Minutes
Glen Cairn PS
PARENT COUNCIL
November 8, 2011
7:00pm V Attendance Brian Herron, Julie Drapeau, Pat Furlong, Scott Blythe, Paul Warner, Rebecca Tibbits, Tracy Ahern, Megan Alink, Erika Saumur, Amy DeRienzo, April Boomer
Nomination of rotating secretary for next meeting
- April Boomer volunteered
Motion put forward by Julie Drapeau to approve minutes of October 2011 meeting. Moved by Brian Herron, seconded by Scott Blythe. Motion carried.
REPORTS
Principal
- Council Notes
o Kanata ARC South meeting tonight
X Option 2 seems most likely
X Formal report/presentation on November 16
X Still some concern about viability of English program for Glen Cairn
o Budget
X Pat Furlong wondered about possible clerical error in calculation of Educational Assistant percentage
X Balance is what Pat has remaining for this school year
X Reviewed each line item
- Events
o Halloween was a big success! The haunted room tour raised lots of pennies for United Way, (final tally not completed)
o Progress Reports go home Nov 10 V they are intended to say generally how is your child doing
o Nov 11 V Remembrance Day Assembly this Friday at 10:30
o Nov 18 V PD for interviews- no school for students
o Grade 3, 6, 7 & 8 teachers are involved in math networks designed to help push student thinking forward
- Additional
o Anti-bully opera for all students today (Nov 8)
o Going forward our focus will be on building resilience
o AY band is coming to play for our students Nov 22
o Grade 3, 4, & 5 students will be heading to AY to see the grade 10 play Nov 29
Treasurer
- Approx $3454 in spendable cash, after new media cart (adjust to cover $1500 V no tax, no shipping)
- No other significant changes to budget
- Took out the Whisper Phones from the budget, per October meeting (see minutes)
- URGENT: Need to change signing officers. Gwen and Brian Herron are signing officers now. Both must sign for needed pizza cheques. ACTIONS: Rebecca Tibbits to pre-fill 3-4 cheques for Gwen and Brian Herron to sign. Julie Drapeau, Gwen and Rebecca Tibbits all have to go to bank to change signing officer from Gwen to Rebecca. No pre-scheduled meeting required V Rebecca Tibbits to confirm.
o Phone call required to get information on bounced cheques for follow-up. There are 2 right now. ACTION: Brian Herron to call RBC to try to get information on bounced cheques.
o Note: Tracy Ahern has had 3-4 more kids ask for order forms V but no new forms - so amounts of cheques to One-For-One may change. ACTION: Scott Blythe to make announcement on November 9 re: bringing in outstanding forms (is Pat Furlongs delegate on Nov 9).
OCDSB
- Secondary school review
o Last high school ARC was difficult
o No recommendations will be put forth until all high schools have been reviewed
o One possibility is to add grades 7 and 8s
o What to do with the old building at 440 Albert St? Sell it?
o What about Foster Park Secondary School? Convert it to a high school?
o Specialist programs: Can these be moved around? Some arent feasible to move (like cabinetry making at Glebe) but a dance program could move fairly easily
- Strategic plan for the next four years: WELL: W(ellness), E(ngagement), L(eadership), L(earning)
- Trustees involvement with individual students and special needs classes has been re-re-re-reversed. It is no longer in their hands but in the hands of the professional staff.
- Mental Health Framework is being considered
o Mental health workers in every high school
o There is a family doctor assigned to Sir Guy Carleton 1 day per week. This helps students who may not be able to get to doctors appointments on their own.
o Every school has an assigned public health nurse. They usually dont have hours at the school but they are an available resource.
- Student survey results should come out in January. Only 60-70% response rate V much lower than Toronto. Some people didnt know they could just leave questions blank.
- School Climate Survey
o Every school is encouraged to do one to allow students concerns to be mentioned anonymously
o Tell them from me is a survey program that is being considered for board-wide purchase.
- Trustees are now to take training courses / modules
- Transportation Policy Harmonization
o Catholic School board gets 15 million dollars more a year. How can policies be equivalent with such a disparity in funding?
o Catholic School Board gives every student a bus pass for free
o Ministry is now listening and looking into the differences in funding
- Best Start
o www.ottawakids.ca
o Resources for 0-6
o Looking for a West Carleton hub. Maybe Carp?
