Weekly Reminders June 11-15, 2018

School Newsletter
The newsletter from the office has been sent out to parents. See it here.
Final PAC Meeting
On Wednesday June 13 at 6:30 in the Library, the PAC Meeting will feature budget planning for next year and the need for volunteers. Some key parents are “graduating” this year. Topics for help range from seismic upgrade advocacy to babysitting rosters to hot lunch. We need you!
Activities this Week
This week Jr & Sr Dance, and Youth Intropreneurs finishes up for the Term.
Next week Tiny Titans Crossfit, Young Rembrandts, and Jr/Sr Choir wraps up for the Term.
Jr/Sr Dance is not happening tomorrow Friday June 8, and instead will happen next Friday June 15 and this will be the last dance classes of the term.
Please remember to pick up your kids after school at 3pm for programs that have ended!!


Choir Performances
Mark the dates!
June 20, during school day – 1:45 to 2:45
June 21, evening performance for family and friends – all welcome. 6 PM in the school gym


Sharing Dance Day
The Henry Hudson Dance Club was invited to join The National Ballet School, Arts Umbrella and Ballet BC for “Sharing Dance Day” at the Children’s Festival on Friday June 1.
Sharing Dance Day is community outreach initiative offering dance experiences —to get healthy, active and artistically engaged. The students enjoyed the day and danced the day away!
Thanks to the parent volunteers for their support.

Aboriginal Day June 22nd
June 22 will be a busy day! Mme Laetitia needs 5 to 6 parent volunteers on Friday June 22nd at 1:30 pm to help with distributing Bannock for all our divisions. Please contact her at ladada@vsb.bc.ca if you can help.


SUMMER FAIR – June 22
The deadline for advanced ticket orders is this Friday the 9th of June at 3.00pm.
Please drop-off your order form with payment to the white PAC mailbox in the school office.
If you have any questions about tickets please contact Stella at hudsonclassrep@outlook.com.
It is the Hudson PAC’s policy that no child should miss out on a opportunity to participate due to financial hardship. If you require tickets to the Fair at no cost please advice Mr. Cannon the school Principal.
Back by popular demand… the cake-walk at the summer fair is seeking donations of cakes.
If you are able to donate a cake or a set of cup cakes or cookies (home made or store-bought) to the cake-walk please contact Stella at hudsonclassrep@outlook.com.
We still need volunteers for set-up, clean-up and running the fair. If you would like to join the team please contact Carly at carlykrug24@gmail.com
We are welcoming donated prizes for the Raffle. If you have a business that could donate a prize or experience or you could offer a prize either for kids or adults please contact Nina at njanepatel@gmail.com. Or simply drop off your prize in the school office. Please include your name or the company that donated the prize and the approximate value. Thank you.
If you have a song request for DJ Mik to play during the Summer Fair please write down the name of the song and the artist and put it in the white PAC mail box in the office by Friday June 15th.
The Summer Fair is an after school event with no supervision provided. Children should be accompanied by an adult.
The Summer Fair will be on Friday the 22nd of June from 3.00 pm to 5.30 pm.
There will be bouncy castles, games, food, a raffle, music and the cake-walk.


For Grade 6 and 7 parents — babysitting roster update
Now that the Red Cross babysitting course has taken place, it’s a good time for an overdue update of the general babysitting roster, and to strengthen the childminding roster for PAC meetings for next year. The babysitting roster consists of current and recently graduated Hudson students who have completed a babysitting course and are interested in opportunities for babysitting in the community — it is distributed to families attending Hudson and HOOSC, and anyone in those groups looking for babysitting can use it to contact the sitter’s parents and negotiate the details from there.
We’d like to have an updated roster ready to distribute before the end of the school year so that it can be useful to families over the summer, so if you have a child currently in grade 6 or 7 who has completed a babysitting course, would be interested in being on the roster and has your support to do so, please contact me (Alan) at apatola@telus.net by June 15. Let me know your child’s name, grade in 2017-2018, month and year they completed the babysitting course, parent’s name, parent’s contact phone number and/or email, and area the sitter would be available to work in (Kitsilano, Kits Point, West End, Yaletown, Coal Harbour or any combination thereof). Please also let me know if your child is interested in the general babysitting roster, the roster for childminding at next year’s PAC meetings, or both. After everyone has responded, I’ll draft a roster and send it around to those parents to check for typo’s etc.; once that round of editing is done, it will be ready to make available to the wider Hudson community.
Ideally this list should be updated a couple of times per year; I’ll be graduating out of the Hudson PAC at the end of June as my daughter moves on to Kits. It would be great if anyone is interested in picking up this project and continuing it next year; if that might be you, please let me know and I’ll be happy to walk you through how to update and maintain the lists!


