2006-2007 School Council Elections

Elections will be held at our next meeting on Monday, September 11, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in the Library. There are 15 parent council seats to be filled. From these 15, the Executive will be elected for the positions of Chair, Treasurer, and Recorder of Minutes. We need parent representation on Council for every grade!

Terms of Office: One year, from the time of election in September of the current school year to the following election in September of the next school year. Each Council Member has one vote except the Principal and Vice-Principal who do not vote.

Duties of the Council Members: The members of the Council are accountable to the parents they represent and MUST:

  1. Maintain a school-wide perspective on issues
  2. Regularly attend School Council meetings
  3. Participate in information and training programs
  4. Act as a link between the Council and the community
  5. Participate on committees and assist with tasks of the Council
  6. Observe the Ministry’s Code of Ethics and Council’s established bylaws

As well, there is a seat for a Community Representative. This person must reside or do business in the Richmond Rose community, but cannot be a school employee.

Get Involved!

You do not need to be a member of Council to help your school! Our committees (Education, Fundraising, and Garden) are always looking for parents who want to be involved in their children’s education. No previous experience necessary and the number of hours are up to you! Please fill out the attached volunteer form and return to the school office. Our students will thank you!

Education Committee: Organizes extra-curricular courses for students, and seminars and workshops for parents. We need people to give us new ideas, bring them to fruition, and help make our events run smoothly.

Fundraising Committee: Organizes and delivers fundraising activities throughout the year. We need people to help with all aspects of fundraising, from creating new opportunities to delivering lunches to students.

Garden Committee: Involved in beautifying our school grounds. We need people who are willing to get their hands dirty in helping us maintain the PeaceGarden and the Eco Niche.

Fundraising in 2006-2007

Council recognizes that parents may feel that they are constantly being asked for money for school. With this in mind, Council has determined that we would limit ourselves to only 3 fundraisers this school year.

In October, we will have our annual chocolate fundraiser. This year, students will be selling Cadbury Caramilk bars (peanut-free). Next March, we will organize the Read-a-thon. Ongoing throughout the year will be pizza lunch Mondays (Tuesdays for Kindergarten classes not at school on Mondays). Pizza order forms will be sent home 3 times during the year.

What does Council do with all the money that is raised? Last school year, each classroom received a $100 start-up fund to purchase supplies and equipment (e.g., maps, learning posters, books, sharpeners, audiotapes, special tables and chairs, bulletin board sets, craft supplies, teacher resources, photographic supplies, stationery supplies, tablecloths, treats, bookmarks, certificates, storage containers). $1,200 was spent on science supplies for the school (graduated cylinders, beakers, stirring rods, iron filings, test tube brushes, magnifiers, cover slips, pipettes, microscope slides, flashlights, a balance, a mass set, chemicals). Council gave $11,500 for each primary division, junior division, intermediate division, the gym and the library. This money was used to purchase volleyball equipment, basketballs, tournament entries, bridge building kit, math manipulatives, intermediate resource centre, arts and crafts supplies, games, stationery, books. The Integrity Team received $1,000 to help with leadership camp and Council purchased a SmartBoard and LCD projector for the school for $2,600.

We hope that all families will support our fundraising efforts. Everything that is

purchased with the money raised is an item that our students would have had to do without!

Parents Needed for Our New Literacy Support Program!

Studies have proven that one-on-one reading aloud to an adult can significantly improve children’s literacy skills. Students of all ages and grade levels can benefit from the individualized attention catered to their specific needs. It has also been shown that a strong literacy foundation helps students excel in all other aspects of their lives. However, because of people’s busy schedules, many students do not get enough practice time at home.

We are looking for volunteers to work one-on-one with students and listen to them read aloud. Volunteers need to commit to a minimum of 1-2 hours per week during the school day. We will provide training and workshops to help you assist in building literacy for our children.

If you are interested in committing your time to such a program, please fill out the volunteer formattached at the back of this newsletter. Your commitment and attention to a child who is learning to read will do wonders for them!

…/2Dominion Save-A-Tape Deadline

If you’ve been saving up your Dominion cash register receipts all summer, you deserve a big, hearty thank you! All register tapes dated from October 1, 2005 to October 1, 2006 may be deposited into our specially marked box just inside the front doors until September 30, 2006. All of these receipts will then be tallied and redeemed. We receive $1 for every $450 worth of tapes to buy new school equipment and supplies. This will be our last time to redeem cash register receipts for cash as the program is being discontinued by Dominion.

Campbell’s Labels for Education

We are discontinuing the Campbell’s Labels program in order to concentrate on more worthwhile endeavours. If you have diligently saved labels over the summer, you will still have a chance to bring them in. This program closes October 1, 2006.

It’s easy to collect Campbell’s labels. Simply slice the label down along the ingredients list with the tip of a knife and unwrap the label off the can. We collect all varieties of Campbell’s soup labels. For Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers or Campbell’s broth cartons, we only need the flap with the UPC code.

Annual Report for the 2005-2006 School Year

Welcome back to Richmond Rose P.S.’s new school year! We hope you had a safe and happy summer! The Richmond Rose School Council had a very rewarding 2005-2006 year. We held eight meetings on Oct. 11, Nov. 7, Dec. 5, Jan. 16, Feb. 6, Mar. 6, May 1, and Jun. 5, 2006. These meetings were open to the public to encourage input from parents and other members of the school community. The purpose of the school council is to help improve student achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. School councils are advisory organizations.

We worked on various issues during the year including launching the Read-a-thon fundraiser, offering multicultural lunches, holding parent coffee mornings, streamlining our pizza lunches, sending out a newsletter, providing extra-curricular courses for students, holding parenting workshops and providing translation and babysitting, hosting a community potluck breakfast, and developing Council fundraising guidelines.

We wish to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the many individuals who

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volunteered their time to contribute to the success of the Richmond Rose School Council last year. Special thanks are due to the following members of the 2005-2006 school council: David Albin, William Carroll, Sook Chen, Mala Chopra, Michael Cohen, Lisa Gibbs, Arlene Gold, Fatima Jessa, Wing Lin, Karen Parkinson, Joel Silverstein, Christine Sokoloff, David Sokoloff, Anna Tsui, Diane Williams, Krystle Yeung, and Sue Yung; and those that worked closely with Council: Barb Cruickshank, Diana Dal Bello, Gina DiGregorio, Rana Hijazi, Peter Jenkins, Janice Longfield, Barb Poppler, George Sheridan, Randy Stewart, and Silvana Tesic. Finally, we would like to extend our best wishes to the new Council to be elected at our next meeting on Monday, September 11, 2006.

Sincerely yours,

Monna Yip, Chair

How to Contact Us

Richmond Rose School Council

160 Frank Endean Road

Richmond Hill, ON L4S 1S7

Tel: 905-737-4311 ext. 702

Fax: 905-737-3820

E-mail:

Website:

Please visit the School Council’s bulletin board just beside the main office doors. Information is updated often. Feel free to drop us a note in our mailbox in the school office.

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