About 600 elementary students from Surrey school district have been given the opportunity to experience being electricians, plumbers, welders, car-penters and automotive technicians.

The Grade 6 and 7 students went on a special field trip to Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s trades and technology cam-pus (KPU Tech) in Cloverdale to learn more about working in trades.

“This is a chance for students to explore in a very real way what a trades career looks like,” says Susan Chow, principal of career education for Surrey Schools. “Few students have the benefit of insight like this at their age.”

The field trip is the result of a part-nership between the district and KPU, with support from the Industry Training Authority (ITA).

KPU Tech provides leading-edge trades and technology programming aimed at meeting the rising demand for skilled trades workers and apprentice-ships. The 11- and 12-year-old students toured the campus and took part in hands-on activities. They were also able to ask questions of KPU’s teaching staff and current post-secondary trades students.

“We’re extremely proud of this part-nership we have with Surrey Schools,” says Henry Reiser, KPU’s dean in the fac-ulty of trades and technology. “Together

we are able to show young learners that there are countless career paths into trades and technology, many of which can lead to a KPU degree.”

KPU and the district also invited parents of the 600 participat-ing students to come along on the field trip if they wish.

“Parents play an important role in post-secondary edu-cation, from providing insight and guidance to financial aid,” says Reiser. “We want them to feel confident about their children’s career choice, and there is no better way than to show them the possibilities first-hand.”

Chow adds that having parents attend also helps them understand the vast array of opportunities available, and connects them back to the dual credit apprentice-ship programs already offered by the district in partnership with KPU and

other post-secondary institutions. TheAccelerated Credit Enrolment to Indus-try Training (ACE IT) model gives highschool students credit toward technic-al training programs before graduation.

ITA director of training delivery ErinJohnston applauds Surrey Schools andKPU for this latest collaboration.

“Hands-on, fun and interactive eventslike this provide young students a chanceto build and create something and get asense of the pride and accomplishmentfrom doing so,” said Johnston.

The field trip was funded by the ITA’sYouth Exploring Skills to Industry Train-ing (YES 2 IT) program. A joint initiativebetween ITA and the Ministry of Educa-tion, YES 2 IT funds projects designedto increase awareness of careers in thetrades. It targets younger students as wellas their parents, employers, educatorsand communities. In order to attain ITAfunding, projects need to include pre-and post-classroom learning activitiesand parental involvement.

The field trip was also made pos-sible with support from Honeywell, theAutomotive Training Standards Organ-ization, Clear Marketing, BC Fasteners,Noble Plumbing and Southridge Build-ing Supplies.

Inside Learning about a career in trades

page 3Racing to save

energy

page 3 Thousands of

students perform

at music festivals

page 4New schools open

page 4 A week of anti-

bullying activities

page 5Trustees told

to ‘keep pushing

for new schools’

page 6 Minister tours

schools

page 6Record medal haul

at skills contest

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The Educate & Communicate Newspaper

Plumbing was one of the trades that students on the visit to Kwantlen Polytechnic University could learn more about.

Learning a trade can help stu-dents nail a career in carpentry.

Students learn about what is involved in becoming an automotive technician.o

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PAM GLASSTrusteeHome: (604) 536-1518glass_pam@surreyschools.ca

RENI MASI TrusteeHome: (604) 575-9078 masi_reni@surreyschools.ca

TERRY ALLENTrusteeHome: (778) 772-5284allen_terry@surreyschools.ca

T

EdCom Now: The Educate and Communicate Newspaper is published by the Communications Resources Department of the Surrey school district in accordance with Policy 10805 – Promotion of External Agencies through Schools.

EdCom Now is intended for the parents of Surrey school district students and includes information on upcoming events, district projects, school-based activities and important district dates.

EdCom Now is produced at no cost to the Surrey school district and generates supplemental revenue for district schools and programs that enhances, but does not replace public funding.

Commercial advertising in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Surrey school district.

For more information, or to provide feedback or article suggestions, contact David Connop Price at the Surrey school district at 604-595-6190; Email: connopprice_d@surreyschools.ca

For information on advertising, please contact the Now at 604-572-0064.

