Send us your Holiday Message for Dickens Staff!

Hello Dickens Families!

We're putting together a “Thank You & Happy Holidays” video for our wonderful Dickens Staff. 

 

We are hoping that you can create a 3 second video or a photo of your kids to include in the final video.  

Your video/photo can include holiday inspiration and/or thank you messages.

 

Please send your video/photo to dickens.div5@gmail.com by the end of  Monday, December 14 

 

Let’s share some smiles and thank you's with our amazing teaching community!

Thank You!

Smartphone Use at Dickens and Raising Digitally Responsible Youth - A Parent's Guide

 

The BC Ministry of Education and Safer Schools Together have also produced Raising Digitally Responsible Youth - A Parent's Guide.  All Dickens Parents & Guardians are welcome to read or download the PDF here.  

2020 Holiday Gift Card Drive!

Charles Dickens Elementary PAC
2020 Holiday Gift Card Drive

The holidays will be a little different this year, so with that in mind, 

we have changed up our usual Holiday Hampers program into a special Holiday Gift Card Drive.

The need in the community is great and the best way for us to help is to 

match gift cards with those in need, so we Spread Joy, Not Germs! 

We have partnered with Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House, 

Aunt Leah’s Place and Baby-Go-Round.

You can help by contributing in the following ways:

 

1) Donate ANY AMOUNT online via your account at SchoolCashOnline.com  

   

Steps to donate online:

• Sign in.
• Click the Make a Donation button and choose an amount.
• Select E-Charles Dickens PAC as the fund destination for your donation and include a comment that it is for the Holiday Gift Card Drive. 
• Tax receipts are provided immediately.
• Cash donations must be received by December 9, 2020.

2) Contribute to our Gift Card Drive from December 7- 11, 2020. Cards will be collected by classroom teachers. 

Gift card suggestions:

• Grocery: Buy-Low, No Frills, Superstore, Walmart or Save-On-Foods, Safeway
• Other: Shoppers Drug Mart, Old Navy, Toys R Us, Metrotown, EB Games, Granville Island Toy Company, Best Buy, London Drugs. 
• Please note gift cards are not eligible for a tax receipt. 

Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you! 

 

If you have any questions, contact Mona via email: charlesdickensholidayhampers@gmail.com

Vancouver School Board Sustainability Conference (via Zoom)

Join an engaging and informative evening with your Vancouver District PAC Community for part 2 of the sustainability education series called Sustainability: Principles to Practice on Thursday, November 26, 2020 (7- 9:30pm)

You will take away the latest information about the Vancouver Plan for greening our city, plus the latest developments and next planning stages. 

Register at this link!

Come discover more about the Six Big Moves and comprehensive recommendations that will improve access and mobility, increasing wellness, and guide the principles in reaching essential climate targets. In addition, you'll hear from student organizers for this year's VSB Sustainability Conference. 

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION for 2021-2022

Kindergarten Registration for the 2021 - 2022 School Year starts on Monday, November 2:

To register your child for Kindergarten next year at Charles Dickens Elementary, you will need to register online and then come to the school with the required documentation.

Documentation includes: 

Birth certificate, immunization records and proof of address. Proof of address is either a rental agreement or property tax notice and a copy of a  recent utility bill (BC Hydro/Telus etc.)

Please call our School Office Admin at the Main School (604) 713-4978 and speak to Anne (Mon - Wed) or Michelle (Thu - Fri) and arrange a time to drop off the documentation.

Alternatively, you are welcome to come to the school and drop it off for us to photocopy. Please call when at the front door of the main entrance.

Thank you,

Anne Canning 

Charles Dickens Elementary 

COVID-19 Contact Tracing at BC Schools

There has been a case of COVID-19 identified within the Dickens community and you may have heard stories on the news of late, regarding how COVID cases in schools are being handled. 

We’re sure that many of you have questions about the process for informing and tracing cases and we encourage you to take a look at the websites for both Vancouver Coast Health exposures and the BCCDC exposures. 

Below, you’ll find the outline of Vancouver Coastal Health’s process when a positive case is identified, along with an infographic which describes how contact tracing works. If a student or teacher receives a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result, Public Health follows a rigorous protocol:

Contact tracing is initiated to determine how the individual was infected and who they were in close contact with. We identify and notify close contacts who may be at an increased risk, and advise them to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days.

