PAC Meeting December 7, 2010

Southlands Elementary School PAC Meeting Minutes
Date: December 7, 2010; 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Southlands Elementary School Library
Attendees: Kim Nemeth (Principal), Michelle Kokan, Verlee Bromley (Co-Chairs), Heidi
MacLean (Fundraising), John Stekl (Treasurer), Krista Hilton (Recorder), Amalia Cook, Angela
Brooks, Chrystal Palaty, Liping Wu, Rachel Vicente, Pedro Vicente, Soo Khim Yeo (Members at
large).
1. Principalʼs Report" " " " Kim Nemeth
Our new French teacher, Ms. Jessica Chapelski, started with us on November 22nd, replacing Ms.
Danilovic.
On January 4th there will be another change of staff for the final job placements this year. Divisions 4, 6,
and 11 will receive their new teachers.
Christmas food bank collections are in high gear and students have been actively participating.
We’ve been notified that the washrooms will be upgraded in the new year, date still to be confirmed. In
order to do this, the boys/girls washrooms will have to be closed on a two week rotating basis, with
details still to be worked out.
The Winter Concert is coming up next week. Both staff and students are working very hard on their
upcoming performances.
A report to the VSB committees II and II is being reviewed this evening. There is an approval in principle
for newly established catchment areas for University Hill Elementary. Also on the table is the possibility
that University Hill children could be moved to the Queen Elizabeth grounds and schooled in portables
for the next two years. If this gets approved in principle at this meeting then it goes to a consultative
process at which point Southlands PAC could participate in that process. The report is on the VSB
website for anyone wanting to review in further detail (http://www.vsb.bc.ca/sites/default/files/
10Dec07_op_commII_III_AttachmentToReport.pdf).
The IB Learner trait, reflective learner, is being worked on this month. Division 4 has done a whole unit
on “who we are”.
Last day of school before Winter break is December 17th, 2010 and school will re-open on Tuesday,
January 4th, 2011.
2. Treasurerʼs Report " " " " John Stekl
Pizza and hot dog day revenues and expenses need to be reviewed.
Fundraising is currently ahead of budget this year.
No change on other items so far.

3. Fundraising " " " " " Heidi MacLean
a. Subway day
Average profit around $200; average student orders around 90 to 100 per time. The next Subway Day is
Tuesday, December 14th.
b. Purdy’s
This holiday fundraiser was very successful with $493 profit, up from the last couple of years.
c. Winter concert |
Tickets started selling this morning and after school today, and will be sold again Thursday morning and
after school. At that point if there any leftover tickets then we will go down the list on a first come first
serve basis and deliver the extra evening concert tickets requested (where possible). Already 75
afternoon and 140 evening tickets have been sold. There is a maximum seating capacity of 295, which
was determined for safety reasons by the Fire Marshall.
The evening performance is when all of the kindergarten children will be performing. The PAC will be
doing a live auction as well, during the time when the band changes and they set up for the play. The
kindergarten through grade three classes have all been given a wreath to decorate for the live auction,
and the older buddies in the school have been helping so everyone has been getting involved. There
have been some nice donations come in to help create gift baskets for the live auction. Hope to have a
list of all live auction items go home in the backpack mail Monday or Tuesday of next week.
The bake sale will open on concert day from 12:00 to 1:00 and then reopen at 5:30 until closing.
We are planning to decorate the gym on Wednesday and need lots of volunteers all day and evening to
prepare for the concert.
We still need two ticket takers at the doors, two for each event (perhaps this is suitable for the grade
sevens). We also still need volunteers for refreshment sales from 6:00 to 6:30, to sell coffee, tea, and
bottled water.
Mr. Olsen is retiring this year after 16 years of organizing and running our concerts. We need to get a gift
of thanks for him from the Southlands PAC.
We are looking into filming the evening performance, as one of the student’s fathers would donate his
time and expertise to do this. We would offset the costs of production, editing, etc by selling DVDs of
the concert. The estimated total cost to produce is around $1200 to $1500, so we would have to sell
about 125 to 150 DVDs to make this work. Principal Nemeth will check to see whether we can go ahead
with this idea.
4. Other Business"" " " " Michelle Kokan
a. Photographer for the school yearbook

We are asking for a parent volunteer to photograph the Winter Concert for the school yearbook, and we
have saved one front row ticket for that individual who volunteers.
b. Translation
Liping Wu has done Mandarin translations of some of the PAC forms. She has also been taking calls
from some of the Mandarin parents, so this is working out very well.
c. Provisional teacher status
Pedro Vicente had questions regarding the provisional teacher status and if it has affected the children.
Principal Nemeth confirmed that the teachers that will be in place in January are the permanent positions
now. These new teachers coming to the school have volunteered their evening and weekend time to
come in and talk to the current teachers, so that the transition is as smooth as possible.
The other question was in regards to the status of the University Hill students next year and what would
happen to them and to Southlands. It was discussed that if the University Hill students all leave and go
to a new location (which has yet to be determined), then Southlands population will decline, and
declined enrollment will result in a loss of staff. However, we can only speculate on the outcome at this
point. The district constantly staffs to having students in a school (students currently in seats). Principal
Nemeth’s best advice is to wait and see what the end result of the report is and what the consultative
process will look like. The budget that runs the VSB typically comes down in the Spring time. Any
public consultation will happen at this point, and then parents will have a chance to give feedback.
d. PAC role
Angela Brooks brought up in discussion the question regarding the role of the PAC re issues at the level
of the school district. Michelle Kokan clarified that the PAC's primary roles are to support the students'
education and school experience, and help build the school community and relationships; mostly
through fundraising and social and school activities. The PAC's role is not political activism, although
the PAC can assist individual parents to find the appropriate people to speak to regarding administrative
and school district concerns.

PAC Meeting December 7, 2010

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Southlands Elementary School PAC Meeting Minutes

Date: December 7, 2010; 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location: Southlands Elementary School Library

1. Principalʼs Report" " " " Kim Nemeth

2. Treasurerʼs Report " " " " John Stekl

Fundraising is currently ahead of budget this year.

No change on other items so far.

4. Other Business"" " " " Michelle Kokan

a. Photographer for the school yearbook

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