April 9th meeting highlights

Thank you to everyone for coming out and making your voices heard!

From the Principal:

    2013-2014 Staffing Allocation Model

• On Mrs. Black's behalf, Mr. Hill presented the potential staffing allocation model based on recommendations by the TDSB
• Mr. Hill will raise the parents' concerns about the potential split grade class to the school superintendent

Skate Night Debrief:

• Skate night was a success!  Thank you to all of our parent volunteers -- we couldn't have done it without you!
• If we do this again next year:
• Improve communication within the community that events like this are COMMUNITY RUN, which means volunteers are a key part in making an event like this successful
  
  (NO ONE volunteered to transport skates to the ice rink even though many parents are at the school every day dropping children off in the morning and picking them up in the evening in minvans and SUVs.  Volunteers who were willing to help children on the ice couldn't -- they were helping in the change rooms because weren't enough people volunteering to help children with helmets and skates in the change rooms.)
   
• Improve communication within the community that "skating lessons" are not provided.  Volunteers will help children as best as they can, but there should be no expectation of lessons.
   
• Improve communication within the community that the safety of the children is the responsibility of the parents.  Parents need to make sure their children are wearing the right sized helmets, have gloves / mittens, are not sitting on the ice playing and are not on the ice unless they have skates on.  (Principal and Community Supoort Worker to help enforce.)

Parent Reaching Out (PRO) Grant:

• The Parents Reaching Out Grant is available to schools to provide a service of value to the parents in the school community.  The grant is up to $1000.
• The review for this year's implementation of the PRO Grant (Internet Safety Workshop) is due soon.
• Previously, Valleyfield has applied for the grant and used the monies for the creation of a lending library and inviting speakers in for topics like bullying and discipline (last year's topic).
• Michelle and Abdi will work on writing the report for this year's workshop and submitting a proposal for next year.

Dance-A-Thon:

• Current estimates are a disappointingly low 53% student participation rate with approximately $1600 raised (a portion of which goes to the company running the Dance-A-Thon).  This is down significantly from last year (over $2100 raised).

S'Cool Life FUNd for 2013-2014:

• The S'Cool Life FUNd is currently accepting applications for grants for the 2013-2014 school year
• Sabine is working with Ms. Lewis and Mme. Henri

Parent Council Facebook group update:

• Decided to be too labour intensive to manage in the spirit of the TDSB Online Code of Conduct
   

Afterschool Homework labs / club (at the school):

• planning for next school year
• parents need to commit to do the work to make it happen
• can bring in an outside organization (like the YMCA) to run the club
• commitment required from the community to keep the children (at least 15) in the program
• would need to arrange funding for busing (may not be able to arrange TDSB busing for this type of program)
• consider arranging a parent car-pool as an alternative

Cluster Parent Academy (CPAC) May 4th workshop

• For more information about the conference or to register, contact Sarah or Abdi

Parent Engagement Meetings:

• Spring topics include "Understanding Middle and Secondary School Program and Options," "School Council Planning" and "Anti-Bullying"
• For more information or to register visit the TDSB website:    http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=91&menuid=2489&pageid=1984

Pizza / hot lunches:

• A concern was raised that hot lunches are not available every week.
• Parents are reminded that pizza lunches / hot lunches are a volunteer run activity.  In order to have more hot lunches, we need to have more parents volunteer their time to help.

Volunteers and communication:

• A gap was identified at the meeting:  not all parents know that volunteers are required to make events (like Skate Night), fundraisers (like the Dance-A-Thon) and hot lunches happen for the children.
• It was suggested that next year we go back to the traditional sending of a volunteer request form to all the parents at the beginning of the school year.
• It was suggested that perhaps a role on council needs to be created specifically to recruit volunteers.

Next meeting:

•     Tuesday May 14th.  See you there!