on the BCCPAC website http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/aboutus/awards.aspx

BCCPAC 2012 Spring Conference & AGM – May 25-27, 2012

The Parent Voice: Creating Connections To Support Student Success at the Executive Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, Coquitlam.
All parents from around the province are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in all or part of the weekend. Further Information coming soon.

Bullying Stops Here – Wednesday February 29^th is Pink Shirt Day – Anti Bullying
Click here to get involved
BCCPAC has parent resources on the topics of Bullying, Intimidation & Harassment in schools.  Click the links below for your preferred language:
Call it Safe: A parent guide for dealing with bullying in elementary schools. Available in:  English, French, Korean, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Call it Safe: A parent guide for dealing with harassment & intimidation is secondary schools.  Available in:  English, French, Korean, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Speaking Up! A Guide to advocating for students in public schools

May 7^th is Child & Mental Health Day:
BC Mental Health and Addiction Services (BCMHAS) and Fraser Health are pleased to announce the provincial launch of mindcheck.ca and the “In One Voice” video submission campaign. Mindcheck.ca is a youth and young adult-focused, interactive website where visitors can check out how they’re feeling and get connected to support early and quickly.

Grandparents raising grandchildren
The Ministry of Children and Family Development is investing $100,000 a year from the ministry’s existing fiscal plan for the Parent Support Services Society of B.C. to launch the new Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Line and email support. Click here for full details.

Satisfaction Survey
The Ministry of Education recognizes that the ongoing labour negotiations have the potential to make administration of the Satisfaction Survey more difficult – especially if the task falls entirely to administrative staff.   Therefore the Ministry would like to hear more about how you use the survey and what changes you think could be made to ensure it aligns with 21st Century learning and with the needs of the field.  The Ministry will be posing questions on BC’s Education Plan website shortly and based on the feedback received they will review the surveys existing tools and measures to see what improvements should be made.

Federal Announcement to support youth in schools
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health today announced that researchers will be tackling the issue of improving access to mental health services for Canadian children and youth thanks to federal funding. Click the link for details:  http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/921827/harper-government-invests-to-improve-access-to-mental-health-services-for-children-and-youth

Inspiring a New Canadian Future: ArtsSmarts Launches the 21st Century Youth Creativity Challenge.
ArtsSmarts is a dynamic approach to teaching, learning, doing and thinking that has been changing the lives of students, artists, educators, and entire schools and communities since 1998.

Brand New: Cycling Resource Manual for Canadian Schools

On behalf of Transport Canada, HASTE staff worked with programmers and consultants from across Canada to develop a resource manual for communities looking to encourage and support students cycling to school. The manual has ideas to suit most any school or community at any stage of their cycling encouragement process. The manual is available in both English and French through the HASTE website.

Member Views

BCCPAC has an email address specifically for our members’ views. To help BCCPAC better understand experiences and concerns that parents have please share your stories with us by e-mailing your input to memberviews@bccpac.bc.ca. Please indicate the topic in the subject line and provide us with your school district number.

http://www.pinkshirtday.ca/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Bullying_Day

The last Wednesday of February is known as Anti-Bullying Day in Canada. It’s also known as “Pink Shirt Day”. Originally started as a protest against a bullying incident at a Nova Scotia high school. On this day participants are asked to wear pink to symbolize a stand against bullying.

February DPAC 2012 Minutes

DPAC MINUTES FOR February 6, 2012

7:00 p.m. Van Bien Training and Development Centre

Chair: Don Sabo, Minutes prepared by Gillian Burnett

Attendees:

DPAC Executive:               Don Sabo, Michelle Rolfes, Gillian Burnett, Chris Finke, Sarah Holland and Steve Shannon

Partner Groups:               Brian Pepper, Superintendent; Matt Pearce and Tina Cousins, PGDTA; Kate Cooke, Trustee; Lorraine Prouse, CUPE; and Faith MacKay, PGPVPA

School Reps:                      Trish Stevens, Aboriginal Choice; Colleen Smith, Beaverly; Lara Beckett, College Heights Elementary; Melanie Pierce, Edgewood; Kim Shannon, Hart Highlands; Sarah Holland, Heather Park; Steve Shannon, KRSS; Shauna Connor, Lac des Bois; Gillian Burnett, Nukko Lake; Michelle Rolfes, Pineview; Don Sabo, Pinewood; Michelle Rolfes, PGSS; Ryan Clarke, Quinson; and Dennis Fudge, Spruceland

1.      Adoption of Agenda

Accepted as circulated

2.               Adoption of January 9, 2012 Minutes

Motion to accept minutes – Heather Park

Seconded by – PGSS

3.               PAC Networking

Discussions were held about:

• Beaverly looking for advice on hosting a large scale event; will be hosting a Magic Show at Vanier Hall.  Suggested asking other organizations such as United Way.  DPAC will advertise this event on our website
• Teaching virtues – excellent
• Both College Heights and Heather Park currently holding raffles for Canucks tickets including airfare and accommodations for 4
• Heather Park held French Immersion information evening for parents
• FSA notification letters to parents have not been consistently sent throughout district
• Interest shown in obtaining information from all schools regarding how many Kindergarten students are registering, how many being turned away, how many in and out of catchment.

4.               Reports

(a)                DPAC Chair Report – see attached

(b)               Treasurer’s Report – see attached

(c)                Superintendent’s Report –(presented after 4(h) as Brian was late arriving) see attached

• Asked about FSA notification letter – Principals asked to distribute – indicated follow-up required.
• Questions regarding Kindergarten registration; pinch point at College Heights (both French and English)
• Question regarding catchment registrations that are unsuccessful – Superintendent take as immediate concern.
• Question about figures for transfer into the Northern Learning Center – Best recollection is 37 confirmed registrants

(d)               Trustee Report – see attached

• DPAC chair expressed our concerns about access to information and appreciates the interest shown by trustees.
• Question – Will ‘Math Makes Sense’ for gr 4-7 be replaced, scrapped, continued….?