SHAWN WILSONChairpersonHome: (604) 583-0634wilson_shawn@surreyschools.ca

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LAURIE LARSENVice ChairpersonHome: (604) 599-0966larsen_laurie@surreyschools.ca

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LAURAE MCNALLY TrusteeHome: (604) 531-1091mcnally_laurae@surreyschools.ca

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Secondary schools throughout Surrey school district have saved large amounts of electricity this year through competing to be an energy saving champion.

The top eight performing schools from an energy saving push that ran from October to February went into a final week-long shootout in April to decide which of them would win the 2014 Surrey Schools Energy Conservation Cup.

Princess Margaret Secondary held off a phenomenal energy sav-ing drive by North Surrey in the Elite 8 shootout to win the trophy. But the environment and the school district were also winners, with the schools saving energy and money.

“The Elite 8 schools saved 350,000 kilowatt hours and $35,000 over the course of the Energy Conservation Cup which began on October 1,” says Alasdair MacKinnon, Surrey school district’s dir-ector of energy management and sustainability.

“All the schools led by their green teams, teacher sponsors, school administrators and support staff have demonstrated great leadership, collaboration, tenacity, and creativity.”

The top eight schools reduced energy consumption by about nine per cent during the October to February portion of the competition.

In the Elite 8 shootout, which also included Enver Creek, Elgin Park, Semiahmoo, Johnston Heights, Fleetwood Park and Kwantlen Park, the eight schools reduced consumption by six per cent. Put another way, that’s enough electricity to dry five loads of laundry in a dryer every day for a year.

Between the months of October 2013 to February 2014, Princess Margaret students and staff were able to reduce energy consump-tion by about 11 per cent, which is about a 61,000 kWh reduction or $6,100 saved over the five-month period.

During the shootout, energy monitoring company Pulse Energy displayed the kilowatt hours of energy saved as kilometres that an electric car could be driven with that same energy.

North Surrey’s virtual car travelled 8,476 kilometres – enough to power an electric car from Surrey to Toronto and almost all the way back again – but it wasn’t quite enough to overtake Princess Mar-garet in the overall competition.

Racing to save energy

CHARLENE DOBIETrustee Home: (604) 599-1073dobie_charlene@surreyschools.ca

EdCom • MAY 2014 EC03

Surrey School District Board of Education

energy ctric

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Choral and jazz festivals display Surrey Schools’ musical strength

The strength of music pro-grams in Surrey school district has been demonstrated with an elementary choral festival and a high school jazz festival.

More than 3,500 students from 47 district elementary schools in Surrey performed in the seven-day Elementary Choral Festival.

Each choir taking part per-formed up to three songs from the stage at the Bell Performing Arts Centre for fellow students and the public, before receiv-ing expert feedback from the

adjudicator. Each session in -volved up to five choirs and ended with the students joining a mass singing of When I Believeby Denise Gagne.

Meanwhile, the 32nd Annual Envision Financial Jazz Festival saw 2,000 students performing in Surrey.

Twenty eight of the top high school jazz bands from the Pacific Northwest were at Sullivan Heights Secondary and the Bell Performing Arts Centre for the two-day festival, which combined the students’

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The Educate & Communicate Newspaper

An example of the students’ energy awareness poster

campaign at Enver Creek

The Educate & Communicate Newspaper

Students have moved into Katzie Elementary, the third new elementary school building to open in Surrey this year.

Katzie, the largest elemen-tary school built in Surrey, joins Goldstone Park, which officially opened in late April, and Sunny-side, which officially re-opened in a new home on a different site in February.

Katzie moved into its new home in Clayton Heights after

the spring break. The school had started in September in portables and an annex at Hazelgrove Elementary while building work was completed.

Named after Katzie First Nation, the school began with a student population of 475, but that is projected to grow to 580 for September 2014. It will even-tually accommodate in excess of 650 students.

Katzie, which will officially

open in the fall, is one of three building schemes coming to fruition in April that will extend capacity in Surrey school district. The other two are extensions to Fraser Heights and Panorama Ridge secondary schools.

