School Supplies for Back to School: VSB

No need to worry about back to school supplies and stationary at Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary. One less thing on the "to do" list for Vancouver Parents! 

The Vancouver School Board offers the service of purchasing basic school supplies to  cover basic consumable school supplies used for students’ personal use such as paper, writing tools, glue sticks, erasers, exercise books and art supplies. Supplies are provided for the full year and fees will be collected at the beginning of the school year.  The advantages of the Board providing families with supplies include convenience, cost savings through a one- time fee, and the standardization of supplies used in the classroom. Details will be provided once school is in session.

DR. A.R. LORD ELEMENTARY

GROWING MINDS, GROWING HEARTS

WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENTS!

WELCOME BACK CURRENT STUDENTS!

WE ALSO INVITE OTHER NEIGHBOURHOOD CHILDREN,

PLEASE JOIN US!

School resumes September 6, 2016. You may have heard that our school is on the VSB list of potential closures.

We want to assure you that our dedicated families are working very hard to save our school from remaining on the list.  No final decision has been made, and we are encouraged by the community-wide support for our school.

If you are new to the neighbourhood or have a child who is ready to enter kindergarten, we encourage you to get to know your neighbours and enroll your children at Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary.

EXPERIENCE THE ABCs OF A.R. LORD SCHOOL:

AMAZING SCHOOL CULTURE & LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

BEAUTIFUL NATURAL SETTING & ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS

COMMUNITY INTEGRATION & SUPPORT

LEARN MORE ABOUT US ONLINE:

https://www.savearlord.com/register-at-ar-lord/

     Dr. A.R.Lord Elementary | Vancouver School Board

                arlordpac.blogspot.ca

Or email us: arlordpac@gmail.com

First Day of School Schedule

Late Return Notice to School

If you have already registered your child at A.R. Lord Elementary and they will miss the start of school on Tuesday Sept 6th, please be sure that you have informed the school to verify their attendance and ensure that your spot is held. Late return forms were distributed in June. For more information:

http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/lord/Publications/2016%20Notice%20of%20Late%20Return%20Form.pdf

Parent Advocacy Network Event

The Parent Advocacy Network(PAN) invites you to attend our event "Public Education Matters: Get Informed, Take Action!" to discuss education advocacy, voice your concerns and thoughts, and network with other Vancouver parents and education advocates. Hosted by our friends at Douglas PAC, this will also be an excellent opportunity to hear first-hand what is important to BC parents, and their issues and concerns regarding public education for their children - and more importantly to discuss how together we can all be more effective in our advocacy. 

Wednesday August 31

7:00 - 8:30 pm

Douglas Elementary School (Gym)

2150 Brigadoon Street, Vancouver (Victoria Dr @61st St)

Our guest speaker will be Alex Hemingway, Policy Analyst from the BC office of the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives(CCPA). His talk "What's the Real Story Behind BC's Education Funding Crisis" will focus on the background to this critical election issue, the impacts of policies and changes and the facts about the underfunding of public education. Despite provincial government claims that education funding is at record levels, according to the CCPA, funding has actually shrunk substantially as a share of BC's overall economic pie.

After our featured speakers, there will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and voice concerns. At the conclusion of the event, there will also be a networking session where you will have an opportunity to liaise with attendees. We have also invited VBE Trustees, elected officials (municipal, provincial, federal) and other stakeholder groups as supportive observers to hear and understand your concerns. The networking session is a great opportunity to be able to speak directly to them, as well as to liaise with other parents and advocacy groups.

Attached is our poster/invitation for the event; we encourage you to share and promote within your networks, on social media, and within your PACs and parent groups.

RSVP Now and Plan to Attend   

Childminding will be provided but you must register to secure your spot(s)

Media Release: Seismic Upgrades A Moral Imperative Before Merging Schools

Vancouver, BC - Parents of Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary School students are distraught over a plan to move their children to a school with the highest possible rating for collapse and loss of life in an earthquake. 

