Next EVE PAC General Meeting is
March 9, 2016 at 6:30 pm
in the school library
In case you missed the February meeting and the updates about the emergency shelter going in close to the school, please see the PAC meeting minutes below!
February 10, 2016
Eagle View Elementary Parents’ Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
Attendees:
Marni Vistisen-Harwood, Megan and Steve Bond, Katie Hamilton, Jessica McCal , Kerena Letcher, Charles Champion, Meaghan Champion, Jennifer McLarty, John Hamilton, Julie Fischer, Tzena Bennallack, Rebecca Langley, Julie Pitre, Marilyn Deveson, Amanda Knoke, Gillian Petrini, Becky Teves, Brent de Nat
Principal – Updates
- Please read the current newsletter that was emailed to all families.
Treasurer Report
- 20K GIC was transferred into the PAC savings accounts.
- All bills have been paid to date
Don Evans- Executive Director of Our Place Discussion
Should our children know about the facility and is there anything the facility needs?
Great educational opportunity to learn about poverty.
Normally it’s the parents that are afraid, not the students. The residences are used to feeling judged, and scared. One of the reasons they are not leaving tent city. All their support, friends and community are there.
Residences are in need of clothing, toiletry items. At one school every year they have a sock drive, where the kids bring in socks and get the opportunity to throw them at their principal.
Earthquake – There is a good chance the school will survive an earthquake and hopefully we will be able to house the kids in the school – that is the hope at least.
What can parents do at home to support the school?
School is planning for the worst
At home, talk about the risks and hazards – how will you pick up your child if you work downtown, is there a neighbor that is usually home that can pick up your child in an emergency?
Create a family plan
Build an emergency kit
o Need at least enough food and water for 72 hours with no help.
o Need 4L of water per person per day, plus extra for pets
o Ensure you have extra meds in there
o Have pet food if needed
o Have extra set of glasses or contact lenses and supplies
o Create a home bug out bag
Bag should contain 48hrs of basics, food, water, clothing etc
Have a kit at work
Ensure kit contains sturdy shoes, clothing, food, water etc.
Create a kit for the car
o Store kits in convenient location (front door, near camping equipment, in an outside shed)
Neighborhood
o Assess the skills of your neighborhood.
o Retired people are normally home more and they maybe great people to keep in mind for picking your child up at school once there is an emergency
o If you and your neighborhood are working together, you will be miles ahead if there is an emergency.
Think about local hazards – severe weather, power outages, wildfires, flooding and lastly earthquakes. If there is a tsunami, the sea level will rise about 3.5m. The area around school should not be affected, but places like Dallas road and the Gorge will be impacted.
Create a Memory Stick with family photos, Will, marriage license, birth certificates – this will make your life easier after an earthquake
Communication
o develop a list of rules and people to contact.
o Have these numbers in your phone, at home, in your car.
o Keep messages short
o Discuss meeting places.
o Have a contact person that does not live locally that every family member can call to check in with.
o Social Media – create a closed group on Facebook for emergency only.
o Txt people – txt will most likely work before the phone systems do Odds of Earthquake in next 50 years
o 1 in 3 chances of a damaging earthquake in the Greater Victoria region.
o 1 in 10 of a mega thrust earthquake (9 + magnitude) for coastal BC.
o Get Prepared NOW, if those were the lottery odds, everyone would buy a ticket
Immediate Response if there is an Earthquake o Ground Shakes
o Drop
o Cover (protect yourself from debris)
o Hold On (if you are under a table chances are it will move so hold onto the object so it will protect you)
o Modern infrastructure is not likely to collapse or pancake.
o Don’t run. Most injuries occur when people are thrown to the ground or hit with flying objects.
o 60 Count for objects to settle.
How to help our kids
o Have the kids practice often, at home and out in public
What do you do if you are in bed and there is an earthquake?
o Stay in bed and pull the covers over your head, and protect your head with your pillows.
o Don’t place your beds near windows and no large pictures over your bed. If an earthquake occurs, glass and the large pictures can injure you.
