Wednesday, December 14

Holiday Hampers - Thank You for your support!

Once again, our Dickens Community heeded the call and our annual Holiday Hampers have been a huge success!


This year, we raised $13,010 in cash donations and more than $2,000 in gift card donations. Your generous contributions allowed us to support 26 families representing more than 100 individuals from our school community and those served by the Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House. 

In addition, we were able to provide support to 25 youths, who are aging out of foster care, with a donation of gift cards to Aunt Leah’s.
 
Hampers consisting of gift cards, a handmade card by a Charles Dickens Annex student and a box of chocolates as a sweet treat were delivered to recipients earlier this week and they were received with sincere gratitude.

Thank you to everyone who supported Holiday Hampers this year! Your generosity has a tremendous impact and has made the holiday season a lot brighter and much easier, not to mention much less stressful, for many people.
 
Warmest wishes for the holiday season!






Saturday, December 10

Thank You for your Purdy's Orders!

We would like to sincerely thank you for all your generosity and chocolate obsessions. Our collective Purdy's Fundraiser to help fund school activities was another giant success! 

We set a lofty goal of $7,500 in sales, and we SMASHED that - everyone got on-board and bought a total of $11,000 worth of chocolates to share, and hopefully enjoy some yourselves!

This raised $3,000 for PAC-supported activities at both the main & annex schools, so Thank You very much.



Friday, November 18

Hot Lunch Program

We are excited to announce the return of our hot lunch program every Thursday - we're relaunching with our pre-pandemic provider, Foodie Kids!


  

You will be able to order directly from Foodie Kids through their online ordering platform at foodeaze.ca and a portion of the cost of each lunch will come back to the Dickens Community.  


See this link for detailed instructions on how to set up your account, place an order and make payment.  Here is a copy of the menu and themed menu calendar ("Theme Days"). 

On the menu, you will see a section with items that are “Always Available” and then there are items on "Theme Days" that are only available on certain days. These days rotate and you will see these additional menu items on the ordering platform when they are available.

The ordering deadline is each Wednesday (by midnight) the week prior to hot lunch day!  

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Some parents and guardians may already have an account that may still be active from the time we previously used Foodie Kids. It is important to log in and ensure that you change the grade/division of your child(ren) under your profile, otherwise your order will be delivered to the wrong division and be packaged in the wrong bag.

  • Parents and Guardians will order directly through the vendor's ordering platform: foodeaze.ca

  • Ordering deadline is each Wednesday (by midnight) the week prior to lunch delivery.

  • Parents and Guardians will need to send cutlery to school with their child(ren)! Cutlery will not be provided by the vendor in the interest of doing our part in reducing plastic waste.

  • Payment method: Credit Card.

Thank you in advance of your support and we welcome any questions or comments at dickens.pac@gmail.com

Thursday, November 17

VSB Public Delegation Board Meeting, regarding School Liaison Officer (SLO) program


We would like to inform you that at the inaugural board meeting, held on November 7, of the Vancouver School Board, a Notice of Motion was brought forward to debate the return of the School Liaison Officer (SLO) program at the November 28 meeting.  This is an emotionally charged issue, with people falling for and against the motion.
  
If you would like information on the program, here is an independent report from 2021. The Safe and Caring Schools Department is currently in place.  

All Parents & Guardians interested in hearing the voice and opinions from VSB Educators, Counsellors, Schools and PACs in this regard, can do so at the VSB Public Delegation Board Meeting that will be hosted on November 21, 2022 at 6pm. 

The meeting will be live-streamed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akzqKviF6mc

Once received, we will keep you informed on the decisions made by the VSB.

Thank you,
Dickens PAC

Saturday, November 12

** It's time for Holiday Hampers! **

  Charles Dickens Elementary School & Charles Dickens Annex

Holiday Hampers 2022

In the spirit of the season, the Charles Dickens PAC is asking for your support in helping to create holiday hampers for the families and individuals living in our community who could use a boost at this time of year.


Possibly more so than in years past, this year’s hampers will make a huge difference in the lives of those receiving them. The pandemic may be on its way into our collective rearview mirror, but the economic realities it has left behind are hitting those most vulnerable, hard. The last few years have been like a 1-2 punch and full recovery is still a little further down the road. Until we get there, it’s on all of us to lift our community up and ensure nobody is left behind.

