Grenfell PAC Minutes
Date: Monday November 8, 2021
Present: Maureen McDonnell, Janelle, Elicia, Nicole, Cindy, Melinda, 1 parent
Members provided brief introductions.
Melinda from FamilySmart provided an introduction to their organization and family support services they offer around child and youth mental health.
Contact info:
Melina and Jamie
FamilySmart - Vancouver leads
Staffing update:
Mr. Johnston has accepted a position in the Okanagan. We are pleased to welcome Ms. Jennifer Sarkar to enroll Div. 7. Ms. Sarkar came to us from Franklin Elementary.
K registration:
K registration for next year began on November 1. Students born in 2017 who live in the catchment of Grenfell can register at our school. K registration closes on January 31st
Arts Umbrella:
The Community School Team has organised an 8-week long afterschool program every Wednesday in the gym. A selected group of students are working with two instructors from Arts Umbrella in the area of visual arts. Thank you to our Youth and Family Worker Nazima for coordinating this event.
Remembrance Day assembly:
The whole school will get together for a solemn Remembrance Day assembly this Wednesday, November 10 at 9:30 am. The assembly will be held virtually.
Vancouver Poppy Fund:
We are encouraging students to bring a loonie or toonie to support the Poppy Fund. We will collect the donations daily for two weeks. All money collected will go to the Vancouver Poppy Fund. All students will receive a poppy from school sent to us by Vancouver Poppy Fund.
Traffic Patrol:
We are seeing unsafe driving around the school and especially in the staff parking lot during drop off and pick up time. A VPD traffic officer visited the school twice last week to educate drivers about traffic safety. The constable who visited our school made a suggestion that if drivers approached the school via westbound on Wellington Ave and then Northbound on Rupert St, they would be on the school side which minimizes crossing and also alleviates the congestion in the lanes. Cars can stop at the No Parking area and let students out of the car. Cars can stop for a maximum of 5 minutes in front of the school (on Wellington Street). Students walk to the line-up area in the path next to the school (parallel to the lane).
Student Learning Survey:
Every year students in Grade 4 & 7 and their parents are invited to fill out the Student Learning Survey. The surveys contain standard questions for the province – in addition, questions from the school and/or district that focus on local conditions or issues may be included. The survey link for parents will be emailed out shortly to parents of Grade 4 and 7 students.
Terry Fox Run Donations:
Thank you to the support of our families, we have collected $230 in donations to send to the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.
School traffic issues
Discussed how we direct traffic through the alley way that’s off of Wellington Street, suggesting a one-way directional flow.
Use the Price street access by the lower field as an option
Treasurer (absent) to provide update during next meeting.
Hot lunch updates –
Purdy’s Chocolates Christmas fundraiser
Jan Hot Lunch
Next meeting date and format:
May consider a different format for PAC meetings in 2022, e.g. in person vs. online
Discussion item:
Saleema Noon Body Science workshops
Parent workshop Monday, January 10 at 7:00 pm online; student workshops
on Jan 14 and 21. The cost will be $350 parents + $575 (kids days) X 2 plus
5% GST = $1575. We are looking at 1.5 days of workshops for students from
K to 7.
Jan 10 – Seleema Noon
PAC Meeting and parents to attend the workshop
Students would do their workshop Jan 14 and 21
Cost would be around $1500.00, PAC would need to cover some of the costs
Girls and boys are not separated in these workshops
Traffic situation was discussed during the Principals’ Update.
Date: Monday January 10 (time to be confirmed)
Topic: Saleema Noon’s Body Science -- Parent Workshop
Location: To be confirmed
The PAC can be contacted at: grenfellpac@gmail.com