For Grade 7 parents – extracurricular grad event?
Our grade 7’s are about to graduate and so far as I (Alan) am aware families have not yet done any planning around an event to celebrate this. The school leaving ceremony is on Wednesday June 27. I’m interested in helping organize a simple event for families which would not require extensive fundraising – along the lines of a potluck picnic at Kits Beach that evening, with all grade 7 students, families, teachers and our principal invited. I’d welcome any thoughts or suggestions and would need a group of four or five other parents who could commit to organizing the details and getting word out over the next couple of weeks. If you are interested in taking this further, please contact me by June 12 at apatola@telus.net or 778-998-8596.

Weekly Reminders June 4-8, 2018

VSB Catchment Changes Deferred
The controversial proposed catchment changes have been deferred by the VSB. A parent group is still presenting results of the impact on siblings at a June 12 meeting. Please consider participating in the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MTFBBPB


Thanks to Stella
On Friday the 25th May with the help of Stella a couple of Hudson students had a very successful Freezie Fundraiser and raised $275 for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).


Activities Update
Mad Science, Guitar & Rugby classes are all finished up for the term! Thanks to the providers for another great term at Hudson!
Reminder: No Dance classes Friday after school!! Instead the classes are going on a field trip to the Children’s Festival during the day to perform at the Sharing Dance Event! Come out & support the students!


Summer Fair advance ticket order forms will be going home in back packs this week. Alternatively, you can pick-up one outside the office or print one from the attachment. We offer advance ticket sales because it really helps our team of parent volunteer plan more efficiently for the event if we know how many people to expect. It also means shorter line-ups – and more fun – on the day. Please fill out your ticket order form and return it with payment to the white PAC mailbox in the office no later than Friday 8th of June. Please remember to include your child’s name and the payment with your order. If you have any questions about tickets contact Stella at hudsonclassrep@outlook.com.
It is the Hudson PAC’s policy that no child should miss out on an opportunity to participate due to financial hardship, so if you require ticket to the Fair at no cost please advice Mr. Cannon the school principle.
The Summer Fair will be on Friday the 22nd of June from 3.00pm to 5.30pm.
There will be bouncy castles, games, food, a raffle, music and the cake-walk.
As always, we will need lots of volunteers to help with this event. We’ll need a crew for set-up and clean-up as well as folk to help sell food and supervise the games and bouncy castles. It is satisfying and a lot of fun to get involved and the contribution of your time to help make this event a success is greatly valued by the school community. If you would like to get involved please fill out the volunteer section of the ticket order form, or use the sign up sheet on Miss Hannah’s desk in the school office, or contact Carly at carlykrug24@gmail.com. We can’t do it without you!
Also, we will be welcoming any donated prizes for the Raffle. If you have a business that could donate a prize or experience or you could offer a prize either for kids or adults please contact Nina at njanepatel@gmail.com. Or simply drop off your prize in the school office. Please include your name or the company that donated the prize and the approximate value.


Why Hudson did not participate in Bike to School Week
As you may have noticed the PAC was unable to run a Bike to School campaign this year due to lack of volunteers. Note that initiatives like these will continue to be cancelled unless parents step up and volunteer. Contact PAC Chair Robert Ford at robert@quokkasystems.com for more info.


Teacher’s Appreciation Lunch was a hit!
Parents contributed some tasty dishes for the teacher and staff appreciation luncheon. It looks like there was two days’ worth of lunch from all the food that was donated. The PAC thanks everyone who helped put this together including the hot lunch coordinator, hot lunch volunteers and parents.

