1 of 5 PVG Meeting - Sept 2016

FAPVGMeetingNotesSeptember29,2016

InAttendance:MarielleSmithCarolineRossitterNicoleHeighingtonMaureenSteltmanJessicaGibsonJudyvanHalst

CarolineRichardsonDebbieHeepsSusanHorneAndreaPotterPJWieseLeslieFillinghamShelaghCluff

VivianCantasDaljitPataraTassoKanavosRegrets:TraceyCustodinhoEricaJohnson

GiselaEscherBelindaCuryerSharonMishlerCathyBarrMicheleMendelsonNoriMcGowan

IntroductionofthePVGexecutiveandparentsinattendance

▪ MarielleSmith,Chair

▪ CarolineRossitter,ViceChair

▪ NicoleHeighington,Treasurer

HeadofSchoolUpdate,MaureenSteltman

▪ Schoolyearstartedwell;FAgrew10%fromlastyear-from225to249students

▪ Overthesummertherewererenovationstothehomeeconomicskitchen;originalkitchenwassplitinto2rooms;therefore,abletogrowtheschoolwiththeaddedclassroom

▪ IntroductionofTassoKavanostothePVG(newAssistantHead,SchoolLife);Mr.KanavoscamefromCollingwoodSchoolandhasexperiencewithstudentswithlearningdifferencesandunderstatingofIEP’sandpsych.edevaluations.HispreviousexperienceandinsightwithCAISisanassettotheschool

• Mr.KanavosspokeoftheCAISaccreditationprocessatCollingwoodbeingaverypositiveexperience:

▪ Everyoneisinvolvedintheprocess

▪ Allprocessesarelookedatandsuggestionsmadeastohowtoimprove

▪ Thereisgreatvalueinknowingwhatthebestpracticesareinotherindependentschools

▪ SimonUdencameonboardMay2016asDirectorofAdvancement

▪ DidafantasticjoboffundraisingfortheFAbuscampaigninashortperiodoftime.BothSimonandMaureenthankedthePVGfortakingabitofabackseattoletthebuscampaignpushforthtomeetthisimportantgoalfortheschool.

▪ CAIS-CanadianAccreditedIndependentSchools

▪ FAwillbetakingpartinthis2016/2017;CAISassessesschoolsagainstbestpracticestoseewheretheystandandgivesfeedbackastohowtoimprove

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▪ AsoutlinedbyMr.Kanavos,thevalueofthisaccreditation“isreallyingoingthroughtheprocessitself”.It’sanopportunityforexaminationandreflectionofcurrentprotocolsandexecutionofprocedureswiththeintenttoimproveandstreamline,therefore,increaseconsistencyandefficiency.

▪ TheFraserAcademy’sboardofdirectorsarevolunteersandthisgivesthemaccesstopeersandbestpracticestandardstobeabletoimprovetheschool

▪ Therewillbe2highlevelindividualsontheaccreditationteamwhohaveexperiencewithourLDcommunity

▪ Mrs.Steltmanmentionedthatmovingforwardtosupportthemomentumofpositivechange,theschoolisworkingtowardsbesteffortandbestresultsandCAISisaveryappropriatetooltoidentifywherethingsarenotworking,toacknowledgeandmakechanges/improvementsinthoseareas.

▪ TheschoolisgoingtotheCityofVancouverBoardofVarianceregardingthesportspad

▪ Thedevelopmentapplicationtomaketheparkinglotplayspacewasdenied

▪ JudyvanHalst,aFraserAcademyparent,ishelpingwiththeBoardofVarianceapplicationtohavetheparkinglotre-zonedasaplay/sportsareaandweareallverythankfulforherinvolvement

▪ BoardofVariancemeetingisNovember30,2016

▪ Therewillbealettersentouttoparentstoinvitethemtowritelettersofsupportfortheapplication

▪ Anyandallsupportfromresidentsorbusinesseswithinaoneblockradiusisespeciallyrelevantanduseful

▪ Therewillbeadraftlettersentouttotheparentbodybutitwasbroughtforthbyoneoftheparentsinthemeetingfromexperiencethattheboardofvariancemaylookmorefavorablyifitismodifiedtogivemoreindividualityandthoughttotheapplication

▪ Themainconcernisthenoiseimpacttotheschool’simmediateneighbours

▪ Iftheapplicationisapproved,theremaybeanopportunitytoputaroofonthesportspadorputnoisemodificationsonthegroundtodecreasethesound

▪ Anewreceptiondeskhasbeeninstalledonthefirstfloorandtheyarecurrentlylookingandhopefullyhiringnextweekforareceptionist

▪ Vigidami–photosharingwebsite

▪ Parents,aswellas,theschoolcanuploadphotostoVigidami

▪ Pleaseonlyuploadphotosthatshowthestudentslookinggood…especiallytheteenagersastheycanbeself-consciousaboutthistypeofthing

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▪ Post-SecondaryPlanningGuide2016-17wasjustpublishedbyFraserAcademyandwillbegoingouttothoseintheseniorschool

▪ Mrs.Steltmanadvocatesgoingintoasmallerschoolpost-secondarytogetyour“sealegs”andthentransferringtoalargerschoolafterifthatisyourdesire“nobodyaskswhereyoustarted,theyonlyaskwhereyougraduatedfrom.”TherehasbeensuccesswithFraserAcademyalumniinthepastcoupleofyearsusingthisstrategy

▪ AcknowledgementfromCarolineRossitterthatthetypeofinformationsharedbyMaureenisveryvaluableandtoencourageotherparentstoattendthePVGmeetingsbeyondtheirpreconceivedideasthatitssometypeofgatheringforexperiencedlongtimeparentsofFAorthatallthePVGdoesisfundraise.

