Send letters to the VSB today! re: Enrolment Pressures

As you heard on Friday (Jan 16) and in the follow-up correspondence from the PAC (Jan 18), there is a Committee II meeting at the VSB (1580 West Broadway) today: Wednesday, January 21 at 5p.m. to discuss and make recommendations about "enrolment pressures" at Dickens. The meeting has been changed to the Boardroom to accommodate more people - Please come, if you can!

The VSB needs to hear from Dickens parents! Parents were at the Main & Annex this morning to collect signatures on a petition. 

Please also send an email to the trustees today before the meeting, to voice your concerns: A sample letter (similar to the requests on the petition) can be seen at this link: http://goo.gl/1411el

Feel free to edit this sample letter as you wish and sign your name. 

Emails should be sent to the VSB Trustees:

christopher.richardson@vsb.bc.ca

patti.bacchus@vsb.bc.ca

janet.fraser@vsb.bc.ca

penny.noble@vsb.bc.ca

jing.wang@vsb.bc.ca

joy.alexander@vsb.bc.ca

fraser.ballantyne@vsb.bc.ca

mike.lombardi@vsb.bc.ca

stacy.robertson@vsb.bc.ca

allan.wong@vsb.bc.ca

smrobinson@vsb.bc.ca

and, if you wish, cc to Anna Maria (Dickens Principal) at aniccolimu@vsb.bc.ca

Many thanks!
Dickens PAC

IMPORTANT MESSAGE - Response to school letter

PARENTS & GUARDIANS - READ AND TAKE ACTION NOW!
PAC Follow-up to School Letter sent on Friday, January 16 2015

Our parent community is very concerned about possible changes being proposed for Charles Dickens (Main and Annex) to solve the enrollment pressures we continue to face.

Over the past years, enrollment at both the Annex and Main has steadily increased resulting in the challenges we are facing at this time. As a result, the VSB implemented a measure called the Enrollment Management Plan that essentially monitors our enrollment closely. Additionally, it changed the status of our Annex students from continuing cross-catchment to new applicants. However, this measure fails to address the unique relationship an annex has to its mother school. 

The interpretation of policy, practiced at Dickens for over 30 years, allows children enrolled in the Annex, including those who are cross-boundary, to transition over to the Main when they complete Grade 3. This was changed by the VSB last fall without consultation of the affected families. 

It should be noted that the restriction of the Dickens cross-boundary children transferring to the Main will not alleviate the stresses of increasing overall enrollment at Dickens and does not affect the number of in-catchment Kindergartens that can be accepted (it is capped for sustainability).

Your PAC supports ALL Dickens students and parents/guardians. 

Our goal is to ensure that all students are accommodated and not impacted by our space challenges and that Dickens families support each other while we advocate to find a solution together. It is our belief that the existing Dickens cross-boundary students attending the Annex should now be grandfathered in at the Main. Promises made to these families should be honored and the children should not be made to pay for poor planning on the part of the Ministry and the VSB.

It is important to note that no decisions have yet been made by the District or the VSB at this time. 

The enrollment crisis we continue to experience is symptomatic of bigger issues: 

We are experiencing chronic underfunding by the Ministry, and there is a city agenda to zone specific areas for densification without any provision for infrastructure to accommodate such rapid growth. The population in this neighbourhood is projected to continue to grow. As directed by the Ministry of Education policy, the VSB can only plan based on data reflecting current population numbers. Clearly this is short-sighted and damaging to the cohesiveness of any community and is the real problem that needs to be addressed! 

The PAC is now seeking clarification from the VSB and the Administration about the potential changes to multi-age classes as well as the possible changes to physical space at both schools. We will communicate our findings to parents via the PAC Blog and Parent Class Rep email communications.

It is our understanding that multi-age is not at risk at Dickens but that the high student enrollment may be accommodated by splitting age groups differently than they are today: e.g. shift Grade 4’s out of the 2/3/4 class groupings so that 30 rather than 24 kids can fill an enrolling class. Dickens parents feel very strongly that our multi-age groupings should not be threatened in any way and we want to be very sure that there is no threat in the proposal!

Reduction of library/open space:

We also feel that reducing library/open space to create extra classrooms is not a good solution in schools that have no other useable teaching or meeting spaces for larger groups of students. Staff and students utilize the library/open space at both the Main and Annex daily to meet, study, and learn. 

We are calling on all Dickens parents to mobilize quickly as any of the proposed changes will affect our entire community. There is much more at stake here than a group of students moving over from the Annex!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Please take time to send an email to the VSB Trustees now and express your support for a sustainable and appropriate solution for our growing enrollment – the more we send the better: Email joy.alexander@vsb.bc.ca (Liaison Trustee) and copy banderson@vsb.bc.ca (the assistant to our Director)                                                                  
2. Attend our emergency PAC-hosted parent meeting on Tuesday January 20 at 6:30pm at the Main School. During this meeting we will try to gather more feedback and respond with information we have. Childminding will be provided.                                                                                         
3. Attend the VSB Committee II meeting on Wednesday January 21 at 5:00pm. The more we show our support, the stronger our voice is collectively.

• Committee II Meeting - Planning and Facilities Committee, Room 120 of the Vancouver School Board Education Centre, 1580 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Thank you,
Dickens PAC 

City Wide Advocacy Workshop

Save this date to advocate for our children: Thursday, January 29

Vancouver DPAC is hosting a City Wide Advocacy Workshop at 6:30 pm at the VSB at West Broadway and Fir. 

The key-note speaker is Adrienne Montani from First Call, with a mission to mobilize British Columbians to work together to ensure our children and youth have the rights, opportunities and resources to reach their full potential. The group's campaigns and actions are based on the belief that all children and youth in BC should have first call on society's resources. 

Breakout sessions will be led by DPAC Vice-Chairs Farah Shroff and Diana Day and Marlene Rodgers from Public Education Now http://ppen.ca/

Childminding, free underground parking and healthy snacks will be provided. 

Creating Successful Students

The Learning Brain

Highly renowned researcher, neuroscientist, and Lord Nelson parent, Dr. Lara Boyd, will discuss how children's brains change with learning and development.  She will present recent data showing brain plasticity in children and conclude with some practical tips for maximizing learning and brain plasticity.  

Monday, 26 January 2015 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

The Gym at Lord Nelson Elementary
2235 Kitchener Street, Vancouver, BC

Reserve your ticket online today at www.thelearningbrain.eventbrite.ca for only $5. 

Space is limited so act quickly!

If tickets remain on the day of the event, they will be available at the door for $7.Laura has asked that all proceeds of the evening be donated to Lord Nelson's technology fund.

* Holiday Hamper Wrapping *

We hope you can join us for the Annual Wrapping Parties for the Dickens Holiday Hampers!

There are 2 PARTIES this year to help split up the work and to be flexible for evening & morning availability.

We’ll wrap, chat and enjoy the Holiday spirit! Come for the whole evening / morning or come for an hour - anything you can manage is appreciated!

LOCATION: 
Lara’s House 1026 East 18th Ave (right across from Dickens Main)

Party #1 - Monday, Dec. 15  6:00pm - 9:30pm 
Bring yourself, your own scissors and wine / beverage of choice. Cheese & treats will be provided.

Party #2 - Tuesday, Dec. 16  9:15am - 12 Noon
Bring yourself and your own scissors. Coffee & treats will be provided.

Please let us know if you’ll be able to make it - many hands make light work - Thanks.

We always have lots of fun - Lara & I look forward to seeing you there - Ho, ho, ho!

Christy & Lara

Email: christy@ctpost.ca
Christy's Cell: 778.686.6131