Weekly Reminders May 28 – June 1, 2018

VSB Proposed Catchment Changes
If you live west of Arbutus St and have a child under 5 with an older sibling at Hudson, you have a problem coming your way. To make sure you are counted, please consider completing this survey produced by a local parent advocate. The VSB’s final recommendations are presented on June 12.


Summer Fair Raffle Donations Needed
Summer Fair will be on Friday the 22nd of June from 3.00pm to 5.30pm.
If you have a business that could donate a prize or experience or you could offer a prize either for kids or adults please contact Nina at njanepatel@gmail.com


Jerseys to the Office
Congrats Hudson track team on a great season. Please return all jerseys to the office by Monday May 28.

Weekly Reminders May 21-25 (and Sooner!)

Friday May 18
The school is not open! Activities are not running either.


May 20 is the deadline to order school year books
The link is: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/
We are listed as HENRY HUDSON ELEM SCHOOL


Monday May 21
Happy Victoria Day! Don’t come to school then either! Activities are not running.


Thursday May 24
DPAC / Advocacy update

All parents and guardians of students in VSB schools are invited to DPAC’s next general meeting, Thursday May 24 from 7 to 9 pm, Room 180 at the VSB offices at 1580 West Broadway (at Fir).
The two topics of discussion are the VSB Catchment Area Review, which proposes changes to Hudson’s catchment for September 2019, and BC Hydro’s proposal to build a new underground substation in Nelson Park in exchange for financial contributions to the construction of more school capacity in the West End.
For full event details, including links to background materials for both topics, see http://vancouverdpac.org/upcoming-events/2018/5/24/dpac-general-meeting


Mark the Date!
Summer Fair will be on Friday the 22nd of June from 3.00pm to 5.30pm.

There will be bouncy castles, games, food, a raffle, music and the cake-walk.
Ticket order forms will be going home during the last week of May.
As always we will need lots of volunteers to help set up and run the event. We’ll need a crew for set-up and clean-up as well as folk to help sell food and supervise the games and bouncy castles. If you would like to get involved, please contact Carly at carlykrug24@gmail.com
Also we will be welcoming any donated prizes for the Raffle. If you have a business that could donate a prize or experience or you could offer a prize either for kids or adults please contact Nina at njanepatel@gmail.com
Did you Know …
At the VSB Committee II meeting on Wednesday May 16, the Trustees voted to repair the drainage for Hudson’s playing field? And it’s scheduled for July 9? A PAC delegation was there and made a brief presentation. Be excited! The field has been a problem for around 20 years!


Weekly Reminders for May 14-18, 2018

Hot Lunch Volunteers
We need some volunteers for the remainder of the year. Can you spare an hour or two on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. or Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.? Please contact Marina B at musea79@hotmail.com


Traffic Safety Survey
The Hudson PAC will be submitting parent concerns and ideas to the VPD. Please reply to this email right away and tell the PAC what questions you have about traffic safety and any specific area of concerns. The results of the responses will be compiled and send to the VPD. The results will be reviewed at the May 16 PAC. We will also be boosting the Safety and Social Responsibility Committee. Please attend.
Past Meeting minutes are on our website. https://hudsonpac.ca/meetings/


DPAC / Advocacy Update
DPAC’s May update is a very comprehensive look at everything you wanted to know about the VSB but were afraid to ask – for information about remaining opportunities for parent input into the VSB budget, public meetings around the BC Hydro proposal, open houses around the current catchment boundary review, etc., please click here:
http://vancouverdpac.org/generalannouncements/2018/5/1/may-2018-update


Make sure to take advantage of the RESP Grant
If you have a child born between 2006 and 2012 and have set up a Registered Education Savings Plan for them, you may be eligible for a $1200 provincial grant towards that RESP. For details follow this link:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/bc-training-and-education-savings-grant


Check out the post on our Careers In the Community Day Guest Speakers Event- May 9, 2018


In the Community
Vancouver Dirt and Jump Coalition is having a Community Dig Day on Monday May 14. Information here.
Chess Camps are happening this summer. The poster is here.

Weekly Reminders: May 7-11, 2018

Activities
We are already planning for the Fall activities. Do you have a great idea for a programme at Hudson? Click here to find out how to turn that idea into a reality. The deadline for all new activity information to be with the activities coordinator is Friday, May 11.


