Are you thinking about   a career change?  Or, do you have a lot  going on and want some skills to help manage your  life?  Then Career, Life or Leadership coaching could be perfect for you.

Tennyson dad, Charles  Lee, is looking for a few clients to work with as part of a six-month certification program he's taking to deepen his mastery of coaching.  If you think you could benefit from Career, Life or Leadership coaching get in touch.

Here are the details:
What would the time commitment be? 
Time commitment is a minimum of three months, and can be extended.  Clients have access to two hours of coaching each month, with coaching sessions ranging from 30-60 minutes based on client needs.
What would the cost be? 
Cost is $125 per month.
When would the sessions begin? 
Charles is currently accepting clients, and he can start as soon as the client wants.  

For those who are interested, Charles would set up a 45-minute sample coaching session with you where oyu could have your questions answered, experience 30 minutes of coaching, and if it's right for you, explore working together.  There's absolutely  no obligation.

Email Charles at [email protected]

In case you missed the email from the VSB about their vision for the future of spaces.

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Dear families,

As you may know, the Province is implementing a seismic program that ensures Vancouver School Board facilities are safe for students and staff. While this work is underway, we have an opportunity to continue to build modern classrooms that meet the needs of school communities and Vancouverites now and in the years to come.

We need your input to help us define a vision for the future of our spaces.

Our primary objective is to inspire student success by providing innovative, caring and responsive learning environments. As we look toward the future, it is important to understand what modern learning spaces mean to you.

VSB is hosting two phases of engagement – one online and one through in-person events. Our online engagement is open between February 19, 2020, and will be open until March 11, 2020. Please go to http://build2learn.ethelo.net/ to provide your feedback.

We will ask for your input on what is most important in a modern learning environment, how school sites can best support the surrounding community, and ways we might use VSB buildings to generate income to build modern classrooms. We will use this information when we make decisions about our schools.

Your participation in the engagement will only take about as long as it takes to get a cup of coffee, and will help us define a vision for the educational use of Vancouver school sites for years to come.

Watch for more information about in-person engagement opportunities.

Thank you for your participation!

All Tennyson parents are welcome and encouraged to attend our monthly PAC meetings! At PAC meetings we discuss school issues, policies  and procedures, fundraising and special events.

Come to this month's  PAC meeting on Monday, February 24 at 7pm in the Library. Free childcare is provided.

The big topic for discussion is the Future of the Quebec Trip.

The Quebec trip involves a tremendous amount of commitment from everyone in our community. Some enjoy this and find the trip to be rewarding. Others would like to consider alternatives for our community. If your children are younger and are years away from Quebec, your contribution on this issue is still very valuable as fundraising and planning for the trip begin years prior to grade 7. Please come out to hear about it and contribute to this conversation!

If you can't make it to the meeting, and have some key points you'd like to share,  send them by email to   [email protected]  and we will read them out at the meeting.

Funderland is a game-based program for children that offers full & half day  spring break camps at 1708 W 16th Ave, just 10 minutes from Tennyson School.

Cost:
$ 39/day
$ 185/week

Hours:
9am - 5pm

Everyday 3 new group games (over 30 different games will be played during the break)
Everyday 2 Arts and Crafts activities
Outdoor play
Field Trips
Free time to play with games and toys
Discussions/Story/Documentary/Drama and much more

10 min walk of Tennyson
To see our photo gallery, more info, and to register online visit www.funderland.ca
 
www.funderland.ca
[email protected]
Phone 604 345 6259
1708 W 16th Ave, V6J2R1

Reporting Student Bullying and Harassment: An Action Plan for Parents
Concerned about how to take action and what to expect if you report your child/teen is a target, bystander or a perpetrator of bullying ? This presentation is for you

When: Thursday, 20 February 2020 at 7:00 PM
Where: 1580 West Broadway - Vancouver, BC V6J 5K9 - Canada

