School Council Minutes - November 2024

Location: Blue Willos P.S. Library

Date: November 21, 202

Start Time: 6:10 p.m
End Time: 7:30 

In Person and Virtual

In Attendance

Parent/Guardian/Family Members (Voting Members):

1. J. Nebula (Co-Chair)
2. A. Trifunovic (Co-Chair)
3. E. Bessette (Pisano) (Secretary)
4. A. Chai (Treasurer)
5. L. Lai (Online)
6. A. Galati Hunte
7. T. Cox
8. W. Drab
9. E. Topyurek
10. E. Strazimiri
11. T. Allen (Online)
12. T. Guido

Parent/Guardian/Family Members  (Non Voting Members): Adia

Student Member(s): -

Administration/Staff Members:

• Mr. Corey Birnbaum (Principal)
• Ms. Deborah Abel (Vice Principal)

Regrets: - 

Agenda Items

1. Call to Order & Welcome 

The meeting was called to order at 6:09 pm by Jag . 
Jag went over the norms and welcomed everyone.
 

2. Land Acknowledgement 

Mrs. Abel shared a teachers’ efforts in education from the staff meeting regarding connecting to identities & importance of our names to our heritage. Mrs. Abel delivered the Land Acknowledgement. 2 versions of the Land Acknowledgement are used at the school.
 

3. Approval of Agenda

The agenda was approved as written and would be placed on the school website. Amanda motioned – all approved
 

4. Admin 

School Happenings:

•  Fall Dance (with alternative non-dance activities available for students)
• Take our Kids to Work (for students currently in grade 9). Grade 8's to High School Day: High school students in for the day and gr 8 to high school
• Good News Assembly: Kindergartens singing at good news assembly, incredibly successful
• Intermediate Girls and Boys Volleyball Tournament
• Book Fair: Book fair was successful, sales - $3000 scholastic dollars or $2000 cash but decided not to go that route. 
• Progress reports shared with families
• Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
• Kindness Week and Kindness Club
• Collection of Early Reading screening data
• Remembrance Day Assembly
• School Improvement planning: Current School Improvement Priorities are – monitoring cycles 6-8 week cycle for strategies and resources. Also looking at wellbeing and sense of community across the school. Mattering and being represented in the classroom will echo in achievement. Invested in early literacy screening , as well as a math assessment and a need for manipulatives. 
• Morning entry and afternoon dismissal safety routines: Safety, - morning routines, after school routines, life skills and how to behave appropriately for everyone’s safety. Q: How will drop off be managed after construction is finished. A: Will let us know when they have an answer. Follow up – Q little ones have to walk around a far distance A: needs assessment can be scheduled to do a walk through. 
• Construction update
• Recess equipment order: Recess equip order is in, for the mesh bag with age appropriate items. Two classes per bag, both for maximizing the items selected and for safety’s sake. Q- in spring is adult volunteerism an option for additional supervision? A: yes, we have had a few people have reached out, but yes its an option, with a background. Q: Fighting on the school yard, and there was not enough intervention. Need more sportsmanship refereeing on the 
  yard. A; acknowledged and will explore. When the recess bags come in, there will be an email blast discouraging personal items at all from being on school property during school hours. 
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters: Game On
• Kindergarten Year 1 Observations
• Community Class - walking trips/YRT bus trips
• New TV/Monitor display (coming soon)
• Cost Sharing - using School Generated (Tuck Shop/Pizza) for 20 Chromebooks and 30 micro bits
• Choir
• Junior Girls and Boys Volleyball Tryouts
• Intermediate Girls Basketball tryouts
• Grade 3-8 Dance Club
• Healthy Snack program - Community Class

Additional Discussions/ Notes: 

• Buzz for baskets and Frosty Fest is high and gratitude, abundant
• Question: catholic school transition – special requirements; Answer was to just hit the admission dates on time. 
• WE have round tabled it for future discussions. 
• Inquiry regarding smoking on school property during working hours – there is an understanding that it should be off property and not in view of the children; the staff have been made aware of the concerns and the school will continue to monitor it.

