November 2004 Pac Minutes Lord Byng Senior Secondary Parent Advisory Council General Meeting Minutes Date & Time: November 23, 2004. Convened at 7:15 PM Location: Lord Byng Senior Secondary School, Library 3939 West 16^th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. ATTENDANCE: _Jan Berney__, Kirsten Brawn, Cindy Brenneis, Ken Cameron, Caroline Crowe, Laura Cruikshank, Michael Davis, Rick Downie, B. Estabrook, Laurie Frederick, Michael Glaser, Tamar Glaser, Valerie Jenkinson, Jan Johnston, Elaine Knappfuller, S. McGowan, Andrew Mason, Glenda Matthews, Kathy Mukai, P. Mundy, Ron Poutti, Tracy Proke, John Robertson, Jane Scherk, Karin Smith, Judy Thau, Candace Watson, Derek Wong, Tracy Yuen._ _ _ SCHOOL REPS: Darlene Braeder, (Principal), Rob Schindel, (Vice Principal), Zoe Jordan (Student Council President). 1. Minutes of the October 26, 2004 meeting. / / /John Robertson// moved to adopt the Minutes of the October 2004 meeting. Eve seconded the motion. Carried./ 2. Principal?s Report (Darlene Braeder) - The administration has noticed that it is busier in the halls because of the bad weather. - There has been rising anxiety about the Grade 10 exams. DB said that the staff have been preparing and equipping the students to do well in their exams. Since the implementation of the Academic Improvement Plan, students in Grades 8 to 11 have been taking mid-term exams in February as well as final exams. Therefore, with all this practice, the students are prepared for the Provincial exam-type format. - All grades write mid-terms and finals; the purpose of these exams is to help students prepare for Provincials and to help them to focus on academics. - Anxiety and stress are normal; the students have already developed study, coping, and test-taking skills. Last year there were practice tests for the Grade 10?s; the teachers are familiar with the questions and will put similar ones on the mid-term exams. The teachers have also tweaked the curriculum to match what was on the IRP; therefore the students should be well-prepared. - Question: Have the Grade 10 practice exams been normed? No and the results have not yet been released. - Question: Is Lord Byng going to send a statement like that to be sent by PW? The parent (who is on the PW PAC Executive) reported that the PW letter states that the Grade 10 kids are not adequately prepared to take Provincial exams; they are not developmentally ready and therefore recommended that Provincials should only be taken in Grade 12. - The Grade counselors and Rob Schindel have had meetings with the Grade 8 and 9 Parent groups and the Grade 10 meeting is planned for December 6^th . The parents will be meeting with Lisa Black and teachers from the core subjects. - The Parent Grad committee has started planning the Graduation Dinner Dance and also a Safe or Dry Grad. A newsletter will be sent out advertising fund-raising opportunities. - An 80^th Anniversary Committee has been formed including DB, two teachers, MaryBeth Sullivan, Karin Smith and Ken Cameron, to plan the celebration and fund-raising activities. - Report cards come home December 9; interim reports were sent home previously. At the Grade 12 level, the report card is the second intervention opportunity. If a student is failing in two or more subjects then he/she may be put on academic probation. - One of the Grade 10 parents stated she has interviewed parents, teachers and counselors at several schools and no one is in favour of the Grade 10 exams. She urged parents to attend the Grade 10 meeting and join with other schools to ask the Province not to implement them. 3. Student Council Report (Zoe Jordan) - Zoe said that there was not much to report; however, the first school dance will be held on December 1. 19 parent volunteers have signed up to chaperone and they hope to get 20 teacher volunteers (they have 11). The dance is going to happen, many tickets have been sold. - The SC is organizing a Lego drive for Tillicum Annex; the students need to have lego to develop their fine motor skills. - The SC is supporting the Special Needs classes in their fund-raising for the Union Gospel Mission (for the homeless). - A list of the clubs has been posted outside the Office (when they meet, who sponsors them); although the long-standing clubs remain (Helping Hands, World Music) there are several new clubs (Sea Monkeys). - One of the parents asked whether there was a school song and did Zoe know that the Lord Byng song used to be ?When the Saint Go Marching In? and that everyone stood when the song was sung? Zoe didn?t know but she will follow up on that. KC pointed out that there was an earlier, rowdier song that is no longer in use. 4. Volunteers - parent volunteers are needed for the Code of Conduct committee (two or three are needed). This committee is looking to put together a survey with a view toward revising and updating the Code of Conduct. Could any parent willing to serve on the committee contact either Ken Cameron or Darlene Braeder. - Last year the SPC had parent volunteers do a recent grad survey and would like to do this again. The survey has to be done by the parents at the school, one evening for a few hours. The list of volunteers will be canvassed but any parent willing to help out should see either KC or DB. - Jan Berney asked what happened to last year?s survey? KC said that it was compiled by the SPC and is to be used to identify those areas in which the school is strong and those which need to be looked at. 5. Designated Alternates for the SPC - last year alternates volunteered to attend SPC meetings if the elected members could not attend. The Executive recommended that alternates