A.R. Lord is one of 12 schools targeted for possible closure by the Vancouver School Board in its attempt to secure funding for seismic upgrades. The VSB’s preliminary plan suggests moving A.R. Lord students to Sir Matthew Begbie to help meet the Ministry of Education’s requirement that Vancouver have a district-wide capacity utilization of 95 per cent to qualify for seismic funding. 

Begbie is classified as High 1 (H1), the most vulnerable structure with the highest risk of widespread damage or structural failure. A.R. Lord is a High 3 (H3), which is at risk for isolated failure to building elements such as walls.

“No child should have to go to school in an unsafe building. But to take an already unsafe school and pack it to capacity is unconscionable,” says concerned parent Lisa Patterson. “The Province’s requirement is, in effect, creating death traps for our children.” 

A.R. Lord parents are concerned not only for the lives of their own children but also of those children who already attend Begbie. Parents demand the VSB and Education Minister Mike Bernier answer the following questions:

• What is the percentage increase in risk of loss of life in an H1 building vs. an H3 building at various magnitude earthquakes?
• How does adding the weight of an additional 150 to 200 students to a three-storey H1 building affect structural damage in the event of an earthquake?
• How does having a three-storey H1 building at full capacity affect the escape and/or survival rate of children and teachers?
• What precedent is there for requiring a school district to be at 95-per-cent capacity in order to receive funding for seismic upgrades?
• In the event of an earthquake, who would be liable for the increased loss of life resulting from the merger of schools into a high-risk building – the VSB, the Province or both?

At minimum, A.R. Lord parents demand that Begbie receive seismic upgrades prior to moving their children to the school. Considering current growth rates in the student population, it is likely that A.R. Lord itself will be at 95-per-cent capacity in less than three years.

For full Media Release and Interview Contact Info: https://www.savearlord.com/province-creating-death-traps-for-school-children/

Parent Workshop: Pruning at A.R. Lord and Garibaldi School Garden

Parent and Gardener Extraordinaire, Janna Ronne,  would like to invite anyone interested in learning how to prune raspberries to come either at 3pm this Friday Aug 12th to Garibaldi school garden (Slocan and Napier) or on Monday August 15th at 7:30pm to A.R. Lord garden (E. Georgia and Nootka)

Please, bring pruning scissors and gloves, if you have them. 

At Garibaldi we can provide children gloves.

There will likely be very little to prune in our new A.R. Lord berry patch but there is lot to do at Garibaldi! 

I can also answer at least some of your tree pruning questions.

We hope to see you there!

School Calendar 2016-17 Schedule

With just a little less than a month for back to school, see the 2016-17 school calendar to plan the year ahead! 

News Release: East Side Schools Gather Together to Rally on Hastings

East Vancouver kids and parents host “SAVE OUR SCHOOLS” rally and launch intensive grassroots campaign to save neighbourhood schools from closure.

What: Rally/march to protest school closures followed by community picnic: hotdogs &  lemonade

When: Saturday, August 6, 2016, noon – 1:30 p.m.
12:00 Kids making signs & lemonade
12:15 Short remarks by Shane Simpson, reps of schools, kids
12:30 March through neighbourhood collecting signatures on petitions & placing lawn signs
1:00 Lemonade & hotdogs
1:15 Photography fundraiser


Where: A.R. Lord Elementary School 555 Lillooet Street Vancouver

Who: East Vancouver kids & parents representing:
 *Dr. A.R. Lord Elementary School
   *Britannia Secondary School
   *Carleton Elementary School
   *Gladstone Secondary School
   *Graham D. Bruce Elementary School
Shane Simpson, MLA Vancouver Hastings  Morgane Oger, District Parent Advisory Council  Adrian Dix, MLA Vancouver Kingsway

Why:
   *Launch campaign to save East Vancouver Schools
   *Discuss importance of neighbourhood schools for healthy communities and the impact of potential closures.
   *Suggest strategies for overcoming closures

For more information, contact A.R. Lord media relations at 604-653-3453.

Grade 7 Final Field Trip