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School Council Minutes

Monday, February 6th, 2023

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Attendance

Opening: The third, full meeting of the 2022-2023 James Robinson PS School Council was called to order at 6.30 pm on February 6th, 2023 by chairperson Erin Stokes in the James Robinson Library, and virtually, over Google Meet

Approval of February Agenda

The agenda was unanimously approved as distributed over email

Approval of November Minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting were unanimously approved as distributed over email

Agenda

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Agenda Item: Welcome and Land Acknowledgment Presenter:  Soraya Mangal

Discussion:

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Agenda Item: Chair’s report Presenter: Erin Stokes

Discussion: 

• Fun Fair donations - reminder to please collect outstanding donations and give them to Erin or Danielle

• Family Fun Night (“FFN”)

• Vounteers- Volunteer sign up for council, request is to give up half the night to volunteer and support where needed. 

• School council buttons to be returned to Erin before FFN so that they can be reused on the night.

• Entry tickets are for K-8, adults and kids above that are free. Pre-purchases are pizza and clay workshop. Raffle tickets are being sold on the night. 

• Entry will be allowed at the door, extra tickets will be sold for drinks, treats and clay workshop. 

• People are encouraged to buy under one student’s name and buy online as much as possible. 

• Run down of events - an array of events are taking place, magicians, martial arts, african drummer, dancer, face painting, stem, robotics, lego, clay workshop. 

• Staff appreciation Event- we want to do a staff appreciation event, council has been asked to contribute $10 per member to do a small function.

• PRO Grant - application was completed and submitted.

• Thank you cards- to have on hand to thank volunteers. Office budget to be used.

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Agenda Item: Treasurer’s Report Presenter: Julie Wong

Discussion:  

Balance is $9, 242, excess sub money in the total so approximately $1,800 for the remaining sub week.  Winter plant fundraiser was $700 and TruEarth was closed which brought in excess cash. Family fun night will generate around $2,220 and sub lunch will generate $1,260.

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Agenda Item: Fundraising Report Presenters: Erin, Candice, Parvis, Arsalan

Discussion: 

• Terra Cotta cookies -  Parvis, to date $576 from the current fundraiser with a few days to go. An email to be sent to Mr Chin for students to put in the Agenda. 

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Agenda Item: OPAL Coordinator Report Presenters: Jeanette McLellan

Discussion: 

Jeanette thanked Erin for working on the constitution. Angie Tse will be taking over in the absence of Sheri Clark on OPAL Committee. Next meeting will be held in February to determine the way forward. OPAL student leaders have been introduced at recess which has been supporting play and looking after the loose parts. 

Jeanette is looking to encourage more gardening volunteers. Some ideas included talks around pruning. The Council provided advice such as consideration to be given to the time to volunteer such as  after school or after hours.  As a lot of parents are working and it makes it hard to volunteer during school hours. 

Erin suggests a fall day and spring day where an event takes place and the community will work together and those that come out could be encouraged to be part of a broader team. 

Phone calls are suggested as an alternative to email in an effort to build personal connection and gather more cooperation of our volunteers. 

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Agenda Item: Family Ambassador Program Presenter: Danielle Botha

Discussion: 

Family Amabassador program is set up to connect established JPRS families with new families to the community. Request is made to council members to join to be an ambassador family. Arsalan to work with Danielle. 

Mr Chin has suggested putting a table at Family Fun Night to attract more participation. Erin also suggested making a presentation at Kindergarten open night. Potentially looking at a sub committee to maintain this program going forward. 

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Agenda Item: Principal’s Report Presenter: Scott Chin        

Discussion: 

• Music Program:  Old wind instruments were sold for $15,000 and coupled with the amounts raised last year of $10,000 and the full program is covered and moving forward with the fundraising to replenish funds.

• Fundraising plan: Focus is now on some tech items such as projector boards to update those in the classrooms. Focus on the wireless options to assist projection and casting. 

• Focused on doing things in a balanced way and keeping cost to families at forefront. Subsidising costs for the families with a request of $20 for the remainder of the year for Prologue performances. The recent visual art program (form intermediates) is costing $40 per family versus $200 per child so subsidies have been significant. The focus has been on bringing the programs into the school. 

• Winter Activity day: Ski and snow tube trip has been booked for 200 kids with 4 buses organized to go to Barrie.

• Grade 8 fundraising from selling popcorn and cookies is doing well and funds raised will be going to their grad trip and their ceremony. Grad trip will be around $150 per student and will be a 3 day trip and will be close enough so students who can't attend can be taxied in.

• Professional learning for school staff: Speech and language pathologists and reading program has been revised, also focusing on Math programming 

• Developing leadership program and have been focused on creating identity affirming classrooms and dismantling anti-black racism. Prototype will be rolled out in various classrooms to create identity affirming classrooms. 

• Destreaming: Moving forward there will be no more withdrawal classes to support language and math (SSC) with the ultimate goal of de-streaming and integrating them into the classrooms.  Current students that are in SSC will be grandfathered into the program and classes will continue until current students graduate to grade 9. Afterward there will be no more SSC classes. 

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Agenda Item: Constitution Changes Presenter: Erin Stokes        

Discussion: 

Erin has presented that she did a side by side constitution with new items highlighted in yellow.  Main ideas to be presented at this meeting with members to recommend changes by April 2023 , whereby a vote will be passed on the changes. 

Two main legal documents, Ontario school council handbook and the York Region School Council Handbook including your school resources. 

Key changes to think about increasing the number of members from 13 to 20 so an election doesn’t have to take place each year and a minimum of 6 members as per the School Council Handbook. 

Community Members should have a vote, which to date they have not had, but have a stake in our school. 

Concern was raised around Community Members not voting for the best interest of school allocation of funding. Ultimately however the decision sits with the principal as to how funds get appropriated. Clarity to be provided in the constitution of who can be acclaimed as a Community Member. 

Amendment in constitution to be consistent with School Council or parent/guardian definition.  

Every person who wants to be on the School Council they need to self-nominate prior to the first school council meeting. 

After the executive members have been elected then the executive can appoint co-ordinators in the following meeting after a direction has been decided on. 

Erin encouraged members to do a little extra in the council so as not to only be Members attending meetings. Wording to be revised around equal partner to encompass wording that ensures equality for all participants in the level that they can participate (taking single parents into account).

Standing subcommittees will not be mandated, but members are to attend from time to time as required. 

A subcommittee is being recommended to review the constitution on a yearly basis. 

First round of comments by end of February with final draft of the constitution to be sent to members in March 2023.  Voting on the constitution in April 2023.

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Agenda Item: Other Business Presenter: Erin Stokes      

Discussion: 

• Arsalan asking for more feedback on the subs, an email blast and google for sub feedback. 

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Meeting Adjourned: 8.05 pm

Next Meeting: Fun Fair Subcommittee meeting March 6th, 2023

Next General School Council meeting: Monday April 3rd, 2023 6:30-8pm

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Chair’s Long-Range Plan for the Year