September School Council Minutes | York Region District School Board

In attendance

G. Collins, S.Bhatia, Vik Gujarati, M. Allidina, T. Chianelli, J.Baksi, Y. Mironov, E. Maurice, K Taylor, A Stockmann, Mme Lombardi, Mr. Rashidi

reports

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT (MR.COLLINS)

PARENT COUNCIL NOMINATIONS FOR TY

CO-CHAIRS: Katariina Taylor & Yuliana Mironov
TREASURER: Sumeet Bhatia
SECRETARY: Jennifer Baksi
MEMBERS AT LARGE: Allys Stockmann, Vik Gujarati, Madolyn Allidina, Tania Chianelli

FUTURE MEETING DATES & TIME

All meetings will begin at 6:45pm

Subcommittees may meet in their own time either at school or outside of school and formalize plans at the above meetings

SOCCER TEAM UPDATE (MR. RASHIDI)

Co-ed soccer team
Grades 6-8
25 kids
Areas competition next week
HOT LUNCH UPDATE (KATARIINA)
Lunches have started up this week
Session runs from now until Christmas break
Classrooms and students to help in distribution of their lunches this year rather than parent volunteers
Lunch program is our school’s largest fundraiser, bringing in $23,000 last year
Try to keep vendors local
Suggestion of looking for an Italian food option (Tania)

OTHER TOPICS

FUNDS (MR. COLLINS)

How do we want to allocate funds this year?
Idea for surveying kids/parents/teachers for their ideas on what they would like to see in the school and yard (Tania)
Suggestion boxes in the classrooms so each student could share their top wish (Ally)
Can we align this with the Student Leadership Team? (Mme. Lombardi)
Some school board restrictions on how/what we are able to ask parents (Mr. Collins/Jen)

STAFF REQUESTS (MR. COLLINS)

Ms. Brown: 30 jerseys for sports teams $2500 (voted to go ahead)
Must use board approved vendors for this
Ms. Callander: hockey nets for primary hockey $400 (voted to go ahead)
Forest of Reading: $1500
Science & Tech Cost Share: $3000
Phys Ed Equipment: $2000
Music Equipment: $2000
Athletic Team Registration Fees: $300
Can parents donate sports equipment to the school? (Vik)
School board prefers school to purchase items through board approved vendors (Mr. Collins)
School cash online has a donation option that parents can access anytime (Sumeet)

SCHOOL HOUSES (MME. LOMBARDI)

Staff have floated the idea of “houses” for the school
Would divide up students and staff into groups/teams that would stick with them for their journey through KCPS
Help to unite students and build more community
Could earn points for kindness, cleaning up, etc. (Sumeet)
Opportunity for mentors and intermingling of ages (Ally)
Builds community, CDS graduates receive a tie on their house colour as a commemorative item (Madolyn)
Beynon Fields sells school logo tshirts in the different house colours (Jen)
Not sure who would organize/run the program (Mme. Lombardi)
Would be great to also have a parent contact for each house (Sumeet)

SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR ()

This program is not currently run by the Parent Council
Do we look at a new vendor, and update clothing options? (Tania)
Must be a board approved vendor (Mr. Collins)
Have a table to sell/showcase merchandise at Holiday concert, and Spring concert (Katariina)

FIELD TRIPS (VIK)

Is the school/staff planning on incorporating more field trips for students this year? (Vik)
Combining grades to get the numbers up is key at our school (Ms. Lombardi)
Yes, there has been talk among staff to try to do more of this this year (Mr. Rashidi)
Bussing is a challenge, as it is very expensive (Ms. Lombardi)
Let’s put this into the parents hands and give the options for field trips, even if it is at an increased price (Katariina)
Lots of other schools in the surrounding area are taking kids to Toronto Zoo, CN Tower, King township Municipal Office to speak with mayor/learn about government (Katariina)
Other ideas include Markham Fair and apple orchards(Vik)

CLASSROOM REORGS (TANIA)

Suggestion for ice breakers for younger kids who are very anxious about the new classroom, teachers and students
Partner up kids who don’t know each other as well and have them interview each other and then introduce that new friend to the class.

PARENT COUNCIL NEWSLETTER (SUMEET)

Would be great to share fun facts or need to know information with parents
Ex. Classroom door decorating is often a suggestion made by parents to help the school and classrooms look more inviting - schools are not allowed to have paper items within a certain distance of doors due to health and safety requirements (Mr Collins)

ADDITONAL CLUBS (ALLY)

King City is a small town, and close knit community, people talk and there are often comparisons made between the schools in town
One topic often brought up in these comparisons is that our school does not offer as many clubs or things to do at recess
School staff highlighted events that do occur – sports and various clubs. Look at sharing this more with community (various)
A lot of parents would be willing to pay extra for their children to join something like a lego club
Let’s offer this and put this into the hands of parents. We need to stop assuming that parents wont want to do this, and throw it out there (Madolyn)

SCHOOL INSTAGRAM (Mme. Lombardi)

CARNIVAL (MME. LOMBARDI & TANIA)

MENTAL HEALTH (TANIA)

Tania has contacts at York Hills and Sick Kids if school or parents are looking for help/advice on anxiety or ADHD
Boomerang Health (Sick Kids satellite location) also has a lot of resources and workshops (Ally)
Could we bring in guest speakers for parents? (Sumeet)
An after school/evening series with different topic each month or several months
Would have to be board approved, but this is not necessarily an obstacle (Mr. Collins)
Collaborate to bring awareness/support to parents and families about the impact of technology/screentime with lack of sleep and effect of that at school, nutrition and the effect on children (Mme. Lombardi)

ACTION ITEMS

Speak to Ms. Mueller and find out how many classes we have, and if we already have boxes we could use for ballots (re: what students wishlists are)
Find out from Mr. Collins how we would be able to ask parents what their wishes would be (email, survey monkey?) in a school board approved manner
Write up a note to the classrooms and teachers explaining what we’d like them to write on ballots