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Timestamp
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Topic
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Details
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Decision/Action Item
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6:35
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Introductory Message
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- Land Acknowledgement
- This upcoming PA day, Indigenous Rights leaders will be in the school for training with staff
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6:40
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Admin & Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
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- Council members received description of roles
- Everyone should have access to Council’s Google Drive Folder
- Includes volunteer list where we can add new people to the list (get their contact info!)
- Before posting on school website, we first vote on accuracy of meeting minutes
- [Link to minutes from previous meeting]
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6:45
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Teacher Representative’s Report
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- Nastasha - Intermediate Phys Ed Teacher
- Teacher Rep relays info from the teachers and vice-versa
- Fall Overview
- Intramurals
- Primary, junior and intermediate students: Intermediate Volleyball, Junior Giant Jenga, Primary intramurals coming soon
- Opportunity to get involved in breaks (lunch or recess)
- Doesn’t involve tryouts
- Discussed future opportunity for soccer
- Athletics
- Teams that require tryouts or walk on
- Cross Country, Flag Football and Sr. Volleyball right now
- Before and after school
- The Arts
- Glee Club, Arts (grades 6-8)
- Additional Extra Curriculars
- Yarn, Yearbook, Islamic Heritage
- Clubs
- Bracelet, Skipping, Chess, Reading (previously also dance, choir)
- When kids ask, usually there’s a teacher who’s willing to supervise - encourage kids to ask directly
- Most are during school / break whereas organised athletic is before and after
- Age groups
- Usually don’t have a Kindergarten level since kids are with teachers and for safety
- Fewer for primary / grades 1-3 but trying to create more
- There’s more in older years
- Grade 4 official teams start
- At Kindergarten level, sometimes parents set up playdates in lieu of organized activities. As well, parents have donated things for more variety of sports equipment and activities in the Kindergarten pen.
- All activities get shared during morning announcements and also available on school website on the day of (practice cancellations would get posted), and also Google classroom to access
- September Events Recap
- Terry Fox Fun
- Cross Country meet
- Grade 7 Camp Trip to Cedar Glen - way to integrate students entering from different schools
- School website homepage has memos and announcements about current and upcoming activities
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6:55
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Principal’s Report
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- Acadiece Screening
- Kindergartens, Grade 1 and 2 all being screened for phonological skills
- Data will be reviewed for the school and school board at large to set baseline
- In Spring will have screening again
- Came out of Right to Read report and is tied to new Ministry curriculum and Wilson Program
- Will appear on report card as a small spot at the bottom
- Won’t be a mark on report card as this is a specific aspect. It’s now one mark for language that includes all the strands.
- Shows teachers where gaps are for each child so they can tailor lessons
- LRT & Math Coach Roles
- LRT (Learning Resource Teacher - support on learning instruction)
- Math Coach coming to work in Grade 3 & 6
- Come Nov/Dec and again in Spring
- Decentralized Budget
- Based on # of students in the year with specific pots based on programs your school offers (ex. ESL)
- Budget is $71,206
- Principal & VP have discretion on how allocating within school
- We reviewed the decentralized budget
- Ratio of chromebooks is 1:1 in grades 7 and 8, 1:2 in grades 4, 5, 6, and it’s a centre for primary (kids working on printing, writing, etc. so they weren’t being used). 1:1 isn’t typical so may not always be the case, but trying to do 1:1 for grade 6 as well. Also they can be split across classes so students have access 3 periods out of 6 of the day.
- Viking Awards
- Growing Success is a document from the ministry about how assessment is a subjective activity and aims of assessment
- Goal is to help students move forward with learning, getting specific information about how to move forward and improve
- Movement to less focus on specific levels / marks and towards “Grading for growth” - what are you doing now and what can you do to move forward
- Award System has been in place for 20 years. Focused on students from grade 4-8, can earn honours, however doesn’t fit in with new philosophy. Also awards for straight “E”s on learning skills however inconsistency with how teachers applying and pressure to give “E”s for kids to get award
- Family perspective
- Some families felt not aligned with current educational practices
- Some children very motivated
- For some caused anxiety, tears, sibling rivalry
- Belief that academic excellence should be rewarded
- Work conflicts missing income due to assembly during the day
- Staff perspective: On PA day staff reviewed articles and books in academic and business world, discussed the awards and regrouped in smaller subcommittee to set path forward. Perspectives shared:
- Students focused on getting award instead of learning process
- Pressure, anxiety and tears from students
- Not equitable since contest for all even if they don’t want to
- Would like to find way to recognize achievements in more equitable way
- Next steps
- Gather student voice about their own values (ex. Respect, honesty, determination, kindness) - these will become values to base awards on
- Primary will start with brainstorm and mural, and then move up to junior and then intermediate
- Whole school assembly 3 times/year Dec/Mar/Jun (build community)
- Can’t fit parents and due to privacy can’t live stream
- Take photos to send to families of their student receiving an award (Google Drive)
- Instead of the Viking Honours, Citizenship and Improvement Awards, we’ll recognize 2 students from each class at each assembly that represent Viking Values
- Considered 3 however then in smaller classes that would lead to 9 students getting recognized which could then feel more exclusionary for those who didn’t get recognized
- Assemblies will include story focused on one of the school values
- Continue with Grade 8 awards - going from 35 to 20 - will still have honours seal on certificate but more discrete
- Counsel discussed different perspectives on this change
- Some felt positive change separating academic and behaviour.