Please Return Jerseys ASAP
Unless you’re on the Track and Field team, ALL Henry Hudson jerseys are due back immediately! Please return ASAP to the office as other students are waiting on them – and require them for a track meet next week.
If you have returned your jersey and would like your deposit back please e-mail carlykrug24@gmail.com


Proposed Changes to Catchment Areas
In case you missed the email from the School Office, there is a proposal to change catchment boundaries. It will affect Hudson if the changes happen. Elementary School Attendance Area Boundary Review Overview_ (003) QA – Elementary School Attendance Area Boundary Review (003) VSB Catchment Areas Flyer (003)


Careers in The Community Day, May 9, 2018
Q. What does a scientist have in common with a flight attendant? What does a doctor have in common with a dog salon owner? What does a lawyer have in common with a special effects computer engineer? What does a professor have in common with a systems analyst? Answer: They are all Hudson parents.
Hudson Guest Speakers Program presents the 1st ever Careers in The Community Day on Wednesday May 9 at 9:15 a.m. The event is like an inspirational job fair aimed at Grade 5-7 students. We will have 15 parent volunteers coming to speak to the children about their educational paths and their careers.
Parents are welcome to attend if they wish.
If you have any questions you may contact Victoria S. who heads up the guest speaker program.


Traffic Safety – Topic at Next PAC Meeting May 16
The Hudson PAC needs help on it Safety and Social Responsibility Committee. To address issues around traffic and pedestrian safety will require parent help to coordinate with the VSB, VPD and related organizations. Please, if you have feelings about traffic and pedestrian safety, plan to attend the PAC Meeting on May 16. In the library at 6:30 PM.


Weekly Reminders for April 30 – May 4, 2018

Monday April 30 is a Pro D Day. No school


Opportunities for parent input on school district issues:
1) French Immersion program review
The VSB French Immersion working group is holding a parent focus group to seek input prior to making recommendations to the board on delivery models (single and dual track schools, early and late FI programs, etc.) and how best to distribute FI programs throughout the district to provide greater equity of access and make best use of the district’s resources. They issued an invitation through DPAC on Wednesday for parents to participate and are hoping for one or two parents from each school offering French Immersion programs. The focus group will meet next Monday, April 30, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Room 108 of the VSB offices at 1580 West Broadway.
This comes to our attention on very short notice and takes place a bit early in the day for many parents to be able to consider participating, However, you are a Hudson parent or guardian who is interested in attending or finding out more, please contact Alan, our PAC’s rep to DPAC, as soon as possible – apatola@telus.net, 778-998-8596. He can provide you with a summary of the group`s work to date and a draft agenda for the focus group meeting, and connect you with the DPAC secretary if you wish to RSVP.
2) BC Hydro proposal for underground substation in Nelson Park
Of particular interest to West End families who live near this site, BC Hydro has revived its proposal from last year to provide funding for a new elementary school in Coal Harbour and a rebuilt school at the Lord Roberts Annex site in Nelson Park in exchange for constructing a new underground substation below the park. BC Hydro is offering several opportunities for questions and public input through the month of May; for details please see https://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/projects/west-end-substation.html?WT.mc_id=rd_westendsub. DPAC will also be having a discussion about this proposal, along with an update on the current VSB catchment review process, at its May 24 general meeting. The VSB’s press release on this issue is available at http://www.vsb.bc.ca/district-news/bc-hydro-and-vancouver-school-board-revisit-plans-underground-substation-west-end.
3) 2018-2019 Budget Review
The VSB has extended the budget review and are accepting feedback via this page. The current controversy with the budget is that it has hidden cuts to non-enrolling positions including teacher-librarians. In addition, there is no mention of the promised reinstatement of the Elementary Band and Strings program. Please do the survey found on this page:
https://www.vsb.bc.ca/district-news/budget-process-2018-2019-highlights-greater-collaboration