- 211 - 211 is an easy-to-remember three-digit phone number providing free, confidential, multilingual access to information about the full range of community, social, health and related government services. 211 calls are answered by certified information specialists, who assess each callers needs and link them to the best available services and programs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A user-friendly version of the comprehensive, continually updated 211 database can also be accessed on the Internet in communities where 211 service has been launched. For more information on 211 in Canada, visit www.211Canada.ca. For information on 211 in the United States visit www.211.org.
- ARC V Kanata
o Nov 16th is the last day for public feedback
o Dec 15th is the ARC presentation to the board
o Jan 31st staff present recommendations
o Apr 24th final decision by the trustees/board
- Pizza: Everyones pizza sales are down for most schools. Some schools arent able to offer pepperoni and meet the guidelines. Glen Cairn was the only school present able to offer white crusts.
- www.cathycurry.ca V personal blog for OCDSB news
OCASC
- First half discussion of Jamie Hubley, programming possibilities, trying to get more parent involvement with board
o Outcome: Session with Maggie Mamen, Tuesday November 17, school councils recommended to send rep, to receive The Pampered Child, launching a DVD as well o Dr. Maggie Mamen's presentation link: http://www.ocdsb.ca/Pages/EventNews_RaisingResilientChildren.aspx
- Guest presentation from Nadia Tuwaj-White V how grading is done. Change anticipated in the language teachers use in Progress Reports for greater understanding/less jargon/plainer English.
Chair - Julie Drapeau receives weekly link to events going on in OCDSB V suggests putting a link in monthly newsletter to parents: http://www.ocdsb.ca/par/sc/info-n-updates/Pages/default.aspx
- Not doing the calendar fundraiser
- People for Education survey and membership that Julie described -- $50 membership V do we want to support? Make a decision for next month.
- Does council need independent liability insurance V for offsite activities? Has been opted against in the past. McDonalds night doesnt count. $185 covers insurance + GST + a fee to determine the cost. Moved by Paul Warner, seconded by Tracy Ahern not to get the insurance. Motion carried.
- CTV Morning/Bob FM food drive V we will continue with Kanata Food Cupboard because its in our community
- Does Council want a constitution? Pat Furlong welcomes input on how we can move students forward. What do other councils do to improve? E.g., lunchtime math work, running groups with kids to improve language fluency?
o ACTION: Paul Warner to investigate through OCASC.
o ACTION: Brian Herron to collect other samples of constitutions to consider if council wants to draft one V will email other council leaders to get these samples.
o Pat Furlong took copy of Student Council Resource Guide for the office
- Parent Involvement Fund V as a means of getting parents to meetings (ideas provided such as pizza night, potlucks, multicultural entertainment for meetings, fliers/notices translated, bus tickets, etcK). Pat Furlong noted that this is very important for other schools with larger, more varied multicultural populations.
o Suggestion to use previously collected parent email addresses to remind of council meetings V Julie Drapeau noted.
- National Bank Student of the Month program
- Majic 100 Apple Awards V teacher nominations
Fundraising
- Considered shop and support program for Chapters (or other) gift cards. Noted that cheques should be received and cashed before cards are given out. Question asked if council pays, or if the vendor is responsible for collection? ACTION: Julie Drapeau to investigate further based on best return. Need to communicate to parents before end of November.
- McDonalds night is a go, Wednesday November 30. ACTION: Julie Drapeau to remind Pat Furlong a week before so it is added to announcements.
New Business
- Rescheduling February and March meetings V currently falling on February 14 and within March Break (March 13)
o Brian Herron motioned to schedule a combined February/March meeting Feb 21. Moved by Julie Drapeau, seconded by Tracy Ahern. Motion carried.
- Newsletters
o Responsibility to send Mairin Rainkin a blurb for the newsletter every month V pgph on what council has done this month and whats coming up for next month? Decided to note that Councils comments are on blog: http://glencairnpsparentcouncil.blogspot.com/
- No requests from teachers (per Scott Blythe).
- Pat Furlong provided clarification around distinction between a split class and the team-taught, collaborative approach to Glen Cairns 3/4/5 class. Key desire is that this group could persist year over year (e.g., this years grade 3s move into the grade 4 part of this environment, etc.) so students can continue to build on their independent learning experiences in the current class. Prelim discussions are taking place with Mrs. Perry and Mrs. Thompson re: whether this environment will continue in 2012/2013 school year. There is some difference of opinion on whether the environment is successful.
- Secretary for next meeting: April Boomer
Meeting adjourned 8:10pm
Next meeting December 13, 7pm
