PAC meeting – Dec 10th, 2015 minutes

PAC Meeting Minutes Dec. 10, 2015, Rm 101, University Hill Elementary School

1. Meeting called to order at 8:30am.

2. Attendance:

 Co-chairs: Ofira Roll and Amal El-Naggar

 Secretaries: Lingyun Zhang

 Principal: Val Coopersmith

 Communications coordinator: Robert Peregoodoff

 Special speaker series coordinator: Angela Low and Kshamta Hunter

 YNC Committee: Nancy Brown

 Volunteer Coordinator: Saeed Nazari

 Chinese translator: Sylvia

 Teachers: Barry, Kate and Jordan

3. Motion to adopt Minutes of Nov 19th, 2015 meeting. Moved by Amal and seconded by Ofira.

4. Class parents have been assigned and will be acting as the bridge between PAC and the parents in communication school info and coordination volunteer activities.

5. Barry Wright proposed to collect school supplies for school aged Syrian Refugees. (This item is on hold due to a VSB notice).

6. Principal’s Report (Val)

 The peer helper program went well. Thanks to all the staff for the training.

 SOS Choir sang 5 songs at the Downtown German Market and had very positive feed back. The kids are on the Vancouver Sun front page on Dec. 10th.

 SOS family fair is on Dec. 10th, 5-7pm.

 This year the theme for Christmas concert is Polar Express. The concert will be on Dec. 17th at 1:30 and 6:30. Ofira recommended to do the concert earlier in December next year so that more students can participate.

 In Service Days for the new curriculum have been set on Mar. 4 and April 15.

 Report cards are going home on Friday Dec. 18th.

 Jordan updated the new technologies upgrade situation. There are last 5 classrooms that need to be upgraded and the cost is estimated at $20-25K including installation and training. Val said the school could come up with 10k and the rest needs PAC funding. This has been posted on PAC website for parents input and will be discussed in January with the budget proposal.

 Melody applied fro funding and got $1000 covered for the salmon chiller. The $1000 from PAC was returned to PAC and will be considered to lower the cost for students’ families when discussing the new budget in January.

7. Direct appeal is still getting more donations. Parents are encouraged to donate to school through direct appeal other than letting the students going door to door selling cookies or chocolates. The total collected will be available in January when Corina comes back from her sick leave.

8. Grocery cards program went well and a total of $1600 was raised for the school. Another round will be initiated around spring break time.

9. Special speaker series is well under way as planned.

10. Next PAC meeting will be on Jan 21st, 2016.

PAC meeting – Nov 19th, 2015 minutes

PAC Meeting Minutes
Nov. 19, 2015, Rm 101, University Hill Elementary School

1. Meeting called to order at 8:30am. 2Attendance:

•   Co-chairs: Ofira Roll and Amal El-Naggar
•   Secretaries: Lingyun Zhang
•   Communications coordinator: Robert Peregoodoff
•   Special speaker series coordinator: Angela Low and Kshamta Hunter
•   Fundraising coordinator: Adriana Briseno and Lingyun Zhang
•   Fruit and veggie program coordinator: Anna Dong
•   Chinese translator: Sylvia
•   Teachers: Kate and Jordan

2. Motion to adopt Minutes of Oct 22th, 2015 meeting. Moved by Rob and seconded by Amal.

3.Class parents have been assigned and will be acting as the bridge between PAC and the parents in communication school info and coordination volunteer activities.

4. Principal’s Report (Val)

•   Priject Chef went wonderfully and got very positive feedback from parentson healthy eating. Thanks to PAC for funding $1000 on the project.
•   Usborne book fair went well and $600 was raised for the school.
•   “Peer Helper” program is in training. 25 Grade 3-5 students are being trainedto help on the school grounds and advise for help for younger students. Theinterview is in process.
•   Pokémon club is on Friday at lunch recess. The club does not promotetrading cards and students are asked to leave the Pokémon cards at home onother weekdays.
•   SOS choir performed on the Remembrance Assembly.
•   Miss Pam is trying to organize a school general choir. Grade 3-5 students arewelcome to join.
•   Students’ work were published on local newspapers “ UniversityConnections” with partnership with the newspaper.
•   Jordan is checking with 5 classroom teacher with their technology need toadvise PAC on potential funding on purchasing technology for the school.
•   Stream of dream is a program started in Burnaby to protect the salmonstrems. It contains educational and artistic components. The participation fee is $15/child. PAC will fiund $10/child and the parents are responsible for $5/child. The program will start one week before earth day and parents will help putting the painted wood fishes on the school fence on Earth Day BBQ.
•   Christmas Concert is on Dec. 17th with two sessions at 1:30 and 6:30. Parents

are encouraged to come in the afternoon as seats are limited.
 Val’s wish list from PAC. Val was asked to provide a list of things that PAC can

fund and here is the tentative list, totaling $2950.
o Christmas season is coming and the theme for this year is the movie “

Polar Express”. Silver Bells could be purchased for primary kids. o Instrument for music program.
o Floor ball program.

5. Direct appeal is still getting more donations. Parents are encouraged to donate to school through direct appeal other than letting the students going door to door selling cookies or chocolates.
6. Grocery cards program is going on right now. Parents can purchase Safeway, Save on Food or Choices grocery cards from PAC and 5-10% of the card value will be sent to the school from the vendors. Deadline for this round is extended to Wednesday Nov. 25th.
7. Special speaker series has panned to invite a panel of 4 experts on Children’s anxiety and hold two sessions. A budget of $50/person gift card and $50 refreshment per session has been motioned by Angela and seconded by Amal to approve.
8. Next PAC meeting will be on Dec. 10th.

Nature Walk, Jan 16th at 10am

This is a message from the Pacific Spirit Park Youth Committee. 

“Hello environmental enthusiasts,

Trail Troupers will be holding its next nature walk on Saturday Jan. 16th at 10am. We will meet at the Old Park Centre (16th Avenue, 400m West of Blanca Street) at this time to lead a one-hour walk on the topic of “Winter in the Park”. Please dress warm for the weather and bring your enthusiasm!

Warm Regards,

Sheida Naderi-Azad

Director, Trail Troupers Program”