October 2024
These are the topics discussed at the October meeting.
Message from PAC Chairperson
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It has been an exciting month for our school community.
Parents had the opportunity for guided tours of our new school, led by Hamber Leadership students after our October PAC meeting. It was wonderful to see so many of you join us, exploring the vibrant learning environments and witnessing firsthand the incredible work our students and staff are doing. Your presence and enthusiasm truly made the event special.
As we move forward, I want to extend a warm invitation to all parents and caregivers to join our upcoming PAC meetings. These meetings are a fantastic opportunity to get involved, share your ideas and help shape the future of our school. Your participation is invaluable, and we would love to see you there.
Additionally, I encourage everyone to come participate in our WhatsApp Community. It's a great platform for staying connected, sharing updates and supporting each other. Whether you have questions or suggestions, or just want to stay informed, our WhatsApp group is the place to be. Join us through this URL or the QR Code below: https://chat.whatsapp.com/I2tFrsVvIc7HyuTOcHjhuB
We hope to change the method we’re using for newsletter distribution, so if you would like to stay up to date by receiving future PAC newsletters (~monthly), please send an email to chair@hamberpac.ca.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement. Together, we can make a positive impact on our children's education and school experience.
Warm regards,
Jackie Lee
PAC Chairperson
Finances
Hamber PAC has received Gaming Grant funds of $30,000. This money is used for special requests made by teachers and clubs, and it can be carried over to next year (for a maximum of two years).
In our General account we have $1,400, but many bills have yet to be paid. (And if we can’t find a parent volunteer to help – hint, hint – we will have to pay someone to get our website up and running.) This is money we use to put on the teacher appreciation lunch, to bring in guest speakers for parents, and to cover items that are not funded by the Gaming Grants. We have to fundraise this amount, and we will be sending information soon about a Direct Drive campaign for this purpose.
Principal’s Report
Mr. Lauzon welcomed the parents to his second Hamber PAC meeting since joining our school this fall.. He invited parents to offer feedback because he said it’s helpful for him to take these suggestions directly to the teachers. In addition to taking questions during PAC meetings, he will be available to talk with parents after meetings, and parents can also reach out to him to make individual appointments.
One parent raised a concern about vaping in Hamber. Mr. Lauzon said the school doesn’t tolerate vaping and that he encourages students to report it anonymously, if they wish. He said it’s not “ratting,” but instead, an “upstander’s duty” (as opposed to being a bystander who does nothing). He said there is less opportunity for vaping in the new school because of its improved sightlines. He says there are few places where vaping can occur without an adult seeing it.
He was asked to clarify what the direct drive fundraising is for. Mr. Lauzon launched the drive in early October (https://www.vsb.bc.ca/eric-hamber/_ci/p/76592) seeking $200,000. He explained that while the building has been paid for by the school district, the items inside the school are not paid for by the district. This includes technology like the brand new overhead projectors. He says the district should be paying for these items, and will be meeting with them, to hopefully strike a cost-sharing agreement. He is happy to report that the direct drive has already raised $20,000.
DPAC Update
On Oct 30, DPAC hosted Project Shema (“Shema” is to “listen/hear” in Hebrew) for a webinar on antisemitism. This organization works throughout North America to educate about contemporary antisemitism for people of all backgrounds from university, government, corporate and nonprofit settings.
The webinar was the latest in a series of DPAC presentations about racism and discrimination against various minority groups. DPAC hosted this session in response to parent concerns over rising antisemitism. (VPD data shows a 700% year-on-year increase in hate-motivated incidents, with a disproportionate percentage targeting Jews.) The presentation explored Jewish identity, historical context and how to recognize antisemitism in our current society, with a focus on addressing this form of discrimination in our schools and community. It offered techniques for “depolarizing difficult conversations around anti-Jewish harm to strengthen allyship for and within the Jewish community.” There was a 45-minute Q&A session, and the event had the highest attendance of any DPAC event (~140 people).
It emphasized that we all have a duty to show up for others with solidarity and grace, and that everyone – regardless of background – is deserving of dignity and compassion. We need to take care in how we speak and resist any language that dehumanizes others. Importantly, they stressed that we don’t need to agree in order to empathize.
Thank you to DPAC for offering this safe and engaging space to tackle a timely and sensitive topic. For more info, see https://www.projectshema.org
Challenge Studio Fundraiser
Order Purdy’s; Support the Challenge Studio Fundraiser! Orders due Nov. 30
https://fundraising.purdys.com/1803999-122109
It’s time for the annual Challenge Studio 2024 Purdy’s fundraising event! Students are raising money for activities, and you get premium chocolates crafted in Canada with 100% sustainable cocoa.
Please encourage family and friends to support us by sharing the instructions below.
The deadline for placing orders is Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. Purdy's orders will be packaged by student and parent volunteers on Dec. 9 after school, then will be ready for pickup by students on Tues., Dec. 10 for delivery to their customers.
Go to https://fundraising.purdys.com/1803999-122109
Enter your email in the box indicated. If you’ve registered before, you will be automatically added to the campaign; otherwise, you will be prompted to register.
Select “Shop Online” from the options along the top. If you don’t see product photos, then choose “Marketplace”.
Before selecting Proceed to Checkout, please click the Edit button. In the “Additional info” box, please add a Challenge Studio student’s name (optional), so we can give appropriate credit for the sale. Click Update, then click Close.
Select your items and Checkout when ready.
Note: Please disregard the Pickup date - Students will pick up everything on or around Dec. 10th.
Thank you in advance for your support, and happy shopping!
Contact Us
Want to help out with the PAC? Other questions?
Contact us at chair@hamberPAC.ca
2024 Hamber PAC
Jackie Lee, Chair: Chair@hamberPAC.ca
Anne Yu and Peter Couch, Vice Chairs
Kathy Tran, Secretary
Octavio West, Treasurer
Deborah Stern Silver, DPAC Rep