Strap down anything that is as tall as it is wide, any book cases, china cabinets, etc
If an earthquake occurs during school hours, someone at the school will stay with your child until you are able to pick them up. Pick up your child or have someone that lives near the school pick up your child as fast as you can please.
If you have any questions please contact Jennifer McLarty: [email protected]
Check out the website www.gov.bc.ca/preparedbc
Looking for a cleaner set of these minutes? Contact Marni!
February 10, 2016
Eagle View Elementary Parents’ Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
Attendees:
Marni Vistisen-Harwood, Megan and Steve Bond, Katie Hamilton, Jessica McCal , Kerena Letcher, Charles Champion, Meaghan Champion, Jennifer McLarty, John Hamilton, Julie Fischer, Tzena Bennallack, Rebecca Langley, Julie Pitre, Marilyn Deveson, Amanda Knoke, Gillian Petrini, Becky Teves, Brent de Nat
Principal – Updates
- Please read the current newsletter that was emailed to all families.
Treasurer Report
- 20K GIC was transferred into the PAC savings accounts.
- All bills have been paid to date
Don Evans- Executive Director of Our Place Discussion
- The choices shelter will be opened on Feb 23, 2016 at 94 Talcott Rd (Youth Correctional Facility).
- The shelter will be run by Our Place and will be staffed 24/7.
- This is a transitional shelter that will be home to a max of 50 people.
- There will be door-to-door shuttle service between Our Place and the Youth Correctional Facility that will run daily from 9am – 11pm.
- The facility will run programs for its residence, including but not inclusive of, art programs, building programs.
- Residences will have the opportunity to earn a bit of money by working in the kitchen, cleaning etc.
- Our Place will staff the facility 24/7 and will have three outreach workers, personnel manning the gate, kitchen staff, custodian etc Our Place will provide the residences with three meals a day.
- Object of the shelter is to move people from tent city into shelters and eventually into permanent residences.
- There are currently two centers in town, Mt. Edwards and the Youth Correctional facility (called Choices).
- Shelter has space for 20 tents (inside the gated correctional facility) and beds. Max residences at shelter will be 50.
- Currently there are 120 people on the lawns of the courthouse, not all of these people are homeless. Some are supporters.
- There is a CAP to allow 50 people daily into the Youth Correctional Facility. There will be people with mental health issues and additions.
- Don feels residences of the facility will not leave shelter often as they have everything they need and their privacy on site.
- Questions / Answers
- What was the impact to Central Middle School with the shelter being directly across the street?
- There have been no negative impacts to Central Middle School. They have found no needles on their school property.
- The residences of the shelter have their own space and their privacy. Their space can be used as they wish. No need for residences to hide drugs / drug use, as they can use on site.
- Grade 8 students at Central Middle School last week made dinner for the residences. Many of the residences were scared to attend.
- The First Nations Program at the school regularly goes over and drums.
- Great Educational Opportunity for the students.
- Will there be someone hired to check the neighborhood for safety, such as discarded needles.
- Have any of the residences of tent city shown any interest to come reside at the Youth Correctional Facility?
- The deterrent to the facility is it was a youth detention centre.
- There is the distance from the downtown core where their community and support is located but the shuttle will help with that.
- 20-25 residences of tent city took a shuttle to the youth correctional facility, to get a good look at the facility.
- Where is the Location of the Youth Correctional Facility?
- Address is 94 Talcott Rd and is currently used to house youth overnight when needed. Will still be used for housing youth, just in a separate part of the facility. Youth are normally only housed there on weekends.
- Can people pitch tents outside of the gated facility, and how will this be monitored so the tents don’t grow?
All the tents will be located inside the gates of the Correctional Facility and Our Place personal will remove all other tents. - After August will this arrangement be permanent?
- No long-term use has been identified. BC Housing has the project as 6 months, there maybe a possibility of an extension but no one knows.
- 128 shelter beds have been created since the inception of tent city.
- The long-term solution is for permanent housing.
- Can you tell us of any successes?
- There are 45 units of transitional housing.
- The residences of tent city are scared, have fears, addictions and mental health issues. Staff works with the residences in regards to hygiene, addictions, job placement, educational pursuits etc.
