Just a reminder that registration for the Early Mandarin Bilingual Program at John Norquay is underway.  Please visit http://www.vsb.bc.ca/programs/early-mandarin-bilingual for details on how to register.

Dear Parents:

As of 7:55pm , Jun 23, 2010 , the VSB Trustees passed the motion to start the Mandarin program in Vancouver schools for Sep 2011!  It would be our best guess that it will be a K/Grade 1 start, at least one class of each, likely at John Norquay school.  Registration will begin with normal September 2011 school registration, that is, in November 2010.  In all likelihood, it will be by lottery.   More information to come.
 
Please consider thanking the trustees for their support and thanks to all the parents for your support.

All the best,
BCPFM, Vancouver Committee

Greetings Parents:

We are writing to you with urgency and immediate action is needed in order for the early Mandarin program to start Sept. 2010.

As has been in the press recently, the Vancouver School Board is dealing with an $18.1 million shortfall.  Cuts to 144 teachers, ESL classes, special education, librarians and shortening the school year by 10 days, have all been tabled to deal with this shortfall.

http://www.vsb.bc.ca/district-news/vsb-releases-proposals-deal-1812-million-deficit-0

Parents, here are three things that you need to do NOW:

1. As requested by the VSB trustees, write a letter/email to your MLA, MP, the Premier and Minister of Education with a cc to VSB Trustees requesting restoration of funding for our public schools including funding the early start Mandarin bilingual program. A sample letter and contact info is at http://www.vsb.bc.ca/advocacy. We suggest that the subject line state "Mandarin program". Your personally written letters have great impact for politicians.

2. Please contact our trustees to them know that this program is important to our children and the future of our province.

3. Please show your support by attending the April 20th public consultation on the budget at 7 pm at Mount Pleasant Elementary. BC Parents for Mandarin Committee will be presenting at this consultation and we need as many parents out as possible to show our concern and commitment to the program.

Our government needs to hear the message that funding our schools is important. BC Parents for Mandarin supports the Vancouver School Board and our educational system now because it will pay off for our children.

With respect to the Mandarin program, BC Parents for Mandarin (Vancouver Committee) has done all that we can to bring the initiative this far. The trustees have heard your message and have appreciated your emails. They understand the merits of the program. But, in the end funding is necessary for the program to be implemented.

The budget will be approved on April 29th.  If the Mandarin Program is approved with the budget, registration will begin on April 30th. If it is not approved with the budget, the program will be shelved.

Thank you for all your support and have a beautiful Sunday.

BCPFM – Vancouver Committee

The Burnaby School Board will be holding an upcoming Mandarin Language Arts Information Session. 
The Burnaby School Board is encouraging the following people to attend:
- those who are considering registering their child and have not done so yet
- those who have already registered their child and are either accepted or waitlisted

Mandarin Mandarin Language Arts Information Session
Forest Grove Elementary School
8525 Forest Grove Drive, Burnaby
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
7 pm - 8 pm

The Burnaby school board has announced that Forest Grove Elementary will host the District-wide Mandarin Language Arts program beginning in September 2010. Please see the announcement on the Distict web site under "Mandarin Language Arts Program Begins in September 2010" (http://sd41.bc.ca/)

Happy New Year!

We've received excellent news.  The early Mandarin Bilingual start program has been given a preliminary go-ahead subject to passing budget approval in the spring. 

The VSB approved the following motion at its meeting Monday night:

“The Board approves implementation and start up of the Early Start Mandarin Bilingual Program for September 2010 and requests that staff begin meaningful consultations with the school community of any school recommended for location of the program and report back to Committee III the results of this consultation and any additional cost issues.   In approving this motion the Board cautions that this program will be subject to the same review as all other VSB programs and services during the 2010-11 budget process in March and April 2010.”

The location has not been decided but the district earlier recommended John Norquay elementary.  We plan to continue conversations with the VSB about location in the hopes of finding a more central yet accessible located school.  However due to space constraints at many schools and increased space required for all day kindergarten, the VSB has limited options as to location of the program.

Please see the following article in the Vancouver Sun:

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+school+trustees+approve+early+Mandarin+bilingual+program/2459976/story.html

While this is positive news, this is only a preliminary approval.  The BCPFM-Vancouver Committee feels that, as a committee and as parents, we need to continue to lobby the provincial government for support (write your MLAs) and as well, look to ways that we might be able to fundraise for the program in the future.  We will continue these efforts and will to for support and ideas from parents on these two fronts.  

