Monday, October 29, 2012

Connecting with our community

The PAC is always exploring new ways to connect with Vic West families and promote a positive image of our school in the community. So when we were invited to be a part of Halloween Fun Fest at the Victoria West Community Centre this past weekend, we jumped on it! Our parent volunteers set up a fishing booth for the kids and handed out treats and bookmarks to all the boys and ghouls (and their parents) who visited our table.

An extra big PAC thanks to:
- Victoria West Community Centre Manager, Kate Longpre, for extending the invitation for our PAC to be a part of this incredible community-building event.
- School Administrative Assistant, Shelley Baird, for designing our very popular school/PAC bookmarks.
- The parent volunteers who supervised our booth and entertained the masses in fabulous Halloween style!


Friday, October 26, 2012

The HALLOWE'EN HOWL 
is coming! 
Wednesday October 31st
 1-2 pm in the school gym

There will be :
**a Giant Eye ball roll
**Ghoulish musical chairs
**drop the broomstick in the cauldron
**the teacher mummy roll up 





Mrs.Kosh has asked for PARENT HELPERS for the following:

*decorating the gym on Tuesday after school or Wednesday morning 
 
*someone to control the music during games like musical chairs

*people to help with the set up of cones, props, chairs, etc.,  in between relays

*set up/clean up (meet in the gym at 12:30 and stay until 2:30 if possible)

Please send us an email at vicwestpac@gmail.com (or go to the Facebook page: Vic West Elementary PAC) to let us know when you can HELP the HOWL!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Fall in the hall

The hallways of Vic West Elementary are full of wonderful student artwork celebrating the fall season! Take a look below at all the student and teacher creativity that makes our school beautiful. Maybe even sit down with your child(ren) to see if you can spot their own hard work.


And how do you know it's fall at Vic West Elementary?


Well done, everyone!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Movie Night TONIGHT! "Monsters Vs Aliens"


Book fair next week

The book fair posters are up! Here's a chance to stock up on books at great prices and help the school raise important funds at the same time!

The school's book fair runs the week of Monday, October 22nd to Friday, October 26th in the school's music room. That's the same week as parent teacher interviews, so you can pop in and have a look at some titles during your visit to the school.

Books make great gifts! They're especially handy to have on hand for last-minute birthday party presents when you forgot to go shopping. Not that we do that stuff or anything...


"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him." 
- Maya Angelou 


"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness."
- Helen Keller


"There is no friend as loyal as a book." 
- Ernest Hemingway

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

From our October PAC meeting

Victoria West Elementary School Parent Advisory Council
October 10th 2012
General Meeting Minutes

Agenda:
1: Introductions: (if any new members present)
2: Elections: Members at Large‐ Aaren Madden
3: Acceptance of the agenda
4: Principal’s Report
5: Executive Reports
         1. Treasurer’s Report (Carolyn, Jen and Tracey)
         2. Visioning Meeting‐ review (Mercedes and Coral)
6: Business/Action items arising from previous minutes:
         1. Ball wall painting and Sutton Group visitation (Jaime)
         2. Growth Plan sign off (Mercedes, Coral and Aaren)
         3. PAC manual (Mercedes)
         4. Entertainment Books (Jaime)
         5. Fun Run review (Coral)
         6. Recycling (Coral and Aaren)
         7. Basketball Court repaving (Joe)
         8. Refuse Program (Mercedes on behalf of Rachel)
7: New business:
         1. Movie Night (Mercedes)
         2. Scholastic Book Fair? (Mercedes)
         3. Magazine Subscriptions (Debbie)
         4. Halloween Event‐ teacher led? (Jana/Joe)
         5. Communication/Branding (Mercedes)
         6. VCPAC meetings – schedule and volunteer to attend meetings
         7. New fundraisers/info from PAC email (Mercedes)

Item 1: Introductions
• 7 members present

Item 2: Elections:
• Aaren nominated as Members at Large by Mercedes Calvert
Outcome
All in favor

Item 3: Acceptance of the agenda
• Mercedes will speak for the absent Vice‐Presidents, Debbie and Conan
• Treasurer’s Report will happen at the next meeting‐Carolyn and Tracey absent
Item 4: Principal Report
• The new Custodian will be notified of evening meetings to ensure the doors are unlocked
• Extracurricular activities are beginning next week:
‐ Knitting group
‐ Soccer: There will be a Jamboree at View Royal, organized by Caleb Kennedy, Daryl and Rachel Cooper
‐ Choir: with Mrs. D
‐ Cross country running: Amy Taggart will coordinate with Sir James Douglas at Topaz Park
• Jackie Kosh and the Leadership students will organize the Halloween fun in the gym (date TBD);
could use parent volunteers (email jkosh@sd61.bc.ca for more information)
• On Wednesday, October 31st the students can wear their costumes to class
• Parent Teacher conferences are happening on the 24th and 25th; it is important to remember that the children’s’ performance is compared to the curriculum not their peers. Parents should ask for concrete examples of ways that their child can improve so that they can help at home.
• Mr. Cardle looked into replacing the basketball court‐will cost $20‐30K. Possibility of making it a joint project with the City of Victoria. However, Joe believes the lower playground is a more urgent issue. In the meantime, Joe and Mercedes will see about having maintenance done so that it is not such a tripping hazard and eye sore.
• The school is conducting fire drills (duck & cover) as well as earthquake drills and then (later in the year) Lock Down drills.
Action items:
Once everything has been confirmed with the staff, Joe will send a notice to parents outlining the school’s emergency procedure.
PAC needs to go through the emergency supplies and replace food and water. Joe to coordinate this with PAC.

