BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils

*DEADLINE EXTENSION* to apply to our new National Youth and Family Ambassador Program! Deadline is now January 29th. Join the youth and family/caregiver voices ...that are shaping the development of Integrated Youth Services (IYS) across Canada. We are looking for Youth (12 - 24) with lived/living experience with mental health/substance use challenges and Family Members/ Caregivers with lived/living experience caring for a young person with mental health and/or substance use challenges. The ability to work remotely is required. For more information and Application www.foundrybc.ca/youth-family-ambassador-program

From the McCreary Centre- Join us during National No Smoking Week for a webinar presentation of a recent report which shares findings on tobacco use and vaping among BC youth. Webinars are scheduled for this week on Jan 19, 20 & 21. Details on how to join at: https://mcs.bc.ca/report_launch_understandingtobaccouseandv

New resource from sexual health educator, Saleema Noon, tackling tricky conversations. Knowledge is power.

A creative program in @AbbotsfordSD is teaching students about inclusivity and anti-racism.

More great parent resources from BC Children's Hospital and Kelty

The Rep has released a new report Detained: Rights of Children and Youth under the Mental Health Act. You can read the report here: https://rcybc.ca/reports-a...nd-publications/detained/ NOTE: This report explores topics related to mental health treatment that may be upsetting for some people. If you require emotional support, you can contact: BC Crisis Centre: phone 1-800-784-2433 the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line and On-line Counselling Service, available toll-free at 1-855-242-3310 or through hopeforwellness.ca the KUU-US Crisis line, available 24/7 toll-free at 1-800-588-8717 to provide support to Indigenous people in B.C. For more information, visit: kuu-uscrisisline.com the Métis Crisis Line, available 24 hours a day toll-free at 1-833-MétisBC (1-833-638-4722).

Members can submit proposed Resolutions for discussion/debate at the virtual AGM on May 1, 2021. Read our Resolutions Guide & review Policy 4020 to ensure your Resolution conforms to that policy. See documents and deadlines here: https://bccpac.bc.ca//conferen/agm/resolutions-submissions

We must avoid toxic tech, just like we avoid toxic foods like aspartame. Toxic tech causes your child's stress and is linked to the release of cortisol - The ne...gativity, the hate, the cyberbullying, but also things like prolonged sitting, and sleep deprivation. https://www.cbc.ca//how-worried-should-i-be-about-my-kids-

Many families are looking for better ways to guide their kids' technology use, and to avoid battles and negotiations around screen time, video games, and tech u...se at home. This has become even more of a priority for parents and caregivers with the increased use of screens during COVID-19. Listen to our latest podcast where families will learn practical tips to develop or reset healthy tech habits at home: https://buff.ly/2ILNeW6 See more

President Andrea Sinclair is looking forward to connecting virtually with parents, PACs and the DPAC in Campbell River School District - SD72 on Wednesday evening this week. Looking to better understand the PAC structure in public schools and why its so important? See this page: https://bccpac.bc.ca///16-dpac-pac/920-parent-stakeholders

With $10,000 available in prize money, Skills Canada BC's partner, @worksafebc launches the 2021 Student Safety Video Contest! Inviting students Grades 8-12 to submit entries until March 31st at 5pm! Complete contest details can be found at https://bit.ly/39DrJjW. #SVCWorkSafeBC

THANK YOU to your DPAC leaders who over Friday-Saturday spent 9hrs in our first virtual Summit! THANK YOU to your DPAC leaders who brought their passion and commitment and shared their thoughts and ideas which enabled rich and respectful dialogue. THANK YOU to your DPAC leaders for engaging in some difficult conversations and asking uncomfortable questions.... THANK YOU to your DPAC leaders for raising your PAC parent issues so that BCCPAC can bring them forward at the provincial table. It was a fulsome and productive few days via Zoom and great to see so many known and new faces on screen. We had representation from 43 districts and I know that everyone took some new knowledge away. I'm looking forward to our next connection! Andrea

During COVID-19, children and youth with ADHD may be having to remember more rules, have less time in their day to move and be active, having to engage in virtu...al learning, and spend less time with their peers. This can be challenging for them. Register today for our #free #webinar on Wednesday, November 25th from 12:30-1:30pm, where we discuss #tips to help you support your child or youth through these moments. https://buff.ly/38D5PhX See more

We start Day 2 of our DPAC Leadership Summit at 9:30am sharp. We look forward to seeing our delegates virtually with coffee/tea in hand. Remember to check your email for the unique link for today. Its going to be a busy day! We can't wait to get going!

