Notes from the Sept 2011 School Council meeting

These are not official minutes, just a few of my notes and observations from Wednesday's School Council meeting.

New Council Executive
The council elected its 2011-2012 executive.

• Chair - Ginnie Zaromitidis
• Vice Chair - Hope Smith
• Secretary - Christina Mark
• Treasurer - Ann Silver

New Principal and Vice-Principal
It was great to meet our new principal Mr. McGilvray and vice-principal Ms. Harroun. Many of you will remember Mr. McGilvray from his time as vice-principal of Clairlea a few years back. They both introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds. Mr McGilvray has a background in special education and technology; Ms. Harroun is a French Immersion graduate herself and has taught FI, special ed and core French in primary, junior and intermediate grades. Mr. McGilvray acknowledged the difficulties caused by the turnover in Clairlea's administration in recent years and assured us that they both intend to stay at Clairlea for the long term.

Mr. McGilvray commented on the number of extracurricular programs at Clairlea: intermural sports, baseball teams, a running club and more. He commended the teachers for stepping up to serve as coaches and volunteering their time after-hours. (I echo that. Thank you!)


Staffing and Class Sizes
Mr. McGilvray discussed staffing, class sizes and reorganization, something that will be old news to those affected. High enrollment and a 20-student cap in primary grades resulted in two grade 4/5 FI classes of 36-37 students each. Thanks to the administration's relentless advocacy, the school has been granted an additional FI teacher, which relieves that pressure by adding a new grade 5 class. Unfortunately that means shifting some students around in 4/5 and some lower grades as well. The new grade 5 FI teacher will be hired as soon as possible.

Lunch
Mr McGilvray found that split lunches were not working. Everyone now eats at once: grades 1-5 in the gym (at tables); grades 6 and 7 in the drama room; and grades 7 and 8 in their classrooms.

EQAO
Mr McGilvray acknowledged Clairlea's disappointing EQAO results. We are reminded that this is just a snapshot in time, that it is important to look at the data over a five-year period, and that Clairlea has great teachers whose goal is to educate "the whole child". Still, the kids have to be learning the curriculum, and EQAO is a measure of that. There is a school improvement plan to address the areas where the students are struggling. Mr McGilvray and Ms Harroun will share more information about that, as well as advice on what parents can do at home to help our children succeed.

Individual results are on their way by mail to parents of last year's grade 3 and 6 students.

Transportation
Some bussing arrangements have changed. Affected families have been notified.
If you are picking up a student who is normally bused, please inform the teacher on duty at the bus loop!


Finances
The School Council has approximately $7,500 in the bank. The following spending was approved for 2011-12:

• Gardening $100
• Curriculum night $300 *this will generate revenue
• Halloween Howl $1,000 *this will generate revenue 
• Concert treats $300 *resulting donations will go to a charity of the students' choice
• Pancake Day $500
• EQAO treats $100
• Lice squad $150
• Yearbook $1,250
• Grade 8 graduation $1,800
• Teachers' welcome packages for Sept 2012 $1,500

...for a total of $7,000 in approved spending. As funds are raised over the course of the year, additional spending will be approved.

Fundraising
We need volunteers for fundraisers. First-up: the Halloween Howl. Willing volunteers, please gather on Tuesday Sept 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. A minimum of 15 people are needed.

Other fundraising activities include magazine sales, pizza lunch, concert baskets, a calendar and a 2012 Fun Fair. The Fun Fair committee meets Tuesday Nov 8 at 6:30pm.

Please post below any ideas for other fundraisers or Council activities below, or email the chair.

Council Meetings
Next meeting: Wed. Oct 19, 7:00pm at the school. All welcome.
We sometimes have guest speakers at Council meetings. Please post below any ideas for speakers you would like to hear.

Mr. Laderman

I had a chance to meet our new principal, Mr. Laderman, today. He is a (formerly) retired principal who has 36 years experience in the school system, and has been hired back to serve at Clairlea during the search for a permanent principal.

His door was open when I happened to be in the office, so I introduced myself. He asked me to sit, and invited me to ask him anything. Of course, I asked if he would be with us until the end of the school year. That turned out to be the one question he couldn't answer, although he understands how much this matters to parents and teachers alike. He assured me that he would ensure we are kept informed as decisions are made. He emphasized his goal to minimize the impact on students of the change in principals.

He has already visited all the classrooms and enjoyed seeing the grade 8 kids at their Valentine's dance. His manner was open, friendly and relaxed, and my impression is that he will lead with enthusiasm and positivity.

Welcome to Clairlea, Mr. Laderman!

Well, well, well.

So, Nadira’s leaving us.

We’re heartbroken; no shame in admitting it. She and Freddy have done wonders for the school. At least, I think so. I see a happy, motivated, high-achieving staff who have responded with energy and enthusiasm to the expanded training opportunities, new ideas and high expectations of the past two years. More important, it seems to me that the students have responded positively, too.

So it is quite understandable that some of us are crying into our Tims.

But let’s resist the urge to count how many principals we’ve had in how many years. There has been turnover and turnover is hard, on the staff more than anyone. But Nadira is not going far; as acting superintendent, she’ll hire her own successor, and she knows what Clairlea needs.

Two years ago, we were told we were getting one of the best P/VP teams out there, and I believe that statement proved to be true. Great people get promoted - as they should. They also train and motivate and inspire others, and that’s what Nadira has done. She has galvanized a terrific teaching staff, and our children will reap the benefits for years to come.

So, here's to Nadira and her excellent team! We know these coming months will bring lots of change, not all of it easy, but let’s all pull together and make it work.