Parent Council Meeting Minutes - October 3, 2013

The first meeting of the Valleyfield Parent Council was held on October 3, 2013.  If you missed the meeting, have no fear.  Try to be at the next one on November 21, 2013 at 6:15 pm.  Meetings are held at the school. All parents are welcome at all meetings.

It is through parent involvement that we help to make Valleyfield the best place it can be for our children to learn.

The Agenda and Minutes from the October 3, 2013 meeting are as follows:

1.      Welcome remarks by last year’s parent council chairs Sarah and Michelle

2.      Remarks by the principal, Mrs. Drimmie-Miller

·         School focus on high student achievement and healthy living

·         Looking to bring activities to the school including Scouts About, possible tennis lessons, Canadian Tire Outreach Program

·         Have had one fire drill and one lock down drill so far this year

·         Working with staff on allocating budget for the year - $55,000 with some already going to fixed costs (both consumables and non-consumables)

·         Wants to ensure staff have a voice

·         Work completed/being done on grounds, including painting, washrooms, playground and much more

3.      Work done by parent council last year

·         Parent Council from 2012/2013 worked on fundraising and parental involvement

·         Fundraising through pizza lunches and dance-a-thon

4.      Work done this year

·         Pizza lunches to continue and will begin in October

o       Suggestion to have 2 money collections during the year, instead of every lunch

o       Goal:  to have 2 pizza lunches per month

·         Increasing parent involvement through communication

·         Bringing in parent committees to assist with initiatives

·         Have assisted with work on the grounds, including repair of Kindergarten playground

·         Want to assist with initiatives including environmental, sports, after school tutoring

·         Parent committees (i.e. introducing class representatives to act as a liaison between parents and teachers)

5.      Elections of the parent council executive (2 people per position):  chair, treasurer, secretary.

·                     4 co-chairs elected:  Jacqueline Pendyk, Sarah Ali, Muna Ali & Venessa Ross

·                     Co-chairs to assume treasury role as well

·                     Secretaries:  David Marchione & Rochelle McGee

6.      Elections of the committee chairs

·                     Fundraising/volunteering:  Miski Ahmed & Rahima Hassan

·                     Class representatives committee:  Rochelle McGee

·                     Homework and after school care committee:  Amal Ali

·                     Model school committee/parent involvement committee:  Rahima Hassan & Sarah Ali

7.      Group meetings in the committees

·                     No meetings took place

8.      Collection of items for the agenda for the first working meeting of the new parent council and setting of time and date.

·                     Agenda items to be forwarded to the co-chairs for the next meeting

·                     Next meeting – November 21, 2013 @ 6:15 pm