President Andrea Sinclair is excited to be virtually speaking with PACs and parents during the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council meeting next week on Wed Nov 25. Hope to "see" you there!

Hey BC Parents & Teachers - we are so excited to partner with WITS and to provide 50 FREE Wits Home Activity Kits to BC parents and teachers. This Kit brings fu...n activities to kids learning at home. Designed with positive messages of kindness and inclusion, the Home Activity Kit includes books and a variety of indoor and outdoor activities that focus on creativity and Social and Emotional Learning. For more info check out: https://witsprogram.ca/home-activity-kit/ Interested in receiving a copy? Fill out our form below. Act fast we only have 50 to give away. (Value $45 retail). Suggested ages 4-9. https://forms.gle/KzfKY6JprJ7Tz1od8

We thank you for these comments. We believe its now time for Government to act. This behaviour from ANY elected official is not acceptable and should not be allowed to continue.

The show will go on in SD8 - Kootenay Lake with socially distanced outdoor theatre performances!

Never dismiss poor handwriting and dysgraphia. I’m personally learning this lesson right now. The #dysgraphia struggle is real and the child will need support. Writing, like reading, must be taught explicitly. Period! #DyslexiaRevolution

This is a really great idea!

In the last two weeks, the number of daily cases has gone down by 16%. Every action you take matters to keep our schools, our workplaces, and our loved ones saf...e. Let's keep working together to help bend the curve back down. Clean your hands often Pick up to six people for your household to see socially this fall. Stick with them. Keep physically distancing with people outside your bubble and limit your time together Stay home and away from others if you have cold or flu-like symptoms Take extra precautions for those at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19, including older people and those with chronic health conditions

#NationalChildDay is on November 20! It’s a time to celebrate the rights of children and youth. Please join us for a live digital event at 1 p.m. ET: https://bi...t.ly/3kFTNYg We are proud to have Sandy McIntosh, Executive Vice-President, People & Culture and Chief Human Resources Officer at @TELUS, as a panellist for the event. Kids will also discuss what it means to be #SeenAndHeard, and we’ll hear from leading experts in Canada. Let’s put #ChildrenFirst! A special thank you to our exclusive telecommunications sponsor, TELUS. We also want to thank our partners across Canada for making this event happen! SickKids Foundation, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute CHEO Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital CAMH, Abacus Data Inc. Twitter Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation Railway Association of Canada and Staples Canada.

DYK our website has HUNDREDS of resources and information to support you and your family's mental health and well-being? Visit our website today to discover more! keltymentalhealth.ca

COVID-19 is impacting kids. It's an important discussion that many people are having right now. Canadian Centre for Child Protection is offering resources & information for families, schools, & child-serving orgs to help keep kids safe during this unprecedented time: https://protectchildren.ca//supporting-you-through-covid-/

Be protected against diseases. Get immunized now! | @ImmunizedotCa | poster designed by a Grade 6 student | https://immunize.ca//niaw2019_socialmedia_nationalwinner_e

Social gatherings in private homes are now limited to your immediate householdthe people who live in your home plus a maximum of six other people. This is a p...rovince-wide order that applies to all homes for all occasions. Similar to what happened this summer with vacation homes and rentals, we have seen a notable increase in new cases and transmission of COVID-19 as a direct result of social gatherings in private homes. Remember, when we come together with family and friends, we bring our risks with us and, in turn, they take those risks back home with them again. This is a critical time. We’re heading into cold and influenza season, and COVID-19 is still in our communities. The choices we make over the coming weeks will make a difference and will support our business and schools to stay open. Let’s choose to protect our communities and the ones we care for most. The order will be posted online in full detail in the coming days here: https://www.gov.bc.ca/phoguidance

Congrats to Burnaby Schools on installing rainbow crosswalks at high schools throughout the district!