Weekly Reminders April 23-27, 2018

Vancouver School Board Update
The VSB is working on next year’s budget and the current budget proposal does not include any funding to restore previously cut arts and music programs. E.g. Hudson parents were hoping for the restoration of the elementary band and strings program, among other arts programs.
www.vsb.bc.ca/district-news/budget-process-2018-2019-highlights-greater-collaboration
The trustees’ final vote on the 2018-2019 operating budget takes place on June 25. To read the current draft and find out about ways to provide feedback to the VSB, including an on-line survey open until May 02, click here: www.vsb.bc.ca/district-news/budget-2018-2019-have-your-say. To actually get to the current draft once you reach the above page (bear with us, it’s not that easy!), click on the link to “Plenary Committee III/V”, then on the “Cttee III – V” tab, then on “Power Point Presentation” and/or “Report”.
To be more specific about your feedback, Hudson’s assigned Trustee is Judith Zaichkowsky – judith.zaichkowsky@vsb.bc.ca


Hot Lunch Volunteering
Can you spare an hour or two on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. or Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.? Our primary fundraiser needs a few more hands on ladles!


Chess on Fridays after school could use some more players
Check out hudsonpac.ca/activities/ for more information.


Babysitting Course at Hudson April 30
Attention grade 6 and 7 students: There are still a few spots left in the all-day babysitting program on Monday, April 30th! This program will run on the non-instructional day from 9-4pm in the Hudson library. Students will learn basic first aid skills, babysitting skills, safety tips and the rights and responsibilities of a babysitter. All students will receive certification after completing the program. To register go to: www.pacificfirstaid.ca or email betty@pacificfirstaid.ca by April 20th.
All students should bring a water bottle, lunch and snacks. For any further information, please contact Dianne Sankey, CST Programmer at dsankey@vsb.bc.ca. Poster in PDF. Pro d day babysitting at Hudson promo poster


BCCPAC AGM
BCCPAC is the umbrella organization for PACs and DPACs in BC and the main formal channel for parent input into the Ministry of Education.
Our DPAC rep Alan will be attending the BCCPAC AGM on May 05 and 06 as the Hudson PAC’s delegate, presenting our two resolutions on revising the Area Standards (see www.hudsonpac.ca/advocacy) and voting on other resolutions to be considered at the meeting.
For full details of all the resolutions being considered, please see
bccpac.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5ce4c360a02f3e3d90abca386&id=d06fc00e8c&e=b1141c4ae0
If you have any comments or questions about any of the resolutions and would like them brought forward at the AGM, please let Alan know by May 02 at apatola@telus.net.

Weekly Reminders for April 16-20, 2018

Update on Activities

  • POP Thoughts has been cancelled due to low enrollment
  • Please note the updated dates for Monday and Friday activities that were the result of correcting the date of the April Pro D Day
  • Note that Chess on Fridays has vacancies. See the poster for more info.

Check out Our Activities page for details.


Hot Lunch Volunteers please! We need a few more helping hands. Contact Hot Lunch Coordinator Marina Bondarenko. 604.908.7855 musea79@hotmail.com.

Weekly Reminders April 9-13 2018

The next Pro D Day is Monday April 30 not April 27 as originally posted. Please double check your own calendars.


Activities
Next week marks the start of many activities including Spanish, Choir, Ocean Explorers and more. In particular, there are spaces left in PoP Thoughts, Thursdays after school starting April 12th. Please see our Activities page for details and sign up instructions.


Term 3 Hot Lunch is taking orders and the first lunches are next week. To order, access the MunchaLunch system to place your order. See our Hot Lunch page for more information and forms of payment.
Volunteers please! We need a few more hands on deck (or cooks in the kitchen?). Contact Hot Lunch Coordinator Marina Bondarenko. 604.908.7855 musea79@hotmail.com.


The next PAC Meeting is Wednesday April 11 at 6:30 PM in the Library. We will have a guest Roy Park, a member of the PAC executive at Van Horne Elementary and on the DPAC Executive, where he serves Treasurer.


DPAC and Advocacy Updates
The major upcoming event for parents is an information session on the evening of April 12 about the VSB’s proposed budget for the next school year. For more details, and a very comprehensive link-rich summary of what’s going on at the school district and in local public education advocacy over the next month or so, please see vancouverdpac.org/generalannouncements/2018/4/5/april-2018-update