Meeting began 6:35 pm on Microsoft Teams

Attendees:

Alaric Wang, Chris daum, Aiden Qin, Anchi's parents, Belle Leung, Bonnie Wong, Eva Law, Marissa, Kelly Shih, Lea-Anne Domae, Lily Qiu, Lucas Ho ,Nick Zhang, Pamela Chan, Ping Chu, Senxin Huang, Shayden Chak, Yichen Zhang, Harold Lee, Stephanie, YCZ, Yvonne Lee, ZC Zhao, Dorothy, Ro, Yingmiao Lu, Jon Lau

Welcome and Introductions

Alaric welcomed all parents and introduced Mr Daum, new principal. 

Also introduced Ms. Ping Chu

• settlement worker for Richmond School District
• working in 5 schools including Steveston London and Jessie wowk
• help families
• provide resources if families need any community support
• can contact through phone 778-835-1250
• or can email address from school office
• will be at Jessie Wowk on Monday afternoons

PAC Executive Committee for this year:

• Chair - Alaric
• Treasurer - Jon
• Secretary - Amelia
• Members at large: Yanny, Belle, Mabel

Adoption of minutes 

June minutes can be found on website

Alaric proposed Motion to adopt June 2021 minutes

- Jon seconded

Alaric proposed Motion to adopt September 2021 agenda

- Belle seconded

Financial Report

Jon presented the financial report from last year and budget for this year.

• Munch a Lunch charges annual fee + transaction based fees
• didn't have to pay last year as we suspended our account last year as we did not have any food days
• the budget for this year will assume fundraising with pizza day once per week (estimate which includes the Munch a Lunch transaction fees)
•  we have the usual expenditures for classroom allocations, graduation, teacher appreciation
• Because of COVID, weren’t able to do a lot of fundraising
• Typically some fundraising bring in most is food sales, pizza days, sushi, subway
• Fundraising perspective weren’t able to do too much
• Raised around $5K last year
• Did get money from government from gaming grant, only used for specific things
• Typical expenses were for classrooms, for teachers to get certain things; also for graduates (graduation party, cakes, and gifts for teachers)
• Outdoor education happens every 2 years
• Also had grants from TD and Fresh Slice, allocated for library improvement and gym equipment purchase, and also funds for ipad purchases
• Helped out with outdoor classroom –> from previous year that we haven’t spent yet
• Ran a deficit because not able to do the fundraising, but we did have some cash at bank account

Budget for this year

• Have $11K from general operating account
• Have gift cards that we purchased for pizza day that we didn’t use yet
• Gaming account money dance lessons, art lessons, sports lessons that it typically support
• Revenue from pizza day, gift cards, staff appreciation funding 
• Gaming grant will use for outdoor mural, art/dance sports lessons
• Will have funds supporting grad, staff appreciation, etc.
• Munch-a-lunch fee of $336 is just the flat fee
• Budget is kind of fluid, based on what fundraising we can do

