JKE PAC

Notice of Special PAC Meeting Tuesday Sept. 28th

Site Administrator — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:59:57 +0000

The JKE PAC is calling an urgent meeting TOMORROW (Tuesday Sept. 28th). Please come to James Kennedy Elementary at 7pm. This special JKE PAC meeting is not expected to last longer than 30 minutes and we thank you for your efforts to attend on such short notice.

The Langley District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) have asked us to Vote on a very important and urgent District matter. JKE parents are urged to come to this meeting so that our opinions & interests can be accurately represented at the District Level. Our DPAC Representative will then carry forward the JKE PAC vote to the DPAC Meeting on this coming Wednesday (Sept 29th). Complete details of the District Executive Motion we will be voting on can be found on the Langley DPAC website: http://www.langleydpac.ca/

Executive Positions Elected for 2010/2011

Site Administrator — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:19:52 +0000

At the JKE PAC Annual General Meeting on Wed. May 19th, Richard McBride graciously nominated himself for the position of PAC Chairperson. There were no other nominations for other executive positions so Lori Lipp, Nicole Wall, and Tim Syroid have kindly agreed to put in another year at their respective positions. The Vice-Chair position is now unfilled so that Liann may have a well-deserved break from executive duties.

I would like to thank the other executive members, parents and JKE staff who have helped so much during the past year. I will now move the position of “Past Chairperson”. It has been a rewarding experience acting as PAC Chair and I’m sure that the upcoming year will be another great one.

- Alan St. Pierre

Chairperson	Richard McBride
Vice-Chair	- Open -
Treasurer	Lori Lipp
Secretary	Nicole Wall
DPAC Rep	Tim Syroid
Past Chairperson	Alan St. Pierre

Your PAC Needs Nominations for Executive Positions

Site Administrator — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:47:01 +0000

The next PAC meeting has been moved to Wednesday, May 19th at 7:00 PM in the school library. This will be the Annual General Meeting where we vote in our new executive. The JKE PAC needs people to fill these executive positions such as Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary as well as a number of event/committee coordinator positions. Your PAC can’t function without these volunteer positions filled, and so far we have no names nominated. Please consider attending the May 19th meeting and putting your name forward (you could even consider sharing a position with someone). No experience is necessary and the past PAC executive members will be happy to help you along the way. If you don’t feel it’s right for you, but you know another JKE parent that you think might be a good fit please encourage them to attend the meeting and volunteer.

PAC Budget Meeting

Site Administrator — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:44:39 +0000

All JKE parents are encouraged to attend the PAC budget meeting on Wednesday, May 5th at 2:00 PM in the school library. Come out and help set the JKE PAC budget for next year.

Join JKE Families for the Olympic Torch Relay

Site Administrator — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:58:10 +0000

James Kennedy students have the day off on Monday Feb. 8th when the Olympic Torch Relay passes through Langley, but you can still get together with other JKE families to cheer on the torch. The JKE PAC will have the school banner displayed on 88th Ave. just to the East of 212th St. (see map below). It would be great to have lots of JKE students and families there with our banner. To be sure you don’t miss the torch you should show up at about 9:00AM and remember to wear red (and bring your camera). For more information about Torch Relay activities, road closures, schedules, etc. please visit www.tol.ca/torchrelay

Hope to see you there!

JKE Kids Get Excited About the Paralympics (Includes Video)

Site Administrator — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:45:54 +0000

The JKE Paralympic week was a great success! Each class watched a video about the Paralympics and then came down to the gym to try out our four different Paralympic activities. The activities were Wheelchair Curling, Sledge Hockey, Blind Obstacle Course, and One Legged Biathlon. To wrap things up we had an assembly on Friday with Wayne Fernandes, a Canadian Olympic field hockey player (Beijing 2008), who spoke about goal setting, healthy living and teamwork. The students had a great time and learned a lot. Be sure to talk to your kids about it.

Many thanks to all the parent volunteers, and a special thank you to Mrs. Cameron who put in lots of extra time (and some late nights) to organize the event. It couldn’t have happened without all of you!