Once again this year, we’re working to support local families, youth and seniors, by partnering with Charles Dickens Elementary & Annex, Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House and Aunt Leah’s Place to provide gift card hampers.


There are two ways you can support our Holiday Hamper program:

1. Donate gift cards! Visit your local grocer or retailer and purchase gift card(s) and then send the card(s) to school with your kid(s). Classroom teachers will collect the gift cards on our behalf. We’ve been hearing from our partners that the gift cards that provide recipients with the most flexibility are ideal. Gift card ideas include:

  • Grocery cards - Save On Foods, Buy Low, Safeway, Superstore, Walmart, Nesters or other local grocers
  • Clothing gift cards - Old Navy, Gap, Walmart, Joe Fresh, Carters, Mark’s Work Warehouse, Sport Chek, etc.
  • Flexible gift cards for retailers with a variety of merchandise choices: Amazon, Indigo, Toys R Us, Walmart, Best Buy, The Bay, Walmart, Sephora, London Drugs, Shoppers Drug Mart, etc.

2. Donate cash through your SchoolCashOnline.com account: 

  • The link above is a direct link to the Charles Dickens PAC donation page. If you sign into your schoolcashonline account, once you’ve selected the “Make A Donation” option, be sure to select E-Charles Dickens PAC as your Fund Destination (this works for gifts from both Dickens Main and the Annex).
  • When you make your gift, please let us know that it is for the Holiday Hampers by making a note in the Message box. Gifts of $10 or more are eligible for charitable receipts, which are issued automatically by the VSB.

This year’s hampers will be distributed beginning the week of December 5, so please be sure to drop off your donations by Friday, December 2, 2022. 

If you have any questions, please email us at charlesdickensholidayhampers@gmail.com

Thank you! Your support is vital and deeply appreciated!

Saturday, November 5

Winter Holiday Fundraiser with Purdy's!






We are excited to let you know that the Charles Dickens PAC Winter Holiday Fundraiser with Purdy's Chocolates is back again this year, by popular demand!


Dickens Families did such an amazing job last year of being choco-holics... oops, we mean being generous and buying loads of chocolates for your kid's teachers and friends, that your PAC had no choice but to offer this extremely successful fundraiser again this year. 

But, do not rest on your laurels, as this chocolate fundraiser will only be offered once this ENTIRE year, and that time is now!

This is an easy, fun and tasty fundraiser which will raise money to support the multitude of activities funded by the PAC at Charles Dickens Annex and Main schools. The schools will receive 25% of the money spent, back to support enriching activities for all students! Last year we aimed to sell $5,000 and smashed that goal, selling over $7,000, which raised more than $2,000!  

But, you know that we are not going to settle with second best - so this year our sales goal is $7,500 and we can't wait to see just how much sustainably-sourced chocolate you all can eat! 

To view the available items for purchase, simply go to:


Once you are at the above site, begin by entering your email address. Then, select "Shop Online" and "Use Marketplace". In that view you will see images of all the chocolate options for sale. Payment is easy and done by credit card. 

All orders will need to be in by November 27, 2022

Please check it out, and feel free to buy treats for teachers, friends and family through this school fundraising campaign. Or share the link with a friend who you know likes chocolate and our schools!

A little chocolate goes a long way to warming someone's heart!

Pick up of chocolates:
Friday December 9, between 3:15pm-6pm - see pick up location once you've made your order - it's very close to Dickens Annex. Thank you :)

Saturday, October 15

"Come Read with Me" Virtual Workshops for Parents and Caregivers

Come Read with Me is an interactive workshop designed to give parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn positive strategies to help support their children when reading at home. 


Participating families will receive a digital resource package including the “Reading Success at Home” handbook. This program is available at no cost to families across British Columbia through the generous support of ONE to ONE's donors.  
  • Virtual workshops dates: 
    • October 27 
    • November 2, 9, 15, 23 
    • December 1 and 6 
  • All sessions start at 6:30 p.m. and run for 60 minutes with time for questions after. Each session is the same – parents/caregivers only need to come once.

To register and for more information: 

https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/one-to-one-literacy-society-32436852611 






 

Thursday, September 29

Red Cross Courses for Students on October 21 (Pro-D Day)

There are still 4 spots available on the Baby Sitter Course and 5 spots on the Stay Safe course! 


Dickens PAC is excited to announce a new fundraiser! We’ve partnered with the Red Cross to offer their Babysitter & Stay Safe Courses. 


