Welcome to École St. Germain’s PAC Website

Ecole St. Germain (ESG) has an active Parent Advisory Council (PAC). We welcome new members at any time. If you are curious about what we do and are interested in getting more involved, please join us at a PAC meeting. We typically meet the first Wednesday of every school month at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. If you wish to take advantage of our babysitting services during a meeting, please contact the school at least one day prior to the meeting date.

If you can’t attend our meetings, but are interested in getting involved with one of our Committees or wish to volunteer at our events, we encourage you to do so. For more information, or if you have any questions, please leave a message with the school at 254.0120 and someone will be in touch.

Together we can make a difference!

École St. Germain’s PAC is a not-for-profit organization that is comprised of parent volunteers from the school and school administration and teacher representatives. In general, we operate to enhance our children’s educational experience. We have the following Standing Committees:

1. Education Committee
2. Environment Committee
3. Fundraising Committee

We also establish other Ad hoc Committees such as the Fall Barbecue, Staff Appreciation, and the French Cultural Family Fun Night as required. The Fall Barbecue and the French Cultural Family Fun night are events that we hold to foster school and community spirit.

Each year we decide on our goals, and then fundraise in order to achieve them. In the past few years our projects have included the new swing set in the playground, the school sign, sports uniforms, instruments for the music program, a fridge and microwaves, and a new multi-year long term greening project called Keen on Green/Vert C’est Super. Additionally, each year we also fund:

1. Student Leadership recognition and reward programs (eg. Peer tutoring, Patrols) to a maximum of $1,100.00
2. Grade 8 Farewell Dinner (to a maximum of $15 per student)
3. Staff Appreciation Week
4. Bourse École St. Germain ($300.00) for a past Ecole St. Germain student who graduates from Collège Jeanne Sauvé

For further information, please see our brochure and Constitution and Bylaws.

École St. Germain PAC meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every school month. The meetings take place in the ÉSG library at 7:00 p.m. With a minimum of 24 hour advance notice, babysitters will be provided. Snacks and a hot beverage are provided. Please bring your own mug to enjoy the hot beverage. All parents welcome.

Meeting Dates & Minutes for the 2009 -  2010 School Year
September 16		February 3
October 7		March 3
November 4		April 7
December 9		May
January 6		June Annual General Meeting

 Click here to read the agenda for the next meeting.

PAC informational articles are included in the Monthly School Newsletter. 

Please help us by participating in the following programs:

Recycle Empty Ink and Toner Cartridges at Staples

Help raise funds for ESG and other schools across Canada by dropping off your empty ink and toner cartridges at your local Staples Business Depot.

Staples will donate $1 to local schools for every eligible ink and toner cartridge donated.

Canadian Tire Money

Did you know that we collect Canadian Tire Money?

Please have your child(ren) hand the money into the office or to their teachers. PAC has traditionally used this money to purchase outdoor play equipment.

QSP/Reader’s Digest

Each fall PAC will send home a catalogue for families to order magazine subscriptions and computer software. Please IGNORE your subscription renewal notices, and instead place your orders with us to help the school. During the fall campaign, QSP/Reader’s Digest will match the best pricing you can find. All you have to do is include the other promotional materials along with your order.

You can also order throughout the year online at www.qsp.ca. Please enter Group Number: 4298 for Ecole St. Germain to get credit for your order.

Campbell’s Labels for Education

Please have your child(ren) deposit the labels in the box in the main hallway so that the school can benefit from Campbell’s catalogue of items.

• Be sure to include the UPC and front label
• UPC is required only for Pepperidge Farm products and Ready to Use Broths
• Healthy Request soup also includes Ready to Serve soup

Throughout the year there are many school-community events such as the Welcome Back Barbecue, Movie Nights, French Cultural Night, etc. which are supported by the PAC in collaboration with the school. The events are highlighted in the Monthly Newsletter.

Keen on Green / Vert C’est Super is the official name of our school greening project. The goal of the project is to create a visually appealing, natural play space with areas for learning, shade and seating. The plans for the project include an outdoor classroom, winding pathways, a butterfly garden, raised beds and a number of seating and shade areas. We also hope to incorporate "stepping posts"—an element identified by the students as necessary! We hope that the area will become a gathering space in which students and the community at large can come together to play, learn, relax and enjoy.

The ESG PAC agreed to officially support this project in June 2007. It is expected that the project will take 4-5 years to complete, and will cost between $30,000 - $50,000. Funds for the completion of the Keen on Green / Vert C’est Super project will be raised through PAC fundraisers and from various grants.

If you would like to be involved in the Keen on Green / Vert C’est Super project, please call the school at 254-0120 and leave your name with the school staff. A member of the Environment Committee of PAC will contact you.

Milestones

June 2007: PAC agreed to fund and support the greening project. The students were shown a PowerPoint presentation and were asked what they wanted to see in their school yard. Lots of drawings and written requests were received.

August 2007: Landscape Architects were hired to draw out plans, based upon the students’ requests.

Fall/Winter 2007: Meetings with the landscape architects, school division officials and City of Winnipeg officials. Final plans received from the landscape architects.

Spring 2008: Decision to start the project with Phase One -- an outdoor classroom. Partial funding received from Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program.

September 2008: Circular 28 foot area excavated and filled with wood mulch for floor of outdoor classroom. Four large shade trees planted around this area. Students voted on the official name of the project – Keen on Green / Vert C’est Super.

November 2008: Eleven limestone blocks installed onto wood mulch floor of outdoor classroom. These blocks will provide seating. This ends Phase One!

Current Status / Next Phase

We have just completed Phase One – the outdoor classroom. It is hoped that the teachers will be able to use this area frequently during the warmer months as an enjoyable spot to teach subjects, or as a “field trip” destination. It is hoped that the area will supplement the curriculum, providing additional learning opportunities and inspiration in all subjects.

The Environment Committee of PAC will be meeting in late 2008 / early 2009 to discuss the plans for Phase Two.

Powerpoint Presentations

 Greening Project Introduction - June 2007

 Greening Project Update - April 2008

ESG’s Keen on Green / Vert C’est Super project has received funding from the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program.