- As soon as My Place opened within the first week, two residences had jobs. Something as simple as bathing and washing their clothes for an interview was available. There are people on waitlists for detox programs. These people are vulnerable and scared.
- Art program – the residences have transformed the building, and there are 5-10 people in the art room everyday. There are music programs, wood work programs and ready to rent programs.
- Do you accept Volunteers?
- Yes, there are about 500 volunteers downtown. Some help with programs, others in the kitchen, others in security. Volunteers help the residences connect with the community.
- We have only known for 1 week that Our Place will be opening the Youth Correctional Facility, so we have not had time to ask for volunteers. But we will be.
- What on site services will be at the facility?
- Lots. Umbrella Society, Island Health, Pacifica, laundry, kitchen, woodworking to name a few.
- Are Pets Allowed.
- Yes. Pets are allowed in the tenting portion of the facility.
What happens if the residences break the rules?
There are consequences. Staff will be at the facility to monitor 24/7. Processes are there to help the residences learn responsibility and be productive members of society.
Are you selecting the people that will reside at the Youth Correctional Facility? - No. Most people want permanent housing.
- Some have given up hope and the possibility of even obtaining permanent housing.
- There is no screening of people that can reside at the Youth Correctional Facility as it is completely voluntary to reside at the centre Want the centre to feel accommodating for the residences, not so the people feel contained.
- People have choice; they can go to the Mt. Edwards facility or Talcott Rd facility.
- Is the hope to get rid of tent city?
- Disbanding tent city is the hope.
- People have found a community at tent city and are now being encouraged to come as a group to the Youth Correctional Centre.
- Goal is for the residences to eventually find permanent housing.
- Police have indicated that the number of police calls decreased after tent city was created.
What happens if there are any problems or concerns from the neighbors?- Can always call Our Place at the centre number (250-388-7112 ext 239).
- When Our Place gets into the Youth Correctional Facility they will provide a direct number to staff at the facility for any immediate concerns.
- Our Place is at the facility to make it work and address any concerns. Objective is to run the facility with no negative impacts to the community.
- There will be weekly neighborhood meetings, once neighborhood contract is in place (1-2 weeks)
- Can other people other then the residences of the Youth Correctional Facility ride the shuttle?
- Sorry, no. Only the residence of the facility can ride the shuttle.
Should our children know about the facility and is there anything the facility needs?
Great educational opportunity to learn about poverty.
Normally it’s the parents that are afraid, not the students. The residences are used to feeling judged, and scared. One of the reasons they are not leaving tent city. All their support, friends and community are there.
Residences are in need of clothing, toiletry items. At one school every year they have a sock drive, where the kids bring in socks and get the opportunity to throw them at their principal.
- Are you giving priority to the homeless people of Victoria first?
- Generally people who are homeless do not move around, as they know where the needed resources are in their community.
- See an influx of younger people in the summer.
- Currently at tent city there are some supporters from Calgary and as far away as Toronto.
- If people are leaving their known communities it is normally to leave behind triggers, but you don’t normally get homeless people moving around.
- There is currently a count happening across the country to see where people are from.
- Very scary for a homeless person to move.
- Cost regarding homeless people with mental health / addiction issues?
- Safe / Clean / Supported housing is a great investment.
- SFU did a study and on average the cost of a homeless person is $55k per year. This figurincluded the costs associated with policing, health care, visits to emergency, jails etc.
- Less then half of that cost to provide housing to a person who lives on the streets.
- What will be in place if there are any problems
- There will be an agreement and police have to keep track of the number of calls
- If there is an increase in the number of calls then everyone steps up.
- How will the school be monitoring and ensuring our kids are safe, from say needles?
- Currently the custodian does a perimeter check of the outside grounds of the school every morning and will continue to do this diligently.
- We will continue to build empathy and compassion in all our students through knowledge; knowledge of real life situations at an age appropriate level. Teachers will continue to inform parents when addressing sensitive topics in the classroom.
- Brent de Nat can contact Topher MacIntosh, Central Middle School Principal as there is a shelter directly across the street from Central Middle School which has transitioned into the community well from my understanding.
