Hot lunch Success!

Hot lunch was a great success today.  We can always tell by the number of kids that ask for seconds.  The older boys cleaned us out today!  We had just enough to feed those extra hungry bellies.

We've got a great line up for the rest of the year with Sushi, Pizza, and Burgers & Yam fries on the menu to come.  We'll be getting a full menu out soon that will take care of these last 3 hot lunches that are scheduled.

There will also be 3 more after school popcorn days before the end of the year, but only the first one will include hot cocoa.  We'll be looking at lemonade and/or popsicle treats for May and June.

We would like to apologize for the scalded Cocoa at the last popcorn day.  We are looking at some new heavy bottom pots that will rectify the issue for the next cocoa and popcorn day.  We'll update you soon on upcoming dates.

Thank you for your support!
Sherri Vaters
Hot lunch committee

Hot Lunch Thursday March 29!

Hi Parents,
If anyone is still interested in the hot lunch for their children this coming Thursday, we will be serving Gluten free, beef and bean chili with homemade whole wheat roll and butter.  If your child is GF please specify so we can have a GF alternative to the wheat bun.  The cost is $5 per child.  If you have not booked their lunch yet, please put their name, division/grade and $5 in an envelope and deliver it to the office by Tuesday.  Please specify GF if necessary.

Hope you all had a great March break!
Sherri Vaters
Hot Lunch Committee

Hold the date: "Out of the Ashes" - An Oldale Fundraiser

Silent Auction, Music and Raffle

"Out of the Ashes" is Thurs April 26th 


7pm - 11pm 


Heritage Hall - 3102 Main Street  (no kids)!

Tix are $20 and will be made available shortly (more information to follow)


If anyone wants to help with the silent auction ( procuring)  or with the main event, we'd love the help!


Contact seanna@shaw.ca, or ph- 604 255 2744 

Reminder...Register now for the Garibaldi Annex Sun Run Team

Reach your health goals for 2012, show your school spirit, and join the . . .

Garibaldi Annex

SUN RUN

Corporate team #375

Race Day:  April 15, 2012

To have a corporate team we need a minimum of 10 members.

Some great benefits to joining a Corporate Team include:

• $45 early bird race entry fee (by Feb. 17^th); $50 late entry

• a souvenir Vancouver Sun Run T-shirt specially printed with your Team name or logo on the back

• race packages picked up by your team captain

• Great Finishers’ Wrap Party at BC Place Stadium

• compete against other Teams, and team rankings printed alongside Individual race times in the Vancouver Sun

If there is interest, we can also meet once a week for a training session.

Register at sunrun.com; Team #375

Or contact Denise Clark, Team Captain at dlclark@vsb.bc.ca for more details.

Message from Gordon and Bayview Elementary School parents

10am Monday March 5th

Please join us in delivering parent and student letters to Premier
Clark's constituency office.

3615 West 4th Ave/Dunbar
Show your concern for the future of public education in BC.

Please forward and post this event.
Thank you,
Gordon and Bayview Elementary School parents.

standing in support of our teachers

I hope that by this point everyone has been able to find childcare arrangements for the next 3 days. We have each other as a resource as well - this is an opportunity for community building!

Please, take a few minutes to read the following analysis of the fiscal situation of BC as it relates to public sector unions and also the BCTF message to parents:

http://www.policynote.ca/bc-isnt-broke-putting-teacher-bargaining-in-perspective/

http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Parents/FairDealFlyer.pdf

This is a very difficult situation for all of us. However, it is very important to support our teachers as they try to make a LOUDER statement about the state of our K-12 system.
I encourage you to read Bill 22 posted below.
It is not only trying to take away any tools teachers have to try to push negotiations along. More importantly it strips away all limits on class size and composition that were still left in place, e.g. teachers were supposed to be at least consulted, if class size was to be exceeded or more special learners were to be included. If this bill is passed, our kids will see worsening of class conditions with no hope for change till 2013.

Contact your MLA and the education minister to let them know what you think of this bill. The government had a chance to enact the bill on Thursday, which would have made teachers' strike illegal and therefore would have cancelled it but they chose not to as their tactic to try to upset the electorate and turn it against the teachers.