Register here if you would like to attend

Facilitator: Paula Temrick, DPAC Executive Member
Speakers’ Panel: Mozhdah and Nasrin Jamalzadah, VSB District + School Staff

Concerned about how to take action and what to expect if you report your child/teen is a target, bystander or a perpetrator of bullying or harassment at school?
Are you:

• Doubting Your Concern – ‘Maybe it’s not serious enough to report’;
• Hesitant - ‘What if I’m not taken seriously’;
• Anxious - ‘If the perpetrator(s) find out, my child will get bullied even more;
• Afraid -‘I think my child/teen is a perpetrator but I don’t dare tell the school.’
• Nervous -‘If I say anything my teen will be furious and never tell me anything again’;
• Worried - ‘But If I do nothing my child may be seriously traumatized.’;
• Discouraged - ‘Why bother? Last time I reported no one at school even thought to follow up with me.’

This program will address these concerns in a panel presentation and discussion with participants. Information and strategies shared will help build parents’ confidence, knowledge and ability to:

• Be a Supportive Parent – how to connect - listen, talk and problem-solve with your child/teen
• Understand and Assess what is happening and when you need to speak-up or seek out an advocate
• Document – what is most important to write up and bring to your school’s attention
• Meet With School Staff – who to talk to, how to approach, what to say, questions to ask, follow-up
• Find Out About Intervention - how school staff plan to investigate, intervention options, supports for students, consequences for perpetrators, what staff can and cannot disclose
• Assess Next Steps should you be dissatisfied with your school’s intervention or support for your child

Our evening will end with a healing circle of song, hope and inspiration.
Guest Speakers:
Mozhdah Jamalzadah – singer/songwriter, broadcaster and fierce feminist, Mozhdah began her life in Vancouver as an Afghanistan refugee in the 90’s. Throughout her life at school Mozhdah was a victim of serious bullying and harassment. Mozhdah will speak to how she was impacted, how she survived and how she triumphed to become in her twenties, a sought after speaker, singer, host of the ‘Mozhdah Show’ in Afghanistan and, the first Afghan to be invited by Michelle Obama to sing at the White House. A biography of Mozhdah’s life has most recently been published in the book, ‘Voice of Rebellion’ by Roberta Staley. Mozhdah will be accompanied by her mother, Nasrin Jamalzadah who will speak to the steps she took to protect her daughter’s emotional and physical safety growing up.
Paula Temrick – DPAC Executive Member, former Magee PAC Chair and parent of 2 internationally adopted children. Her education and career spans broadcast communications, counselling and training as a conflict resolution specialist at the Justice Institute of BC. Paula worked extensively in the 90’s training educators, students and parents in Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention at the Justice Institute and, for BC, Toronto and Washington schools. Paula continues her passion for social justice working in affordable housing and as an organization development consultant - facilitator, coach and trainer for government, public and private sector business.
Light refreshments will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle or non-alcoholic beverage.
All parents of students enrolled in the Vancouver school district are welcome to attend. Please register at least 48 hours ahead of time if you require childcare for this meeting.
Parking for attending DPAC meetings is complementary, provided you park in one of the designated VSB visitor parking spots in the parkade which are located on the lowest level. The parkade is located off the southeast intersection of Fir Street at West Broadway. You must register your name and vehicle license plate number in the parking registry located on the Ground Floor of the Education Centre building around the corner from the reception desk towards the Board Room. The registry is used for parking validation purposes only.

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of parents, past and present, we've raised all the money  we need for the new playground structure. And the  cost of the ground preparation (the concrete frame and wood-chips) is included in the new school construction budget.  However, because the new school is  built with accessibility in mind,  students with mobility issues will now be able to attend Tennyson. We know  that one family intends for their daughter, who uses a wheelchair, to start at Tennyson next year.  So, the Tennyson 2020 committee is now trying to ensure the playground is  accessible for people with mobility issues.