Only Public Health can determine who is a close contact. Learning groups, friends or other connections may not be determined to be a close contact. 

Public Health staff works closely with the school and school district throughout the case and contact management process to maintain close communication with the school community.

Understanding that it’s easier said than done, we encourage you not to panic, but rather to be vigilant in monitoring yourselves and your family members for any of the identified symptoms and keep your kids home if you’re unsure. 

When you’re picking up your child(ren) from school, keep your distance, wear a mask (unless you aren’t able to for health reasons) and, as Julie recommended last week, rather than staying in the park or on the playground where there are lots of people, head home. 

Ahead of Thanksgiving, we’d like to remind you of what Dr. Henry has said:

“Make your celebrations large in thanks, large in gratitude, but small in size.
Stick to six and share turkey, not COVID.”

Sending all our best for a wonderful, safe and healthy Thanksgiving, 

Your PAC Co-Chairs,
Laura, Tiffany, Sara & Daniela

Pandemic Guidelines for Halloween

To enjoy Trick-or-Treating, here are some helpful COVID-19 guidelines & tips from the BC Centre for Disease Control. 

Have fun and stay safe! 

   

Welcome back to school!

If this were the start of a normal school year, we’d be greeting you in the hallways with coffee & muffins on the first day of school. But so far, this has been anything but a normal year, so why should school be any different?

The year will continue to be filled with adjustments for everyone because everything is different.

Over the summer months, the four of us met and talked about how we could function as a PAC over the coming year, best advocate for our kids and best support Dickens Main and Annex. It’s an ongoing conversation and a topic we’ll no doubt continue to discuss at our first PAC Meeting later this month (see below for a list of dates we’ve identified so far).

We had a wonderful first meeting with our new principal, Julie, and vice principal’s Shelley and Jim (from the main & annex, respectively) in late August and we are really excited about the possibilities for the coming year.

Yes, it will be different. Yes, it will be hard. But we can and will do it together.
You can expect to hear more from us as we learn more and are able to make decisions. In the meantime, we ask that you bookmark the PAC Blog and that you sign up HERE so that we can do our best to pull class/cohort lists together and we can all stay in touch with one another.

We all have questions and all want answers, but in times like these it’s hard to know where to look for those answers. The PAC blog will be updated regularly and we’ll advise you of any resources we find that might make life a bit more manageable. We encourage you to be in touch with your questions (if we don’t have answers, we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction) and to share any resources you that might know of that you think are share-worthy with the Dickens community.

Stay safe & stay connected!

Laura, Sara, Tiffany & Daniela
PAC Co-Chairs

As the parent of a Dickens student, you are automatically a member of the PAC; the Executive meets on a monthly basis and if you are interested in joining, you can do so at either of the September or October meetings. If you wish to attend our September meeting or you have any questions, please send us an email !

Meeting dates (so far):
• September 24
• October 22
• December 3

Our email is dickens.pac@gmail.com

Setting Children & Youth up for a Successful Return to School in the Era of COVID-19

Based at BC Children's Hospital, the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre Information offers resources on a wide range of mental health and substance use challenges affecting children and youth across the province.

Recently, they hosted a webinar "Setting Children and Youth up for a Successful Return to School in the Era of COVID-19" to provide families with tools and strategies for returning to school in the 2020-21 school year. 

Click on the image below to watch the webinar via YouTube.

The following article can also be viewed at the Kelty website: 

5 Tips for a Successful Return to In-Person School During COVID-19

Have a wonderful summer!

Wishing you and your families a wonderful, safe and relaxed summer break! See you in the fall!

 © Charles Dickens PAC

Staff Appreciation "Grab 'n Go" Breakfast

To celebrate and thank all our Teachers & Staff for their amazing work throughout the 2019-20 school year, we hosted a "Grab 'n Go" Breakfast this week at both the Main School and Annex. 

The breakfast was a safe Grab 'n Go event consisting of fruit, cinnamon buns and coffee. A big thank you to all Dickens families who created the beautiful heartfelt posters, signs and messages! We couldn't have done this without your help during this pandemic season.

Staff Appreciation for Dickens Main School

If you have any questions, contact Daniela or Tiffany at dickens.pac@gmail.com - Thank you.

