Kitsilano PAC | January 2025 Newsletter

PAC would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the Kits community for all the generous donations that directly benefit our school and children. 

Thank you to the parents that have volunteered to join the PAC Executive this year. We are still looking for a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary. If you are interested in serving on the PAC Executive, please speak to us at the Feb 25th meeting or contact us by completing the form on the PAC website HERE.

2024/25 PAC

Chair - Philip Coldrey

Vice-Chair - Vacant

Secretary - Vacant

Treasurer - Tina Pfeifer

DPAC Rep. - Ishi Dinim

Members at Large:

Website - Jana Tesar

Social Media - Maureen Campbell

What's Next Co-ordinator - Gaya Murthy

French Immersion Liaison - Monika Marcovici

International Families Liaison - Jessica Qiu

Special Events Coordinators - Arlene Picard & Serena Pires & Mariah Moore

Athletics Liaison - Kerry Kenwood

Newsletter Editor - Maureen Prentice

Grade 12 Rep / Grad Liaison - Vacant

Arts Liaison - Vacant

Parent Education Co-ordinator - Vacant

Our next PAC meeting is on Tuesday, February 25 at 7 PM in the school auditorium. We will get updates on plans and events for the coming year from:

·     Ms Kwon, Principal,

·     Teacher Representative

·     Student Council representative



Please visit our PAC website for more information about Kits PAC and to subscribe to this newsletter and event notifications. If you are interested, review the position descriptions in the Kits PAC Bylaws here or on the Executive Volunteer form. Please contact us at kitspac@hotmail.com if you have additional questions.

*January PAC

meeting is cancelled

PAC meeting

will be held at the school auditorium.

Tuesday, February 25

7 pm

*January PAC

meeting is cancelled

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.

Suggested donation for the 2024/25 school year is $50 per student. Thank you for generosity of time, money and care.

Each year PAC supports the school in a variety of ways, including through fundraising for equipment and supplies for extra-curricular activities.

Would you like to see CPR and Naloxone training be mandatory in the VSB High school curriculum?

CPR is mandatory in the high school curriculums in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. Should CPR training be mandatory in BC schools? What would the benefits be? What are the drawbacks?

The ACT Foundation will implement the CPR and naloxone training for free:

https://actfoundation.ca

Unless BC makes CPR and naloxone training part of the curriculum, not all students will benefit. A statement by the education ministry in 2022 said: ‘it’s up to each school district to determine the delivery of any programs, including whether to stock naloxone kits or train teachers how to use them’.

There is more information and a link to send your MLA a letter HERE.

When you shop at Stongs Online for groceries, you can designate Kitsilano Secondary School as your community group. Kits PAC will receive a donation equal to 4% of your purchase. Link is HERE.

Next time you shop at Cobs Bread (2837 West Broadway or COBS on 4th Ave.) be sure to say "I'd like to support Kitsilano Secondary" before you pay and they will donate 5% of your purchase to PAC. *Note you cannot collect points at the same time.

Are you a grade 12 parent? Are you interested in this position on PAC? We have notes from last year so you will have lots of information to help you.

Grade 12 Parents, check school cash online to pay for your grad ceremony tickets and winter formal tickets.

Prom tickets are not for sale on school cash online because it is not a school sanctioned event. Luckily some parents of grade 12 students have stepped up to organize the prom this year.

Information is on the insta account: @kitsilanoprom2025

Members on the committee:

STUDENT MEMBERS : Avyanna Achandy, Avin Alaghehband, Luci Blythe, Adrianna Chambers, Angelina Chor, Nida Gezeravci, Sonya Uminska 

PARENT MEMBERS: Douglas & Denise Baird, Tanya Fisher, Beatriz Beccera, Joyce Gillespie, Janina Gomez, Michelle Porter, Denise Hanson

Prom tickets are for sale $175.00/Ticket. We are accepting payment/donations through E Transfer to kitsilanoprom2025@gmail.com 

Do you know any new families at Kits Secondary?

Please let them know about signing up for the PAC Newsletter on our website

"kitsilanopac.ca" under the "subscribe" tab. Sign up here.

BC MUST FUND EASY-TO-USE NASAL NALXONE AND MAKE IT WIDELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC



An opioid overdose is reversible if treated quickly. Naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid in just a few minutes. BC has refused to fund easy to use nasal naloxone for the general population. BC supplies naloxone in glass vials that must be first broken by hand, then drawn up into a syringe and given as an injection with a needle. That is prohibitive for the majority of the population especially young people. Ontario, Quebec and the NWT have funded easy to use nasal naloxone for years. Nasal naloxone is ready to use and it is a simple squirt in the nose.

Opioids are the leading cause of death in BC in 10-29 year olds. We must do more to keep our young people alive. Every young person, their friends, their family, their teachers and their schools and their community centers must have free access to easy to use NASAL NALXONE, not intimidating needle naloxone.

The brand name for nasal naloxone is “Narcan“.

Signs & Symptoms of an Overdose:

• Slow or no breathing
• Unresponsive to voice or pain (can’t wake them up)
• Pale face
• Blue lips or nails
• Gurgling or snoring sounds
• Choking or vomiting
• Cold and damp skin
• Narrow (tiny) pupils
• Stiff body or seizure-like movement

Caroline McIntyre and Kenton Starko have been advocating for making nasal naloxone widely available to the public. A link to their story is HERE.

PAC is open to suggestions for speakers for parent education at our meetings during the 2024/25 school year.

Other school PACs have successfully facilitated presentations to the student body on "Drug Awareness" (parent pharmacist), Drug and Alcohol Safety (Parent Advanced Life Support Paramedic), and Odd Squad Productions.

We welcome all suggestions for speakers. We are also looking for volunteers to co-ordinate speakers.

Kelty Mental Health

• BC Children’s Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre provides peer support, information, and resources to help you talk to and guide a youth in your life to the services and supports they may need.
• Find tips for starting a conversation with your youth about their mental health, how to support a youth who comes to you with concerns, information on how to reach a parent peer support worker at the Kelty Centre, and additional resources and tools.
• More info HERE

FOUNDRY

• Excellent website to check out for resources on everything from healthy eating to getting support for mental health
• Link HERE.

Youth Programs at Kits Community Centre

• Youth Open Gym and the Youth Lounge
• Follow @kitsccyouth on Instagram

Evidence-Informed Mental Health Resources 

• HealthyMindsBC provides evidence-informed prevention and early intervention tools and resources, including online learning opportunities. This site is for parents, caregivers, families, educators, and other professionals to help them support the everyday mental health of children and youth.

Parent Peer Support

• Family Smart provides practical help, service navigation, and peer support to families and caring adults that builds their connection, knowledge and capacity to better support their kids’ mental health.They help professionals and families better understand each other to better support the mental health of children, youth and young adults. Videos available online.

Alliance Francaise

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

Kitsilano Community Fridges & Pantries

• Free fresh and non-perishable food is available near our school, on Vine at 7th next to Kitsilano Neighbourhood House and in the lane behind 3066 West 13th Avenue. 
• These community-led projects to combat food insecurity operate with a "Take what you need, leave what you can" approach. For more locations see https://www.kitshouse.org/westside-food-collaborative/