Partial proceeds from all registrations will be directed back to the PAC. Details on both courses are below: 

In-person Red Cross Courses will be held at Dickens on October 21, 2022 a Pro-D Day, with a maximum of 20 students per course.


Babysitter Course

  • Minimum Age 11 years old (or completion of Grade 5)
  • Duration: 7-8 hours (8:30am - 3:30pm)
  • Offers basic first aid and caregiving skills for youth 11-15 years old. 
  • Participants will learn how to provide care to children in a variety of age groups, and how to prevent and respond to emergencies. The course also offers youth the skills to promote themselves as babysitters to prospective families.
  • TAKE-HOME MATERIALS: Babysitter’s Manual 
  • Cost: $65 


Stay Safe Course

  • Minimum 9 years of age (or completion of Grade 3)
  • Duration: 5-6 hours
  • Offers basic first aid and safety skills for youth 9-13 years old. 
  • Participants learn about being safe when they are without the direct supervision of a parent, guardian or trusted adult, both at home and in their communities.
  • TAKE-HOME MATERIALS: Stay Safe! Workbook
  • Cost: $65



There is a maximum of 20 students per class and registration will be first come/first served.

To guarantee registration, payment will be required once you've been contacted by email.


We're looking forward to having more babysitters in our neighbourhood!


Charles Dickens PAC


Wednesday, September 21

Meet & Greet Events and First PAC Meeting

Our warmest welcome to all new and returning Dickens Families! 
We're hoping for an absolutely wonderful 2022-23 school year!

Together with Dickens Staff, we'll be hosting a Meet & Greet on
Thursday, September 22 from 6-7pm 
Multipurpose Room, Dickens Main School    

Our Principal, Julie Weatherall, has sent email invitations 
to Parents/Guardians with details for the evening. 


Dickens Annex Parents/Guardians have been invited to a Meet & Greet 
by Vice Principal, Atsuko Ishihara on
Thursday, September 22 from 2:45-3:45pm
Dickens Annex School


Both Main & Annex School Parents/Guardians are invited to our first 
Dickens PAC Meeting for the year
Thursday, September 22 at 7:30pm
Library, Dickens Main School
{Childcare provided}  

Our Out-going PAC Chairs have sent an email invitation 
to Parents/Guardians with some info about Dickens PAC.
 

Wednesday, June 29

Have a wonderful, restful and safe summer break!

We'll see you again on Tuesday, September 6 in the new school year!
 
If you haven't had a chance to browse through our 2019 SPRING FLING Photos & Videos go to our Facebook or see them on Instagram —this is our main annual fundraiser. Hopefully, we'll be able to host our 20th SPRING FLING next year in the spring!


PAC Executive Roles for 2022-23 :: Can you assist?


We had 25 Parents/Guardians join our PAC Executive this past year, working together in teams with the Principal & Vice Principals from the Dickens main & annex schools. 


Joining the PAC Executive is a great way to:

  • Learn about what’s going on at Dickens
  • 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 once a month between September and May, with the AGM in June, and usually last 1 to 1.5 hours but you are free to leave early {or arrive later} if necessary. Child care is provided.

Positions available for the coming year include:
  • Chair/Co-chairs – arrange and lead meetings, meet with Dickens administration and serve as a conduit between parents/guardians and the school
  • Treasurer – responsible for the budgeting & disbursements process
  • Secretary/Co-secretaries – minute keeping at executive meetings and AGM
  • DPAC Representative – this position represents the Charles Dickens PAC at the district level, meeting once a month with other Vancouver School DPAC representatives to facilitate communication between the parent community and the Vancouver School district.
  • Members-at-Large – various roles and capacities throughout the year, as needed. We very often work in teams! 

Also need help with one small once-off Graphic Art task!
We need a
 Graphic Designer {or two}, to assist our Communications Team with one small once-off task, early in the new school year, regarding SPRING FLING. It's not necessary at all, to join the PAC Exec to help us out with this task. Thank you for reaching out to us!

Please forward this info to any Dickens Parents & Guardians who may be able to assist us. Email: dickens.pac@gmail.com to let us know if you can help, or if you have any questions. 


You can and will make a positive impact at the Dickens schools!