There have also been two other elementary schools open this year. The replace-ment Sunnyside Elementary, which serves the Grandview Heights area, is on 159 Street, seven blocks away from its former home.

At the heart of Sunnyside’s new $14.9 million home is the gym and around it are 19 classrooms, a library and multi-purpose rooms. The new school building has room for 180 more students than the old one, bringing capacity up to 450.

The $14.7-million Goldstone Park Elementary can accom-modate up to 555 students from kindergarten to Grade 7. It features a neighbourhood

learning centre, which pro-vides pre-school, before and after school care, and other community services.

Although Katzie is the largest

elementary school to be built in Surrey, Chimney Hill has a larger capacity because of addi-tions to the school made since it was built.

An anti-bullying conference at Panorama Ridge attended by about 600 students from across the Lower Mainland capped a week of events addressing the subject.

Joshua Nicholas, a Grade 10 student from Maple Ridge, and a six-student panel that includ-ed Grade 11 Panorama Ridge Secondary student Jaskirat Sanhi and Grade 6 North Ridge Elementary student Anaya Sid-hu, led the discussions.

School leadership teams made presentations on innov-ative and effective projects in their schools that address

bullying and foster a positive school climate and culture. Travis Price, the founder of the anti-bullying Pink Shirt Day, also led a student activity.

The forum was also addressed by B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Education Minister Peter Fassbender. Clark announced 19 students from across B.C. had been selected to form a new ERASE Student Advisory Panel which will be tasked with goals such as developing social media guidelines for schools. The advisory panel includes Lord Tweedsmuir student president John Wu.

Wu, a Grade 12 student, and The Boys Leadership - Power Of One Group at his school released an anti-bullying video for Pink Shirt Day in February. The video clocked up thou-sands of views.

One of the biggest events to mark Pink Shirt Day in Sur-rey school district was a flash mob at Princess Margaret Sec-ondary featuring 640 students. Participants from Princess Mar-garet Secondary were joined by students from Dr. F.D. Sinclair, Strawberry Hill and Westerman elementaries to dance in oppos-ition to bullying to Michael

Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us and B o l l y w o o d song Dhoom M a c h a l e . K w a n t l e n Polytechnic U n i v e r s i t y student Sean Bindra organ-ized the flash mob.

Katzie opens its doors

ERASE conference caps week of anti-bullying activities

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Katzie principal Ross Brennan spoke to students and parents who gathered in gymnasium on April 22 for the first assembly in the school’s new building.

Education Minister Peter Fassbender joins five-year-old Preston Coffey—the youngest member of the Surrey’s pioneering Goldstone family—in cutting the ceremonial ribbon to open Goldstone Park. Looking on are, left-to-right; Marvin Hunt, MLA for Surrey-Panorama, Goldstone Park principal Heather Hill, Goldstone family member Gayle MacDonald (front), Surrey Board of Education trustee Charlene Dobie, trustee and board chairperson Shawn Wilson, trustee and board vice-chairperson Laurie Larsen.

EC04 MAY 2014 • EdCom

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o Surrey Schools was represented on the ERASE Student Forum panel by Grade 11 student Jaskirat Sanhi, left, and Grade 6 student Anaya Sidhu, centre.

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Keep pushing for new schools, parents and students tell trustees

Parents and students have urged the Surrey Board of Education to carry on pressing the case for new schools.

Members of the community attending two forums held by the board expressed appreciation for the work of trustees in seeking funding for new schools, addi-tional space at schools and earthquake upgrades to schools.

The results of the forum are recorded in a summary report published on the Surrey Schools website.

“The topic of securing capital needed for new schools, and the impacts on the district general operating budget, is an area that parents and students are deeply concerned about,” the summary notes.

In addition to asking trustees to keep pressing for more funding, forum sug-gestions included:

• examination of ways to accelerate new school approvals and build times

• more focus on expanding existing schools rather than building new schools

• open or adjusted boundaries to accommodate explosive growth

• exploration of private-public-part-nerships to secure funding for new schools

• a committee of parents, students and trustees be established to bet-ter co-ordinate advocacy

The forums, which were held at Kwantlen Park Secondary on February 17 and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary on March 4, also looked at the school calendar and communicating student learning.

