PAC Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Present: Vincent Ng, Shawne MacIntyre, Colleen Reid, Teg Bains, Jenna Newman, Jenn McMillan, Charissa Anderson, Taylor Sims, Beatriz

Regrets: Aniela Daum, LJ Cajigas, Colleen Orzen, Nadine 

Admin: Kirsten Wallace, Principal

Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introductions:

• Vincent welcomed all

2. Review & Approval of Last Meeting’s Minutes:

• Jenn motioned to approve; all in favour and passed

3. Review & Approval of Agenda:

• Agenda sent via WhatsApp b/c wifi issues on President’s part
• Review and Approval of Agenda was not executed

4. Event Update:

• PAC channels of communications need to be streamlined
• Craft Fair to be discussed afterward
• Tabled for another date: Outdoor playground to be discussed at later date
• Tabled for another date: Parent complaint received about traffic situation in back lot
• Remembrance Day assembly

5. Administrators Report:

• Kirsten W. gave a land acknowledgment as Dixon is on the lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language group;
• City of Richmond Artist Collaboration – the artist Andrea Hoff was sponsored to come to school to work with three divisions to create a graphic comic book around theme of sustainability ($14,000 from city, $2,000 from Dixon), project will occur between January – June 2024 with open house in early June;
• Winter Holiday event “A Snowy Day” (Dec 14 – 1:30 and 6:30 shows); encourage parents to attend only one show – ideally the afternoon show. Kirsten is looking for white indoor lights (rope lights)/birch tree lights to put around the stage;
• Last week of school will be skating on Winter Wonderland which will take place on Monday Dec 18^th. One bus has been secured and otherwise will rely on parent drivers for two groups of kids. Kids can bring helmets but must be skating helmet (not bike);
• Dec 19^th – Sing Along in the gym;
• Dec 20^th – Reading under the Stars; Admin is looking for starlight projectors and Charissa may have one to lend;
• Dec 21^st Jingle Bell Run will take place before school; Annual fundraiser for the Food Bank and details TBA;
• Dec 22^nd there will be a School Wide Movie;
• Parents were invited to School Messenger which is a new platfom that Dixon is learning about (texting to parents service who opt-in);
• Swimming Lessons will begin and will be for Div 1,2,7,8; Classes will take public transit on staggered dates (will be 8-10 lessons);
• Saleema’s Group is booked for February 12;
• Basketball will begin in the new year for Grade 6/7s (maybe grade 5s);
• Carnival will be the week of Jan 22-26^th
• Toonie Talent Show in the new year;

Learning Update #2

• Paper copies will be sent;
• For those who have trouble logging on, there are instructions on website;
• Report Cards will be based on the Proficiency Scale, and provide next steps and goals for learning;

Overall

• Lots of confidence issues and anxiety/worry amongst the student population;
• Focus on peaceful problem solving;
• Role of Play in child development/the overscheduled child is very important;
• Kirsten recommends “Reclaiming our Students” by Hannah Beach;​​​​​

Scholastic Book Fair

• Ms. Pederson looking for help this Friday 1:30-2:00 pm lfahrni@sd38.bc.ca

Seismic Updates

• Design Meeting is Dec 18^th in afternoon;

6. Spirit Wear

• Mock up sent around meeting participants;
• Trucker Hat/toque will be embroidered;
• There’s an option for us to add fundraising element to it (eg: add $5 to order) – Beatriz to ask if there is an admin fee for this element (Shopify will charge possibly 2.9% on donation)
• Will be offered online for certain amount of time on Shopify site (2 weeks only) – turnaround time will be 2-3 weeks
• Could do a Fall/Winter run and a Spring run in next school year
• Adult t-shirts are $18; Youth is $15; $24 for Trucker hat;
• Size samples will be sent and there are lots of options for sweaters, etc.
• Logo will be on the front of sweaters;
• Kirsten suggests they add a note to the Shopify website that indicates to see Ms. Wallace is there is financial hardship so no one can be left out (we can also put this in newsletter)