Item 5: Executive Reports
Visioning Meeting‐ review (Mercedes and Coral)
• 6 PAC members walked around the school and noted areas that needed improvement such as the murals, rain garden, basketball court and back playground.
• Possible initiatives: a Labyrinth, organizing a movie night in the basketball court and possible to put aside 10% of money brought in over the next 3 years to put towards playground. In addition, the PAC would like to partner more with the community centre and bring areas of concern to the attention of Joe Cardle and Facilities.
• We brainstormed ideas for a PAC set of values as well as project ideas that support these values.
Action item:
Once we have another Visioning Meeting, and clarify our mandate, then the Executive will open up the discussion to the broader school community (on the blog, fb, etc.) so that all of the parents’ opinions are considered.

Item 6: Business/Action items arising from previous minutes
Ball wall painting and Sutton Group visitation (Jaime)
• Hopes to paint the wall as soon as he has time.
Growth Plan sign off (Mercedes, Coral and Aaren)
Done.
PAC manual (Mercedes)
• Happening
Entertainment Books (Jaime)
• There will be a notice going home with the students. We only need to sell 24 more books to raise $1000 ($10/book).
Fun Run review (Coral)
A success! 26 children registered and had fun running for their school. Worth doing again next year.
Recycling (Coral and Aaren)
• Bottle drives will occur on November 16, January 11, March 22 (may be changed depending on Spring Break and holidays) and May 31st. We are trying to accumulate six bags so that Encorp will pick up from the school.
• Aaren and Heather have raised over $300 already this year by taking in scrap metal to Steel Pacific. The Pioneer Co‐op donated all of their metal.
Action items:
Coral and Aaren will consider delivering flyers to the community notifying neighbors of an upcoming Bottle Drive. People can then email the PAC to let us know if they need bottles picked up.
Aaren will ask Kate at the community center to advertise that we are accepting scrap metal at Steel Pacific to raise money.
Basketball Court repaving (Joe)
• Spoke on during Principal’s Report
Refuse Program (Mercedes on behalf of Rachel)
• Teachers need help educating students on the proper use of the recycling bins (remembering to wash out their containers, etc.)

Item 7: New business
Movie Night (Mercedes)
• Thursday, October 18th
• Need to have a District Employee present (Joe and Jana unavailable)
Movie Night Action items:
Jaime volunteered to attend (and bring his DVD player)
Mercedes will pick up the popcorn from Kernels
Coral will buy the juice boxes (~50)
Scholastic Book Fair (Mercedes on behalf of Crystal and Brianna)
• Running during Parent Teacher interviews
• Brianna Perry and Crystal will organize this year
Action item:
Coral will post the volunteer signup sheet on facebook
Magazine Subscriptions (Debbie)
• Debbie will update us at the next meeting
Halloween Event‐ teacher led? (Jana/Joe)
• Joe spoke on during Principal’s Report
• The Community Center offered us space to put on an activity during their Halloween Event on October 28th (1:00‐3:00 pm) for kids 9 years and under.
Action items:
Coral will organize and lead the event. Open to ideas!
Mercedes will talk to Shelley about preparing bookmarks to hand out to the kids from the school.
Communication/Branding (Mercedes)
• Would like to have a “PAC Corner” in every newsletter
• Also looking into a bulletin board outside or a letter board for the school to promote communication with parents.
• Making the most of facebook and the new PAC website to minimize printed handouts.
VCPAC meetings – schedule and volunteer to attend meetings
• Important for collaborating with other school and PACs as well as sharing fundraising ideas
Action item:
Amy Bronee offered to attend
New fundraisers/info from PAC email (Mercedes)
• PAC members went over items sent to the PAC email and disregarded them all.

Next meeting… Wednesday, November 14th, 6:30 ‐ 8:15pm.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Bottle drive dates

Start saving those bottles! The Vic West PAC will be holding fundraising bottle drives in the courtyard of the school on the following dates:

Friday, November 16, 2012
Friday, January 11, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013 
Friday, May 31st, 2013

Please bring in all your refundable containers between 8:15 and 9 a.m. on these dates and help support your school!

 ...but wait, there’s more!

Return-It Depot also offers an awards program for the top schools in each enrollment category. Vic West Elementary is in the schools with 151-300 students category.

Stay tuned for details regarding the awards program in the coming weeks!

Thank you for your support!

*Did you know you can return your bottles to benefit the school any time? Take them directly to the Return-It Depot at 655 Queens Avenue (between Government and Douglas) and tell them you'd like the return value to go to the Vic West Elementary School account.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

October 24th and 25th: Parent/Teacher Interviews
If you haven't been a parent at a P/T interview, or if you have and aren't entirely sure what questions to ask, click on the link below for tips and thoughts about the process.

BCTF Website- Parent Teacher Interview tips



Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Tomorrow morning (8:15-9:00) we will be handing out the Thrifty Foods Fun Run race packages to all who signed up. The run is this Sunday, October 7th.  Come to the PAC table set up in the courtyard to get your package.
http://runvictoriamarathon.com/events/kidsrun.php