April 2026 Newsletter
These are the topics discussed at the April meeting
Chairperson’s report
Jackie Lee points out this is the second-to-last PAC meeting of the school year, and this is his last year as chair. Please sign up for updates on WhatsApp. If your phone number is rejected because it is deemed spam, email erichamberpac@gmail.com.
Safety discussion
Our co-treasurer Adam Chodos brought up the fact that safety has become a top concern after the Tumbler Ridge tragedy. The library is unable to be secured during a lockdown because of the design of its front space. A grill comes down, but there are gaps and there are no solid locks. Work is being done with the principal to prepare a letter to trustees to highlight this fact. The letter will be presented for Monday’s school board meeting. Entry should be redone to comply with VSB and VPD lockdown procedures. Work should be performed in the summer to prevent disruptions to library services.
About the ongoing traffic situation, the mayor and a councillor will visit the school May 8th. Impark is now fully in place, monitoring and charging for parking.
Teacher appreciation lunch
There is a limited budget to pay for the traditional lunch for teachers in June (because gaming funds cannot be used). We can do a potluck or order pizza. However, the principal pointed out, due to dietary restrictions, not everyone can eat pizza. Octavio noted the budget for the lunch was $2,000 last year, and that we could request donations from parents.
Treasurer’s report
As of February, $9,400 was spent and distributed to clubs. That now stands at $16,000 spent. During the first round of requests, $32,000 was allocated. During the second round, $6,000 was allocated. Plus the PAC inherited $8,000 from last year. The total budget was $41,000. Members voted to have a third round of requests, making sure priority goes to clubs that have yet to receive funding.
Principal’s report
Mr. Lauzon says he has directed his concerns about the lack of a lockable door for the library to the project manager and facilities. He noted two years ago when the school was opened that this was an oversight. Noise is also an issue for an open-concept library. One quote he was given pegs the cost of installing a new entry at $100,000.
Cellphone use in the classroom remains an issue. The school is trying to enforce a prohibition of cellphone use, with limited success. He would like a complete ban on their use in the classroom. Teachers spend almost their entire class time telling students to put their phones away. He will bring this issue up at the next staff meeting. He welcomes stronger government policies, such as banning the use of social media platforms for young people.
Work is well underway in crafting next year’s schedules. He wants to lock in dates for next year’s PAC meetings. The school has already exceeded its enrollment capacity. It’s designed to house 1,700 students, and it’s now at 1,765 for next year. Now the focus is to create a timetable with limited staffing.
The school held its first dance in the new location. The atrium was used and Mr. Lauzon described it as “really interesting.” Student council elections are coming up. The school has nearly 100 clubs, which shows kids are engaged.
Report cards come out April 28. Parent/teacher meetings are also coming soon, but those slots are limited in number and time allocation. Mr. Lauzon stresses that the meetings aren’t the only way to communicate with teachers, but that parents can always reach out via email.
Mr. Lauzon will look into what the VSB policy is on potlucks - and if that would be a possibility for the teachers appreciation lunch. When asked about staff morale, he says the semester system is very stressful for teachers, and they feel very stretched, in that some have to teach four classes with no prep time.
The PAC chair says the next and final PAC meeting of the school year in May may be in hybrid format.
Contact Us
General info: erichamberpac@gmail.com
Co-chairs - Jackie Lee and Octavio West: erichamberpac@gmail.com
Treasurer: Adam Chodos
Secretary: Carrie Kung
DPAC rep: Deborah Stern Silver: dssilver@gmail.com
Members at Large:
Allison Tredwell
Renee Bernard
Anne Yu
Carl Mason