Minutes for PAC Executive Meetings (2021-2022)

2021

2022

Thursday, June 23

Singing Club—one of many PAC-sponsored activities

Singing Club is a vibrant, thriving extra-curricular activity sponsored by Dickens PAC, and is one example of many activities that runs throughout the year for which we raise funds. 

After the Vancouver School Board gave the go-ahead for school clubs to be cautiously re-established in September 2021, numerous Grade 3 to 7 students joined the singing sessions in the main school gym during Tuesdays' lunch breaks.  

The brainchild of Dickens' parent, Eve-Lyn de la Haye, Singing Club began five years ago in 2017 with 18 students. The numbers gradually increased over time, reaching a total of over 50 participants this school year. 

Affectionately called, "Evie" by her students, she is passionate about working with children to reach their full singing potential. As she teaches, she builds their personal presentation skills, which in turn boosts their self-confidence and their ability to communicate
 
Students sang at the virtual Remembrance Day Assembly in November 2021 and presented a brief Winter Concert after school in the Red Courtyard. 

However, due to pandemic measures, singers were unable to participate in the Vancouver School District’s Elementary Choral Festival, hosted annually at John Oliver Secondary. When Singing Club first participated in the music festival in 2018, custom royal blue Dickens' T-shirts were produced by Jackson’s General Store that could be reused again in consequent years but sadly they were not used over the past two years, due to the cancellation of larger gatherings.  

In February 2022, students were treated to a field trip to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's "Carnival of the Animals" at The Orpheum in Downtown Vancouver, BC. Group-discounted tickets were enjoyed by 48 students and 12 parent/guardian volunteers. Students were exposed to different musical instruments, genres and styles of music.  

Singing Club ended on a high note with three beautifully presented songs at the two, in-person Spring Concerts on June 9. Here's a sample of one of the songs, A Million Dreamssung by Evie from which the students learned the song.  It was written for the musical drama film, "The Greatest Showman", and was sung by Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams and Ziv Zaifman.

In conclusion, students not only blossom in their ability to perform but participating in Singing Club also helps them to establish a stronger sense of community, belonging and connectivity at Dickens.  

Some Notes: 

1) If your Grade 3-7 child(ren) would like to join Singing Club in the 2022-23 school year, they can join in September 2022 once registration opens – announcements will be made accordingly. 

2) Look out for more info here on our PAC Blog, in the fall, to learn how you can initiate / kickstart or restart a Parent-led, Teacher and PAC-sponsored Club at Dickens.

For more info and/or questions about Singing Club contact us at dickens.pac@gmail.com


Top Left: Students sing at the Vancouver School District’s Annual Elementary Choral Festival in 2019.  Top Right: Singing Club presents at the virtual Remembrance Day Assembly in November 2021.  Below: The VSO performed the Carnival of the Animals, at The Orpheum, in February 2022.

Sunday, June 19

Staff Appreciation Events and Thank You Posters at Main School & Annex


Early in the morning of  Thursday, June 16 we arranged to thank and celebrate our Main School Staff with delicious coffee / tea & breakfasts treats from Coffee Bike Vancouver.  A scrumptious homemade lunch for Annex Staff was organized and hosted by annex parents that afternoon. 

Thank You to all Dickens Parents & Guardians who assisted with each of these events*. W
e so appreciate your time and energy, as well as your generous food, beverage and dessert donations!

Kind regards,
Dickens PAC

{*We were unable to host a joint staff event due to pandemic restrictions}

Staff Appreciation Breakfast at Main School 









Staff Appreciation Luncheon at Dickens Annex





Tuesday, June 14

Staff Appreciation - June 2022


Once again, due to pandemic restrictions, we've been unable to host a full Staff Appreciation Luncheon for all members of our Dickens Staff. 

However, we have some early morning treats that will be served to Staff at the Main, from Coffee Bike Vancouver. Parents & Guardians at the Annex will be notified about assisting with a separate event for Annex Staff.

Thank you,
Dickens PAC 


  

Wednesday, June 1

Welcome to our Visitors on June 1 (main school) and June 2 (annex)!

A warm welcome to our visiting 2022-23 Kindergarten Families!


Here's how you can get to know more about the Charles Dickens PAC (Parent Advisory Council) at the main and annex schools!


These are our channels of communication with you *:

PAC Blog: Find out Who is Dickens PAC? and What do we do? Bookmark our blog at dickenspac.blogspot.com             

Newsletters: Receive our monthly PAC news! Click on the “Subscribe” button on the right side of the blog. Alternatively, click here and fill in your details!