• Munch a Lunch:
  • Pay a fee $336 flat rate
  • Every time we use it there is a transaction fee, around 3-5% that goes through Munch a Lunch + $0.30 per transaction. It costs money to run it, and it takes away from the profits that we would use for pizza, or sushi, or Subway. 
  • Only way to mitigate that is to bundle our ordering into a longer time frame. If order once a week, it would cost PAC $0.30 every time put in a transaction vs. once per month. 
  • Open up a session of 3 months, then prepay 2-3 months worth of food days. 
  • The downside is if their child is sick or not in school that day, then consider that a donation to PAC, and direct the money to someone who forgot their lunch, etc. 
  • Food days are convenient, and a way to fundraise. All the money raised comes back to your child because it is used to support your child and programs. 
  • Had meetings with Mr. Daum and talked about pizza day as the first food day that we want to kick off with. Idea is to run it once a week every Wed, and see how it goes. Can slowly tack things back on as we go back to normal. 
  • Link to Munch a Lunch (right hand side), can click on it to sign up for new parents, or reassess your account if you had an account. 
  • Previously they would just bring it to the gym and they would get their pizza slices. 
  • It is a new system so please be patient =) 
  • Video that shows how to use Munch a Lunch is available
  • First proposed pizza day is 1st Wed in Oct (Oct 6). 
  • It is totally optional. 
  • Munch a Lunch system does cost us some expenses. Proposed price for each slice of pizza is $3.25 per slice. Slices will be boxed individually so no need to bring plates to school, and will be sorted by division. Will be brought to school in warmer bags. Fresh Slice would deliver these warmer bags to school, and Mr. Daum will bring to each Division. Proposal also means the boxes will be labelled with child’s name. 
    • Intermediate kids can look for their own names.
    • Primary kids, Mr. Daum can get some student volunteers to help call out names.
  • The pizza boxes can be brought home if it is not finished. 
  • Document outlines Pizza Wednesdays Restart Plan Old and New way of doing it
  • Should have a clear message to say that each transaction costs
  • Size of pizza slice: Extra large size 16”, which is 2” larger than Domino’s large size. 16” cut into 10 slices. 
  • 2019: Same thing, 10 cut 16” pizza. 
  • Pizza box costs money, labels cost money. 
  • System will be opened up tomorrow, and the cut off date for ordering pizza is the Sunday of that week. 
    • Consistent with before, with cut off 3-days before. 
• Spirit Wear
  • Hoodies and tshirts and sweat pants
  • Put this through Munch a Lunch 
  • Previously through Cash Online, but now the district discourages PAC in using School Cash Online. Basically it is a district way of collecting money. 
• Outdoor Ed
  • Set up for Gr 6 and 7 every 2 years
  • Just had one in the summer / late spring this year
    • Sent them to Cheakamus Camp
    • Typically it is 3 day overnight
    • This year it was a day trip
  • Looking forward, for 2023
    • Normally takes about 2 years to fundraise for in order to cut down the cost
  • We would normally have hot dog days every Fri and that money will be for outdoor ed. 
    • It involves cooking hot dog in our kitchen and parents helping with preparation of the food and collection of money. It was volunteer intensive.
    • Not sure what appetite it is for it. 
    • Mr. Daum said as long as adhere to health and safety guidelines then we can consider it. 
  • Bonnie wants to be a part of that committee to plan this, and parents to be a part of this and then take it to Mr. Daum.
  • Hot dog days is on the table for sure, but hesitant because of COVID restrictions. 
  • Bonnie and Jon echoed that hot dog days are not as a good idea. 
• Questions?
  • Need to ask parents to step up for grad committee? 
  • Yvonne is part of graduating class and she has volunteered to do year book
  • Need more parents to do planning, fundraising, decorating
    ​​​
• Admin Report from Mr. Daum
  • Allow for some transparency just in the lens of the staff
  • Welcome to connect with Mr. Daum any time
  • Why are we on Teams
    • District license with Zoom expired this year so they are on Teams and 365
    • Received to do with health and safety, protocols to follow, and overall give a sense that we care about your kids
    • Doesn’t feel good to say cannot allow parents to join Terry Fox run
    • Having them brought lunches with them, and have them wear rain jackets
    • Great September startup and good energy in the community despite the challenges
  • Class placement process
    • Begins in Spring
    • Ask info from parents
    • Talk about where students are going to be placed next year
    • Take into consideration the needs of each child and it is a lengthy process
    • Revisit it in September
    • Our staff is really mindful about the placement of your child, learning style and its peers.
    • Mindful of younger grade of combined class or higher grade.
    • Teachers will meet the needs of their kids. 
    • So many meaningful conversations that staff had about your child. 
  • Friday had first Pro D day
    • Teachers to pause and think about how to make it more successful
    • Spent some time to think about what to learn about Sep 30 (National Truth and Reconciliation Day) and Orange Shirt Day
    • Time for us to pause and think about how we can support our students 
    • Learning about the truth themselves (for teachers)
    • Thinking how they can develop mentally and appropriate about how to engage their students about this
    • Wednesday child can wear orange, learn about history of Canada
      • Will be age appropriate (K vs. Gr 7 will be different)
    • Spent some time looking at innovation grants, and innovation for teaching
  • Had Terry Fox Run today, weather forecast today and it rained hard.
    • Say thank you for supporting Terry Fox foundation
    • Had goal of $500, raised $1700. 
  • Mural
    • Mural has connected with the artist, starting in Nov. 
    • Will take about one month
    • Will start to document it and share with everyone
    • Thinking about how to have an unveiling in a safe way
  • Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)
    • Oct 6 to Nov 5
    • FSA assessment provided by Fraser Institute, it is a snapshot, moment in time, where your child is asked to provide and demonstrate learning in areas of numeracy and literacy. For grades 4 and 7. This assessment does not count for marks, and an opportunity for the child to assess where they are. Important for parents to learn about intention of it and what it is. It is just where they were at that moment, will not be reflected in any assessment. 
    • In total will take about 5 hours. 
  • Conferences:
    • Oct 6 and 7
    • Real opportunity to have a conversation early on about child
    • Teacher only had about a month
    • Time to connect with teacher to frame, what are your child’s strengths, passions and their goals. 
    • Have not had a meaningful meet the staff, because of COVID
    • Questions about how they will be done, what protocols will be in place
    • Leave it to the teacher to decide comfort level about in person or on Teams. Also will be a conversation between teacher and parents about whether child will be present or not. 
    • Mr. Daum will have a video put together introducing everyone to the staff
  • New Staff to Wowk Team:
    • Mr. Daum
    • New teachers: Emily Conway (here until Spring Break), Katie Kerr (taken on relief position).
• Can read more about the PAC on the website. 
• Library renovations are complete
  • Last year, parents have stepped up to donate $5000
  • Now kids are able to go in library and use brand new library. 
  • Big difference between and old and new, much brighter.
  • Seems like double in size after reno. 
  • Biggest piece that we worked on last year
• Will send Munch a Lunch info tonight. 
• Meeting adjourned at 7:52pm.

If you have questions or want to learn about the PAC, please look online or feel free to contact Alaric or any of the PAC members.

https://wowk.sd38.bc.ca/parents/parent-advisory-council