April NVPAC Meeting Summary

Meeting Minutes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LF2Rqxw_Nnd-kbQjPStHJY6mT4Z825U79AthxDDkUpY/edit?usp=sharing

Foods That Fit Workshop - May 8TH:

Vivienne Megas, NVPAC Program Facilitator, reported that the Foods That Fit workshop will be held on Wednesday May 8th in the Mountainview Room on the 5th Floor. Helen Yeung, of Vancouver Coastal Health is the facilitator. There will be food sampling provided by local school lunch vendors from5:30 – 6:30 pm. Speakers, including experts on food safety and recycling will follow. The evening will conclude with an opportunity for participants to share successes and challenges. About 50 registrations have been received to date, but there is room for more. Please RSVP to viviennemegas@northvanpac.org. This workshop will be of particular interest to school lunch coordinators, but interested parents are welcome to attend as well.

Ed Camp For Parents – Technology in the Classroom:

David Whitehead reported that a group of teachers is ready to present an Ed Camp for parents to show the various types of technology they use in the classroom.

The camp will be held June 4th from 6-7:30 and will be open to 2 representatives from each school.

The camp will feature six stations with teachers demonstrating what they are doing in their classrooms through the lens of technology supported programs.

If this Ed Camp is successful it is likely more will be offered next year.

June PAC 101 Event Options:

Members of NVPAC Executive have noted that there is a great variation between PACs as to how much information is passed on from outgoing to incoming PAC Executive. NVPAC would like to offer a “PAC 101” session in early June to help incoming PAC Chairs and other PAC Executive to learn what they need to know, and what they should do during the summer to prepare for taking up their duties in September. Suggestions for the format and content of the event include:

-Transfer experience
-Brainstorm ideas for various PAC Executive roles
-Advise regarding establishing a good working relationship with the principal, and the politics which may be encountered
-BCCPAC has numerous on-line resources, including the BCCPAC Leadership Manual, as well as separate PAC 101 and Treasurer 101 sections

-It was noted that not all PAC Executive changeovers take place over the summer. It was suggested that there be a session in June with a follow-up in October or November as refresher.

We are currently seeking volunteers to organize and lead the sessions. If you are interested contact chair@northvanpac.org. 

North Van PAC Recruitment for next year:

David Whitehead reported that a couple of volunteers have come forward following his recent email. NVPAC has presented some great Parent Ed events this year, but we will need help in order for this to continue. Minimum time commitment is one Executive meeting and one General Membership meeting (each about 2 hours long) each month, as well as District committee meetings. We need several Members at Large so that NVPAC can be represented at District committee meetings. These meetings are held either in the afternoon or evening several times each year. Meetings are usually about 90 minutes to two hours long. NVPAC requests that representatives attending the District Standing Committee meetings provide a written report for the blog.

Initiatives for next year which might interest potential candidates include:

-District budget initiatives
-BC Ed Plan is being rolled out including changes to curriculum and assessment

NVPAC requests that DPAC Reps and PAC Chairs look for parents who have an interest in District-wide matters such as Grade 7 parents or retiring PAC Executive that would like a new role through which to contribute to the school system. Interested parents should contact David Whitehead at chair@northvanpac.org.

BCCPAC AGM Resolutions and Proxy Voting:

The BCCPAC Spring Conference and Annual General meeting will be held May 3 – 5 in Richmond. Cleveland PAC has submitted a resolution re additional funding for literacy centres. It is important for all PACs to submit their votes regarding BCCPAC resolutions as many votes will get the attention of the government and the ministry.

In order to be able to submit a proxy vote, a PAC must be a paid-up BCCPAC member as of December 15, 2012. Qualified member PACs will by now have received the 2013 Nominations and Resolutions Booklet. All PACs wishing to vote at the AGM must complete and submit the proxy form whether or not they are sending their own representative. We encourages all PACs to send a representative to the AGM, but if you are not able to Debra Dennehy is willing to carry a proxy for any PAC. The proxy form is located near the back of the resolutions booklet; follow the instructions there to submit the proxy form to BCCPAC; send a copy of the proxy to Debra at debradennehy@telus.net. Check the BCCPAC website for further details and to register.

Date for May General Meeting and AGM:

It was noted that the date originally scheduled for our May General Meeting and AGM, May 16th, is the day before a professional day for some schools, as well as immediately prior to the Victoria Day long weekend. It was agreed that the meeting will be put forward one week to Thursday, May 23rd, 2013.

Next Meeting: Annual General Meeting
7:00 pm, 23rd May, 2013
Venue: Mountainview Rm, Education Services Centre, 2121 Lonsdale Avenue