PVGSecretaryNomination/Volunteer

▪ ShelaghCluffvolunteeredforthePVGSecretaryposition–Thank-youShelagh!

FinancialUpdate:NicoleHeighington

▪ Currentlythereis$18,500inthePVGaccount

▪ Lastyearweallocated$8,100towards4schoolwaterfountains,2bikeracksand3documentcameras

▪ Ofthis$8,100,$1,384hasbeenspenton1bikerackand1documentcamera

▪ Thereisnoroomforanotherbikerackandtheschoolisgoingtoseehowmuchusethedocumentcameragetsbeforepurchasingmore

▪ Theoriginalquoteforthewaterfountainwaslow.Theactualcostisestimatedat$10,000

▪ Afteradiscussion,itwasdeterminedthatthemoneyfromtheonebikeracknotyetpurchasedwillgotowardsthewaterfountainsandtherewasavotetoallocatefurtherPVGfundstowardstowaterfountain

▪ PVGvotedtogiveupto$10,000toFraserAcademyforthe4waterfountains

▪ Itisestimatedthattheinstallationcostwillbe$2,200.ThePVGwillaskifanyparentsknowofaplumberorcompanythatmightgiveadiscountordonatetheirservices

▪ TheinstallationwillmostlikelyhappenattheChristmasbreakwhilethestudentsarenotinschool

▪ TherewasalsoarequestfromtheschoolfornewFraserAcademybrandedtentsfortrackandfield.ThisrequestwastakenintoconsiderationandisacknowledgedasapriorityforthePVGwhenfundsareavailable.

▪ Inthe2015-2016year,thePVGraised$3,500fromthePurdy’sfundraisingand$7,800fromtheEarthquakefundraising

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▪ Inthe2015-2016thePVGfundedtheHolidayBakingandStaffAppreciationgatherings,theSaferSchoolpresentation,apartinggiftforAlanKlassen,framesforthegrade12’sandwebsite/technologycostsalongwiththebikerackanddocumentcamera.

ProjectsandFundraisingEvents2016

▪ Purdy’s-DonnaWilliamswillbemanagingthePurdy’sfundraiserthisyear

▪ MustangSafetyKit

§ ItismostlikelytheMustangsafetykitswillbesoldforfundraisingthisyearinFebruary2017withalaunchofvideosinOctober2016andaworkshopwithTracyCustodinho

§ WestillneedtoconfirmpricingwithNancy(oursupplier)beforegoingahead

▪ UniformSales–Becauseoftherebrandingtherehasnotbeenanyuseduniformsalesinthepast2years-therewere5volunteerstomanagetheuniformsalesforthisyear

§ Theschoolwillhelpfindspaceforthestorageofuniforms

§ UniformSalesVolunteerTeam:VivianCantas,CarolineRichardson,DebbieHeeps,LeslieFillingham-Thank-you!!

▪ BlankArtCards–AndreaPotterandSusanHorneagreedtotakeonthisfundraisingeffortinpartnershipwiththePVGandCindySchreyer.

▪ Mr.Uden:Therewasadiscussionregardingconsolidatingallthefundraisingprojectsfortheschool,withdatesinoneplaceandthepossiblyofsettingupafundraisingcalendarsothattheparentsbodyhavetheabilitytochoosewheretoputtheirgifts.

PVGParentCommunityBuilding

▪ PVGPotluckAreaSocialswerediscussedtobringtheFAParentcommunityclosertogether.

▪ ThePVGwillcollaboratewithparentstoorganizetheseevents.

▪ Thisisnotintendedtocreateafinancialweightonthehosts,familiesareinvitedtohostaspaceonly,withsimplepotluckitemsbroughtbyparentguests.

▪ 64%oftheschoolisbased/livingintheVancouverarea

▪ Afterdiscussionitwasdeterminedthatthereshouldbe5-6socials

LOCATION&GRADES WHEN&WHO

Richmond/Delta(Allgrades) Hosttobedetermined

Surrey/WhiteRock(Allgrades) October20th:DonnaWilliams

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NorthShore/WestVan(Allgrades)

Hosttobedetermined

Vancouver–JuniorSch(1-6) Hosttobedetermined

Vancouver–MiddleSch(7-9) October25:AndreaPotterandPJWeise

Vancouver–SeniorSch(10-12) Hosttobedetermined

▪ Theparentsinallareas,ofcourse,alwaysbewelcomeandinvitedtoattendANYlocalareasocial.

▪ ParentsfromothergradesarealsoinvitedtoattendspecificgradeVancouversocialsiftheywish,buthavingalltheVancouverparentsinonehousemightbetoocrowded

▪ Staffmemberswillbeinattendanceatthesesocials

NewBusiness

Gardening:Calloutforvolunteerstohelpwithgardening

SpeakerSeries:Discussionregardinghaveaspeakerseriesfortheparentsandstudents.Thespeakerserieswouldbringinleaderswhoaredyslexicthemselvesorwhohaveotherlearningchallengestotelltheirstoryofhowtheyovercametheirchallengesorhowithelpedthemintheirlife.