Welcome to the Clairlea School Council blog

Welcome to the Clairlea PS School Council blog! My name is Catharine, and this is my son's first year at Clairlea and my first year on School Council. Joining School Council has been a great way for me personally to learn about the school and the school system. As a working parent, I don't have much of a chance to be present in the school. School Council helps me understand what happens in the school and gives me a way to be involved. Through meetings, I learn from the teachers, staff and other parents. Guest speakers this year have included school superintendent Rauda Dickinson, city councillor Adrian Heaps, and a representative of the Toronto District School Board who spoke about a program to teach the kids about different kinds of families. There is always a presentation from one of the teachers, and it has been a pleasure to hear from each of them. This blog will contain information that Council wants to share with other parents and the school community, but I'll also share my personal learnings and thoughts about Council. For those of you who would like to attend Council meetings but don't have the time, this blog will (I hope) provide you with information and insights into the working of the School. Many of you know much more about this than I do, so I welcome any comments, corrections, clarification and additional thoughts. The more involved parents are, the more successful our children will be at school. All parents are welcome at School Council! Even if you are not a voting member and cannot attend regularly, please feel free to come to meetings when you can. The next meeting is May 6 at 7:00 pm. Childcare is provided in the gym.