- Brent offered to invite Topher MacIntosh to speak at a PAC meeting in the near future if there is a desire.
- There is a learning opportunity here and some ideas include; writing exercises, exchange letters, art lessons at an age appropriate level.
- Interactions with the residents of the facility would be more at a grade five level.
- Earthquake Preparedness – Jennifer McLarty from PreparedBC
- Jennifer McLarty
- Works at PreparedBC (Emergency Management BC’s public education program)
- Co-chair of the ShakeOutBC Organizing Committee
- Writes Emergency Mommy blog on the PreparedBC website
- Eagle View’s Earthquake Bin (large storage container, south side of parking lot)
- Earthquake bin is a community container
- Municipality of View Royal has added the following to the container (complete inventory available on request):
- o 2 Gas Generator
- o 500L of purified water
- o Heavy Tool
- o First Aid Kit
- o Emergency Food Ration
- o Instructions on how to use all the equipment
- o Small propane stove (used for camping
- o Sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and mats
- Eagle View Elementary PAC adds the following to the bin yearly
- o Water every September, 2 x 500ml for every student
- o Bridging supplies have recently been added, items like Mac & Cheese, something that is quick to heat up in an emergency situation and hopefully majority of kids like
- o Kids comfort packs which are placed into the emergency bin
- Eagle View PAC also maintains the Orange Emergency Backpacks that are located at every classroom door. Teachers are required to grab these and take them outside with each class in an emergency situation.
- Synervoice will go out shortly asking for parents to donate the following for the Emergency Bin
- o Sleeping Bags
- o Yoga Mats
- o Board games
Earthquake – There is a good chance the school will survive an earthquake and hopefully we will be able to house the kids in the school – that is the hope at least.
What can parents do at home to support the school?
School is planning for the worst
At home, talk about the risks and hazards – how will you pick up your child if you work downtown, is there a neighbor that is usually home that can pick up your child in an emergency?
Create a family plan
Build an emergency kit
o Need at least enough food and water for 72 hours with no help.
o Need 4L of water per person per day, plus extra for pets
o Ensure you have extra meds in there
o Have pet food if needed
o Have extra set of glasses or contact lenses and supplies
o Create a home bug out bag
Bag should contain 48hrs of basics, food, water, clothing etc
Have a kit at work
Ensure kit contains sturdy shoes, clothing, food, water etc.
Create a kit for the car
o Store kits in convenient location (front door, near camping equipment, in an outside shed)
Neighborhood
o Assess the skills of your neighborhood.
o Retired people are normally home more and they maybe great people to keep in mind for picking your child up at school once there is an emergency
o If you and your neighborhood are working together, you will be miles ahead if there is an emergency.
Think about local hazards – severe weather, power outages, wildfires, flooding and lastly earthquakes. If there is a tsunami, the sea level will rise about 3.5m. The area around school should not be affected, but places like Dallas road and the Gorge will be impacted.
Create a Memory Stick with family photos, Will, marriage license, birth certificates – this will make your life easier after an earthquake
Communication
o develop a list of rules and people to contact.
o Have these numbers in your phone, at home, in your car.
o Keep messages short
o Discuss meeting places.
o Have a contact person that does not live locally that every family member can call to check in with.
o Social Media – create a closed group on Facebook for emergency only.
o Txt people – txt will most likely work before the phone systems do Odds of Earthquake in next 50 years
o 1 in 3 chances of a damaging earthquake in the Greater Victoria region.
o 1 in 10 of a mega thrust earthquake (9 + magnitude) for coastal BC.
o Get Prepared NOW, if those were the lottery odds, everyone would buy a ticket
Immediate Response if there is an Earthquake o Ground Shakes
o Drop
o Cover (protect yourself from debris)
o Hold On (if you are under a table chances are it will move so hold onto the object so it will protect you)
o Modern infrastructure is not likely to collapse or pancake.
o Don’t run. Most injuries occur when people are thrown to the ground or hit with flying objects.
o 60 Count for objects to settle.
