Minutes May 3, 2016Amended

G.P. Vanier

Attendance:Margaret Salmon, ColleenStyan, Brian MsAskill, Fred de St. Croix

Ramona Simard, Donna Graves, Janice Caton, Lorraine Arndt, Judy Bouwers, Norma Kellinghusen, Cheryl Scott, Darren Freeman

Opening:Agenda approved. No minutes from April or Treasurer report, and no update on Seismic update. Addition DPAC report on seminar from BCCCPAC.

Motion: Margaret to approved the agenda 2nd by Donna

Old business:

Paul Rebbit and Chris Abele approached PAC about programs they would like to offer. New program called “Think Space,” offered through NIDES. Both passed and accepted by PAC.

Boundaries change. Closure of Puntledge was declined. Numbers of students at Highland still needs to be addressed and boundaries’.

New Business:

  • Brian McAskill presented information about the different emergency stages at school, which are called “Hour Zero.”
  • Vanier experience a Lock Down earlier in the month. Lock-down is the highest rate and the situation has to be lights off, cell phone off, block all doors, and blinds down on the windows if possible.
  • Lock -down was due to some student created threatson a website, and through the Wi-Fi at Vanier the police where located the students involved. An issue that came up is that Mr. Freeman and a plain cloths policeman were going to the classroom to give the ok; however, this created the scene that students thought Mr. Freemen was being held as a hostage by the man with a gun and did not realize he was a policeman.
  • The results: that all cell phones should have no contact and the classrooms are locked and lights off.
  • Need to educate parents not be in contact with kids during a lock-down.
  • My ED: Term 4 Kids will be able to access the new system to see their kid’s assignments and grades 24/7. Fall 2016 parents will be able to access anytime.
  • Seismic upgrade Ministry of Education agreed to the plan for Vanier and July 4 is the day mentioned to start.
  • The entire School Office and Counselor’s offices will be the first to disappear. Rooms will be created for these staff.
  • Pictures of before and after will commence to create an archive of Vanier.
  • Project to take about 21/2 years to complete.
  • Explore will hold their annual garage sale
  • Jazz Band concert on May 14.
  • Improv won an award at the Nationals but unclear in what area. Waiting to hear on the status.
  • Gaming grant application and funding report to be submitted before July 1st. Lorraine and Colleen will meet and complete the task.
  • PAC Fund Allocation Question arose about how the PAC allocates funds to the different groups at Vanier. It was explained that a percentage was taken for everyone to decrease their budget. This would still allow everyone to receive money. Dwayne Mills sent the PAC a schedule of uniform replacement rotation for all the sport teams.

Trustees Report

  • School Board voted on alternative work week.
  • All students will attend Monday – Friday, with half day of instructional time on Fridays.
  • Same hours of schooling but structure of the day will be different
  • Teacher’s prep time is now allocated before students are in session Monday-Thursday and after students have been dismissed on Friday’s.
  • Union agreement does not allow the teachers a four day a week it has to be over 4.6 days. Exceptions can occur but only by the teachers requesting it.
  • School Board needs to cut $750,000 from budget. Suggestions to remove Paul Berry District safety personnel will save cost, but after Vanier Lock-down situation Paul’s role in safetyis highly valuable, as he teaches and educates the staff.
  • SD71 lost 12,000 – 16,000 students over the last year creating a 9 million dollar lost to the district.
  • A parent remark: that Liberal gov’t is using pressure to privatization and they are not concerned about public education
  • Another parent remark is that private schools are receiving more money than the public. Private schools lost 4,000 students in the last years. There are more kids leaving public schools -graduating- than what are coming in at Kindergarten level.
  • Ministry of Education will be at Vanier for groundbreaking. A request for PAC to write a letter asking to meet the Minister with PAC.
  • New Superintendent: The hiring of Dr. Doug Lindquist as the new Superintendent for SD71

DPAC Donna

  • Romona informed us about a presentation on April 2 about a gentleman James making “High vision, little work safety” vest for small kids on bikes.
  • Angela Holmes -Transportation. A questionnaire about the best routes for kids to walk home to avoid bullying, or strangers. Having partners to walk with.
  • Bike week May 30 -June 4
  • SD71 Dpac have a web site the site is open to the public but not comments are allowed.
  • Report on BCCPAC and the new board.
  • The process of the book that is issued to schools with current membership was explained. This book has all the motions that are brought forth by various school districts and we are to go through each one and say if we support or not the motions and our reasons.
  • Vanier supported a motion that SD71 DPAC put forth on Emergency responsibility of the children after 72 hours. The motion was presented to BCPAC in 2009-2010. Donna will look into this as then it can be brought up again at BCCPAC.
  • John Bird from Victoria is the Chair for BCCPAC and wants to focus on parents’ voice sent to the government.

Next meeting June 7

Adjourned