Thank you to all who attended our PAC Cafe at the PG Civic Centre today. We had 14 people representing 11 schools (out of 40) in our district. We had a fabulous Greek buffet lunch, coffee/tea, and dessert.
There were lively, open discussions! Here is an attempt to capture the main themes. See Minutes below.
What a busy time for families! We went from school start up, into an election, Thanksgiving, Halloween… non-instructional days sprinkled throughout… and now we are in November!
Please take some time to engage with DPAC and other PACs at our meeting on Monday November 7. You can come in-person at Van Bien Training Centre or join online via MS Teams. We have some PAC networking and discussion items at 6:30pm, and then our District partners and Trustees join us at 7:30pm.
Seminar for Parents regarding Open Parachute mental health resources. Wed November 3 from 6:30-7:30pm at Vanier Hall (PGSS).
Message from Audrey Mitchell, Vice Principal – Inclusive Education Department, SD57
Part of my role as Vice Principal of Inclusive education is to support the implementation of Mental Health Supports for our students. Last year, we had a trial run in using the program Open Parachute and due to the supports the program provides for students, educators, and their families, as well as the quick “buy-in” from educators and staff in our schools we will be using the program for the next three years.
We have invited Dr. Hayley Watson, the CEO and creator of Open Parachute to Prince George share her knowledge of how to best support the mental health complexities of all educators, students and their families to all SD57 staff and all parents of the children in our schools. We are very excited for her to be presenting in person!
On Saturday November 5 at 11am, the SD57 District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) is hosting a PAC Cafe. This is an in-person (only) opportunity to network with DPAC and your fellow PAC Executives. We hope that at least one member from each of our PACs can attend to collaborate and learn from each other.
We have booked an upstairs meeting room at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre where we will have coffee/tea, a Greek Buffet lunch, and dessert. The fee is $15/person with DPAC sponsoring a majority of the costs.
If you are from Hixon, Mackenzie, McBride, or Valemount, please consider coming to Prince George for this event. You will receive a mileage reimbursement. Email exec@sd57dpac.ca for more information.
We had 15 parents representing 14 schools at our October DPAC Meeting. A total of 7 partners joined us from the Office of the Superintendent, School Trustees, Prince George District Teachers Association, Principals and Vice Principals Association, and CUPE Local 3742 (inside workers).
We had a great discussion on inclusion and equality ensuring all students receive a full day of education and individual education planning. The appeals process has been rolled out to support families resolve conflicts or difficult circumstances for students from K-Grade 12.
You’ll also notice the announcement of our FoodSafe course on Oct 29 with pricing details. Online course reimbursement is available as well.
Save the date! PAC Cafe is Sat November 5 from 11-2pm at the Civic Centre.
As you know we are voting 5 candidates to serve in the Prince George Electoral Area 1 in addition to the 2 incumbents from Mackanzie and McBride. Please research all 13 candidates and plan to vote on October 15. Accountability is important in public education.
Answers to the following questions from the All-Candidates Forum on September 28 are provided on our website here.
NAME Introduction: Tell us about yourself and why you are running or what you hope to achieve.
Question 1 from CUPE Local 3742: What do you view as your responsibility in relation to senior management?
Question 2 from PGDTA: School District 57 continues to face a six-year shortage of teachers in all of its communities. This has already resulted in over 20 thousand hours of lost support to students and District assessment data shows that vulnerable students are not reaching education achievement benchmarks in multiple areas. What are your ideas for teacher recruitment and retention and how would you advocate at both local and provincial levels for a fully funded serious recruitment and retention plan
Question 3 from DPAC: What does accountability mean to you and increasing accountability in SD57?
Question 4: Please provide a value Statement on Indigenous Education in School District 57.
The SD57 DPAC is sponsoring a Level 1 FoodSafe course. Parents and PAC members who are providing food service in our schools, must have this certification.
Date: Saturday October 29th, 2022
Time: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Break 11:30 am – 12:15 pm)
Location: Van Bien Training Centre Meeting Room
For: Parents from within School District No. 57
Cost: $25 (non-refundable)
Lunch: Not provided, light snacks will be available
Tickets: Available for purchase on Eventbrite here.
Travel Subsidy: For schools located in the Mackenzie, Hixon, McBride, and Valemount a gas subsidy will be provided per km.
Online Course Subsidy: If parents feel uncomfortable travelling from these towns, or are not available on this date, DPAC will reimburse the cost of an online course. The first person per PAC will get $85 reimbursed and all subsequent people will get $45. Must email registration receipt and completion certificate. Cheque will be mailed to the PAC. FOODSAFE
Regardless of whether you have children or grandchildren in the public school system, it is imperative that you get informed and vote in the 2022 Municipal Election. School District No. 57 School Board Trustees make important decisions and represent the public in education. Congratulations to Rachel Weber and Bob Thompson for being acclaimed in their two seats. We will now determine the remaining 5 seats in the Prince George electoral area. We hope these links will help you with researching the candidates.
Please join us for our monthly DPAC Meeting on Monday October 3, 2022 at 6:30-8:30pm. The DPAC Executive, PAC Representatives, and Parents are welcome to join in-person (we have snacks!) at Van Bien Training Centre or virtually on Microsoft Teams at 6:30pm. Our District Representatives and Partner Groups join us at 7:30pm for approximately 1 hour.
The agenda is posted below. Feel free to email us with additional topics or add at the beginning of the meeting when we are adopting the agenda.