How to help our kids
o Have the kids practice often, at home and out in public
What do you do if you are in bed and there is an earthquake?
o Stay in bed and pull the covers over your head, and protect your head with your pillows.
o Don’t place your beds near windows and no large pictures over your bed. If an earthquake occurs, glass and the large pictures can injure you.
Strap down anything that is as tall as it is wide, any book cases, china cabinets, etc
If an earthquake occurs during school hours, someone at the school will stay with your child until you are able to pick them up. Pick up your child or have someone that lives near the school pick up your child as fast as you can please.
If you have any questions please contact Jennifer McLarty: [email protected]
Check out the website www.gov.bc.ca/preparedbc
Looking for a cleaner set of these minutes? Contact Marni!
In case you missed it....
EVE Parent Partner Newsletter
Stay connected online by finding the PAC on Facebook – Eagle View Elementary PAC
OR on the PAC website at evepac.weebly.com
Important Dates:
October 7 & 8 –Parent Teacher Conferences (early dismissal @ 11:40)
October 9 – Subway Fun Lunch
October 12 – Thanksgiving Holiday
October 13 – Raffle Ticket deadline & Earthquake kits
October 14 – PAC Meeting
October 16 – Pizza Lunch
October PAC Meeting:
Come join us Wednesday Oct 14th for our next PAC meeting. Meeting will start at 6:30pm in the school library. Questions and ideas are welcome.
Raffle Booklets:
Raffle booklets were sent home last week to all families. If paying by cheque please make cheques payable to: Eagle View Elementary Parents' Advisory Council. Please note the raffle tickets are numbered and assigned to a specific child. If you are unable to sell the tickets please send them back to the school in a timely fashion so we can ensure they are accounted for and sold!!! If you would like more booklets please contact Marni at [email protected]. All proceeds from the raffle stay within the school and are used to fund items such as naturescape improvements, extra gym equipment, more books for the library and much much more!!! All tickets, including those not sold, must be returned by Tuesday October 13th.
Earthquake Kits:
Kits are due back to the school by Tuesday, Oct 13th. The class with the highest number of returned kits will win Shake Out shirts! Hurry and get your kit back to the school ASAP!
Art Cards:
Back by popular demand. Watch for details regarding the purchase of Art Cards. For those new to the school, Art Cards are cards that are designed by your child and can be purchased by you. More information coming soon!!
EVE Parent Partner Newsletter
Stay connected online by finding the PAC on Facebook – Eagle View Elementary PAC
OR on the PAC website at evepac.weebly.com
Important Dates:
October 7 & 8 –Parent Teacher Conferences (early dismissal @ 11:40)
October 9 – Subway Fun Lunch
October 12 – Thanksgiving Holiday
October 13 – Raffle Ticket deadline & Earthquake kits
October 14 – PAC Meeting
October 16 – Pizza Lunch
October PAC Meeting:
Come join us Wednesday Oct 14th for our next PAC meeting. Meeting will start at 6:30pm in the school library. Questions and ideas are welcome.
Raffle Booklets:
Raffle booklets were sent home last week to all families. If paying by cheque please make cheques payable to: Eagle View Elementary Parents' Advisory Council. Please note the raffle tickets are numbered and assigned to a specific child. If you are unable to sell the tickets please send them back to the school in a timely fashion so we can ensure they are accounted for and sold!!! If you would like more booklets please contact Marni at [email protected]. All proceeds from the raffle stay within the school and are used to fund items such as naturescape improvements, extra gym equipment, more books for the library and much much more!!! All tickets, including those not sold, must be returned by Tuesday October 13th.
Earthquake Kits:
Kits are due back to the school by Tuesday, Oct 13th. The class with the highest number of returned kits will win Shake Out shirts! Hurry and get your kit back to the school ASAP!
Art Cards:
Back by popular demand. Watch for details regarding the purchase of Art Cards. For those new to the school, Art Cards are cards that are designed by your child and can be purchased by you. More information coming soon!!
September 23, 2015
We had a great turnout for the September meeting! Congrats to Mel who won the door prize of Royals tickets - hope you and your family enjoy the game!!