In solidarity with our K-12 teachers,

Jana Ronne
(Julian and Maja's mom)

Bill 22

http://www.leg.bc.ca/39th4th/1st_read/gov22-1.htm

BCTF News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2012

Teachers will withdraw services to protest Bill 22, worsening classroom conditions

Next Monday, March 5, teachers across British Columbia will begin a legal three-day full-scale withdrawal of services, as permitted under the Labour Relations Board interim essential services order. At 6:00 a.m. today, the BCTF issued notice of the escalation to the BC Public School Employers’ Association.

This step follows a province-wide vote conducted February 28 and 29, 2012, in which 87% of teachers voted “yes” to escalating job action from the limited “teach only” campaign that began last September. In all, 32,209 teachers voted, of whom 27,946 said “yes.”

In a morning news conference, BCTF President Susan Lambert noted that the 75% turnout and 87% yes vote demonstrate to the provincial government that “bullying legislation like Bill 22 will not fix a broken relationship.”

“Teachers take this step very reluctantly,” she said, noting that their “teach only” job action was specifically designed to limit the impact on classrooms while still maintaining an effective voice. “We articulated our objectives as clearly and respectfully as we could, but unfortunately we were pleading to deaf ears,” Lambert said. “The bill tabled on Tuesday was a sign of the appalling disrespect for the profession of teaching, for students, and for public education in BC.”

She urged parents and other concerned British Columbians to contact their MLAs, Education Minister George Abbott, and Premier Christy Clark to urge them not to impose Bill 22 but rather to negotiate a fair agreement with teachers and invest in public education to meet diverse student needs.

Lambert acknowledged that the walkout will inconvenience parents, but asked them to consider that conditions in classrooms have deteriorated over the past decade and will not improve unless teachers take a strong stand. “Bill 22 means children have to wait another two years for any possible hope of guarantees on class size or any real funding increase for students with special needs,” she said.

Lambert pointed to the BCTF’s long history of social justice advocacy—for inclusion of all children, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, for the rights of girls and women, against racism, homophobia and bullying. “Sometimes—even though you’re afraid, even though the threats seem overwhelming—you have to stand up to a bully,” she said.

The BCTF provincial Executive Committee is meeting today to make further decisions about how actions will unfold in the upcoming days.

- 30 -

For more information, contact Nancy Knickerbocker, BCTF media relations officer, at 604-871-1881 (office) or 604-340-1959 (cell).

Letter from teacher Cheryl Angst

http://cherylangst.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/teaching-in-bc-3/

Minister's statement on BCTF strike

BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils info@bccpac.bc.ca	2:15 PM (2 hours ago)
to BC

STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

2012EDUC0018-000222

March 1, 2012

Ministry of Education 

Minister's statement on BCTF strike 

VICTORIA - Education Minister George Abbott today released a statement 

regarding the decision by the British Columbia Teachers' Federation to 

hold a three-day strike. 

"We are truly disappointed by the union's decision to hold a three-day 

strike beginning next week. A strike of this nature will significantly 

disrupt student learning and creates tremendous concern for parents and 

families. 

"The union is in a legal strike position. Under the order from the Labour 

Relations Board, they are able to fully withdraw for three days, but the 

order is clear that schools are not to be picketed. 

"Parents are encouraged to find child-care arrangements for Monday, 

Tuesday and Wednesday. However, for parents unable to secure alternate 

arrangements, all public schools will be open and students will be cared 

for and supervised. 

"Schools will be staffed by non-unionized school and district personnel. 

Given the LRB order preventing schools from being picketed, we also 

expect all unionized school support staff, such as education assistants, 

to be present as well. While there will be no instructional time, all 

staff will ensure students are supervised in a safe environment. 

"Further, school-based child-care services, such as pre-school and after-

school care, are not affected by the strike. 

"Bill 22 is an important and complex piece of legislation that demands 

careful debate and full understanding by all members of the legislature. 

"Bill 22 sets a cooling-off period and suspends the teachers' union 

strike action while calling on the assistance of a mediator. It also 

implements the $165-million Learning Improvement Fund and other measures 

that will play a fundamental role in the future of education in our 

province. 

"I understand that emotions are running high, and we do not want to 

inflame the situation by acting precipitously and rushing through the 

legislation. 

"We have been working very hard and have put numerous opportunities in 

front of the union to try to work through the difficult issues that 

confront us during a time of collective bargaining. 

"It's unfortunate that rhetoric and name-calling has overtaken a 

thoughtful and constructive approach to resolving the impasse through 

mediation. When mediation begins in the near future, I hope the 

discussion will unfold in a respectful way."

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement

Ministry of Education

250 356-5963 

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect

Popcorn days are here!