Agnes Taylor School Council Meeting Minutes

May 30, 2019, 6:00 | Chair: Sarah Loseth

Welcome and Introductions

Michelle Martindale teacher representative, Sarah Loseth (Chair), Maggie Suchanova, Devendra Rana. Patvinder kaur, Fiqirie Imami, Heather Noble-Hope, Ruth Blair, Amy Anderson, Jen Dharmasurya, Kristy Foisy, Wendy Luo, Rachael Shakoor, Emeusiri Medu, Matrina Ntim, Radha Thom (Treasurer), Melissa Wells (Secretary)

Regrets: Leslie Moir (teacher representative)

Minutes

The minutes from April 25, 2019 were distributed, reviewed and approved.

Previous Meeting Updates

By-Law- update Michelle Schultzs combine by-laws highlighted in one document to be reviewed School Council By-Laws will be reviewed annually in the fall Discussion question: Should have student representatives?

o If so, two students?o One French immersion and English?o Should there be a male and female or one student representative?

Community representative needed for the fall Action: Seek someone from the community. A suggestion to seek a member from city hall. Action: Determine process for student representative Action: Determine community representative – put out a call Action: Ms. Gravesande will post by-laws on the school website

Principal’s Message

School Council Meeting

Principal’s Message

May 30, 2019.

We are pleased to have launched our Agnes Taylor Spirit wear Thursdays. Since the arrival of our new Agnes Taylor t-shirts, Thursday spirit days have been very successful. Minor ordering issues will be rectified by a supplemental order that was made, and we will make an order in the fall. This will accommodate new students and junior kindergarten students starting in September. Thank you for the efforts of our School Council representatives who organized and bagged the t-shirts for distribution to our families.

We will be sending home a calendar of events for our year-end. There are many activities planned, and we wish parents to be aware of dates and times of events in order that students are well prepared to participate. This calendar will be sent home in the June newsletter next week.

Our Farewell Assembly plans are well underway for our Grade 5 students. School Council has generously donated the Farewell t-shirts for students to wear. An information package was sent home to Grade 5 students’ families on May 1. The assembly is being held on June 25 at 8:00am with tickets being sent home (2 per family) on June 21.

We celebrated our volunteers recently. We depend on volunteers for a myriad of ways in order to support our students. We appreciate the support of those volunteers who go on field trips, attend to details of events like the dance-a-thon, support students by reading to them and all of the other tasks that volunteers happily conduct. Our thank you to our volunteers is heartfelt, and we appreciate their service to our school. Volunteers attended a reception and received a certificate in acknowledgement of their efforts on behalf of our students.

Lunchbox was our pizza day provider again this year. Their service continues to be exemplary, and we continue to appreciate the ease of the ordering process. We average approximately 160 orders per week, and the menu offers much variety. We intend, with the support of School Council, to run the program again next year, beginning in October after Reorganization when our classes are set for the year.

We wish to thank all the parents who supported our Spring Concert. The Concert fulfilled our commitment to ensure that all students had an opportunity to perform for their families this year. The two other concerts were in December and February. This model allows us to showcase the arts in our school as we work to build a strong arts program for our students.

Finally, we wish to thank our School Council for all of their efforts this year. Working together for our students’ success is something in which we can take pride. We are grateful for your support and encouragement and look forward to working together again next year.

Treasury Report – Year end Financial Update

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New Business

Grade 5 Graduation:o Grad T-Shirts – children’s signatures will be recorded and get printed on the back Action: Decoration Volunteers needed – June 24 in the evening

Six planters all together – four to hold the door open, two at the stage Classroom can create a sign for the planters and add teachers names on it Fresh Flowers for the awards table to vases Students will contribute to the decorations

o Bowling will be organized by the teachers Action: School Council award to be presented on June 25, 2019 – Volunteer needed from the

Executive to present the award

Petition for additional renovation funds: – discussiono Capital Projects Research for cost for the projectso Fall for Petition o 65% of signature of families in the school is council goalso Items for renovation:o The gym, gym sound system, washrooms near gym in old building, plan to replenish the books in

library Actions: Request for capital projects estimate for items named in the petition to be done by Ms.

Gravesande, Ms. Hughes. Budget requests:

o Music program: Djembe drums – to run a drumming circle for the entire school but starting with Grades 4-5

o It will support the connections from music and mental healtho $500.00 requested, or 1000 for 6o Music teacher will investigate the cost and report to council Action: Approved $1137. 23 the total cost for Djembe drums

Principal/Vice Principal Consultation:o Parents have this opportunity to have their voice heard – to give input for qualities that they want in

the schools principal.o The board keeps these consultations on file and uses it in consideration when it is necessary to replace

the administration team. Action: Principal/Vice Principal Consultation tabled until fall meeting

Dress Code:o Discussion No baseball caps in schools No Bandanas red, blue as it can be associate gang related activity Conversation with the teachers regarding concerns with dress code Actions: Principals will collate results of conversation with teachers regarding student dress

code and bring the results to the fall meeting School Organization 2019/2020: Families will be notified regarding the classroom teacher for next year School will ensure balance of the classroom based on needs, achievement levels etc. June Newsletter will have teachers who are not returning Only two portables in use for the next school year See next page for more details

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Next Meeting

Action:

Action: Seek a community representative for council. A suggestion to seek a member from city hall.

Action: Determine process for student representative Action: Ms. Gravesande will post by-laws on the website Action: Decoration Volunteers needed – June 24

Six planters all together – four to hold the door open, two at the stage Classroom can create a sign for the planters and add teachers names on it Fresh Flowers for the awards table to vases Students will contribute to the decorations

Action: School Council award to be presented on June 25, 2019 – Volunteer needed from the Executive to present the award.

Actions: Request for capital projects estimate for items to be named in the petition by Ms. Gravesande and Ms. Hughes

Action: Approved $1137. 23 for Djembe drums Action: Principal/Vice Principal Consultation tabled until fall meeting Actions: Principals will collate results of conversation with teachers regarding student dress

code and bring the results to the fall meeting

Date: TBA

Motion to Adjourn 7:45pm

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