Facebook: We're at Facebook.com/dickenspac  Please add us to "Your Shortcuts" and "Like" our page!

Instagram: “Follow” us at Dickens SPRING FLING Instagram.com/dickensspringfling  Browse through photos and videos from previous years to find out more about our main annual community & fundraising event.

Thank You! We’re excited you’re joining our Dickens Community. Wishing you a wonderful summer, and we look forward to meeting you in the new school year!

* Please share this info with as many new & current Dickens Families as possible - Thank You!

Sincerely, 

Sara Getz, Jessie Mok and Kate Shapiro (2021-22 Co-chairs) 
and the PAC Executive Team 

© Charles Dickens PAC




Annual General Meeting (AGM) and PAC Elections

AGM & Elections for the 2022 - 2023 School Year

Dickens Main School Library
Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 7:30 pm


It’s time to elect your Charles Dickens PAC Representatives for the 2022-2023 school year. All parents, from Kindergarten through Grade 7, are invited to attend and vote, so please mark your calendar! 


Joining the PAC is a great way to:
  • 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 between September and May, with the AGM in June, and usually last around 1-2 hours.

Positions available for the coming year include:
  • Chair/Co-chairsarrange and lead meetings, meet with Dickens administration and serve as a conduit between parents/guardians and the school.
  • Treasurer – responsible for the budgeting & disbursements process.
  • Secretary/Co-secretariesminute keeping at executive meetings and AGM.
  • DPAC Representative –  this position represents the Charles Dickens PAC at the district level, meeting once a month with other Vancouver School DPAC representatives to facilitate communication between the parent community and the Vancouver School district.
  • Members-at-Large – various roles and capacities throughout the year, as needed. We very often work in teams! 

We also need a Graphic Designer or two to help our Communications Team with one small once-off item in the new year (re: SPRING FLING) - thank you for reaching out to us!  

All parents are welcome to attend the AGM but please note that in order to ensure quorum for this meeting, we request that you let us know if you are planning to attend. To do so, please send an email to dickens.pac@gmail.com by Tuesday, June 14 at 5pm.

An Agenda will be provided via the PAC Blog and by email no later than Wednesday, June 15.

For parents & guardians wishing to attend, but aren’t comfortable coming in-person, the Zoom link will be updated on the PAC Blog by 5pm on June 15.

Any Questions? Send an email to Jessie, Kate or Sara (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!


Helping kids cope with media coverage of war and other traumatic events

The intense media coverage that accompanies traumatic events, such as war, violence in schools, acts of terrorism and natural disasters, can be very disturbing for children and teens. 

Certain young people may be particularly vulnerable, and more sensitive children can be seriously distressed simply by watching TV, YouTube or TikTok replays of current events that have made recent headlines.
Parents, educators, health practitioners and others who work with kids can help lessen anxieties arising from the coverage of these challenging events by using the following tips prepared by MediaSmarts and Dr. Arlette Lefebvre, Staff Psychiatrist, Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, ON.


The same info can be downloaded here as a PDF

Tuesday, May 17

Our Kids' Neurodiversity - recording available!

  

PAC Parent Evening Discussion 

OUR KIDS' NEURODIVERSITY


This event was hosted on Tuesday, May 10 

at the Charles Dickens Main School Library and via Zoom


If you'd like to receive a copy of the recording, 
please send a request to dickens.pac@gmail.com
by Friday, May 27 2022

Thank You!


Tuesday, May 10

Resources from "Our Kids' Neurodiversity" Discussion on Tuesday, May 10 2022


AdditudeMag.com - a fabulous ADHD resource; can subscribe digitally and/or receive the print magazine, a wealth of info with weekly emails with short but really helpful articles. A go to for ADHD info and ‘support’.

TEDx Talk (US) titled, "ADHD sucks, but not really" by Psychologist, Dr. Salif Mahamane. 

Kelty Mental Health at BC Children's Hospital - provides resources and information about Mental Health & ADHD.

Autism Community Training (ACT) - resources about Autism, including assessment process, supports and webinars.


FindSupportBC.com - Connecting families of persons with disabilities with resources available to them. This tool will help you navigate through the various items to consider at different stages of life. Click here for the Transitions Timeline.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Paediatrics Team - resources to support Fine and Gross Motor Skills, Sensory Processing and Speech & Language.