be identified: Karin Smith, Rick Downie and Tracy Proke. - /Laurie Frederick// moved and John Robertson seconded the motion that Karin Smith, Rick Downie and Tracy Proke be designated as alternates. Carried./ 6. Treasurer?s Report (Kirsten Brawn) - Kirsten put up the monthly Treasurer?s Report on the overhead and reported that the balance in the Regular Account is $8,040.20. The Gaming Account balance is $25,315.74; these funds must be spent on extracurricular activities. The Wish List committee has identified requests totaling $15,432 and if these are allocated then the balance will be $9,883 02. - The Grocery Certificates program earned $3,117.24; the profit to date shows a return of 7.12%. - A parent asked what the Grocery Certificate funds are spent on? Kirsten answered that these funds go into the Regular Account and can be used for unrestricted purposes but there are restrictions on the use of the Gaming Account funds. - Ken Cameron asked for a motion to approve the expenditure of $289 on an auditorium chair in memory of Katherine Loewen. /John Robertson// moved and Kathy Mukai seconded the motion; carried./ - /Tracy Proke// made a motion to receive the Treasurer?s Report; Trisha seconded the motion. Carried./ 7. Wish List (Rick Downie) - RD posted the ?A? List on the overhead. He explained that the Gaming Funds are received early in the year and later in the year the Regular funds are received through the PAC fund-raising activities. - In June and September the Wish List committee sent out request forms to the teachers, the administration, the Student Council and the Grad Committee. The requests came in and then further requests came in later. The committee reviewed all of the requests and put together three lists: A: things that are required right away and B and C, requests that are less urgent and can be disbursed later in the year. - RD explained each item on the A list which totals $14,987. - One of the parents asked why there was not a single academic request. RD answered that all of the A list items are to be met with Gaming Funds which cannot be spent on academic items. The parent asked whether all of the departments had an opportunity to respond? (Yes). - John Robertson questioned whether giving Media Arts two of the requested headsets might not work for them. RD will check this out. - Another parent asked whether giving one camera to the Media Arts department might not give the department the functionality that it needs. DB answered that the department has 8 cameras now and that if they receive one a year then that should fill their requirements. - One parent asked whether the Media Arts department does their own fund-raising? DB answered that the Drama department did their own fund-raising and that Media Arts paid a fee for extras. - RD then displayed and explained the B and C lists. - The previous parent asked again why there were no requests from the core subject departments such as Math, Science and English? DB answered that the academic departments are provided with all of the resources they need: $45,000 was spent on textbooks, $25,000 was spent on new equipment for the Science department and $25,000 was given to the Math department for new calculators. Laurie Frederick confirmed that all of the departments are fully aware of the program. - Cindy Brenneis noted that lots of classes ask for additional fees for supplies. DB said that these were for curriculum items which are not eligible for Gaming Funds. - One parent asked whether the Drama department could provide mimes and story-telling for the ESL department. - One parent asked where the other half of the admission fee for the Band would come from? RD answered that they would have to raise the rest. - One parent asked whether some of the funds could be used to hire university professors to come and speak to the kids in the core subjects. RD answered that the Gaming Funds can?t be used for the core subjects. - A parent asked whether the parents were asked for requests. RD answered that the parents were asked indirectly (students were asked and the Student Council and the Grad committee. - /RD moved and Glenda Matthews seconded the motion that the A list be approved for disbursement. The motion was carried./// 8. Lord Byng?s 80^th Anniversary (Karin Smith) - Karin explained that the general goal was to use the events planned as a means to connect parents and alumnae to the school and possibly achieve a better level of financial and non-financial support. - Karin explained that the committee needs to make contact with the alumnae and asked for funds up to $500 to finance the initial contact with the alumnae. - /Michel Tenzer moved that the 80^th Anniversary be allocated funds up to $500 to make the initial contact with the alumnae; Judy Thau seconded the motion. Carried./ 9. Other Business - JR reported on the DPAC meeting which has another meeting on Thursday. The DPAC has requested that reps bring up to 5 items of concern for discussion. He will bring up our financial shortfall, the Grade 10 exams and asked for other suggestions (after the meeting). - John also asked whether any parent would consider running for a DPAC Executive position. Judy Thau asked for her name to be put forward. /JR moved and KM seconded the motion to put Judy?s name forward. Carried./ - Laurie F. reported that she will try to put the forms for the Poinsettia Sale up on the Grad Committee web site. - A parent asked for an update on the $10,000 shortfall. DB replied that the school still has the debt. 10. Speaker, Lana Chow (Byng Arts Co-ordinator) - Ms. Chow has been the Bung Arts Coordinator for the last three years. Byng Arts forms a