We would also like to acknowledge the generous support of HAL Industries Inc. for purchasing and donating a set of indoor curling rocks for use with the Wheelchair Curling, the Red Cross for loaning us the wheelchairs, and the Royal Bank for providing us with our Olympic speaker.

James Kennedy Paralympic Week on BCIT Magazine

Fundamental Skills Assessment (FSA) Testing in Grades 4 to 7

Site Administrator — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:34:44 +0000

The Fundamental Skills Assessment or FSA is a test given to all students in grades 4 and 7 in all schools in BC. Every student in these two grades is expected to write the FSA. A lot of concern and questions exist around the FSA, and the BCCPAC has created some excellent information regarding these tests.

The BCCPAC FSA Information Kit for Parents is a seven page document that answers most questions parents are likely to have about the FSA test.

Student Assessment in B.C.’s Public Schools A Guide for Parents is a more general guide to student assessment in B.C.’s public schools.

Paralympic Week at JKE Needs Your Help

Site Administrator — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:28:15 +0000

James Kennedy Elementary will be having a Paralympic week January 25th – 29th, 2010. Activities during the week will provide students with the opportunity try out different Paralympic sports, and get familiar with the Paralympic games.

This event will need lots of parent volunteers. Please have a look at the Calendar for when the next meeting is, or contact Alan St. Pierre at if you can help out.

Parents Get Extra Credit

Site Administrator — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:33:47 +0000

Teachers at James Kennedy have thanked you, as a parent and a member of the Parent Advisory Council, for helping to offset the loss of discretionary classroom funds.

In the past, each teacher at JKE had a budget for “extras” in the classroom, but this year these funds have mostly disappeared. These “extras” are often things that help make learning fun such as art supplies, games, and even macaroni to practice counting.

Of course these aren’t the only cuts that have been made in the district, and your PAC is committed to helping in whatever way we can to ensure that your children don’t lose out on these important “extras”.

Unfortunately, we are also facing new challenges due to funding cuts beyond the district. This year the provincial government has cut all PAC gaming fund grants in half. This equals almost $6000 in cuts to our PAC funding.

Here are some of the goals in this year’s JKE PAC budget:

$9,150 for classroom support. This includes classroom equipment, games, supplies and discretionary items.
$18,000 for approximately 1,200 new books in the library, the classroom, and book kits for the school’s literacy goal.
$4,500 for musical instruments.
$1,000 for science resources.
Plus many other items.

To achieve these important goals your PAC is depending on the generous support of the community now more than ever. There are many ways you can help throughout the year, and hopefully you can find something that works for you. Support at any level is greatly appreciated.

We are now kicking off our Charitable Giving campaign in time for tax season. Charitable cash donations are the simplest and most cost-effective way for the PAC to raise money. There are no administrative costs so every dollar donated goes directly to supporting your children. Last year the Charitable Giving campaign raised over $4,400!

How can I Support the JKE PAC Charitable Giving Campaign?

Anyone, including businesses, family members, or friends can fill out the donation form or donate online. No matter which method you choose every dollar donated goes directly to supporting students. For further information contact the fundraising coordinator at . Support at any level is greatly appreciated.

Fill out the form: Print out and complete the donation form and return it to your child’s teacher. A tax receipt will be mailed for donations of $10 or more. You can also set up a monthly giving program (for example $10 per month for 10 months).

Online: Visit Support the PAC, read the instructions, and click on the Donate button. A tax receipt for donations of $25 or more will be sent to you automatically. Online donations can be made by Visa, Mastercard or Paypal. Unfortunately, the option of monthly giving is not available online.

It’s Poinsettia Time Again

Site Administrator — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:18:45 +0000

The annual poinsettia sale at JKE is now underway. Once again we are offering a beautiful selection of plants from Darvonda Nurseries. Order forms have already been sent home with students. Please have your order form along with money or a cheque made out to JKE PAC to the school by Thursday November 26th, 2009. The poinsettias will be delivered to the school on Thursday, December 4th, 2009.

As space in the school is limited and these plants are temperature sensitive we ask that you please make sure to pick up your plants after school on the fourth. Thank you for your support, and have a happy holiday season.