There was almost unanimous sup-port for continuing with two-week spring breaks, while the move to set out the school calendars for three years in advance was considered important for planning purposes.

On communicating student perform-ance, there were wide-ranging views. Many parents and students expressed caution about considering the removal of letter grades, saying grades were an important part of sharing student prog-ress. But there was also a high degree of agreement that present reporting practi-ces, while familiar, often have limitations in terms of the usefulness of information provided on student progress.

The board has thanked parents and students for taking part and recognized the significance of their voices to the dis-trict’s success.

EdCom • MAY 2014 EC05

Students, parents and staff spoke to Education Minister Peter Fassbender during visits to Fleetwood Park Secondary and McLeod Road Traditional Elementary schools.

The minister, accompanied by the Surrey Board of Education chairperson Shawn Wilson and school district deputy superintendent Rick Ryan, toured Fleetwood Park, a school in his riding, at the invitation of a teacher. Minister Fassbender took in student choral and band performances before visiting arts, textiles, woodworking and tech classrooms.

A parent invited Minister Fassbender to McLeod Road Traditional elementary school. The minister arrived first thing in the morning and looked over the morning school drop-off traffic with principal Sunny Harsche, before touring the school with the board chairperson and deputy superintendent.

Students returned to Surrey with a record medal haul for the district from a provincial trades and technology skills contest.

They came back from the Skills Canada Provincial Competition at the Tradex Convention Centre in Abbotsford clutching 13 medals. The contest gives students practical challenges to test skills required in trades and technology occupations.

Leading the Surrey success with gold medal wins were:

• Lord Tweedsmuir student Jesse Hadden in automation and control

• Fraser Heights student Nico Volpe in cabinetmaking

• Fraser Heights student Lucy Wei in website development

The winning students are invited to join about 500 other young students and apprentices at the Skills Canada Nationals in Toronto in June 2014.

There were provincial silver medals for Konrad Izykowski, of Fraser Heights, in mechanical CAD and Jake Colantonio, of Lord Tweedsmuir, in welding.

And the following students received bronze medals:

• Henry Pham and Deny Senesouma, North Surrey, 3D animation

• Natalie Chung, North Surrey, baking• Mark Francis, Lord Tweedsmuir, wiring • Sebastian Gonzalez. Earl Marriott, junior sumo

robot• Aze Cowley and Gage Flexhaug, Clayton Heights,

TV/video production• Aidan Jenkins, Earl Marriott, website development

Record medal haul at skills contest

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The Educate & Communicate Newspaper

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A Message from your DPACThere has been a lot of discussion recently about

education funding, both in terms of operating budgets and one-time expenses like capital fund-ing – the latter being an area where Surrey has been on the short end of the stick for many years.

Unfortunately, our district and board of educa-tion aren’t the ones that control the money Surrey receives – that is all decided at the provincial level. The province allocates the funding per student and while that has been steadily increasing, these increases don’t always match the cost increases, most of which are out of the district’s control. Cap-ital funding is also controlled by the province and has been very slow in coming. Surrey is one of the few growing districts in the province, which means that unfortunately school capital funding, outside of seis-mic upgrades, has not been a government priority.

Of course the province has many priorities it needs to balance. The government isn’t sitting on big surpluses and there’s usually very little public appetite for tax increases, so hard choices are con-stantly being made.

Given these facts, if parents feel that educational funding should be a bigger priority for government, they need to make their voices heard. Our district staff and board of education members often speak to Ministry of Education staff and the minister himself about funding concerns, but that only goes so far. As the province’s biggest school district, we have tens of thousands of parents – taxpaying, voting parents

– that can make their voice heard.Surrey DPAC has spearheaded numerous initia-

tives to bring attention to the severe need for capital funding in Surrey. Not only does the lack of capital funding impact our kids in the form of overcrowded schools, but the extra cost of the upkeep and main-taining of portables takes millions of dollars out of the school district budget every year. Money that should be used for teachers and support staff instead goes into inadequate facilities.