Upcoming Events:

• Grade 3 gifted screening process stage 1. No Studying needed. 
• Grade 4-8 Social Media Awareness and Safety presentation with Paul Davis
• Grade 4-5 Pre-recorded session
• Grade 6-8 live presentation
• Follow up BWICKI parent/guardian Q and A with Paul Davis
• Good News Assembly
• Frosty Fest
• Winter Break
• Math Contests - Gauss Contest Grade 7 & 8 (University of Waterloo). Math contests with university of waterloo $70 per class of 30 students
• ego Robotics
• Needs assessment for math manipulatives
• Partnership with Inclusive Schools
• Grade 7 Field Trip - CN Tower (focus on Structures). Each class has money to offset costs of field trips
• Q: Cost of bus for field trips A: – 7-900$ Q: Could extended day trips be considered: A Yes but at a cost. We would need to investigate. Q: Kortright Center is 15 mins away, can we explore this as 
  an option in fall? A – It is being discussed. Working through logistics. Q: Trip to the bubble issues? A: only an external waiver and a curriculum connection.
• Grade 8 Field Trip - Bowling (Community Building)
• Community class field trip - The Bubble
• Games club starting soon

Treasurer Report:

• 1000.75 was our balance. 
• New period: 1000.90 raised
• Current Balance $2166 
• Question: has big box been paid. – A; Our number is our net. 
• Jag Introduced the allocation from council to the purchase of the equipment
• Currently the informal pole has suggested 50% coverage 
• Andrea seconded a motion to donate %50 of the pre tax amount: $580. 
• The vote has passed.

Fun Fair - Weronika

• Vote for two items;
  • $840 subtotal deposit of %25 = 210$ to secure the items. Motion by: Andrea, Second by Jag, Motion: Approved. 
    Blow up stretcher and hoop zone 
  • Ice cream trucks – 416 softee, 3$ a cone – does not matter whether pre order or buy on the spot, they donate %15 back to the school. There will be a parent tallying the purchases to ensure we get the most back,
    Q: funnel cakes? A: funfair is 3 hours and it may be too much. – roundtable for a winter activity.

Community Engagement

• B-WICKI Paul Davis coming for social media awareness; school is footing the bill for it. Parents are invited, Day time event, 
• Frosty Fest is our evening event (in two events) – trying to break up the volume of students. 
• Free for entry, raising money by sales of popcorn, donated coffee, and pizza, arts and crafts, 
• Movie night in January – evening after the break. 
• Trying to get an anti-racism speaker in February with the help of a grant
• Asking Mr. Ekins to put on a concert off site, live music. 
• B-Wicki end of year will be taking pointers from last year
• Requesting $500 for supplies for Frosty Fest 
• Motion by: Jag Seconded by: Andrea 
• Motion Passed
• Q: What if some families want to bid on baskets? A: it is totally on line. 
• Q: What are the fees for the auction? A: minimal one. 
• Should get a QR Code
• Round table the minimum bid idea/buy back. 
• Use the web, don’t use cash; check

Fundraising 

• 9.95 profit on big box so far
• Krispy Kreme is next 
• Book basket turning into the blind date with a book idea. 

Hot Lunch Committee

• Decision to not move forward with Ciao – Instead found a 100% halal, with Indian options. They are offering samosas and a vegetarian rice. Start date is not looking like December 2nd.
  Tubbies asked not to do waffle fries – too cold – regular fries are doing better. 
• Questionnaire for parents regarding the vendor performances is going out – Mid December expected to go out. 
• Lunch lady is staying – she is more affordable, and healthier which is a need and a want from parent. 
• Fancy burger – made a customized menu for us! Results of the last survey wants a lot more food diversity. 
• Not everyone knows how to use lunchbox – wanted to host a virtual session over zoom with a live demo for how to use it! – Settlement workers with language barriers would be able to attend and it could be  helpful.

Pro Grant – Jag

• Karate and Art were this years main focus to be run as per discussed last year. 
• After school is better if coordinated with le club. 
• The list has just come out and we are waiting to hear back from them, it is still new.

Other Business

• Weronika – Council forum 
  • There were some vendors that gave out a lot of parenting resources. Services are free for most  programs and sessions for kids with a variety of developmental challenges. Flyers were taken. 
  • Stepping stones parenting classes. Can we make photocopies? A; Yes
  • The forum – running a school council – a lot of councils were where we were last year. 
  • Pancake day – school sold them for $2 each or 3 for $5 and they made a lot of money. 
  • Stem night with York university and cooking classes
  • Concert and bingo night
  • On curriculum night – before they started Cake and coffee before 
  • Champion parent for each age group – how they infiltrated the grades to get info out. 
  • Social hour before council meetings. 
  • Math – direct parents to the ministry website.
     

5. Meeting Adjournment

Jag noted there was no further business, and the meeting was adjourned at 7:30pm.

Future Meeting Dates: 

o February 27, 2025. Changed to Feb 20th due to Provincial Election (Revised on Jan 29, 2025) 
o May 22, 2025