Today is #WorldTeacherDay. We thank our teachers/educators for the work they do for our children. We thank you for your passion and dedication. Our heartfelt thanks for all you do. BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF)

Update for K-12 - October 2 Dr. Henry provided another briefing on Oct 1 with a focus on the K-12 setting and schools. Dr. Henry was very factual, quite candid... and provided further clarity and understanding. She also provided examples to help illustrate. You can watch her full briefing here: https://youtu.be/b77NnnISAlo Key Messages: "There continue to have exposure events in the province" "School exposure events are being posted to regional health and BCCDC websites" "There is a lot of concern and anxiety still around schools" "There is a C19 safety plan for each school and they are liaising with their public health officer "As our understanding of C19 has grown, so has our understanding of what safe activities we are all able to do." "We adjust as we learn. Its important to recognize they don't always get it right at the start." Dr. Henry recognized that initially there wasn't consistency in communication and PHO is working thru those issues and is confident in the current alignment and approach across regional health authorities. "Teams have done contact tracing of every single case of an exposure identified at school. Sometimes there are staff or students who have been identified as having C19 but who have not been in school during their infectious period - these are not exposure events." "The contact tracing is working well - they know as they have been able to manage each exposure event." "Public health teams are on the ground identifying every new case and following processes to alert and notify the school community." "School Exposure is when a single person is confirmed positive for C19 and has been in the school during their infection period." "School Clusters is when two or more persons are confirmed positive for C19 and has been in the school during their infection period." "Outbreak in a school setting is when there is ongoing transmission, and public health is not clear who is transmitting to who, and there's widespread transmission in the school or between learning groups." "We have not had any outbreaks in our schools." "Every time there is a school exposure, public health contact tracing kicks into gear and is done." "The tracers are very good at what they do and they understand what type of contact puts someone at risk of being exposed to C19." "They identify who is a close contact and who isn't. Even if you have been in a school setting with someone - you may not be a close contact and may not be at risk of exposure yourself." "Anyone who did have contact where the virus was transmitted has been contacted" "Those who aren't at risk, will not be contacted." If you don't have close contact, then PHO asks that you monitor yourself. "We know our system is working as we are preventing outbreaks from happening." "We are learning to live with this virus and to minimize its impact on our communities." The Operational Guidelines for School Districts & Independent School Authorities were updated today. You can find the updated document here: https://bccpac.bc.ca//K-12-Operational-Guidelines-Oct-2.pdf Of note, the Financial Planning section of the been updated. And ICYMI - Dr Henry addressed schools in her briefing on Sept 24. We captured the key messages in our Sept 26 Update - Read it if you haven't - https://www.facebook.com/YOURBCCPAC/posts/4776673142403733

The final list of candidates is now available on our website at elections.bc.ca/candidates

ATTENTION DPACS - Check your inbox for an email w registration link. Deadline to Register is Nov13. We invite DPAC Executive teams to join us for our annual Leadership Summit, via Zoom, Fri Nov 20 - Sat Nov 21. Each day will be filled w sessions 3-5 hrs long. Schedule is in the email.