Thank you for your interest and support of this program.

Sincerely,

BCPFM - Vancouver Committee

Dear parents,

We hear that your emails are piling up in the trustees' in-boxes! Thank you for advocating so hard for this program.

Now we need to let Victoria know that the program needs funding. VSB trustees support the program concept, but there are huge budget cuts coming. The BCPFM Vancouver Committee has asked the Ministry of Education to pledge financial support for an early start Mandarin bilingual program in time for the VSB's vote on Monday, December 21, 2009, at 7:00 pm. If parents ask too, the ask will be stronger.

Unfortunately, the Minister of Education, is on medical leave, but while she is away, the Deputy Minister of Education, James Gorman, is handling files. Staff in the Minister's office have told us to use this email address to contact him: dm.education@gov.bc.ca

The mail that goes to that address is logged, so numbers count!  Please email as soon as you can and thank you for your on-going efforts and support.

BCPFM, Vancouver Committee

Committee III met tonight to discuss a 2010 start for the early Mandarin Bilingual program in advance of Monday Dec 21st Vancouver School Board vote.

After a brief speech to Committee III by Eileen Sue on behalf of the parents, the Task Force Report was presented by Valerie Overgaard and then discussion ensued over the feasibility to implement the program during a time of budgetary constraints and cutbacks.

Several points come to mind:

1. Of the three choices to be presented to the Board, the first one was the most popular i.e. approval for a Sept 2010 intake.
2. Although John Norquay Elementary School is a recommendation, consultative work still has to be done with the local school parents before the program location is agreed upon but it seemed to be a good choice according to Facilities and District Management.
3. Much of the discussion was around the financial aspects of the program, especially since the Committee I/III meeting just prior to this meeting emphasized review of all school programs to determine their value and costs.
4. Resources and curriculum development costs could be shared with Coquitlam since they will be starting a bilingual program as well.

It appears that a majority of stakeholders, trustees included, are supportive of seeing the program go ahead for a September 2010 start.  However, some trustees are clearly not supportive mainly due to the resource constraints that they know the school district will be facing in the spring.

It was mentioned by several trustees that they have been receiving letters and email from many parents and thus they understand parent’s desire for this program.  These efforts are working thus we please ask that you please email or send letters supporting the proposal to the Vancouver School Board trustees in advance of Monday December 21st meeting.    (Email addresses are below.)

The final decision will be made at the next Board meeting December 21/09 at the VSB at 7:00 pm. Trustees will vote as to whether or not to approve the program for Sept. 2010 start and if so, when the intake will be.

We know that it is a busy time of the year, but we encourage parents to write that email and if possible come out on Monday night to show your support for the program.  Let’s hope we will all receive an early Christmas gift!

Best wishes for the holiday season,

Vancouver School Board Trustees and Email Addresses:

There will be a parent information session hosted by Coquitlam School District (SD43) to talk about the Mandarin Bilingual Program and the registration process for September 2010 enrolment.
 
Date:    Wednesday, 13th January 2010
Time:    6:30pm to 8:30pm
Venue:  Winslow Centre (Gallery Room)
             1100 Winslow Ave, Coquitlam
 
Please RSVP to tricitiesmandarin@gmail.com

Hello parents,
 
It is with great excitement that I announce the rolling out of BC's first Mandarin Bilingual Program in the Coquitlam School District beginning Sep 2010. This program will teach English half the day and Mandarin the other half. The program is, thus, a 50-50 program and not full language immersion. This program will closely model the Mandarin Bilingual program currently running in Edmonton Public Schools, which is in its 27th year. The Mandarin Bilingual program will be in Walton Elementary School (off Johnson Street on Walton in Coquitlam). It will start with 2 Kindergarten classes and 2 Grade 1 classes. There will only be spaces for  approximately 20 students in each class. This program is open to all students (K and Grade 1) in the school district. It is still not known at this point if the K will be full or half-day as the Ministry has still not decided how many K classes in the province will have full-day funding. The Minsitry should be releasing this information in a few weeks.
 
There will be an information session the first week of January for parents to find out more about the program and about the registration process. Please stay tuned for dates.
 
Registration for the program will begin at the end of January or early February 2010. Please check our website for details. If you are on our mailing list you should receive an update as well.
 
Selena Chong