Rather than yet another message from DPAC, it would be great to see parents who feel there is an issue with education funding take their concerns to their MLAs and the relevant ministers. We have the Minister of Education based right here in Surrey, but the Minister of Finance and the Premier need to hear the message as well. Understanding that government needs to make tough budget decisions, concerned parents need to let them know where they feel their priorities should be. Send emails, write letters, make a phone call or two, or stop by and talk with your local MLA – hearing your concerns is what they were elected to do.

If you want to know more about DPAC, just look for Surrey DPAC online – our website is www.surreydpac.ca, and we are surreydpac on Face-book and Twitter. You can find information about upcoming events and numerous resources, and there are links to our email list on both the website and Facebook page.

District 36 PAC infoThe District 36 Parent Advisory Council, known as the Surrey DPAC, is a registered non-profit society formed in 1978 to represent the interests of Surrey parents in the public education system. The Surrey DPAC is about parents helping parents learn more about our education system and how they can contribute to it. Learn more at www.surreydpac.ca.

2013-14 Board of Directors

President Media Relations Bob Holmesb-holmes@telus.netR: 604-541-8439

Vice PresidentYuko Denhamysdenham@gmail.comR: 604-341-1610

Treasurer Karen Tantankaren999@gmail.comC: 778-688-0968

DirectorsDuc Luuducthuanluu@gmail.com

Nancy Peircedanpeirce@telus.net

Lorraine Pousettdlpousett@shaw.ca

Peter Johalpeterjohal.dpac@gmail.com

Mervet Jbaramervetfinek@yahoo.com

Susan Boyesxsboyes@shaw.ca

Rajneel Rajkorotogo88@yahoo.com

DPAC MEETINGSBOARD MEETING Wednesday May 14, 2014 7 - 9 p.m.ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Wednesday May 28, 2014 6:45 - 9 p.m.BOARD MEETING Wednesday June 11, 2014 7 - 9 p.m.

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EdCom • MAY 2014 EC09

Five inner-city elementary schools in Surrey are offering the ExplorAc-tion program to 250 students thanks to donations of $50,000 by Chevron Can-ada and of $15,000 by Telus Vancouver Community Board.

ExplorAction is an early prevention, social and emotional skills building program that addresses the individual and complex needs of at-risk girls and boys aged eight to 12 through advanced science and sports sessions. The pro-gram is on weekends throughout the

2013-14 school year and during the spring break. Each program site is staffed and supported by a Community-Schools Partnership outreach worker and a YMCA worker.

The boys’ component, called Sticks and Stars, teaches boys about setting goals, leadership, sport and science skills. High quality instruction is pro-vided by the HR McMillan Space Centre, SFU Mechatronics Lab engineers, High Touch High Tech, Byte Camp and Pacific Titans Hockey. The program pro-vides boys with a safe and supportive environment, surrounded by positive adult male role models, relationship development opportunities, unique and fun educational activities, and academ-ic support.

The girls’ component, called Girls In Action, receives additional funding from: Wonder+ Cares ($10,000), TD Friends of the Environment ($4,000), and ViaSport and the Government of British Columbia ($2,000). The program seeks to build creative problem solving techniques, positive relationship, confidence, leadership and team work skills through hands on, high quality

outreach instruction provided by A Rocha Environmental Stewardship, Let’s Talk Science, Science Alive, UBC Chemistry and Arts Umbrella. Tennis BC also provided lessons and donated tennis rackets to every girl over the spring break.

Both ExplorAction components operate simultaneously at all participating schools to build skills in sport, dance, space and environmental science. ExplorAction provides a venue for girls and boys to learn in an informal yet structured environment that will allow them to develop transferable skills sets and strategies that will enhance their classroom performance and to become future leaders in the community.

Getting early learners moving

A program promoting physical education to elementary school children has received a funding boost.

