Kitsilano PAC | February 2024 Newsletter

Semester Two Has Begun!

With the start of Semester 2, we are now officially half way through the school year!

We need you! The Kits PAC Executive will be losing a number of members at the end of this school year. To transition well and to remain able to keep up the work and funding that we do, we need new members. We also need a functioning PAC to access funds from the BC Gaming Grant which is a substantial amount of money for our school clubs, field trips, equipment, and sports teams. Find out more in the next section of this newsletter and check out the position descriptions on the Kits PAC website here.

All parents are welcome and encouraged to come to PAC meetings. You will learn more about what is happening at the school and hear updates from the Principal, Ms Kwon, teacher representatives and student council as well as Kits PAC committees and activities.

At the February PAC Meeting, we will have a brief presentation by Ciara O'Riordan, the new Youth and Family Programs Facilitator at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.

Please donate (‘S-Kitsilano PAC’) if you have not already this school year. We are down considerably for donations this year so have a limited budget to work with compared to last year. We respectively suggest $50 per student.

Agendas for the upcoming meeting are posted on the PAC website at PAC Meetings - Meeting Dates. The minutes from previous PAC meetings are posted at PAC Meetings - Minutes.

We look forward to you joining us and finding your way to get involved.

Please join us for the PAC meeting

Tuesday, Feb. 27

from 7 to 9 PM.

For more information about Kits PAC, visit our PAC website and subscribe to our newsletter here.

PAC Executive Recruiting: Volunteer positions currently available include

Chair/Co-chair, Arts Liaison, Athletics Liaison.

Next year we are going to need a Secretary, Website Coordinator,

What's Next Committee, and Newsletter Editor.

Please see our website for more information or to express interest.

Donate Now

PAC was able to commit funds to help support many teacher initiatives in the first semester, including field trips, guest speakers, athletics; theatre and film productions; and clubs. PAC also funds two graduation scholarships and gives money to the grad committee for the grade 12 celebration in June.

We would like to support more teacher and club requests in the second semester, projects like:

• Pronoun buttons from the Pride Club
• Installing tool organizers in the metal shop
• More fieldtrips

but WE NEED YOUR HELP. If you have not yet made a donation to PAC this school year we respectfully suggest $50 per student.

If you would like to make a donation, you can use School Cash Online  

• click Make a Donation on the Home Page, and
• select Fund Destination ‘S-Kitsilano PAC’

Once you Add to Cart and complete your payment, you will automatically receive a VSB system generated tax receipt.

Thank you for your generosity!

TUESDAY,

February 27, 2024

7:00 to 8:00 PM

PAC Meeting

Please join in person at Kits in the auditorium

Did you read to the end of the January 2024 PAC Newsletter? Liz P. did! She won a $10 gift card for Storm City Coffee generously donated by the West Broadway BIA.

We will be giving away another gift card at the February PAC meeting.



Details at the end of the newsletter

The podcast, VSB: After The Bell gives listeners a direct and inside look at Vancouver’s public school system and the people in it. Tune in for candid, intimate and honest conversations about what’s happening in schools. They’ll have conversations with students, educators, decision makers and staff about vital events, topics and issues in education.



Episodes are released monthly. Tune in the last Thursday of every month, and don’t forget to subscribe to VSB: After The Bell on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thank you to Sukhjit Platson for the 

BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) presentation February 7th.

Thank you Melinda Giampietro for the

Options Solutions presentation February 21st

on Canadian Post Secondary Trends.

Congrats to Options Solutions for their 20th year in business.

If you missed the UBC presentation on November 7, 2023

you can link to a recording on Youtube is HERE

Up Next for What's Next:

SkilledTradesBC on Tuesday, March 12th. Watch for link in the WAAG.

Are you interested in arranging some presentations from

Post Secondary institutions for parents at Kits Secondary?

We'd love to have you join the PAC "What's Next" Committee.

Please contact secretary@kitsilanopac.ca

We are recruiting an Athletics Liaison for PAC.

Can you help by attending the PAC Meetings and sharing updates about Athletics at Kits?

Please get in touch through our website



PAC is working on organizing a parent social in May. If you'd like to join the organizing committee or have suggestions for a venue, please get in touch: kitspac@hotmail.com

In the past, we've had events at The Ellis, Glitch Arcade & Games Room, and The Painted Ship.

DPAC has an X account @VanDPAC

The DPAC Representative on the VSB Standing Committee for Facilities Planning

has an X account: @vikkhanna

You can subscribe to the Vancouver DPAC newsletter HERE

Volunteer Opportunities at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House

• Whether you or your student are interested in volunteering with children, seniors, newcomers, office administration, community clean up, food security or the board of directors, Kits House has a wide range of ways to give your time and talents. See Kits House website for more information.

Free Community Event at Kits Community Center

• Easter Carnival – Saturday, March 23 @ 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Youth Programs at Kits Community Center

• Free Peer Tutor/Homework Club – Every Tuesdays in the Lobby Room @3:30 pm to 5 pm
• Easy Cook & Bake Program* – Every Wednesday 
• *Registration for March sessions is open now, offering two sessions due to spring break. It's an excellent opportunity to try it out before registering again in April.

Vancouver Minor Softball 

• Vancouver Minor Softball registration is open for all current and future softball players for the spring 2023 season. 
• To register go to www.VMSA.ca. 
• The VMSA offers a fun and safe softball experience for players of all ages, abilities, and experience from April to June. Softball offers an excellent opportunity for physical activity and the chance to be part of a team. Register now to ensure a place on a team with your friends!

Vancouver United FC

• Registration open for 2024/25 soccer season. Did you know there are no evaluations or tryouts to play Div 3 soccer? It's all about camaraderie, fun and exercise. The format is one practice/week and one game/week. More information here.

Thunderbirds Track and Field Club SPRING BREAK CAMPS

• Link to camps page HERE

Alliance Francaise

• Spring Break camps and French cultural and social events for teens. Link is here.

List of Free and Low-Cost Community Food Resources Westside

2024 Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG)

• The 2024 Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) application cycle will open up on March 7, 2024. 
• Youth aged 12-24 can apply for a Y-NSG grant up to $500, to share your ideas, gifts and talents with your neighbours.
• Once you have applied for a grant and your project has been approved, you do not need to pay the money back. Easy reporting requirements include submitting a few photos and attending a project wrap-up party.
• There are also NSG (for adults), Indigenous NSG (I-NSG), and Greenest City Grants (GCG).
• Funding provided by the Vancouver Foundation.
• Kitsilano Secondary School is in the West Side Vancouver area. Students living in other neighbourhoods should confirm which area to apply to.
• For examples of 2023 West Side Vancouver Projects see Link