2016/ FEBRUARY/ PARENT & STUDENT COMMUNICATION

VIM Y RIDGE CANADIAN HERITAGE TOUR 2017 PRESENTED BY BLACK GOLD REGIONAL SCHOOLS

TRIP STATUS MOVING FORWARD FUNDRAISING February FAQs

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TOUR? Questions about Vimy should first be directed to the Teacher Leads. All school contacts are listed on the Vimy website under ?Contacts?.

TRIP STATUS Black Gold Regional Division No. 18 Board of Educat ion has cancelled all int ernat ional st udent field t rips unt il August 31, 2016. Does t his mean t hat t he Vimy t rip is cancelled? No, it does not mean that the Vimy Trip has also been cancelled. The public should be aware that at the December 9, 2015 Regular Board Meeting, the Board of Education specifically spoke to the Vimy Ridge trip in 2017. A motion (84/15-16) was presented to cancel the Vimy Ridge trip following their decision to cancel all international field trips up to August 31, 2016. The motion to cancel Vimy Ridge (84/15-16) was defeated. Trustees felt that this trip could be reviewed at the first Board meeting in September 2016. However, if the world climate continues to become more uncertain and unstable, the Board could review international travel earlier.

FEBRUARY'S FAQS W hat is t he supervisor t o st udent rat io? All international travel in Black Gold Regional School Division No. 18 is done at a 1:10 supervisor:student ratio. There will also be a professional travel guide to accompany each group on a 24 hour basis. Do supervisors pay t o go on t he t rip? All supervisors that go on international travel in Black Gold Regional School Division No. 18 have their travel package fee paid for. This cost is included in the student trip price which also includes the student's airfare, accommodations, guides and gratuities, entrance fees, travel insurance, bus transportation, meals, and taxes. Supervisors must provide their own spending money. 2 VIMY.GSHARE.BLACKGOLD.CA

TEACHER LEADS BL ACK GOL D OUTREACH SCHOOL Dan Lake (Admin) Michelle Haveroen CAL EDONI A PARK SCHOOL Werner Fisher CAL M AR SECONDARY SCHOOL Dennis Dunlop (Admin) Scott Burden Greg Ellis COVENANT CHRI STI AN SCHOOL Gayle Monsma ÉCOL E J.E. L APOI NTE SCHOOL Marla Tonita ÉCOL E L EDUC JUNI OR HI GH SCHOOL Sean Flanagan ÉCOL E BEAUM ONT COM POSI TE HI GH SCHOOL Chris Peacocke (Admin) Marc Halun Kendall Watson JOHN M AL AND HI GH SCHOOL Darren Caldwell (Admin) Crissi Fedor Jill Mattock L EDUC COM POSI TE HI GH SCHOOL Dave Holbrow (Admin) Alexis Villetard Jennifer Lasychuk Larry Sherwood Don Steenwinkel Dan Stephen NEW SAREPTA COM M UNI TY HI GH SCHOOL Brad Clark (Admin) Catherine Farley THORSBY JUNI OR SENI OR HI GH SCHOOL John Ganton (Admin) Samantha Brown WARBURG HI GH SCHOOL Patrick Bohnet (Admin) John Arnold

QUESTIONS REGARDING FUNDRAISING Questions regarding fundraising. can be directed to your Teacher Lead.

VI M Y FUNDRAI SI NG STATEM ENT Parents should be aware of the following Vimy Fundraising Statement. As well each school should review what their fundraising goal is regarding this particular trip. If schools have exceeded their fundraising goal, efforts should cease until a new financial need/goal has been established. - All fundr aising must be in accor dance with Administr ative Procedure 520. - Schools and staff should review these procedures as they have a responsibility to follow and fulfill these procedures (i.e. Item 5 - specific fundraising done in the name of a Division school or school-related activity must have written guidelines developed by the fundraising group; Item 6 - accounting filed with the office of the Associate Superintendent, Business and Finance within one (1) month of completion of the fundraising activity). - BGRD is a registered charity approved by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Therefore all funds raised through fundraising activities must comply with the associated legal and administrative requirements of the Income Tax Act. The funds belong to the school community and must be used only for the purpose of BGRD. Fundraised dollars may not be given to an individual and may not be used to provide a benefit to a particular student unless the use qualifies as a ?Charitable Purpose or Activity that Benefit Youth?, as outlined in the Income Tax Act. - In the event that the Vimy Ridge Canadian Heritage Tour 2017 is cancelled by the Board of Education: - All fundraised money will be considered excess funds. - Fundraised dollars shall remain in the school account and will be reallocated toward another special event or purpose, in the spirit in which the funds were raised. If at all possible, the school is obligated to provide another opportunity to the students within the school year. Any fundraising amounts which are raised by an individual student will be directed toward the alternate event or purpose. - If a student has not accessed fundraising money related to him/her by the time he/she graduates, the money will remain in the school fundraising account. At the request of the fundraising group and at the discretion of the school, the funds raised by Grade 12 students who have graduated before an alternative event or purpose has been made available may be directed toward current students who are involved in the alternate event or purpose. - If a charitable receipt has not been issued, donors will be given the opportunity to have their funds returned or redirected toward other school events or purposes. - In the event that a student withdraws voluntarily from the Vimy Ridge Canadian Heritage Tour 2017, all fundraising dollars will remain at the school to be used in support of the Vimy Ridge Canadian Heritage Tour 2017. 3 VIMY RIDGE

MOVING FORWARD In order to accomplish the goals surrounding this Tour, the Vimy Ridge Steering Committee has developed a series of phases to focus on specific objectives and activities. This will allow Black Gold Regional Schools to continue to work on meeting the Vimy Ridge Canadian Heritage Tour goals while we seek final board approval in September 2016. PHASE 1 - MARCH 2016 - JUNE 2016

PHASE 4 - MARCH 24 - APRIL 2, 2017

NATIONALISM

VIMY RIDGE CANADIAN HERTIAGE TOUR

- Objective: Include all Black Gold Grades 9 ? 12 students in exploring what it means to be Canadian to enhance a sense of national pride. PHASE 2 - SEPTEMBER 2016 - DECEMBER 2016

VIMY KICK-OFF & REMEMBRANCE - Objective: Plan and participate in active acts of remembrance, which pay tribute to our Canadian Veterans, while acknowledging Vimy as an integral Canadian Heritage event. PHASE 3 - JANUARY 2017 - MARCH 2017

COUNTDOW N TO VIMY - Objective: Provide opportunities for all staff and students participating in the Vimy Ridge Canadian Heritage Tour to connect emotionally and critically to a nationally significant historical event and grasp the importance of Vimy Ridge in relation to the development of Canadian nationalism.

- Objective: The Vimy Ridge Canadian Heritage Tour will heighten participants feelings of national pride by celebrating the 100th anniversary of an integral Canadian Heritage event. PHASE 5 - APRIL 2017 - NOVEMBER 2017

LEGACY - Objective: Create a commemorative connection to a pivotal point in Canadian and world history and make it accessible to students, as well as the the greater community.