Kitsilano PAC | September 2023 Newsletter

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to a new school year and a special welcome to the new Grade 8 families! PAC is very excited to meet you and bring new parents into this very special Kitsilano community.

Please join us for the first PAC meeting of the year that will also be our AGM.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

from 7 to 8 PM

in the Kits Secondary Theatre

We look forward to welcoming you back into the school at this mask friendly event.

Along with the PAC meeting & AGM we will get updates on plans and events for the coming year from Ms Kwon, Principal

Executive positions are elected at the PAC AGM in September. We are looking for many PAC Positions, which can be shared or held individually.

• Chair or Co-chair
• Co-Vice-Chair
• Co-Secretary
• Co-Treasurer
• Athletics Liaison
• Co-newsletter editor
• Arts Liaison
• Grad Representative (Grade 12 Parent)
• What's Next Committee Members
• Social organizer for PAC events for parents
• Parent Education co-ordinator
• International Families Liaison
• French Immersion Liaison

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.

Being involved with Kits PAC is a very rewarding experience and there are many ways to get involved. We'd love to have you on the Executive, however if you would prefer to help with specific Kits PAC activities, please fill in the volunteer form on the Kits PAC website. These activities would include the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon or the Cookie Bash in December.

Funding for extra-curricular activities, clubs, equipment, resources and other enhancements to our students' high school experience is a key focus of PAC's work each year. We help to fund initiatives in every area of the school including theatre and film, athletic teams, science clubs, Peer Helpers, and much more. To see what has been funded in previous years go to the Budget section of the PAC website. Your donations to Kits PAC through SchoolCash Online are what make these activities possible.

The What’s Next Committee of PAC is holding their first event on October 4 with Education Planner BC (see details below). What's Next organizes information events about options for students after graduation. Education Planner BC will give you a good overview of post-secondary options in BC. To receive notifications of all PAC events subscribe to the PAC newsletter.

If you are a new parent at the school and received this newsletter as a friend forwarded it to you, please subscribe to the PAC Newsletter here.

We look forward to you joining us at the AGM and first PAC meeting of the year!



Tuesday, September 26

7:00 to 8:00 PM

in person

PAC AGM

Please join us at Kits High, in the auditorium.

October 4

6:30 - 8:00 pm

online

Education Planner

On-line

Sign up HERE

PAC’s support of teacher sponsored activities, including classroom learning enhancements and extra curricular programs, adds tremendously to our students’ learning and school experience.

In anticipation of the annual financial requests from teachers to support delivering clubs, athletic teams, and enhancements for learning such as field trips and equipment, we ask parents to contribute $50 per child through SchoolCash Online. If affordable for your family, please donate as much as you can to help offset those who can’t.

Through SchoolCash Online you will receive a tax receipt immediately when you make a donation of $20 or more.

1. Go to SchoolCash Online or find the Donation link on the Kits PAC website
2. Select the size of your donation.
3. For Fund Destination, select from the drop-down menu: S-Kitsilano PAC
4. Click: Add To Cart
5. On the next screen click Continue, then Select your Payment Method, and Complete Your Order.

Thank you for supporting your student's school experience through Kits PAC.

Kitsilano PAC is pleased to launch our 

post secondary planning series

with special guests:

EDUCATION PLANNER BC

Learn how you can help support your student in planning for their future. All parents and supporters of high school students are welcome, but the presentation is especially helpful for those with students in Grades 10-12. Sessions are engaging and informative, and include a website tour followed by a Q&A.

Topics include:

B.C.’s post-secondary education landscape, including institutions & credentials

Program and admission requirements & key application dates

Costs of post-secondary and options for financial aid

Career exploration resources

Using new tools such as My List to save and compare programs

Navigating resources and the application process through 

our website  www.EducationPlannerBC.ca

WHEN: October 4

TIME: 6:30 - 8:00 pm

HOW TO REGISTER: Hosted on MS Teams webinar. Registration is required.

Register here.

For more information: support@educationplannerbc.ca

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Discover UVic

If you're considering undergraduate studies at UVic, join us for an online Discover UVic event and learn what it means to be a UVic student. Each live hour-long presentation is led by a UVic recruitment officer, so you'll have an opportunity to get answers to your questions.

Register for Discover UVic to learn about

• what makes UVic unique
• campus life
• living in Victoria, Canada
• experiential learning opportunities like co-op, international exchange, and field schools
• on-campus and off-campus housing
• student supports
• academics and choosing the program that's right for you

Schedule

Events are scheduled in Pacific Time. Registration closes two hours in advance.

• September 20, 5:00PM | Register
• October 12, 5:00PM | Register
• November 8, 4:00PM | Register
• December 12, 5:00PM | Register
• January 18, 6:00PM | Register

More information here

UVic also has this unique feature: you can visit the campus virtually here

Past Presentations from What's Next on the PAC Website

PAC has a dedicated webpage to past presentations and speakers from BC Post-Secondary institutions and other organizations providing resources and information to help families explore their choices. Included on this page are the speakers who joined us in the past few months.

The link is HERE

Kits Athletics 101

What Teams are Playing?

Athletics at Kits is divided into three seasons: fall, winter and spring.

The fall season is volleyball, soccer, field hockey, cross country and rugby.

The winter season is basketball, table tennis and ice hockey.

When are Games?

The full schedule is posted on the Vancouver Secondary Schools Athletics Association (VSSAA)website and can be navigated by seasons and sports. Look up your sport, grade and you should see a full schedule of games.

What Grades are Bantam, Junior, Juvenile and Senior?

We know it's a bit confusing but Bantam is grade 8, Juvenile is grade 9, Junior is grade 10 and Senior is grades 11 and 12.

How do I keep up to date on Kits Athletics?

You can follow @kitsathletics on Instagram to keep up to date with all the goings on.

More information at Vancouver School Sports website

Shopping at Cobbs Bakery on Broadway & MacDonald or 4th & Vine? Be sure to say you want to support Kitsilano Secondary when you pay and they will donate 5% of your purchase to support our students and teachers! Tell your friends, family and neighbours so that they can also support our school!

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.

Jar Bar Refillery Kitsilano - 2169 West 4th at Yew. Ask to support Kitsilano Secondary when paying and they will donate 5% of your purchase.  

FlipGive - Kits PAC earns cash back when you buy gift cards to pay for the things you already need at places like Starbucks, Home Hardware, Walmart and many more. We get paid when you shop online, dine out, book hotels or activities. SIGN UP TODAY at flipgive.com with code RNM6H5.

Link to the Vancouver DPAC Newsletter can be found

on the DPAC website HERE

This includes information on the DPAC Committees and Working Groups, which are open to parents who would like to join them. The newsletter also contains a multitude of helpful resources for parents, guardians and caregivers. It's definitely worth checking out!

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

On June 23, 2023 PAC & the Kits parent community hosted a staff appreciation lunch at the school. A ginormous thank you to our PAC secretary, Sheila Kirkby, for organizing the lunch and thank you to all the parent volunteers who helped on the day and to everyone who contributed food! The lunch had been on hiatus for three years due to COVID policies so it was really wonderful to host such a successful and appreciated lunch

Here is a note from Benita:

On behalf of the Kitsilano Staff, I would like to thank the PAC for organizing a fantastic staff appreciation lunch today. We felt very appreciated and were grateful for all the yummy food and the extra special touch with the beautiful decorations and flowers. Attached are some pictures of staff from today’s lunch.



Thank you to our parent volunteers!

We couldn't have hosted this fabulous lunch without you.