School Talk - Maple Grove

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School Board Budget and a Visit from Mike Lombardi Our PAC took the initiative to invite Mike Lombardi, our school liaison trustee, to come to our meeting and present information about the budget. Everyone appreciated the clarity of his presentation and the details provided about the history of finances at the VSB and some of the challenges in creating a balanced budget. Mr. Lombardi was able to detail the many cuts that have been recommended by our District Management Team in order to balance the budget, and expressed his regret that these were necessary. He also explained the assignment of a financial advisor by the Ministry to assist in planning the school boards‟ finances. Many questions were asked and there followed discussion about how our PAC could initiate and facilitate communication amongst parents at our school and with our political representatives. If you are interested in finding out more you can contact me, go to the VSB website http://www.vsb.bc.ca/budget-process- 201011-school-year or speak to members of the PAC executive. There are many ways in which Maple Grove will be affected directly and indirectly by the budget proposals. Here are some of the ways we will be affected if this budget proposal passes: 1. Eleven teachers received notice of possibility of layoff letters. Most of these teachers have specific qualifications that make it almost certain that they would be re-hired to fill the position again. However, such letters cause uncertainty and are not good for morale, especially as we begin to plan for next year. The reason for the early notice has to do with contract requirements. 2. Incremental staffing reduction means that our librarian will probably have less time in the library and that there will be less resource support for ESL, special needs etc. 3. There may be a reduction in time allocated for counselling, psychology, and speech language support. 4. The band program will be cut. (We have started discussions at the PAC about how we can re-introduce something similar.) 5. Administrative time will be cut – this will mainly affect VP time. 6. The temperature in the school will be reduced. 7. Maintenance such as painting, weed control etc. will be cancelled or reduced. 8. Mini-school programs that some of our students are going to next year will receive less administrative support. 9. District consultants whom teachers rely on to provide advice and support in teaching methods, behaviour of students, strategies for special needs and ESL etc. will be reduced. 10. The budget that each school receives for providing books, furniture, equipment etc will be reduced. A Wonderful School System and a Wonderful School As we talk about budget cuts it is important for us to remember that we do have a wonderful, world-class school system in British Columbia. We have excellent teachers and support staff who are committed to success for each child, and to providing an education that benefits both individuals and communities. Margaret MacDiarmid, Minster of Education, wrote in a recent newsletter: “The facts are that B.C.'s education system is world class, that B.C.'s educators are doing excellent work, and that B.C. student performance at an international level has never been higher. The grade 4 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) for 2005 ranked B.C. 5th out of 45 participating countries or provinces. B.C.'s 15 year olds ranked 6th in reading, 13th in math and 4th in science out of the 65 countries or provinces that participated in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).” Maple Grove is a great example of an excellent school. I believe we provide students with the best possible education and that they leave here well prepared for High School and for life as contributing citizens of Canada and the world. It is the dedication of all our staff that makes this possible even in challenging times. Welcome New Families Please plan to come and help us welcome newcomers on May 25th in the evening at 7:00 pm. We will be having a potluck dessert and coffee. Your help is needed to provide dessert, but more important, your presence as a part of our school will help us show the reality of our vibrant, thoughtful, responsible and inclusive PAC and community. Car Boot Sale We will be having this fun community fun event on May 15th. If you haven‟t booked a spot for your car, do so now. If you have nothing to sell, come and buy or just have fun! Workshops for Immigrant Families http://vancouver.ca/parks/cc/kerrisdale/website/pdf/k2 010spring-workshops.pdf This workshop will focus on helping immigrant parents gain a better understanding of the BC school system. What credits are required for graduation from high school? How can my child graduate if s/he still requires ESL support? How can my child go to university? How can I best assist my child to succeed in school and to further his/her education? Many questions will be discussed by the VSB‟s District Principal for Student Placement and ESL Programs. Interpreters will be available for Korean speaking parents.
Information and Registration: Jenny Choi 604-713- 6000 #2491; Jin Engen 604-713-6000 #2492 Tues. 9:30am-11:00am Apr 13 Summer School Registration The 2010 Summer School Registration Date, School Sites and Program Dates are now available to view online. Please direct all summer school inquiries to www.continuinged.ca. Andrenid Bees Our school grounds have been partly taken over by some wonderful little creatures called Andrenid Bees. On sunny days they can all be seen flying close to the ground and digging to create nests. This is happening mostly on our gravel playing field. The pest control expert from the VSB told us that they will be gone soon in the natural course of things. However, since they have the tiniest of stings, (little more than a pinprick which they don‟t use unless you pick them up) and because they are wonderful pollinators, we don‟t want to destroy them. Students have been asked to stay away from them. Newsletter by email We are hoping to improve our communication and use less paper. We will be sending the newsletter by an e-mail link to our webpage. If you haven‟t already done so, please let us know your email address. A “hard” copy of the newsletter will be posted, and also available from the office. Traffic and Safety Traffic is still an issue as reported by our Traffic Committee, Jim Yue. He has been watching the situation and our PAC is very concerned for the safety of our students. It is important to obey all no parking and no stopping signs. U-turns are illegal. Please be considerate and do not block traffic on Cypress or other streets. Help with traffic patrol is always appreciated. Some possible solutions: 1. Plan your route to travel south on Cypress Street – from 45 th towards 47 th 2. Drop your children off on Angus or other close street and let them walk the short distance to school. You could park and walk with them. 3. Use the school‟s side entrances rather than the front door 4. Let your children walk to school – you can walk with them if safety is a concern. 5. Obey the law and the city bylaw Scooters, bikes, wheeled vehicles While we encourage students to come to school on bikes, or using scooters, skateboards etc, please remind them that wheels are not allowed on school grounds between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. This applies to adults as well as children. Please be good role models. Letters re Class Placement for Next Year Every year, teachers spend a great deal of time and thought on placing students in classes for next year. They take into consideration many factors: a child‟s preferred learning style, teacher-child match, social dynamics in the classroom, leadership potential of the child, gender balance in the classroom, etc. Their decisions are almost always the best for each particular child. You are welcome to write to me with your requests regarding class placements for next year. These requests should be based on educational reasons such as “I think my child needs a structured setting,” or “I think my child would thrive in a democratic classroom,” etc. Requests with regard to placements in split classes can often not be fulfilled because of the challenges of organization. Split classes have many benefits and are therefore often good places for children to develop leadership potential. Requests for particular teachers are not helpful as we do not know what divisions each teacher will end up with at this time of the year. Thank you for your understanding in this. Any requests should be made by June 1 st 2010. Spring Festival Our Spring Festival was a huge success. It brought the community together for one happy evening of games, food, fun and fundraising. Thank you very much to all those who made it happen. Dress Code I would like to draw parents‟ attention to the following dress code. This is from the VSB policy manual. “While it is not the function of the school system to impose or prohibit fashions or styles of appearance, the Board of School Trustees (the “Board”) recognizes, as a custom of the elementary and secondary schools of the City of Vancouver, that each student shall attend school clean and tidy in person, and shall refrain from wearing hair styles, clothes, footwear, jewelry, and other articles of personal adornment that are, by reason of extreme styling, a distraction to the student himself/herself or his/her fellow students, or that are otherwise adverse to effective teaching in his/her class. These standards and regulations of dress shall apply equally to male and female students.” Please note that at Maple Grove we do not allow hats to be worn inside school, except for special school events. We expect that any writing or slogans on clothes should be appropriate for an elementary K – 7 school. We hope that parents will support and will respect that it must be the judgement of the school staff and Principal about whether or not certain clothing is appropriate. June Report Card
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School Talk - Maple Grove

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