* Silent Auction Sneak Peeks! *

Want to get a heads up for bidding at the Silent auction on June 2?
Check out some of our Silent Auction “Sneak Peeks” at facebook.com/dickensspringfling

See our SPRING FLING photos on Instagram.com/dickensspringfling and facebook. We'll have a team of SF photographers at the event this year!

Remember to share your photos with us at our hashtag: #dickensspringfling - we'd love to see them! Note: When sharing them with us on facebook, you'd have to change the status of these specific pics to "public". Any pics on Instagram can be shared with us using the same hashtag too - thanks! 

To invite family, friends & neighbours, you are welcome to use: https://www.facebook.com/events/1609373199383997/
The names of guests will not be shown and will remain private - only you and your guest(s) can see your name(s). Thanks for helping us to spread the word about our Fundraiser!

Sign Here to Support PAN's Statement re: Adequate Education Funding

Good Day All,
Members of PAN this week crafted an official PAN statement to the BC Government regarding the VSB budget. We believe in addition to all the parent letters/emails to Education Minister, Mr Mike Bernier and MLAs, that we need to send an official statement.

Our goal is simple!

• To get as many parent/guardian/Vancouverite "signatures" on our statement.
• To submit the statement with signatories by email on Tuesday, May 10.

Here's what to do! If you believe, as we do, that the BC Government should fund public education adequately, we ask you to "sign" our statement letter.

The statement and the place to affix your name/email is in this shared Google Excel Doc at https://goo.gl/9Y7m70 (See the 2 sheets in the doc).
Please sign as yourself, on behalf of your School PAC or as a citizen concerned for public education. 

It doesn't matter if you are a PAN member or not - it only matters that you believe in what the letter has to say and you feel you can stand with PAN in pushing back to the Minister of Education.

Please share the link with your parent/guardian networks at any Vancouver public schools and we will submit the letter, with as many signatories as we can gather between Friday, May 6 and end of day Monday, May 9.

Thank you!
Andrea Sinclair 
Dickens PAC Chair, on behalf of PAN

panvancouver.ca facebook.com/panvancouver twitter.com/pan_vancouver

Silent Auctions Update for SPRING FLING

Woo-hoo! Our Silent Auctions donations and gifts are starting to trickle in - Check out some of our SNEAK PEEKS here on our SPRING FLING facebook! And keep watching from now until Thursday, June 2.

Calling all Professionals and Business Owners / Staff:
Are you a Lawyer/Notary, Architect, Interior Designer, Bookkeeper/Accountant, Therapist, Dentist, Nutritionist, Naturopath, Florist, Hair Dresser, Landscaper, Musician, Chef, Baker or another type of Specialist? Can you donate 1-2 hours of your services as a Silent Auction item? Or do you perhaps own a business or work at a business providing services or products that could benefit those in our Dickens community? Then we want to hear from YOU! 

Support our kids by helping us raise Silent Auction funds at SPRING FLING! Contact Kasimir Kish at kasimir@kish.ca if you’d like to donate a service / product(s) / gift card(s) or have any questions. 

#BCEDINRED Campaign

Join FACE (Families Against Cuts to Education) and PAN (Parent Advocacy Network) and Spread the Word: BC Education is in the Black but Education is in the Red! #BCEDINRED

Chronic provincial underfunding of public education means that many, if not most, of the 60 school districts in BC are facing shortfalls as they prepare their budgets for 2016-17. By law, the districts must balance their budgets, so this means cuts are being planned throughout the province: Programs, services and entire schools are on the chopping block. As of April 27, 2016) there are 27 districts with a combined $77.17 million shortfall and this list is growing daily! 

Email facebc.vancouver@gmail.com with shortfall information about your district so we can keep track of all shortfalls - Thanks.

We encourage you to SHARE and SPREAD the word with the images below to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and any other social media network you're on. Include the hashtag #BCEDINRED - encourage your friends, parents, school communities to share as well. We are also using this hashtag to spread the word about wearing red on the day the budget is voted on in the BC Legislature (exact date is unknown; we will update you).

 More You Can Do:

1. Use the FACE quick and easy email tool to write to your MLA and the Minister of Education about these shortfalls.
2. Tweet about these shortfalls and the shortfall in your district using the hashtag #BCEDINRED
3. Wear RED on the day the budget is voted on in the BC Legislature (exact date is unknown; we will update you).
4. Make Public Education Funding an issue in the 2017 Provincial Elections. Ask all the candidates in your riding what they will do to address the underfunding of public education. 
5. Push all the parties to make education a priority again. Click here for some questions you can ask.

Youth in BC - What are they facing? 

The Tyee is doing a series, and needs parent/guardian input:

Katie Hyslop, a journalist with The Tyee, is looking for parents' & guardians' thoughts on what issues their youth (age range 10-24) will be facing as they grow up in BC and how they feel about those issues. For example: Are they concerned about the cost of tuition? The environment? The future of education? Whether they can afford a house? How does this impact their plans for the rest of their lives? Their immediate futures? 

She is looking to capture what youth today are concerned with, in regards to the future of our province. She would love to hear from you all! You can choose to be on record or off the record. Contact Katie Hyslop at khyslop@thetyee.ca

panvancouver.ca facebook.com/panvancouver twitter.com/pan_vancouver

Technology Fundraiser Update & Thanks!

Annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon - May 13 - Volunteers and Donations Needed!

Each year the parents at both the Annex and the Main like to say a special "Thank You" to our hardworking and dedicated staff at Dickens. 

This parent-made and parent-hosted luncheon, to be held at the Annex, is for all staff at both sites and is supported by the PAC Exec and parents/guardians. See details below. 

Cash Donations
Cash donations can be dropped at the Office [Viv at the Main & Patti at the Annex] in the marked boxes. 

Food Donations
Requested food/drink items can be dropped at the Dickens Annex Gym on Friday, May 13 at 9am – serving dishes can be picked from 2-3pm at the same location. 

Here's how you can help:

• Cash
• Sparkling Water and Juices
• Appetizers: Cheese, Fruit and/or Veggie Platters
• Pies, Cakes, Cookies or Cupcakes, Ice-cream
• Entree Dish of your choice (Vegetarian, Gluten-free Dishes are welcome too)
• Volunteer for a session on the day: Set-up (9-11am), Serving (11-1pm) or Clean-up (1-3pm)

To get involved and help out on Friday, May 13 contact Nicole: nicolenozick@gmail.com or Deb: anm8r_chick@hotmail.com or Mariko: mariko@kish.ca