Birch Cliff Heights PS
School Council Minutes
September 26 2013
Approval of June 13 2013 minutes.
Elections
Chair Olga Ingrahm
Co Chair Deanne Welsh
Secretary Karen Le Maitre
Treasurer Heather McDonald
Fundraising Co-ordinator Korey Duggan and Starr Tomlinson
Principals report Tracy Hayes
A welcome back to all families to BCH. It was a smooth start to the school year with good energy.
No re-alignment had to be done.
Moved three students from one ⅔ class to another ⅔ to make the numbers more even.
Names of Primary Autism team: Carol Zhang- teacher, Delon Lambert- CYW, Patrick Frackowiak-CYW, Joanne Bowering- SNA
Names of new teachers: Kris Madill – grades 5/6, Lynda Petrou (returning from leave)- grade 2/3, Karmjit Cheema – JK/SK, Lorraine Smith- EA (PM only), Nicola Greenland – ECE JK/SK, Lorna Lennie – lunch room supervisor, Dana O’Toole- lunchroom supervisor
Inquiry Based Learning: is an approach to learning where students (a) focus: select an inquiry by asking questions about a topic of interest; (b) explore: find out more by investigation; (c) share learning: find connections using their schema/apply understandings to different contexts; and (d) analyze: construct new learning, synthesize. The revised social studies curriculum uses this process throughout.
Guidance is offered every other week. The guidance counsellor has new schools she must visit as well.
EQAO
21 grade 3’s and 27 grade 6’s wrote.
Grade 3...reading 62%, writing 81%, math 71%
Grade 6...reading 70%, writing 78%, math 52%
The Boards focus will be math.
Principal Hub meetings six times a year to discuss their schools.
Oct 11 PD Day
Picture day October 2.
Twelve new IPads new to our school. Tracy would like a proposal from the teachers first as to how they are going to use them.
BBQ was a success. Discussed more options with the hotdogs.
Chris Vollum will be speaking at the school October 2, to students during the day and parents in the evening. Discussing Social Media. Parent reaching out grant paid for it.
Recognition assembly Oct 7.
No Child Without, medical alert bracelets. Register and they will be sent to you for free.
Teachers Report Mrs. Eng
16th Year of Terry Fox walk. $600 has been raised so far, with a total of 9,072.92.
QSP magazine fundraiser. Kick off assembly nest Friday at 2:45pm. A pizza lunch for the class who raises the most money. It is a four week sale..
Any fundraising that is to be done has to be told to the TDSB.
Cross Country is going on right now. Ms. Alexious, Mr. Madill, and Ms. Stephenson.
ECO school kick off. With Olga, Klara and Ms. Meira.
We are a gold school.
12 students will be going to the kick off assembly downtown for ME to WE.
Kevin Hrycay
Discussing the winter concert. If the concerts are at Birchmount do we need to split up the school and have one in winter and spring or have just one in total. Tracy and Kevin will discuss.
Grade 2’s are bucket drumming, 3’s recorder and instruments 4-8.
Kevin will apply to the Caras Grant, it is a music grant and would use the money to buy instruments.
Hoping to do more performing with the kids. As well as loaning out the students to fill in for other bands.
Six clarinets are needed. They will cost anywhere from $1200-2000. Ronna asked if the money could come from Council. Kevin said he would like to hold off on that for now.
Chair Olga
Milk flyer went out but volunteers are needed to distribute the milk at lunch.
Mabel’s Labels going out again. You will find our school on the fundraising page. It is important to have the students belongings labeled,if not anything in lost and found eventually goes to Goodwill.
Scentsy Deanne
$111.32 in sales going to Council.
Treasurer Heather
A handout was given breaking down our banking summary. $4,450.66 is in the account.
Fundraising Starr
Breakfast with Santa will be Dec. 7 2013. Volunteers are always needed.
Other Business
Karen brought up the constant playing of dodgeball for gym instead of the students learning sports. Tracy will speak to the teachers.
The kids would like pizza lunch, Tracy said a Quiznos lunch is coming up soon.
A suggestions of having a concert outdoors, Kevin thought weather permitting it was a good idea and wouldn’t say no to it.
Movie night will happen next year.
Talent show is in the talks.
Ronna made a suggestion of having a Bendale BTI bagged lunch program from their culinary arts program. Lunches would have to be delivered or picked up.
Kevin Hrycay needs 15 buckets for music class.