Monday, November 30, 2015

Draft NVPAC Minutes - November 25, 2015

NorthVan PAC General Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 @ 7:00pm
Education Services Centre (ESC) 2121 Lonsdale


In attendance - Executive Members: ARRIVED 7:00pm
Amanda Nichol (chair), Heather Skuse (vice-chair), Jane Lagden Holborne (past chair), Debra Dennehy (registrar & BCCPAC), Karen Nordquist (program facilitator), Kulvir Mann (secretary),
Carol Sartor (communications) ARRIVED 7:25pm
Homa Sorooshi (treasurer) ARRIVED 7:45 pm 

APOLOGIES: Tanya Lahulek (member-at-large), Suzanne Till, (member-at-large)

PAC REPRESENTATIVES:


Argyle:  Chris Klar
Blueridge:  ABSENT
Boundary:  Claire Arnold
Braemar:  Amanda Nichol
Brooksbank:  Chandra Junck
Canyon Heights:  Kulvir Mann
Capilano:  ABSENT
Carisbrooke:  ABSENT
Carson Graham:  ABSENT
Cleveland:  Katie Morgenstern
Cove Cliff:  ABSENT
Dorothy Lynas:  ABSENT
Eastview:  ABSENT
Handsworth:  ABSENT
Highlands:  Jason Krupa
Larson: ABSENT
Lynn Valley:  ABSENT
Lynnmour:  ABSENT
Montroyal:  Janet Carswell
Mountainside:  ABSENT
Norgate:  Michelle Montgomery
Queen Mary:  ABSENT
Queensbury:  Debra Dennehy
Ridgeway:  Ali Ritchie
Ross Road:  Colette Anderson
Seycove:  Birte Hunter
Seymour Heights:  Alison Anderson
Sherwood Park:  ABSENT
Sutherland:  Debra Dennehy
Upper Lynn:  Tony Haller
Westview:  ABSENT
Windsor:  ABSENT



Introductions of Special guests:
Maureen Stanger - District Principal for Distributed Learning,
Lucas King - District Vice Principal for Distributed Learning,
DL Teachers - Emily Taylor, Billy Lauzon, Loveleen Ahluwalia

1.  7:05 pm Call meeting to order

MOTION: To approve agenda as distributed. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOTION:  To approve minutes from our last general meeting, October 28, 2015 CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

2.  7:07 pm GUEST SPEAKER - Maureen Stanger, District Principal for Distributed Learning and team presented on DISTRIBUTED LEARNING
District Principal - Maureen Stanger
·         Distributed Learning and Choices Programs

Distributed Learning is an online virtual school – learning development – “Moodle” - There are 24 teachers and it has an 88% success rate

Meet our students – there is a wide range of students registered in the program

NVDLS Vision – Partnership – Flexible and Personalized Pathways

·         They have videos, chatting online, block codes, interative area, etc …
·         BC Ministry of Education approved
·         BC Certified Teachers
·         Continuous Entry – you can register anytime as it is self-paced – you finish when you are done

They have 3 different programs at Secondary Schools in NV/WV

1.   Sutherland – Social Explorers
2.   Seycove – Planning 10
3.   Mulgrave – Planning 10 – taught by a NV Teacher

Distributed Learning
·         The classes are taught for students in Grades 8 - 12 – before it was 10 – 12
·         They are starting a “Gifted Pilot Project”
·         Carisbrooke – has a program – grouping students for Math – diverse learners
·         It is personalized to meet the needs of individual students
·         Flexible – blended learning
·         Interact with teachers – for assessments and tests
·         There are Interactive Tools
              Blackboard /Links (Tutorial)
              Access – Cell Phones/Tablets/iPads
              Grades are updated faster

Teacher - Billy Lauzon - Life of Distributed Learning

2007 – IB School – West Van – Continued Education/Distributed Learning – 3 teachers
2008 – New Recruits – 8 Teachers
2009 – “Big Bang” – The DL Team – Lucas Center was closing
2011 – DL Relocation Project – Balmoral Site – Testing Room/Help Room (Tutorials)
2012 – Mountainside – “Home Sweet Home” – kids from every where registered in NVSD
2015 – Expansion – Time to Expand
·         Summer Sessions – Open 4 days a week for 7 weeks
·         12 months available – register anytime

Community
·         online school in NVSD – goal is to keep students in NVSD
·         DL Centers – Meet the teachers – Main one is at Mountainside
·         6 Secondary Schools have the Distributed Learning Program