Minutes for PAC Executive Meetings (2019–2020)

Minutes for PAC Executive Meetings

September 17, 2019

October 17, 2019

November 14, 2019

January 23, 2020

No meetings in February or March due to COVID-19 restrictions;

Meetings were transitioned to video-conferencing via Zoom.

April 2, 2020

May 7, 2020

AGM & Elections for the 2020-2021 School Year

CHARLES DICKENS PAC

AGM & ELECTIONS for the 2020-2021 School Year

THURSDAY JUNE 18, 2020 at 7PM

It’s time to elect your Charles Dickens PAC Representatives for the 2020-2021 school year.

ALL parents, from Kindergarten through Grade 7, are invited to attend and vote, and if you’re

interested in putting your name forward to join the PAC Executive next year, please mark

your calendar!

• Learn about what’s going on at school

• Have input and vote on how government and fundraised dollars are spent

• Advocate for the benefit of Dickens’ students

• Get involved in your child’s school community

Meetings are held monthly and usually last around 1½ hours (with childcare provided).

THURSDAY, JUNE 18 at 7PM | Online via Zoom | All are welcome; registration required.

To register, please send an email to dickens.pac@gmail.com, no later than Tuesday, June 16 at

5pm. An email with the agenda and instructions on how to access the meeting will be sent to

all registrants on Wednesday, June 17.

Questions? Send an email to Laura, Tiffany, Sara or Daniela (your current PAC Co-Chairs) at

dickens.pac@gmail.com

Get involved in your child’s school community.

Your participation can make a positive impact!

Go Girls! Healthy Body, Healthy Mind Program — Mentoring for Girls 11-13 years old

Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland has provided mentoring opportunities to girls for the past 60 years. 

The "Go Girls! Healthy Body, Healthy Mind" Program is a mentoring program that promotes active lifestyles, balanced eating and building self-esteem. 

The curriculum is research-based to help girls overcome various social pressures by building the necessary confidence and self-awareness to thrive. Programs run in partnerships with School Districts across the Lower Mainland. 

An online “Go Girls!” program is being offered to all girls aged 11-13 in the BC Lower Mainland.

It’s free to join! Register by filling in this form. Send completed forms to Meena at maujla@bigsisters.bc.ca

 

A few online programs have already been scheduled to start at the end of May and additional programs will be added as interest grows. It's a great learning program for girls that can be accessed from home! 

Have any questions? Contact Ivy Chiang (MA, RCC) - Program Manager of Study Buddy Program & Go Girls! Program at Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. She can be contacted at 604.832.9136 or email ichiang@bigsisters.bc.ca

Another Online Presentation on "Raising Responsible Digital Learners"

ATTENTION PARENTS & GUARDIANS! If you missed this highly informative and insightful presentation* on April 29, there's another free online meeting happening in May 2020 that you can attend! Register here.  

Raising Responsible Digital Learners 

Tuesday, May 26 | 9:00am – 10:30am PST

*Safer Schools Together provided a free webinar on this topic on April 29 for Parents & Guardians of Elementary School Students in BC. 

Cancellation of SPRING FLING 2020

Cancellation of our main annual fundraiser:

It is with great sadness that we’re announcing the cancellation of this school year’s SPRING FLING :(

Our Principal, Matt Carruthers, sent a message on Thursday, April 16 to all Parents & Guardians of Dickens Students stating:

“Your PAC held its first virtual meeting last week and among other things, we discussed the status of the 2020 SPRING FLING. We felt that given the circumstances and uncertainty surrounding the balance of the school year, it makes the most sense to cancel this year’s event. When school is back in session, we look forward to planning a celebration for the ages”.   

NEW TO SPRING FLING?

If you'd like to know more about what takes place each year at SPRING FLING, you're welcome to view our Facebook Photos and Videos or follow our Instagram to see pictures & video clips from 2019 and previous years.

© Charles Dickens PAC

Updated on the PAC Blog! Fun Activities @Home

Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Dickens teachers are continuing to send out resources for students as per principal Matt Carruthers' communications.

Our PAC Blog also has additional Fun Learning Resources & Recreational Activities. We'll keep adding more items over time!

To view them, click here OR look for the tab at the top of the blog called Fun Activities @Home

We hope you'll enjoy them and have loads of fun with your kids! 