- E has lost its value and it’s forgotten that G is already a great accomplishment.
- Academically driven students will still be motivated by marks on report cards.
- Still need to set students up for success for how they will be evaluated in future institutions.
- Students do have marks starting at grade 1 and families can choose to celebrate at home.
- This is in line with all other schools in North Burlington (no others do academically based awards, and for grade 8 graduation other schools range from 0 to 5 awards)
- Open House 5-6PM Wednesday (Oct 9th)
- Must have completed vulnerable sector check for any events where volunteering
- There will be a school council table at the front foyer
- QR code for new volunteers to sign up
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7:40
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Treasurer’s Report
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- $2031 fundraising, $600 in Grants Parent Involvement, $650 from PIC account
- Request for $2000 purchase for musical instruments. Instruments are very old and some require frequent repair.
- It’s about every year replacing a few instruments
- Cost to rent would so high
- Could fulfil in instalments since some things come with upfront costs that we need to save funds for such as Danceathon (DJ down payment $800, buying prizes $400)
- Note school isn’t allowed to charge for program fees, such as renting musical equipment
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7:50
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PIC Report
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- HDSB looking for regional PIC representatives
- Kareem attending November 7th meeting and will bring updates in next session
- Full day session in February
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7:55
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School Council Constitution
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- Kristine, Sarah and Alexandra met to discuss new constitution
- Each school council must develop their own constitution.
- There’s a provided framework that can then be revised as needed.
- Inclusions such as purpose, members, how to go about electing, when meetings, timelines for minutes completion, conflicts of interests, resolution process, etc.
- Sarah to lead drafting based on conversations and welcomes further input if people have.
- Once draft ready, will be sent out as Google doc and aim to vote by December meeting
- Will be annually reviewed to ensure still applicable
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8:00
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Events/
Fundraising
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- 2024/2025 Event Planning
- Discussed planning for events by considering school needs and potentially setting fundraising targets
- Given the council was low on time we had a quick discussion on upcoming events and resolved to meet again for further discussion in November
- End of Year BBQ
- June 11, 2025
- Need to form committee very soon
- Longer lead times for selecting food vendor, bouncy castles (Lindsay has contact we could get references for, good experience with current), etc.
- Kernels
- They’ve already asked if we’d be interested again
- Best success has been before holidays
- How it works - you place an order and you get them all at once (other schools have done weekly basis and could be in the future if we have enough people to support in this). Volunteers pick up from Kernals at night and then sort the products with labels and by class. Very involved for those on the committee. (for ex. There may be 400 bags to sort)
- Did it 4 times last year, first 3 raised the most funds
- Raised $1750 for the year, expenses $1002, profit $748
- Pricing is diverse and product is inclusive
- Food is biggest motivator for fundraising - other easy option is Terracotta cookies
- Need on school cash 2 weeks in advance
- Dance-a-thon
- Typically happens mid-February
- Sub-committee formed near start of council year
- Raised $6,111, profit $3914
- Snack bags one of the things that made the most money, received it before the dance in classrooms. Something for everyone.
- Also there’s an angel fund to support others to be able to participate in these programs
- November meeting will be used to focus on events and fundraising without full reports
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Team gather details about fundraising opportunities and consider event ideas
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Terri check out Terra Cotta cookies and Cobbs options
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Alex contact Kernels about various options
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Next Council Meeting
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Next Council Meeting
- Monday, November 4, 2024
- Will focus on events and fundraising, and not going into all reports
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