Understanding Parent Stakeholders in Public Education Part #3 Due to the pandemic environment our staff and board have provided increased guidance, clarity, i...nformation and answers to DPACs, PACs and individual parents via email, phone and social media channels. We have noticed there are many who are unaware of the role of parents as stakeholders within the K-12 system, the structure and how it works, how to get more involved etc. Today is the third of three installments we hope parents/guardians/caregivers will find informative and useful. Installment 3 Provincial Parent Advisory Council (BCCPAC) The BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) is a non-partisan, registered non-profit charity, since 1922. We are governed by a volunteer Board of directors elected annually by our membership (annual fee) which consists of District Parent Advisory Councils (DPAC) and Parent Advisory Councils (PAC) through which we represent the parents/guardians/caregivers of >565,000 children in provincial public schools. As the provincially mandated voice of parents in public schools, we have the authority to get involved and to share concerns directly with the Minister and Ministry staff. BCCPAC is the provincial voice of parents on K-12 public education and related issues and we directly support DPAC and PAC members and individual parents. We promote, support and advance meaningful parent participation throughout the public education system in order to advocate for the success of all students; and through our membership, to promote leadership, communication, cooperation, and representation in British Columbia at the school, school district and provincial level. We advocate for systemic changes at the provincial table. BCCPAC sits at that table with the education partnersSchool Trustees Association, Superintendents Association, School Business Officials Association, Principals and Vice Principals Association, Teachers Federation, CUPEBC and the First Nations Education Steering Committeeand the provincial government. BCCPAC has a credible and respected voice, and is uniquely positioned to ensure the parent perspective is heard loudly and clearly. We communicate and meet regularly with the Ministry of Education and education partners. BCCPAC is invited to every meeting, asked to participate in every working group, sought for input which is often confidential, and we provide feedback directly whenever we believed it is needed. We educate and inform parents and we help parents advocate for themselves and their child. We use the School Act, district policies and district bylaws to guide parents/guardians in advocating for their child’s educational program. Whether it's talking to parents about advocacy, spending 10mos pursuing a Section 11 to bring about equity for a child, meeting with a Superintendent regarding issues relating to children not receiving the supports they should, answering questions via email or social media or presenting at a DPAC meeting to ensure parents understand their role and responsibilities, the current Board and staff of BCCPAC are doing this and so very much more. During the pandemic our work has continued and the need for parent education and representation has increased. This year, and for the coming year, parent advocacy and advocacy for school-aged children has never been more important. The parent/guardian/caregiver perspective at the provincial table with the education partners has been critical during the pandemic and the return to school. We are the only provincial group 100% dedicated to parents and their children in public school. All other education partners represent their members who are employees in the system that is their primary mandate. Since March 2020 we have been representing parents in all K-12 provincial discussions regarding education in our pandemic environment we continue to regularly provide parent feedback directly with the Minister, the Deputy Minister and the other education stakeholders. We have emailed our members and posted to our social media channels and our website the important details parents need to understand and know in real-time as it’s released. We have provided guidance, clarity and answers to DPACs, PACs and individual parents via email, phone and social media channels. We fought hard in provincial discussions for flexibility and remote/online options for parents while ensuring children have the opportunity to remain connected to their school community. We have brought forward district specific issues directly to the Deputy Minister and his team who have raised those issues with Superintendents. We secured shared Zoom licenses for all PACs across the province to enable PACs to continue meeting, hold their elections and annual meetings and serve their parent communities. During the last 12months we have represented parents in provincial discussions and advisory groups such as curriculum and graduation assessments, the early learning framework for birth to age eight, child/youth mental well-being, framework for enhanced student learning, kindergarten transition resources and the inclusive education parent handbook. In June we once again made a submission and presentation to the Select Standing Committee regarding education funding specifically to safeguard stable funding and to increase both capital and operational funding. We continue to liaise directly with the Community Gaming branch to ensure PACs know of changes and updates which will affect their applications and reports and to try to influence the annual guidelines. BCCPAC falls under the Personal Information and Privacy Act (PIPA); we do not fall under FIOPPA. Communications We email DPACs and PACs directly as they are members and have provided their contact details to us; we do not share this list. DPACs communicate directly with their PAC community and PACs communicate directly with their parent community. In all cases communication with individual parents/PAC members/DPAC members can only occur when individuals/groups have provided their contact information or opted in to receive information. There is no master provincial list of parent contacts. We endeavor to post as much as possible for parents to our website and to this public page. Depending on the issue and many other factors, we may seek input directly via a survey or other means; we just completed a survey with our DPAC leaders. It’s to the advantage of parents/guardians to be connected with their local PACs. It’s to the advantage of the local PACs and their parent communities to be connected with their DPAC. It’s similarly to the advantage of DPACs and their PAC parent communities to be connected with BCCPAC. In all cases, parents who are engaged in their school, district or provincial PAC are volunteers giving of their time for their community and who do not receive any remuneration. We encourage parents/guardians/caregivers with children in K-12 to ensure they provide current contact information to their child’s school PAC, sign up for PAC blogs, newsletters etc., and sign up to receive information from your local DPAC. All the information can be easily found online. If you believe you can do more and give some of your time to public education, then please consider joining or volunteering to help your PAC. They are parents just like you and they need your help; everyone in the community benefits from parent engagement. Our strength is in our collective voice. ICYMI Read Part 1 of this series regarding Parent Advisory Councils: https://www.facebook.com/YOURBCCPAC/posts/4889058771165169 Read Part 2 of this series regarding District Parent Advisory Councils: https://www.facebook.com/YOURBCCPAC/posts/4892983114106068

