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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.
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