Briarcrest School Advisory Council

Meeting Minutes

Monday, January 26th, 20145

Attendees:

Christina Vaz / Judy Palmer / Sarah Smart
Jodi Binning / Nicole Sang-Male / Jackie Stafford
Silvana Lowe / Hala Larizza-Ali / Brett Robins
Sonia Chopra / Darlene Codd
Sara Maenhaut / Mathew Hansen
Miriam Ramirez / Melissa Sacco
Michelle Williamson / Lorraine Kratt
Laura Schilling / Wanda Grant
  1. October 2014Meeting Minutes
  2. Christina Vaz approved, seconded by Jodi Binning
  1. Discussion
  2. Grade 5 Fundraising for graduation trip.
  3. 47 students signed up so far. Trip cost = $295/student
  4. Fund raising ideas:
  5. Gift card
  6. Board game or book swap
  7. Take one of the remaining 6 pizza days directed toward the grade 5s – they’d help serve and pour juice (typically raise ~$550 raised)
  8. School fund used for those who can’t afford it on a case by case basis (and done discretely). Typically about $300-$700/year out of school budget used.
  9. Walk-a-thon
  10. Adopt a stuffed pet
  11. Dance-a-thon
  12. Raffle (tie it in with the spring concert). Baskets can be donated.
  13. Sell coffee at parent teacher interviews or spring concert
  14. Jodi & Michelle to meet with grade 5 teachers to down select the fundraiser.
  15. the grade 5 students will “own” the fundraiser
  1. Treasurer’s report
  2. Current balance (Jan 11, 2015) ~ $17000
  3. Have received 3 requests for money this year:
  4. $240 for Kindergarten welcome bags (cost $6 each)
  5. Vote passed
  6. $135.60 for 2 condenser microphones
  7. Vote passed
  8. $212.80 for facility rental - All grades Skating (11 March 15)
  9. Vote passed - bus costs to be voted on next meeting
  1. Expenditures approvals
  2. Intensive reading program ($600) (Early Reading Intervention – ERI)
  3. Mrs. Stafford read email from SK parent praising the Intensive reading program
  4. Need 48 new books per kindergarten room, approximately $6/book neededand will be ordered immediately
  5. Vote passed
  6. Mrs. Rielly ($542 catalogue price)
  7. Play day and gymnastics equipment, but usually get a discount
  8. Some funding was provided last year.
  9. Votepassed
  10. Technology ($9000)
  11. Need to replace technology cart (grades 3, 4, 5)
  12. Could buy the existing cart and netbooks off lease, but the netbooks are not very good and have no warranty
  13. Looking at getting 30 Chromebooks computers at $300 each
  14. 3-5yr warranty + in-house support through the school board
  15. For use with Googledocs
  16. Parent comment: board should be providing this.
  17. Votepassed
  18. Interactive whiteboards ($2561)
  19. More and more classrooms want them
  20. TDSB has 2 new products available: $1100 short throw projector with board (2 classrooms 1 & 8), or $361 board (rm 7 already has projector)
  21. Votepassed
  22. Indoor recess (wait until after parent contributions to see what is still needed)
  23. Classroom library / games (initially asking for $1600)
  24. Parent comment: recommend the game Spot-It ($9/tin)
  25. Parent contribution – send note to parents to look for donations (new or used) for any grade level
  26. Votedeferred - pending parent contributions next month
  1. Teacher’s Report
  2. Tues/Thurs Chess club
  3. Boys basketball Feb 20th first tournament
  4. Ice hockey – coed March for first tournament
  5. Folk Dancing Club – coed – Folk Dance Jamboree in spring
  6. Forest of Reading – 110 students signed up for Silver Birch
  7. Blue Spruce – junior students
  8. Skating day March 11th
  9. Choir – grade 1 and 2 students – Little Red Hen
  10. 8 or 9 lead parts (per audition). All students to participate as chorus
  11. Gymnastics to begin – grades 1-5
  12. Annual Sweater Day (wacky and creative) Feb 10th
  13. Heat turned down
  14. Hot chocolate provided
  15. Stomp – Rythmworks Presentation – message was about the importance of hard work
  16. Pancake Day – Tuesday, Feb 17th
  17. Need volunteers (8am to 10am)
  18. Nut free pancakes & utensils
  19. Need to change pizza day (currently coincides)
  1. Principals report
  2. Report cards to be sent home Tuesday Feb 10th
  3. Interviews to be held Thurs night and Fri morning (Feb12th, 13th)
  4. Grad Trip Jun 15-17th (have 47 students signed up, usually get 3-4 late arrivals)
  5. Extended French info session was held last Monday
  6. Deadline is Jan 29th to apply
  7. Guaranteed to be offered a spot if apply before deadline (but not guaranteed location)
  8. Holiday concert was held last December
  9. Joint with BCCC (daycare) worked out well
  10. Absenteeism
  11. Numbers have increased over last 4 years
  12. 36 students have been out for extended vacations (1 week +) this school year
  13. French students excused after 15 absences, then need to test to be re-admitted
  14. School improvement planning
  15. Briarcrest (and province/city) math numbers went down
  16. Found that number sense and patterning need more work
  17. Starting a math boot camp (after interviews)
  18. grade 3, 4, 5 to focus on multiplication and division
  19. grade 1, 2 to focus on add and subtraction
  20. Mental health – self regulation
  21. Students struggle with this more than any other Learning Skill
  22. The better a child can regulate themselves, the better they can “rise to the challenge”
  23. Ability to stay calmly focussed and alert
  24. Need to down and up regulate
  25. Not to be confused with compliance
  26. Teachers will give students some strategies for down and up regulating
  27. School Safety
  28. Ongoing discussions about drop off area (with city and police)
  29. Denied crossing guard
  30. Working with city to create a no stopping area in between the plaza entrances/exits
  31. 10 minute stopping area ahead of bus zone
  32. Positive post-it notes
  33. Helping kids to feel included
  34. Working on grant with parent for trees (Majesta Grant) & Working with superintendent for benches and big rocks to create a “buddy bench” for kids who are looking for someone different/new to play with
  35. Commemoration piece of Canadian flag with piece of shrapnel from Ortona was received by the Canadian Veterans.
  36. Mrs. Stafford would like to pass this around the schools
  37. Want to do a Sick Kids fundraiser and one for autism
  38. Sick Kids video featuring Amrita was shown
  1. Co-chair report
  2. Pizza Coordinator(s)
  3. Position will be free in September
  4. Looking for someone to start to shadow Michelle and Christine allowing for a gradual handover of responsibilities
  5. School safety
  6. Thank-you to the teachers for kiss and ride
  7. Cross walk survey was conducted by police. Can send letters to the police via Stephen Holyday (city councillor)
  8. Parking lot has become unsafe again.
  1. Next meeting
  2. Feb 23 2015

Parent Council Meeting Minutes – January 26th, 2015Page 1 of 3