For the second straight year, ViaSport is providing a matching grant of $11,500 to Surrey school district for the innovative Early Learning Physical Literacy Project. The GoodLife Kids

Foundation has also contributed adonation of $10,000 to the program,which runs from April to June 2014.

Eight selected elementary schoolsparticipate, with a focus on kindergartento Grade 3. The program teams-upsecondary school expert phys-edteachers with early learning teachersat neighbouring elementary schools.

The phys-ed mentor demonstratesinstruction of eight lesson plans andassists the elementary teacher indelivering these plans to their students.The lessons help develop movementand manipulative skill development inearly learners.

Spring break DREAM campsSurrey school district’s Commun-ity-Schools Partnership department hosted spring break camps at 29 sites this year.

Tzu Chi Foundation provided partial funding for the program and Bell Mobil-ity provided cell phones for the camp staff at each site.

The 2014 Spring Break DREAM Camps were provided to students who would benefit from extra support and who would not otherwise have the opportun-ity to participate in structured, enhanced learning programs over the break.

Camps included programs for both kindergarten to Grade 3 students and for students in Grades 4-7. Each group of 20 students, supported by a district staff member, received visits from the diverse collection of partners that pro-vided a wide variety of interesting and fun learning activities. The following partners donated time and expertise to help students build confidence, and develop new skills and interests:

Academy of Music and DanceArtistic Edge DanceArts UmbrellaAspire Music, Dance and FitnessAtheliteBollywood HungamaBricks 4 KidsCinemazooDance WestDelta HeatExcel PerformanceHealing Movements Yoga

Heidi McCurdy ArtMad ScienceMt SeymourNicky SteczOne Pass AheadScouts AboutSeung-ri Black BeltSpiral DanceStagecoach Theatre SchoolSurrey DodgeballTennis XLUkulele Kids

Biennale BIG IDEAS projectThe Vancouver Biennale art exhibition has provided a grant of $8,000 for 10 Sur-rey schools to participate in their BIG IDEAS Education Program.

BIG IDEAS uses art as a catalyst to fos-ter creative expression, transformative thinking and social responsibility.

Each school is assigned a Biennale artist from various disciplines (visual art, dance, drama or music) who visits

the school and works with one or

more classes to explore a BIG IDEA through art and creative expression. Each school is exploring the theme of per-

sonal identity as part of this project.

Floral Design Project

Career Education’s Floral Design Project has received a gener-

ous donation of $8,000 from Vancity. The Floral Design Project will provide direct employment skills in the flor-al arranging and design, horticultural, and retail sales for 10-15 young people enrolled at district learning centres. The program provides specific floral design skills as well as transferable experience in retail, small business ownership, cus-tomer service, resume and interview building, WorldHost, first aid, food safe, forklift, anger management, and work-ing with others and for a boss.

Civil forfeiture grantCivil Forfeiture Office, in partnershipwith the Victim Services and CrimePrevention Division (VSCPD) of the BCMinistry of Justice, has donated $40,000to support two Surrey school districtprograms. Half of the donation will runa new Community-Schools Partner-ship program called REACH and theother half will fund a criminal justicecase manager for youth in Surrey withdevelopmental disabilities.

REACH (Recreation, Employmentreadiness, After school, Citizenship,Healthy lifestyles) is a pro-social, sportand recreation skill development,leadership and employment readinessprogram for at risk youth aged 15-18.REACH will be delivered by a Commun-ity-Schools Partnership outreach workerat four inner city secondary schoolstwice a week throughout the school year;two hours after school one day a weekand three hours on a Saturday or Sun-day. REACH will operate in partnershipwith the RCMP, the City of Surrey andthe YMCA.

Through regular contact with schooldistrict staff, criminal justice systempersonnel and local community agen-cies, the criminal justice case managerwill identify youth with development-al disabilities who are, or may become,involved in the criminal justice system,.They will meet with those young peopleto identify reasons for their involvementwith the criminal justice system anddevelop an intervention plan to addressthose factors.

The science of building skills

& KUDOSSD36 THANKSThe Educate & Communicate Newspaper

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