ANOTHER WEBINAR FOR PARENTS & GUARDIANS! Safer Schools Together is providing another free online presentation on Raising Responsible Digital Learners on Tuesday, May 26 (9-10:30am PST) Click here to register!

Important Notices, re: BC Education due to COVID-19 Lockdown (April 2020)

Updates will be posted here as we receive them:

The University of British Columbia is offering Free Mental Health Support to all BC Residents - April 15

Here are some Mental Health Resources for Parents and Educators from PL3Y Education BC - April 14

Letter from Matt Carruthers, Dickens Principal, sent to all Dickens Parents & Guardians - April 2

Update from Vancouver DPAC (District PAC) - includes Learning Resources - April 1 

Do you require Childcare?  Child Care for Essential Service Workers 

Info for Parents/Guardians who do not qualify for EI benefits: Canada Emergency Response Benefit

Status of BC Education due to COVID-19

A Message from our Principal, Matt Carruthers, was sent via email to all Dickens Parents & Guardians on March 27:

Hello Dickens Families,

I hope you are all doing well during these uncertain times.  I am writing with regard to plans for next week.   Our Superintendent, Suzanne Hoffman, just sent out correspondence (attached) and I wanted to provide you with the following points for Dickens:

• The school will be locked and closed to the public. Please contact me via email if there is anything urgent that needs to be picked up from the school 

• Myself and/or Shelley, along with our hardworking custodial staff, will be on site during the week from 9am-3pm

• All Staff will be meeting online Tuesday, and some may visit the school later in the week to pick up any required materials to assist in their planning at home

• Teachers will be contacting their families / students directly by April to provide and gather more information regarding the continuity of learning for their class

•  Families involved with the VSB lunch program will be contacted and connected with ongoing support

• Our PAC executive will be meeting virtually on April 2 at 7:30pm

All of our efforts moving forward will be guided by the following principles:  Health and Safety, Communication, Connectedness and Continuous Learning Opportunities.  This is uncharted territory for our education system, and we thank you in advance for your understanding. 

Like you, we look forward to a return to normalcy with everyone in the Dickens community energizing our hallways and classrooms once again.  We will continue to provide updates throughout this process but feel free to contact me, should you have any further questions. In the meantime, take care of yourselves and each other.

Matt Carruthers

Principal

Charles Dickens Elementary

Important Notices, re: BC Education due to COVID-19 Lockdown (March 2020)

On March 17, B.C. Premier John Horgan announced the province's schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12 are closed, with no indication of when classes will resume. Rob Fleming, the B.C. Education Minister, said work is still underway to determine how education will be delivered in the coming weeks. “This is temporary,” he said...

Latest Update from BCCPAC (BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils) - March 30

Child Care for Essential Service Workers  

Letter from Matt Carruthers, our Dickens Principal - it was sent via email to all Dickens Parents & Guardians - March 27

Letter from Suzanne Hoffman, Superintendent of Schools - Vancouver School District - March 27 

BC Education Latest Update - March 26

Latest Update from BCCPAC - March 25

Tweet from BCCPAC (BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils) - March 17

Letter from Rob Fleming, BC Minister of Education - March 17

March 12 Update: Hop 'n Nosh has been Cancelled!

March 12, 2020 – A Note from our Principal 

Hello Dickens Families,  

After further consultation with PAC leadership and out of an abundance of caution, the Hop ‘n Nosh event scheduled for this evening has been cancelled. Thank you in advance for your understanding and a special thanks to Vira Jackson who coordinated the planning for this event.

Matt Carruthers

Principal

Dickens Elementary

The following handout will be sent home this week with your kids:

The sheet can be filled in and returned by Friday, February 21 to Anne (at the Main) or to Patti (at the Annex) if you or your child(ren) have a specific song request :)  

Save the Date for Hop 'n Nosh!

Families from the Main & Annex Schools are invited!

Going to Charles Tupper in September 2020?

Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School will be hosting an info night for Parents & Guardians on Tuesday, January 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. They will be discussing the registration process and offering a tour of the school. There will also be a session for English Language Learners at 6 p.m. in Room 310. 

Location and contact number: 419 East 24th Avenue, Vancouver, BC |  604-713-8233

Website: Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School

"Fam Jam" Family Music Night!

Thursday, February 13 // 6:30 to 8:30pm 

in the Main School Gym

Contact Char Hunter at char_hunter@hotmail.com to register.