Parent Council Meeting Minutes - February 5, 2015

The following are the minutes from the Valleyfield Parent Council meeting from February 5, 2015.  The next meeting will be held on March 26, 2015 at 6:00 pm.

Approval of the Agenda - approved

Approval of the Minutes - approved

Principal’s Message

• Launched new school motto - was Respect Every Person.  Moving to raise the bar and changing motto to “Boldly Reach for the Stars” or some iteration of “Reach for the Stars”.  Installation in foyer will include outlines of student hands reaching for stars.  Large stars to represent major character traits.

• Keeping Viper as school mascot.  Will make him “more friendly”.  Ambassadors to help create 3D Viper.
• Getting new basketball jerseys.  Using some budget money for new uniforms.
• Many clubs/sports ongoing.
• 2 card clubs for primaries and juniors
• Mr. Tahir and Ms. Vasillaros will be starting a math club
• Newcomers club completed
• Scouts about
• Robotics club ongoing
• Cooking club
• Budget - CPUs were ordered already to get computers into the classrooms.  Money from Dance-A-Thon to reimburse school.  Great improvement with new computers.  10 screens have been purchased already.
• Dance-A-Thon is February 6, 2015.  White/Yellow spirit day as well.  Challenge of winning pizza lunch was a good incentive.
• Recorders being done in Grade 3, 4 & 5 classrooms.  Teacher fell ill.  Ms. Rattner is teaching them in the interim.
• Report cards are being complted.  To go home February 10.  Interviews to take place evening of Feb 12 and morning of Feb 13.
• PA day Feb 13
• Kindergarten playground is complete except for asphalt.
• Sod to be replaced in yard after snow melts.
• Baseball diamond to be dragged and re-screened for improvement.
• Want to get soccer goal-posts re-painted.
• Tri-hoop is on order and will be installed in the spring.
• Snow day Feb 2. - school was open but no buses.
• Staff change - Mr. McFarland will be leaving on Feb 13.  New teacher - Stephanie Thomas will be joining Valleyfield.  Bilingual.  She will be in classroom for Mr. McFarlands last week and will be available during the interview block.
• Parent Meet & Greet - partnered with Kingsview Village to run parent workshops during the day.  Workshops to be put together.
• Staff working on professional development - working together with other schools re: math with Hilltop.  Looking at how to develop own questions in same style as EQAO to overcome phrasing difficulties with EQAO testing.
• Have had a lot of contact with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) - working on parent workshop for STEM so that they can assist children at home with these issues.
• Movie night to be on February 18, 2015. - Movies included Frozen, Dispicable Me or Night at the Museum.  Date to be reviewed.
• Skate night - Jacqueline to contact Weston Lions Arena.  Will likely be in April.
• Committee Information

 

Treasurer/Budget Update

• Bank account $7,254.
• Amounts still outstanding to be paid out of bank account - samosa lunch & cooking class.
• 3 more pizza lunches, samosa lunch and pancake lunch
• Banner to be paid
• Playground updates
• Kindergarten recess kits
• Fun-day
• Need to get tally following Dance-A-Thon, will get net amount after paying DJ.
• If all goes to plan, account should have $500-$1000 surplus after all expenditures.
• Pizza lunches are doing well. 

 

Snack Program/Volunteering Update

• Snack program is going well - need volunteers
• Invited a student nutritionist - Brenda Ricardi to meeting.  AM snack has 2 food groups.  Moving to a morning meal program with 3 food groups - whole grain, fruit & vegetable.  Valleyfield has applied for this program.
• Waiting for appliances that have been requested - stove, larger fridge and industrial blender.
• Appliances are bring purchased through nutrition department of TDSB.
• Next Safe Food Handling course to take place at Richview Library in March. 

 

PRO Grant/STEM

Need to organize facilitator for STEM workshop or money goes back to the Ministry of Education.  Workshop is to help parents understand how to prepare children for careers in STEM.

Ms. Drimmie-Miller has some contacts for people who can come to help with that.

Abdi has contacted an individual to attend and meet with the Principal and parents to determine whether we are interested in having them come in for STEM presentation.

 

Fundraising Information

Dance-A-Thon to take place February 6, 2015.  Funds to be calculated following Dance-A-Thon.  Net proceeds once DJ has been paid.

 

Parent Engagement/Meet & Greet/Update

See Principal’s update.

 

PIAC

• January 28, 2016 will be election day for new PIAC representative.
• School Council Appreciation Event Feb 26, 2015.  2 parents or council members can attend.
• New PIAC chairs were selected - www.torontopiac.com for any information.
• Working groups are ongoing.  Can sit on working groups without being formal part of PIAC.
• Pushing for meetings in west end rather than downtown in order to increase parent engagement.
• PIAC working on direct communication with Principals. 

 

Model School for Inner City/Workshop Update

• To tally results of Parent Survey.
• Abdi to prioritize workshops parents are working for.
• To have “nobody’s perfect” program coming up in May.  More information to come out.
• “Connecting with your Teen” workshop coming up.
• Model School conference coming up April 18, 2015 at Thistledown Collegiate Institute. 

 

Teacher Information

Covered in Principal Update

 

Q&A

Next meeting - Thursday, March 26, 2015 @ 6pm