January 2025
These are the topics discussed at the January meeting.
Chairperson’s Report
Chair Jackie Lee and treasurer Octavio West met with VSB Trustee Alfred Chien Tuesday morning to discuss the school’s technology deficit. When the new building was opened, no new technology was installed. For example, the new building was not equipped with new projector screens, and the old ones can no longer be used. Jackie reached out to the former MLA who occupied the position when funding for the new school was announced, and the MLA said money for new technology was never part of the discussions.
The teacher appreciation lunch is scheduled for June.
We need parents to volunteer to update the PAC website.
Parents should remind their children about road safety at Willow and 33rd Ave.
Treasurer’s Report
At the last meeting, $1400 was the amount in the cash fund, and $27,000 of the $40,000 in the gaming grant account had been spent. To disperse the rest of the funds, the treasurer reviewed previous requests from clubs to get more specifics. Many more clubs are getting funding as a result, including “Adopt our Community,” “Anatomy,” “Art Club,” “Best Buddies,” etc. In some cases, clubs didn’t get all the money they asked for but they got a portion. For example, the math club asked for $3400, but got $800, and Sound and Lighting asked for $1000, and they received $300. After this latest dispersement, Athletics clubs received about 26 per cent of the overall funding, Arts and Music 23 per cent, and Community 16 per cent.
Principal’s report
The school’s deficit continues to be a major preoccupation. Mr. Lauzon thanks the PAC for continuing to advocate for appropriate financing. It seems that because the school project was technically a seismic upgrade, teaching and learning technology funding was an afterthought. Mr. Lauzon met with a VSB director and gave them a tour of the school’s drafting rooms where there is a need for upgrades. Mr. Lauzon hopes the VSB finds the capacity to help financially. The computer labs, which we learned during the last PAC meeting, are also in dire need. The direct appeal has yielded $35,000, but the deficit is still in the $200,000 range.
Mr. Lauzon will now seek a meeting with the VSB’s treasurer to drive home the point. The new Hudson elementary is in the same predicament - new technology needs have not been met. Mr. Lauzon says there’s been a suggestion the school enter a commitment to pay the debt off in increments over a ten year time frame, but he is not in favour of the idea, as he doesn’t want to saddle the future community with this burden. Neither should parents be burdened with this financial problem, he says.
Other topics Mr. Lauzon touched on: He would like the PAC website to be up and running so that parents can get key information there.
Parents have brought up the fact that some students were given homework during the Christmas break. He will bring this up with teachers, as he believes students should get a break during the holidays. But he understands why teachers would feel the need to issue homework, given they have so much material to cover in a compressed semester session.