K-PAC-Seismic-Safety

On Monday, December 8, the PAC Executive and School Renewal/Seismic Mitigation Committee met with Gordon Campbell to discuss our concerns regarding the funding formula of the seismic mitigation process; its lack of an integrated consultative process, and our desire to have the best educational facilities for our children that incorporate innovations in sustainable building, site design, green space, and handicap accessibility. We had an open and frank discussion about the implementation and resource problems in the seismic mitigation of schools thus far, as well as the challenge of dealing with multiple institutional players with different levels of responsibility and authority. We received helpful advice on how to proceed. Our first step is to develop a detailed vision of the kind of school the Kitsilano community desires by consulting all its members: VSB trustees and senior management; City councillors and Parks Board trustees; staff; parents; students; alumni; feeder schools; and residential and business associations. Once a vision has been outlined, the process of funding and establishing a project timeline can be addressed. Premier Campbell offered to meet with us again at the end of January to help with our progress.

To this end, the PAC, together with the Kits administration, is organizing a visioning workshop for Saturday, January 17, details to follow. Please have your families join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking and creative process.

School Renewal/Seismic Mitigation Committee Meeting Change

Please note that the committee's next meeting has been changed to January 7 at 6 p.m. in the staff room. The meeting will cover the organizational aspects of the visioning workshop

From: Alex Grant [mailto:agrant@vsb.bc.ca]
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 10:43 PM
To: Kits PAC SRSMC
Subject: RE: Staff and community input to date

I have attached the collated feedback from the School Growth Planning Day last April attended by Kits Staff, Parents, and Students.

Below you will find the message I sent to staff following our discussion at the last Staff Meeting.

Each of these lists should be viewed as preliminary discussions on the topic of "What we want in a renewed Kitsilano". I would like to make this information available to participants in the Visioning activity so that we can start to build upon what has gone before and advance the discussion rather than simply go over the same material again and again.

For your information, I have just been contacted by Mark Dale regarding a facility audit for Kitsilano that has been approved for next week:

I should let you know that the ministry has now agreed to proceed with the facility audit of Kitsilano. This is the start of the process to determine the best cost approach to the seismic upgrade.

1. The facility condition. This is ultimately linked to the long term lifecycle costs. This should tell us how much it will cost to modernize the school.

2. The current seismic condition of the Building. In the case of Kits, this will come from the work we have already done as part of the feasibility studies.

I have spoken to the firm intending on doing the facility condition audit and they may also be able to lend expertise to the other three criteria as well. They are prepared to start right away and to that end I have asked Doug McClary to be our point person.

Doug McClary has confirmed with me that the facility condition audit (criteria #1 above) will start on Monday morning at 8:30. This news, coupled with our meeting with Gordon Campbell, and the release of the Auditor General’s report, gives me confidence that the Kitsilano renewal process is about to begin in earnest.

Please join us for some Christmas cheer at our next PAC meeting on Tuesday, December 2 at 7 p.m. in the Staff Room, 3rd Floor. We will start our business portion early at 7:15 to allow time after to enjoy special refreshments and mingle with other parents to celebrate the holidays.

December 2 PAC General Meeting Agenda:
Minutes from previous meeting
Principal's Report
Teacher's Report
Student's Report
School Renewal/Seismic Mitigation
· 7 point presentation discussion and motion for Campbell foundation meeting Dec. 8
· Announcement of Design discussion for PAC General Meeting January 14
Budget
· Presentation of Admin and Gaming Budgets
· Motion to accept Crossroads Conference
donation · Motion to accept proposed Admin Budget
· Motion to accept Gaming Budget in part
Parent Education - Speaker Series
Cookie Bash (Mary L/Gwyneth)
Other business
Festive Celebration

From the November 25, 2008 Kits PAC School Renewal Seismic Mitigation Committee meeting:

Gordon Campbell, as our MLA, has agreed to meet with the School Renewal - Seismic Mitigation Committee and PAC Executive to discuss our concerns with the school seismic mitigation process and its funding in general, and specifically as the issue affects Kitsilano Secondary in its own renewal journey.

We will let you know once the day and time have been set up.

From: James Burton [mailto:jburton@bwarc.ca]
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 8:18 PM

Subject: Next meeting: 5:30 pm 28th October in the Staff Room

From: Alex Grant [mailto:agrant@vsb.bc.ca]
Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2008 2:22 PM
To: Kits PAC SRSMC
Subject: RE: Open House

Pursuing seismic safety before quake makes sense

Vancouver Sun

We are writing to correct misleading information in two letters published Sept. 17 under the heading "Readying schools for 'the Big One'."

One writer stated that "no children have suffered injury or death caused by an earthquake."

If only this were true. Sadly, there have been many earthquakes in which deaths occurred disproportionately among children precisely because of the vulnerability of school buildings. I (Carlos Ventura) have just returned from a field mission to China, where thousands of children died in school collapses during the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province. Of the nearly 90,000 casualties the earthquake caused, 12 per cent of the deaths were schoolchildren and their teachers. In North American earthquake history, schools have also sustained disproportionate levels of damage. Earthquakes in Seattle in 1949 and 1965 damaged schools more than other structures. Fortunately, they were empty. The 1933 Long Beach earthquake in California destroyed 70 schools. Fortunately, they were empty, too. There has never been an earthquake during school hours in North America, so most people are unaware of the disproportionate damage earthquakes do to school buildings. British Columbia took an important step in assessing the risk in 2004 and made an impressive $1.5-billion commitment to see it addressed by 2019. The United Nations' International Strategy for Disaster Reduction commends B.C. for beginning to address school seismic safety. We hope to be able to cite its leadership as we work to build a culture of prevention around the world.

The next School Renewal - Seismic Mitigation Committee Meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 24, 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Staffroom (3rd floor)

All parents are welcome to attend this meeting to prepare for the VSB's Open House in mid-October.

We encourage all parents and students to familiarize themselves with the seismic issues facing Kits at http://members.shaw.ca/QPAC/K-PAC-Seismic-Safety.html

Premier Gordon Campbell put the brakes on school closures Wednesday, saying his government wants to give schools new life as neighbourhood hubs that deliver education and services year-round to all ages.

The plan will begin with a $30-million pilot project at three Vancouver schools -- Queen Mary, General Gordon and Strathcona -- and two rural schools yet to be identified.

Pursuing seismic safety before quake makes sense

Vancouver Sun

Five schools promised a 'new life'

Pilot project to deliver education, services year-round to all ages

Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun