What's Happening at School?

Oct 12, 2016

Little Monsters Ball – We Need You!

The PAC is still looking for organizers to lead the Halloween event scheduled for Friday October 28th.  We require a lead coordinator as well as organizers for ticket sales, music and games/activities.
This event cannot be held without volunteer organizers, if you are able to help, please contact info@trafalgarpac.ca ASAP.

EarthBites – Pocket Market Tomorrow, Thursday October 13th

There will be a pocket market from 2:30 – 3:15 PM tomorrow at the school. The markets raise money for the garden to buy soil, seeds and plants. Herbs and greens from the garden will be on sale as well as nutritious and delicious after school snacks. This is a great way to pick up fresh veggies for supper while picking up the kids, so don’t forget your pocket money.

UNESCO Community Brainstorm Launch – at the Pocket Market Tomorrow

Trafalgar Elementary has met the criteria to become a part of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network. We are one of three schools in British Columbia to be accorded this privilege. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is an intergovernmental organization. UNESCO’s purpose is to promote collaboration among nations through education, science and culture, in order to foster universal respect for justice, the rules of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms. The UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network began in 1953 and currently includes 10, 000 educational institutions in 181 countries. As one of the schools in the network we have the opportunity to work together with other schools and within our own school on innovative education initiatives focused on the pillars of Intercultural Learning, Peace, Human Rights and Democracy, Environmental Sustainability and UN World Concerns. In order to maintain our candidacy and move towards membership in the UNESCO Associated Schools Network, We will launch a new project “SE@T: Sustainability Education @ Trafalgar” as well as we will seek collaborative opportunities with another Canadian UNESCO school and a UNESCO school from another country. This year, we have decided as a staff to enrich the Aboriginal content in our curriculum as well as launch a new project extending on our work with the garden and sustainability education. Please swing by and share any goals, interests or experience you may have relating to these areas of focus at Trafalgar’s autumn pocket market.

Reminder: Hot Lunch is on Friday

If you missed out this week, no problem, you can still order for the next and all hot lunches for the semester as long as you order by the Thursday at midnight deadline a week before any hot lunch. This year nearly all prices have been cut making these tasty and healthy hot lunches a more affordable option for our families.
To browse the menu and order go to trafalgar.hotlunches.net The access code is TE2016HL.You must register each new school year. So, even if you have registered in the past, please register again for this school year.
Hot Lunch Volunteers to Serve the Kindergarten and Grade 1 Classes Needed
The PAC is still looking for some volunteers to serve the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes. If you’d like to pop in to see your little one at lunch as well as be the recipient of some very cute smiles, please contact the hot lunch team: trafalgarhotlunch@gmail.com

Student Code of Conduct – Feedback Requested

The student council, with the help of the school’s administration, has created a code of conduct for the school. The student council and administration are looking for feedback from parents. Please see the full Code of Contact here and you may forward feedback to Sarah Kramer at skramer@vsb.bc.ca

PAN – Parent Advocacy Network for Public Education – Feedback Deadline October 12th

The following is an update from PAN
The Parent Advocacy Network for Public Education is a grassroots collective of parents from across Vancouver who share a commitment to public education. Our mission is to connect parents across the district to support one another in advocacy. The network enables us to share information and experiences, and to stand together in protecting public education.

District Pressure PLUS Provincial Pressure – Both are Needed
School closure for any school district in BC is NOT an issue of under-utilized space, it is an issue of continued underfunding.
Even if the VSB were to close a dozen schools all at one time, they would not even meet half of their projected deficit of $15 million for next school year.
Declining enrolment and resulting surplus space is NOT the reason for annual shortfalls at the VSB — but reducing staff, closing schools and removing programs ARE the only remaining mechanism the VSB has for saving money.
We need to continue to pressure the government to increase operational and capital funding to public education and remind them that Public Education is an election issue.
With that in mind, PAN is seeking your help to gather information to show the extent to which parents are, and have been for years, subsidizing public education.
PAN presented to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services on September 19th. This is the same ALL PARTY Committee that has recommended increased public education funding and a review of the funding model for public education for two years in a row. Last year, concerns about public education was the top priority for British Columbians.
 
During the presentation, PAN was asked to provide the information to two questions by October 12 about what parents are having to fund in their schools, what services they are now outsourcing privately that were once included within public education and which community groups or services uses space within your school.   
 
This is a HUGE opportunity to show how much has been removed from our school system and how integral neighbourhood schools are to the life and health of our communities.
Please take a few minutes to answer the three questions on the web form. And please do share the link to the questions through your networks and on social media. The more data collected, the stronger the argument.
Give YOUR Input about Public Ed Directly to the Govt thru the Select Standing Committee on Finance
While we all need to push back for what we believe is right within the VSB closure process, it’s equally critical that we all also continue to pressure the provincial government AND provide feedback when opportunities exist. This is one of those key moments for providing feedback.
The Public Consultation process for the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services (noted above) ends OCT 14
 
What you can do:

This is the same ALL PARTY committee that has recommended increased public education funding and a review of the funding method for public education for two years in a row. Last year, concerns about public education was the top priority for British Columbians.  Help to ensure this year is no different, in fact, assist them in giving even stronger recommendations for Budget 2017.  The more voices heard by the SSC the better!