7. Outdoor Playground Project:

• Teg suggests the school create a plan for long-term fundraising for new playground;
• Dave from “Habitat” will help school through the process/placement of structure; they do traditional and natural playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces, etc.; they do design/build and install;
• Sarah Yick is interested in this project and shared some ideas with Vincent N. about this; Vincent talked to Terra Nova nature school and had a discussion about teaching space outdoors AND kid-play space;
• No budget numbers currently (cost could possibly be $70,000 +); the bill has to be paid all at once and there are no payment plans for this type of thing;
• Should we be putting this out there into the school community to see if this is something Dixon wants to pursue;
• Kirsten says that Dixon is nowhere on the school district list to be replaced anytime soon so this is something to consider financially

8. Treasurer’s Report and Annual Budget

• Update: Jenna $6700 gaming grant received; 2023 school year net rev is $8,300 from hot lunch, $676 for movie night; $1,400 craft fair (vendor tables plus a few expenses to date); Purdy’s fundraiser total not available at time of this meeting
• Gaming Account: we’ll want to budget around $6,500 this year such as: grad 7 grad, reader’s choice library, library resource fund, fine arts fund such as the December concert to cover props and any rentals, Saleema Noon PAC covers 50% of speaker fee, Beach Day – we should discuss; grade 6/7 camp (last year nothing was budgeted in 2021-22, only $600 was budgeted) – Kirsten mentions would be great to defray costs of this by $25 per student so we can discuss this; Field Trip fund at cost of $10-14/student so this can be considered; volleyball uniforms and school clubs have been raised as an idea;
• Operating Fund: currently around $39,000 (including neighbourhood celebration fund) and have already approved Classroom supplies allotments @ $350 each division; lots of other line items to consider such as resource teacher allotments, part of Field Trip fund or Beach Day, as well as regular annual expenses like PAC Munchalunch admin fees, PAC Postage, Movie Licence, Scholarships and other line items per the Treasurer spreadsheet;
• One-Time Expenses to consider: Garden Renewal (already approved and used the neighbourhood celebration grant), Square terminal for fundraising (already approved), Class library allotments @ $250/div; volleyball + club uniforms, instruments;
• Jenn M speaks to how it has been handled in previous years: in 2022-23 the PAC raised a lot and typically the PAC fundraises for monies to be spent in the following year. This school year we may not raise as much as we have fewer hot lunches, movies nights were very popular last year since it was the first time since Covid so there was more involvement, etc. Estimate we’ll make $4,000-$5,000 LESS than last year.
  • We were reserving an amount of $5,000 carried forward each year since Covid, and we may decide now this can be spent
  • We may not have as much wiggle room for spending as we’ll likely not fundraise as much this year
  • Teg suggests we reduce the allocation or fund only one of the field trip line items and not both/all (i.e., last year we funded field trips per division and all of Beach Day)
  • $250 allocation per div? Last year we did do a bit more than usual at $350 per div
  • Gaming account could be used for Field trips; we could move the Beach Day trips to Operation Account. (Jenn M suggests, Teg suggests)
  • Charissa suggests we message more strongly to parent population that the PAC helps defray field trip costs
  • Grade 7 grad of $1,000 – Grade 6/7 camp could be $750 to come out of Gaming and next year it will be $750 for Saleema (they each occur on opposite years)
  • Field Trip fund: $3,000 (split between gaming and operating)
  • Beach Day only $2000, so half of what we supported last year, or something else?
  • Can approve $10/student right now and can decide later which account it comes out of
  • Jenn makes a motion to allocate $3,400 ($10/student) towards Field Trips, from general account. Teg seconds; all in favour.

9. Chair’s Report:

• There was insufficient time left to fully discuss the budget and vote on changes
• The PAC needs to meet again to thoroughly allot the budget and vote, to allow monies to be spent; date to be decided
• 7:45pm adjourn