Hi Dickens PAC Blog readers,
The
beginning of this letter is similar to that which went out via class
lists. However, there are additional action items at the end of the
message, should you want other ways to help save a designated music
space at Dickens and to support music education in our district.
Thanks!
Thank you
so much to Dickens families and community members for the overwhelming
response to our call for letters to support saving the designated music
space. We gathered 95 support letters at the main school on Monday &
Tuesday and over 65 were sent via email directly to the VSB. We had a
considerable stack to present to Mark Pearmain, from the VSB, at our
meeting on Tuesday morning.
In our
meeting with the VSB we were told that the board would not be willing
to fund a portable or consider constructing any other designated music
space at Dickens next year.
The only
way that the VSB will change their decision is if the Trustees instruct
them to do so. This is an election year and the Trustees are our
elected officials. We are trying to now set up a meeting with our Trustees to discuss our need for a designated music space at Dickens.
The only
way for us to Save Our Designated Music Space at Dickens is with
another loud, large response from the parents and concerned community
members to the Trustees.
We are
still committed to ensuring that every child in our neighbourhood can
attend our school. We are still advocating for a designated music space
at Dickens School.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Target the trustees NOW!
Ask the Trustee's to support having a designated permanent music space at Dickens in the form of a cost-saving, repurposed portable, not in use and recycled from another school.
Please email the following trustees:
2. Parents and community members are invited to provide input into the VSB budget.
The meetings for Public Input on
2014/2015 Preliminary Budget Proposals are April 15 at 7pm at Mount
Pleasant Elementary and 8pm on April 16 at the VSB Education Centre.
We will be presenting at the Wednesday meeting which starts at 8pm at 1580 W Broadway.
Sarah Westwick
will be representing Dickens, and our committee, as a music educator. A
Dickens parent and student will also speak on our behalf. We need as many people to attend as possible to support our Dickens save our designated music space campaign.
If you want any further information on meeting please email Sarah Westwick at swestwick@telus.net
The VSB
is also accepting written submissions about the budget no later than
two working days before the meeting so if you wish to send a letter,
please do so before Monday to the Vancouver Board of Education,
Attention: Administrative Coordinator, Secretary-Treasurer's Office, by
email to budget2014_2015@vsb.bc.ca or by fax to 604-713-5049.
FURTHER ACTION ITEMS:
1. MARIMBA FLASH MOB.
Parents are organizing an event for the whole community and the media
on the greenway in which some kids will be playing the marimbas.
Details to follow.
Please
let us know if your child would like to perform and/or speak to the
media or if you can help organize this event. If you have media
contacts, are social media savvy and/or work in public relations and
want to help, please let us know. Photographers and videographers are
also needed. Please contact Anne-Marie Long at amlong@telus.net
2.
One of the (many) reasons why there is such a financial shortfall on
school boards is that the government is shifting half of the costs of
seismic upgrades onto the school boards. Contact your elected officials
at the provincial level and tell them to assume the cost of these
necessary upgrades. (This won't happen soon enough to save our music
space, but is a worthwhile endeavour to reduce the impact of recurring
financial shortfalls on the quality of our kids' public education.)
3. The Vancouver School Board is proposing
cutting to all elementary band and strings programs. An alternate
proposal, instead of cutting the programs, would be to raise the cost of
participation from the current $25 per student yearly, to $250 per
student. Though realizing the tough position that the VSB
is in, this is a fairly drastic step that has long term consequences to
thousands of children.
4. If you want to get more involved and/or have other ideas to share contact Anne-Marie Long at amlong@telus.net
Thanks for your support!
From Dickens parents,
Anne-Marie Long
Kathryn Sutherland
Christy Thomas (PAC co-chair)
Sarah Westwick