The dilemma
While wood-chips are technically considered wheelchair accessible, the reality is they're very difficult for a child to traverse.  After carefully  considering the options, the Tennyson 2020 committee agreed  the best surface for our playground  is pour-in place rubber flooring because it's durable, low maintenance and extremely  accessible. The cost of pour-in place rubber flooring is more than  $100,000.

So what's happening now?

• The Vancouver Project Office (VPO) at the Vancouver School Board (VSB) confirmed they will still cover the cost of curbing the site but they can't cover the cost of the rubberized surfacing.  The proposed curbing will be exactly what is needed for the rubberized surfacing.
• The Tennyson 2020 committee are still in discussions with the VSB but are also to applying to not-for-profit societies for grants to cover the full cost of the surfacing. If we receive the grants we can go ahead as planned for a Fall 2020/Winter 2021 install.
• If we don't receive the grants, the VSB will consider including Tennyson in next year's round of provincial Playground Equipment Program applications. It's not guaranteed that we will get this funding but if we do it will cover most of the cost of the surfacing, and installation could go ahead Spring/Summer 2021.

 
Why are we telling you this?
The Tennyson 2020 committee wants everyone to be aware of the playground plans because the playground is for all our children; the parents are paying for it and  we want to hear your thoughts.  If there are questions or concerns regarding the pour-in rubber surfacing, then we will schedule the playground resurfacing for further discussion at an upcoming PAC meeting.

Here is some data that you should know

• The Provincial Government's Seismic Mitigation Program Progress Report – December 2019 shows 243 schools are now seismically safe or at some stage of the construction process and 248 schools are still waiting to begin.
• The Provincial Government's website states they've already spent over $1.6B on seismic upgrade projects throughout the province.
• Through the hard work and generosity of current and past Tennyson parents over the last ten years we've raised more than $130,000 to pay for the new playground structure.
• This year we are fundraising $40,000 this year for classroom projectors.

Workout for Women’s Day is a city-wide campaign co-founded by Tennyson mom Shana Alexander to honour and celebrate International Women's Day. 
 
From March 1-7, fitness studios across Vancouver will offer more than 35 classes to the public with FULL proceeds going to these three incredible local charities:
 
1)  Battered Women Support Services (BWSS)
2)  Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
3)  Girls Rock Camp Vancouver
 
Want to work out AND support a great cause??? Join the sweat from March 1-7! Check the schedule out at  www.strongertogethervancouver.com/international-women-s-day-2020  and register soon as classes will fill!

Tending Hearts
Friday, February 14, 2020
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Central Library

Description
Calling all educators, counsellors and parents!
The Vancouver Public library is pleased to host Tending Hearts and Minds, a day long conference full of thoughtful discussion about mental health education and intervention in our schools.

9 a.m. - Keynote Presentations
Alice MacKay Room, Lower Level

• The Power of Understanding: Change, Hope & Healing Through Trauma Awareness - Noel Hunter
• A School Must Have Heart: The Need for an Educational Evolution - Michael Gilbert
• Canaries in the Mine: Adolescents in Crisis - Dr. Eli-Abi Jaoude
• The Mental Health Story and Why It's So Compelling - Rob Wipond
• What is the Evidence for the Use of Prescription Drugs for Children & Adolescents? - Dr. Jim Wright
• The Prescription Cascade and Tapering - Janet Currie

10:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Discussion Sessions
Montalbano Family Theatre and Room 826, Level 8 and Room 919, Level 9 (sessions will repeat)

• Trauma Informed Supports in Education - Noel Hunter and Michael Gilbert
• Re-narrating the Story - Dr. Eli-Abi Jaoude and Rob Wipond
• Medication Effects & Tapering - Dr. Jim Wright and Janet Currie

2:15 p.m.- 3 p.m. – Panel Discussion and Q&A
Montalbano Family Theatre, Level 8 and Room 919/920, Level 9

In partnership with Vancouver Unitarians.

The Canadian Parents for French are hosting a fun afternoon with a movie, games and refreshments on Saturday February 15.