school within the school in which students focus on Fine Arts, particularly the elective of their choice. - More recently streaming has been introduced and BA students take English, Socials and Science with other BA students and Math and PE with the rest of their grade. - Literary Arts was introduced last year and one class was designated as Literary Arts. The English teachers recommended students for this program. In each grade there are 30 Visual Arts students, 30 Drama students, 15 in Band and 15 in Strings. - The Grade 7?s write the district Cognitive Exam and submit a writing sample and must express an interest in order to go into the Literary Arts program. Both non-fiction and creative writing are taught. In Grade 11, the only academic subject required is English (and also in Grade 12). AP English, creative writing and journalism are available. - Cindy Brenneis asked whether there is an emphasis on the arts in the academic subjects and Ms. Chow replied yes in English and Social Studies, not in Math and she is hoping that Science will move toward being more activity-based. - One parent noted that a lot of BA students leave and go to Trek and were these positions then filled. Yes - Another parent asked whether there was a special attraction of BA students to the Trek program? Ms. Chow answered that the BA students are generally well-rounded and so are attracted to Trek; she noted that they have to audition for their BA positions and if they leave then they have to re-apply. - Another parent asked about the International Baccalaureate program and Ms. Chow noted that some BA students had left to go to the IB and then came back. - Jan Berney asked about the choir program; is there a staffing problem? Ms. Chow noted that the Media Arts and the Literary Arts programs are now up and running and perhaps they will now work on a choir program. - In order to be accepted in Byng Arts the student must have no C?s and no N?s. - Judy Thau asked whether there is attrition; do students at first feel that they want to do BA and then decide that they don?t want to carry on? Ms. Chow stated that there is some attrition between Grade 10 and Grade 11, some but not a lot; she noted that they have been able to maintain two English classes in Grade 11 and Grade 12. - Eva noted that 6 out of 8 of her student?s teachers are subs and she thought that BA teachers used to be hand-picked to be stable. DB replied that Lord Byng lost 11 of its youngest and most enthusiastic teachers (mostly in BA) and that there had been no choice. 23 of the staff turned over last year with mat leaves, deaths in the family, etc. The administration has no control over this. Teachers can no longer be hand-picked because they are replaced by seniority. DB noted that the Drama department puts on a large number of productions and our expectations are higher than those of other schools. - Cindy Brenneis asked what is the parents? role in helping to provide continuity when there are subs? It was explained that the department heads take the new teachers under their wing. - Cindy also commented that last year the web site was fabulous and it is not as good this year. DB explained that the web site is developed and managed by the students and therefore it depends on their priorities. - A parent asked whether there is any data on the BA grads ? where do they go? Ms. Chow replied that she recently was contacted by the Nova Scotia Institute of Fine Arts who have 5 of the BA grads and would like to come and speak to the students. - She understands that there are students in Drama at UVic, at Emily Carr and in art schools in Ontario. - One parent said that her child had been short-listed and asked to re-apply for Grade 9 and she wanted to know what are the chance of acceptance? Ms. Chow said that Byng students have priority over outside students and no audition is necessary in Grade 9. - A portfolio must be submitted in order to be accepted in Honours Visual Arts. - A parent asked whether a student must apply for the Literary Program and Ms. Chow replied yes and that strong writing skills are needed. - Another parent commented that her child was interested in the band but not visual arts. Ms. Chow answered that the Fine Arts teachers teach both BA and the regular fine arts. DB explained that there are three streams: Fine Arts, Drama, and Band/Strings. - In some programs (ie literature with Ms. Yeung) the students learn through multiple literacies; their projects for the course may involve, for example, a dramatic performance, a musical piece or a sculpture of the main character. - Generally BA students are in one stream but they can be in two. They have two electives and they can choose. - Ms. Chow noted that in BA, students can take Dance Class as an alternative to PE. - One parent asked Ms. Chow to explain the Honours program and majors and minors requirements. For a major with honours 4 courses in each of Grade 11 and 12 must be completed with an average of 86% or higher. For a minor three courses must be completed with an average of 80% or higher. - One parent asked how this program has helped the kids and Ms. Chow replied that she is getting calls from all over and she believes that this has to do with the commitment of the students. - One parent suggested that the problems with maintaining consistency of staff and the difficulty in hiring staff should be taken to DPAC as this is so vital to the program. - Ken Cameron commented that the schools need flexibility in selecting teachers for special courses. At 8:40 PM the meeting became a social gathering and wine and appetizers were available. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.