This fall, when you see people outside your household bubble, stick to six. Choose about six people that your family will see regularly, who also choose to see ...you regularly. When we #StickWithSix the same six we keep our schools, our workplaces, and our loved ones safe. In personal settings when you're seeing friends and family who aren't in your bubble: Only get together in small groups of 2 to 6 people Maintain your physical distance with those outside your bubble and limit your time together Stay home and away from others if you have cold or flu-like symptoms Take extra precautions for those at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19, including older people and those with chronic health conditions

The University of Waterloo finds a 238% increase in vaping among youth. "Even at the school level, teachers don’t necessarily know how to talk to students about vaping." https://www.waterloochronicle.ca//10210582-vaping-up-ciga/

Students around the province have been casting ballots ahead of tomorrow's official election day!

Build on your parenting skills at your own pace and schedule with our Online Parenting Programs. http://ow.ly/52cj50AFp22

The Framework for Enhancing Student Learning Policy and Reporting Order. This policy and ministerial order, which came into effect September 1, 2020, will hold boards of education more accountable and ensure student outcomes are the focus of their strategic and operational plans. This policy and order come as a result of the hard work and many discussions with the Ministry of Education and the education partners. BCCPAC was an active participant throughout. We encourage pare...nts/guardians to read both documents. https://bccpac.bc.ca//21-advocacy/922-fesl-policy-and-order Improve educational outcomes for all students Boards of education will set, create and maintain a strategic plan, annually report on student outcomes and put systems in place to continuously improve the educational outcomes for all students and improve equity for Indigenous students, children and youth in care, and students with disabilities or diverse abilities. Focus on The Educated Citizen The preamble to the School Act and the Statement of Education Policy Order (Mandate for the School System) states, the purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to become literate, to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy. To achieve this purpose, we have a collective mandate to develop the Educated Citizen defined as the intellectual, human and social and career development of every student. Enable through capacity building, strategic planning, coordinated implementation and reporting In order to ensure a system-wide focus on continuously improving educational outcomes for all students, this policy specifies the responsibilities for the Ministry and boards of education with respect to strategic planning and reporting of educational outcomes. The policy also identifies ways that the Ministry, boards, Indigenous peoples and other education partners can contribute to improving educational outcomes in the K-12 education system.

Applications for the 2021 Horatio Alger Association of Canada undergraduate #scholarships are now open! Find out more about how you can receive $10,000 for your... post-secondary education by visiting https://bit.ly/2EQQiy1. Applications are due by October 26. #HoratioAlgerScholar #cdnpse #cdned See more

**REMINDER** Our partners at UBC want to understand young people’s experiences of mental health digital technologies, including virtual mental health services, ...apps, and online information. Be part of the Digital Divide Study (led by Investigators Drs Shelly Ben-David and Skye Barbic) and share your experiences! See more

ICYMI - re ZOOM licenses