November 6th meeting highlights

Thank you to everyone for coming out and making this meeting a very productive one!


From the Principal:

School Bus Safety:

• student behaviour has improved
• mentor program (buddy system) working better
• TDSB is reducing bus monitors through attrition, with no plans to hire more
• on November 30th, a bus safety program will be done in the school for the children
• the school requests that issues be addressed with the bus companies on a family by family basis
• have a look at the Ontario School Bus Association annual magazine "School Bus Ontario"

Scouts About update:

• tentative dates: Jan - Mar 2013
• can take up to 25 kids per session, boys and girl in grades one through three

 

School Statement of Needs:

Thank you to the families that took the time to provide input last week! It helped to make the meeting very efficient!  Here are the needs organized into categories:

I. POSITIVE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

• A leader who can foster a safe, nurturing, compassionate, positive and respectful learning environment for students, staff and parents.
• Encourages positive discipline that respects the integrity of the disruptive child and the integrity of the child that wants to learn. Provides resources for teachers to maintain integrity for both.
• Solid understanding of policies and procedures that relate to student safety and potential safety concerns arising from outside factors (environment).
• A compassionate, positive leader who has skills to support same with all adults in the building (leadership).

II. EQUITY

• Respects, celebrates, and supports, the cultural, socioeconomic and religious diversity of the community.
• Demonstrates an openness to multiculturalism and supports same with all adults in the building.
• Investigates needs of the community and creates possibilities to honour and support those needs. (For example, allows the celebration of all cultural events such as Eid, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, Halloween etc)
• Ensures fairness and respect is present in all aspects of school life.

III.  ACADEMICS / STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

• Enthusiasm and commitment to continuously monitor the school environment to ensure all students reach their fullest potential.
• Create a strong focus for parents, students and teachers on student achievement.
• Strong ability to look at data to help the teachers know who they are teaching (strong assessment skills).
• Encourages continuous professional development and support for teachers.
• Expectation of a strong and balanced academic program encompassing all academic areas.
• Sees each child as a whole individual without pigeon-holing them into rigid developmental norms. (Someone who is sensitive and patient with developmental outliers.)
• A focus on high academic expectations for students,and fostering a love of learning.

IV.  PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Consistently encourages and shows strong support for parent involvement in the school. (Welcomes parent volunteers. Open-minded and embraces collaboration with the school council.)
• Supports partnerships within the school.
• Actively seeks to engage parents and community to support school environment and academic program.
• Awareness of and commitment to seek out partnerships with external organizations to support the socioeconomic needs of the community.

Sarah and Michelle will work with Mrs. Black to complete and submit the document.
 

Pizza / hot lunches and fundraising ideas:

• consider including JK/SK in future lunches
• Ms. Cap considering organizing hot lunches (every other week) to raise money for the Snack Program starting in January (the snack program is partially subsidized by Toronto Foundation for Student Success) (in previous years, the council run Friday lunch program was used to raise money for the snack program)
• Parent Council will do pizza lunches on the remaining weeks
• Jacqueline to over see the Pizza Lunch Subcommittee (and coordinate the schedule with Ms. Cap)
• Bettina, Wila, David (with notice) and Nicole available to assist with distributing food on lunch days
• Sarah, Bettina and Thana to form Fundraising Subcommittee

Bill 115:

• More information about Bill 115, the "Putting Students First Act" can be found at:
  - the Legislative Assembly of Ontario's publication of the bill
  - the Toronto District School Board's Labour Relations page
  - the Service Ontario's publication of the e-law and
  - the Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario "Imposing Contracts" page

School Council Assembly:

• What do we want to accomplish?  (Or, why are we here?)
  - provide academic support for our children
  - fundraising (eg. support the snack program)
  - support evening initiative with intention of building parental relationships (adult only pot-luck combined with fundraising silent auction?)
  - lunch initiative (raise money, less work for parents, fun for kids)
  - increase awareness of council initiatives (David to investigate Facebook page, Sarah / Michelle to coordinate a school council message in the monthly newsletter)

Other business:

• investigate an "Ask the Principal" feature on the school website for Q&A

Next meeting:

• Tuesday December 4th, see you there!