May 2026 Newsletter
These are the topics discussed at the May meeting
Treasurer’s report
Round three of gaming grant funds for extracurricular activities has now been allocated. A total of $2,400 was left, and two clubs applied for funding. A new student club will get $400, and the music department will get $2,000 to cover maintenance and restoration of the donated Heintzmann baby grand piano in the band room.
About 56% of the total gaming grant has been spent. Many clubs haven’t spent their allotment, or have yet to submit receipts. Unused funds cannot be used by the same clubs next year. Not all clubs’ requests are granted because of the strict nature of how gaming grants must be spent. For example, clubs cannot use money to pay for prizes or gift cards.
Teacher appreciation lunch
The lunch is coming up on June 24th. Parents are encouraged to either donate online, donate in-kind, or volunteer on the day. The sooner online donations can be made, the better, as it takes about two weeks for the funds to arrive from the Cash Online site. The principal Jason Lauzon suggests the lunch be renamed “staff lunch” to include support, custodial, office, engineering and education assistants staff.
Teacher Appreciation Lunch 2026 (1).pdf
Hamber theatre update
Taya, a grade 12 student and this year’s theatre producer/production manager, thanked the PAC for providing $1,380. $900 of it went to copyright and performance rights for The Crucible. Another $280 went to paying Hamber graduate and Langara student Michelle Molina for her choreography.
Principal’s report
Jason Lauzon thanked outgoing PAC members Jackie, Deborah and the others for their advocacy, providing important parent feedback, and for their work organizing the staff lunch, the mayor’s visit and other advocacy work.
The mayor of Vancouver and other district officials visited the school on May 8 to see firsthand some of the traffic problems around the school, particularly student crossings and vehicle congestion. The city , the school district, and engineers are all involved because the solution will require changes to traffic patterns around the school. The goal is to have improvements made by September.
Mr. Lauzon expressed appreciation for the PAC’s work on the staff appreciation lunch, and explained how events like these and community traditions make the school more welcoming. He also noted student-led initiatives like the Spirit Relay event for district special education programs and a breakfast event that students have carried forward from the old school.
The school is looking more ‘lived-in’ thanks to student art work being placed in a stairwell. Mr. Lauzon hopes other spaces can be filled with art work by students and staff.
Cell phone use among students continues to be an issue. Staff have had the opportunity, during professional development, to understand the science behind device addiction, and what that does for anxiety and emotional well-being. He says the school is looking at establishing phone hotels, where devices can be put away from students in class.
Hamber is about to hit an enrollment of 1,720 students in September, which is above the 1,700 capacity the school was built for. The Oakridge development is gradually going to be seeing its condos and apartments fill up, which is anticipated to drive up local population growth. The school board could adjust catchment boundaries, but Mr. Lauzon says it would be politically and practically difficult.
Overall, the enrolment of students in the Vancouver school district is down by about 600 to 800 students.
The school is about to receive funding to provide a dedicated counsellor for each grade. At the moment, some counsellors straddle different grades. Three counsellors cover Gr. 12.
Vice-principal Nick Despotakis is heading for Churchill High, due to a district rule that stipulates administrators cannot work in the same school as their children. Mr. Lauzon says he is disappointed to lose him.
Recently, an individual near the bike lockers was arrested with tools and equipment used to cut locks. This came about when staff noticed a suspicious person, and Vice Mr. Despotakis confronted the person. Police were then called. This may be connected to other bike thefts.
Parents should note that on Monday, June 15th, graduation will be held at the Orpheum at 11am, meaning many teachers will not be at school but attending the ceremony. So for that day, the school schedule has been altered. Classes begin at 9:20am and the last class will be dismissed at 2:05 pm. There will be no formal instruction on that day, but classes will be supervised. Families will be free to keep their students at home that day, if they choose.
Lastly, there was some water damage done at the school’s west staircase following the opening of a pipe valve. Humidity checks are being performed to monitor for mold.
Final comments
Because many PAC reps will not be returning, after their children graduate this year, there will be several openings. We will need a new DPAC rep.
Treasurer Octavio thanked chair Jackie for his years of leadership and behind-the-scenes work in advocacy for traffic changes and improvements to the library entrance.