This years executive is:
President = Marni Vistisen-Harwood
Vice-President = Selena Hebig
Secretary = Kris Yue and Crystal Pollard
Treasurer = Kim Tooley
Members at Large = Stephanie Babin, Trista Zamany and Rebecca Langley
Although we did have a nomination for secretary, the position was turned down. So PAC Exec opted to appoint (as per our constitution) Kris and Crystal to be co-secretaries as they are coordinating fundraising this year so will be at all the meetings anyway!
Earthquake preparation letters went home today - don't forget to return them as soon as possible so we can put them into the storage container! Hopefully we don't need to retrieve them before the end of the year when they will be sent back home.
Raffle tickets are heading home next week! We have $1,900 in prizes to be won and tickets are only $3!! We have only printed 3000 tickets so chances of winning are pretty good. Can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the prizes that were donated for the raffle this year!!
Don't forget the EVE PAC facebook page!!
We had a great turnout for the September meeting! Congrats to Mel who won the door prize of Royals tickets - hope you and your family enjoy the game!!
This years executive is:
President = Marni Vistisen-Harwood
Vice-President = Selena Hebig
Secretary = Kris Yue and Crystal Pollard
Treasurer = Kim Tooley
Members at Large = Stephanie Babin, Trista Zamany and Rebecca Langley
Although we did have a nomination for secretary, the position was turned down. So PAC Exec opted to appoint (as per our constitution) Kris and Crystal to be co-secretaries as they are coordinating fundraising this year so will be at all the meetings anyway!
Earthquake preparation letters went home today - don't forget to return them as soon as possible so we can put them into the storage container! Hopefully we don't need to retrieve them before the end of the year when they will be sent back home.
Raffle tickets are heading home next week! We have $1,900 in prizes to be won and tickets are only $3!! We have only printed 3000 tickets so chances of winning are pretty good. Can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the prizes that were donated for the raffle this year!!
Don't forget the EVE PAC facebook page!!
September 1, 2015
Wow! Where did the summer go? Is it back to school in a week already??
As you probably know we have a new PAC Executive this year with some new faces!!!
President = Marni Vistisen-Harwood
Vice-President = Vacant
Secretary = Vacant
Treasurer = Vacant
Members at Large = Stephanie Babin, Trista Zamany and Rebecca Langley
Elections will be held at the September 16 meeting to fill the vacant positions. Don't forget to put in nominations at the PAC board in the main hallway.
The Nest Café (2311 Watkiss Way www.nestcafe.ca) has donated coffee and treats as a welcome back! Swing by the PAC table on September 14 when you do drop off.
The new crew along with some of the previous years executive have been hard at work over the summer planning the Welcome Back BBQ! It is booked for the same night as Meet the Teacher on September 17 from 6-7:30! Hope to see you there and make sure to say hi to the new Executive.
There is another raffle this year with some amazing prizes! I will get a page up with all the details once we have everything 100% confirmed. Tickets will be sent home September 28, due back to the school October 13 and the draw date is October 15. Hint - The theme for this years prizes is "If I had a million dollars"
Wow! Where did the summer go? Is it back to school in a week already??
As you probably know we have a new PAC Executive this year with some new faces!!!
President = Marni Vistisen-Harwood
Vice-President = Vacant
Secretary = Vacant
Treasurer = Vacant
Members at Large = Stephanie Babin, Trista Zamany and Rebecca Langley
Elections will be held at the September 16 meeting to fill the vacant positions. Don't forget to put in nominations at the PAC board in the main hallway.
The Nest Café (2311 Watkiss Way www.nestcafe.ca) has donated coffee and treats as a welcome back! Swing by the PAC table on September 14 when you do drop off.
The new crew along with some of the previous years executive have been hard at work over the summer planning the Welcome Back BBQ! It is booked for the same night as Meet the Teacher on September 17 from 6-7:30! Hope to see you there and make sure to say hi to the new Executive.
There is another raffle this year with some amazing prizes! I will get a page up with all the details once we have everything 100% confirmed. Tickets will be sent home September 28, due back to the school October 13 and the draw date is October 15. Hint - The theme for this years prizes is "If I had a million dollars"