Notes from Oct 2011 School Council meeting

Following are a few notes and observations from last night's school council meeting.

The minutes from the September meeting (as yet unapproved) are available at this link. (This is my first time trying Google Docs; please let me know if you have trouble with the link.)

Due to administrative restrictions, Ginnie is no longer able to serve as chair of the School Council. She and Ann Silver have switched positions so that Ann is now chair and Ginnie is treasurer. It also emerged that our Council does not currently have a set of bylaws. Are there any lawyers out there who could draft some for us? These are the TDSB's guidelines for School Councils. 

Teachers' Report

We were pleased to meet Ms. Gousis, who presented the teachers' report. She told us about a number of sports clubs and activities that have been available to the students, including the cross-country team (one of our students made the finals!), boys' and girls' softball (the girls won a pennant!), intermural soccer and basketball, competitive volleyball and more. Some parents expressed a desire to know more about what is planned for different grade levels at different times during the year, and Mr. Church later said that there is a schedule that he would endeavour to have posted on the school's blog. Right now you can find it posted on the side doors to the gym. 

Ms. Gousis also advised that an itinerant guidance counsellor has visited the school and is running a girls' anti-bullying workshop. 

Treasurer's Report

There is $6,572.72 in the bank, and about $6,700 in spending approved for the year. A number of fundraising events, including magazine sales, pizza lunch and the Halloween Howl, will result in sufficient revenue to cover the difference. 

Hope moved the following spending requests: 

• $150 for roti for a Diwali lunch (I did not catch whether this motion passed)
• $240 for document cameras for classrooms currently equipped with computers and projectors; this will free up the Elmos for other classrooms (approved)
• $180 to repair the scoreboard in the gym (approved)

There was some discussion about a need to create a broader spending plan rather than continuing to approve one-off requests as they come in. This was left unresolved. 

Principal's Report

Mr. McGilvray reported on some further staffing changes, including:

• The departure of Mme Park's mat leave replacement for a permanent contract. The second replacement, Ms. Neto (sp?) comes highly recommended and has made a great impression on staff and students. 
• A new grade 5 French Immersion teacher, Mme. Francis, has been hired, allowing two very large classes to be split into three smaller ones.  
• A grade 6 French Immersion class is being taught by two half-time teachers, one of whom has left the school. The school is currently interviewing for another half-time partner for Mme Bury, and in the meantime that class is being taught half-time by supply teachers with support from Mme Harroun. 

Mr McGilvray also touched on EQAO, reporting that the school has "unpacked" the results to identify the areas of particular need. The entire primary and junior teaching staff are being asked to act on the areas of need. In addition, the school is working with SATEC, the high school we feed, to determine how our students are doing in grade 9 and 10 and to determine what action may need to be taken in those grades. 

He pointed out that while professional development for teachers is a valid way of improving student achievement, it does cause disruption within the school and classrooms. He is working on creative ways to conduct professional development without taking the teachers away from the school. 

Monday is Spirit Day at Clairlea and everyone should wear purple. The TDSB's chief academic officer will be visiting the school that morning, with our superintendent Nadira Persaud. 

This news resulted in a discussion of the school's broader needs and what Clairlea would most like from the TDSB. That led to a conversation about hunger within the school. Children who are bussed are often picked up quite early and by the time school starts may not have eaten for up to two hours, while others simply don't have enough to eat. This raised the question of whether Clairlea could have a breakfast or healthy-snack program, and although there was a feeling that this had been investigated in the past and could not be accomplished, we agreed to look into it further to see if a case for funding could be made. Mr. McGilvray says this is a true need within the school and a breakfast or snack program would be his choice for our highest funding priority.

We meet next on Wednesday November 16, 7pm at the school. 

Comments? Please post them below!