(e)          PGDTA Report

• Second semester up and rolling.
• What’s happening at the bargaining table – BCPSEA didn’t show up last time, do not wish to discuss BCTF’s proposals
• Belief that this is setting stage for next sitting of legislature.  Unfortunate.
• Tina Cousins offered to attend PAC meetings to provide parents with more information.  This offer will be posted on our website.
• Question – Will “Math Makes Sense’ for Gr 4-7 continue, be replaced…?  That is a school decision.

(f)           PGPVPA Report

• Drew attention to some great things happening around the district.  Ron Brent and UNBC partnership for tracking the use of technology; a weekly support program for young moms; the Mackenzie Hockey academy; PGSS hosting the Grey Cup.
• Question regarding the collection and sharing of registration information – Principals do collect this information and they do share this information.

(g)          CUPE Report

• Ratification vote on collective agreement taking place; scheduled for February 21th in PG
• If vote receives 50% plus one in favour, will mean a notice to bargain in March, if not, members will be asked to take a strike vote.
• Ratification will be tricky across the province; different locals will have different outcomes.

(h)          DSAC Report – Not in attendance

5.               Committee Reports

(a)               EPPC Committee Report – see attached

(b)               Education Services Committee Report – met today to discuss several matters, will be brought forward at next Board meeting

(c)                Policy and Governance Committee Report – Subcommittee created to develop feedback from DPAC regarding Child Protection Policy, hasn’t met yet, but has communicated through e-mails.  Will have response prepared by deadline.

(d)               Environmental Sustainability Committee Report – Haven’t yet met, new liaison Kate Cooke will communicate with Don regarding when they will meet.

6.               Announcements/New Business

(a)                Calendar Committee – Has met, considering 2 week spring break next year.  Discussion regarding how we could collect a better, fairer representative sample of parents on this issue.  Led to discussion regarding DPAC’s acceptance of Brian Pepper’s offer to collect PAC contact information.  Determined that PACs could refer parents to our website to provide feedback and opinion regarding the spring break issue.

(b)          District Resource Centre Tour – Scheduled to take place on February 16^th at 6:30 pm.  10 spaces still available, register on our website.

(c)           Status on kindergarten registration in schools that are capped – Covered under Superintendent’s report

(d)          Langley DPAC (Cracks in the system) letter – went to PACs for direction, what are the results?  Cracks identified as grade 7 transitions hindered, course schedule development in secondary schools not happening, extra-curricular sports coaching affected.  Majority in favour of pursuing the submission of a similar, but briefer, letter from DPAC SD57.

(e)          DPAC funding for PACs.  What are PAC funding priorities? – Ideas include FoodSafe Courses, BCCPAC membership fees, and parent seminars.

(f)           BCCPAC Conference May 25 – 27.  Expression of Interest – Refer to policy on our website, looking for expression of interest in attending before our next meeting.

(g)          DPAC Bylaws and Policy Committee Update – Have met and almost completed revisions to Bylaws, still need to cover Policies, next meeting Thursday February 9^th at Duchess Park 7 pm.

(h)          Scent free policy – Discussion around event involving a student at Duchess Park.  District policy provides direction about how to respond and what must be done as well as outlining the consequences of not abiding by policy.  Not a policy issue, rather an enforcement issue.  More visible signage concerning scent-free policy may be needed.  Action required.  DPAC to draft letter of concern regarding Bullying and enforcement.

7.               Other Business – none

8.               Agenda items for next meeting

Delegate selection committee for BCCPAC Conference

9.               Adjournment – Next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 5, 2012 at 7:00 pm Van Bien Training and Development Centre.

Motion KRSS

Second Spruceland

Given we’re having a lot of parents visiting the site to make a comment about Spring Break, we thought we’d point out some of the ways we can help parents:

• We are an organization that brings together Parent Advisory Councils for school district 57
• We’re the “official voice” of parents, and advocate for parents to the school district
• We have regular meetings the first Monday of each month to discuss PAC and school district matters
• We publish information and distribute news about education in the district and province
• We have lots and lots and lots of information that can help parents
• Take a look at our Resources page – the speaking up for your child booklet is a great resource, for example
• Let us know if we can help!

On behalf of the Ministry of Education, we’d like to thank you for your recent comments on the BC Education Plan Engage page. Your thoughts and ideas are helping us to better understand how the public feels about K-12 education in BC and what changes may be needed to make our system even better in the future.

Sincerely yours,
The BC Education Plan Moderation Team

From a parent request – school registration numbers as of September 30, 2011. Information is from the BC Ministry of Education.

link to interactive data:

http://public.tableausoftware.com/views/SchoolNumbers2011-12/2011-12SchoolEnrolmentsasofSep302011?:embed=y

http://britishcolumbia.compareschoolrankings.org/ChooseReport.aspx

The Fraser Institute released its latest report card on B.C. elementary schools today, ranking 860 public and independent schools based on data from province-wide tests known as the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA).

The annual report card is the only “objective, reliable tool. that parents have to compare the academic performance of their child’s school over time and to that of other schools in their community,” Peter Cowley, the institute’s director of school performance studies, says in a release.

But the report card has many critics, including the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and other education partners, who say the rankings are misleading because one set of basic-skills tests, delivered in Grades 4 and 7, is an inadequate measure of a school. The BCTF has been lobbying the Education Ministry for years to change the FSA from a census test to a random sample so that the Fraser Institute, a conservative think-tank, cannot produce its annual rankings.