April 1 School Council meeting - informal recap

For me, the highlight of the School Council meeting on April 1 was Mr Mitkovski's presentation of some of the videos the school has put together recently. He showed us two videos, and I wish I had noted down which classes they came from. The first was a great video based on the Obama/Will.i.am "Yes I can" video that you have probably all seen on YouTube. The kids held signs indicating what they can do. "I can help people," or "I can play in the NHL." The parents were very inspired by the students' impressive and often selfless goals. Another video was designed to show where the school boundaries are. It was very humourous! The editing was creative and the script imaginative, and the kids played their roles expertly. Mr. Puopolo reported on the staffing models for 2009-10. School enrolment is forecasted to be up a bit next year, and the staffing model will accomodate that. As a new member of parent council, I was surprised by the complexity of the staffing model, and am developing an appreciation for how difficult it is for the school to manage conflicting priorities. Teacher prep time must be accomodated in the schedule as well; I believe Mr. Puopolo said teachers will get 210 minutes of prep time next year. Mr. Puopolo assured us that the school will be able to provide special ed support in French next year, which was welcome news to the parents. The special ed teacher allocation is made based on the number of students in the school who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs). The School Council also discussed fundraising plans for the remainder of the school year, as well as next year. More on that in a day or two.