Quote by Marie Curie – Authentic Learning
“A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales”

Online Scheduling Tool – can connect with other students
Orientation – 30 minute tour at Mountainside

Variation & Adaptation – “WILKI” – Personalization – Content
*** Refer to attached presentation for more details

Teacher – Emily Taylor – Satellite DL Centers

·         Embedded 15 DL Teachers – 2/3 per school
·         2 levels – Stars and Stairs
·         Stars – relationship building and support on site
·         Stairs – environment and misunderstandings
·         Blended DL in LAC – Choices and Mountainside

Teacher – Loveleen Ahluwalia

Unique blended programs and courses at NVDLS
1.   Sutherland Explorers 10 – Socials, PE, Outdoor Ed
2.   Experiential Outdoor Environmental Leadership 10 – Outdoor School and Online
3.   Seycove Planning 10 – Blended Cohort – Classroom and Online – Face to Face

Maureen Stanger and Lucas King

Course Expansion
·         IB, IDS, ACE-IT and Careers
·         DL Academy
·         Elementary Expansion
·         Continue to increase student engagement
·         Continued teacher development
·         Continue to improve program completion rates

Benefits of DL
·         Flexible, anytime, anywhere
·         Personalization - moving ahead or requiring more support
·         Frees up timetable for extra courses
·         Supports extra curricular, work, peak performance, academics
·         It is great for preparation for “Post Secondary”

School Tour on Website
·         Mountainside DL Centre
·         DL Schedule – 2 weeks period
·         DL Centre Schedule – each individual school
·         Test Center – Sign up when fits your schedule
·         Teacher Contacts
·         List of Courses

Students produce lessons as well – post projects
Video lessons – “go animate” program

Course Programming Event – DL Program is offered
No cost to NVSD – open house with Teachers

Nadya Rickard – Carisbrooke Elementary School
Teaches grade 7 students – enhancement program



Questions

1.   can you do both regular course and DL course – NO – you have to choose – you can finish regular course and then retake with DL if needed
2.   Delta School District – has a challenge course – Gifted/IB program
3.   DL is a self-paced program – busy times for registration are Sept/Jan
4.   Alternative Summer School – Summer DL – complete in 6 weeks
5.   Currently 5 – 10% students take DL Class – Planning 10 is most popular
6.   Costs – Adults – if you are a graduate - $550 / if not graduated then it is Free – there are 56 schools in BC offering Online Classes
7.   Program Completion – semester you can complete but not the whole year – there has to be communication with DL Centers to confirm tests

Guest Speaker - Destination Imagination BC – Joan Vyner
We are rescheduling this due to mix up with dates.

3.  8:45 pm Updates and questions from the floor/executive.

Amanda asked everyone in attendance to introduce themself and advise what school they were representing.

Communications – NVPAC
North Van PAC “NEW Website”www.northvanpac.weebly.com
Carol spoke about the new website and asked for feedback from group

Amanda spoke about the hiring of a new superintendant – that NVPAC was asked to provide feedback and she was sending out an email via PAC Chairs to get parents to send feedback and she would compile it and forward to NVSD. The other groups that are also involved are NOVA, NVTA, CUPE and BCTF.

Emergency Preparedness Committee
Kulvir gave update to group – main topic was the “Power Outage” discussion and committee chairs were going to bring it to Policy Review Committee Meeting for Policy 307. She also spoke about school closures and how radio communication would be used in event of an emergency. Also, there was a discussion about emergency kits at each school – there will be a review of how kits are assembled and kept at each school.
·         NVSD uses a VOIP System and there are no generators
·         NSEMO – contact is Bernadette Woit
·         there is a binder kept at each school for admin – parents can request info regarding emergency procedures – this should be posted on school/PAC websites

Policy Review Meeting - Karen spoke about Student Safety and Privacy – will provide more details in January


4.  Red Cross registration for the District $300

Tony Haller – Upper Lynn Elementary requested NVPAC to pay the $300 fee and then all the schools could access the babysitting/first aid courses at a discounted rate. Carol and Amanda will look into this and follow up with Homa if it is in NVPAC Budget.





SAVE THE DATE: 
BCCPAC Conference and AGM is happening April 28-May 1, 2016 in Kelowna.

Meeting adjourned at 8:40pm

NEXT MEETING scheduled as a forum for questions on the new curriculum for 7:00pm on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at the Education Services Centre 2121 Lonsdale, North Vancouver, BC



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