Briar Hill Junior School
Council Meeting – December 6, 2007
Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Trina Byrne
Karen Yellan – Chair
Julie McFayden – Secretary
Paul Dover - Treasurer
Carol Lunansky
1. Welcome
2. Minutes of the previous meeting – The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.
3. Treasurer’s Report – A deposit was made for $1771.50 bringing the current balance to $6,428.13. Deposit money was for entertainment books sold from the fundraiser. Total profits from the fundraiser were $847 making it a worthwhile effort.
4. Principal’s Report:
Superintendent – Jeff Hainbuch came for a visit to Briar Hill on November 27th and commented on the great atmosphere in the school. He says the school has a very nice feeling when you walk through it.
• Gym Ceiling – The repairs are scheduled to start on December 21st. Tony, the Caretaker has agreed to open up the school each day to facilitate the repairs. Unfortunately the ceiling will not be repaired in time for the holiday concert. Mary also advised that there are some loose floor tiles which she will advise Design and Construction about.
• Daycare – Mary is still exploring the possibility of a daycare at Briar Hill despite the fact there are no subsidized spots available. She indicated there may be some logistical challenges with equipping the school for a daycare as washroom facilities are currently not sufficient.
• Playground update – There was nothing new to report. Mary will continue to follow up.
• Choir – Mary advised that the choir engagement for Yorkdale had been cancelled by HBC. She called around to other establishments to see if an alternative performance could be arranged to avoid disappointing the children. Fairbank Community Centre for seniors was delighted to host them although notice was very short. Students will walk to the community centre accordingly.
• Parking –Mary advised of the increasingly dangerous parking situation during drop-offs and pick-ups and the fact that parents are disregarding the designated bus zone. The frustrating parking conditions were made worse by the snow banks. One parent suggested placing pylons in the bus zone however the logistics of this would need to be fleshed out. Mary advised that she would be calling the parking authority to try to get the situation under control. On a positive note, she reported that the Board had provided the school with a garden tractor and snow plow.
5. Chairperson’s Report:
• Pep Rally – The pep rally was a huge success. The students went wild when the cheerleaders came out and were thrilled to learn their own Briar Hill cheer. Trina was delighted at the level of school spirit exhibited by students. The rally launched the Toronto Schools on the Move program.
• 2 Fruit Tuesdays – Trina reported on the success of this initiative, which promotes healthy eating. The program will run until the end of December at which time there will be two draws for prizes. She advised that vegetables also qualify.
• Health Matters – Dec 14 – A group will come in to put on a FREE health fair. There will be different stations set up in the gym dealing with a range of health issues (e.g. hand washing techniques, pharmacist, etc.). The fair will be open to all grade levels.
• Reading Recovery – The student that was given their final assessment passed with flying colours. This means he no longer has to be part of the program. Five new students were also assessed for entry into the program. One will be chosen. Ms. Byrne and Ms. Ciesielka attended a workshop in order to determine what they can improve on.
6. Character Development in Action – Parents in attendance at the meeting were shown a short video highlighting some of the character attributes the Toronto District School Board is considering adding to the school curriculum. Each school is required to provide their top 12 picks based on input from teachers and parents. Each parent was therefore provided with 12 stickers and asked to select from a list of 24 character attributes. Some of these included: respect, initiative, responsibility, honesty, inclusiveness, resilience, optimism, self-discipline, self-respect, empathy, sympathy, courage and optimism. Ten character attributes will be selected by the Board.
7. Date for next pizza day – January 25, 2008 (notice to go out on January 14, 2008).
8. Date for next meeting – January 17, 2008.
Mission
At Briar Hill we provide an inclusive, nurturing learning environment where students will strive to succeed to the best of their ability. We provide an enriching, well balanced academic program with a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy. We actively promote and practise healthy lifestyle choices to enable our students to achieve positive physical and emotional well being. We value a respectful and equitable partnership with our diverse community. Together we endeavour to build a strong foundation for our student’s life long learning.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Thank you, Julie!
On behalf of Briar Hill Junior School's students, staff and parents, I would like to thank Julie McFayden for her contributions to the development of this blog site. She has done a fantastic job and we all appreciate her time and commitment to getting the blog up and running. Remember to check the blog on a regular basis to see the latest updates on what is happening
Friday, November 23, 2007
Council Minutes -11/11/07
Briar Hill Junior School
Council Meeting – November 11, 2007
Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Daniel and Sue Hill
Trina Byrne
Amanda Abad
Karen Yellan – Chair
Carol Lunansky
Julie McFayden - Secretary
Welcome.
Minutes of the previous meeting – An amendment was made to the minutes of the previous meeting. The next pizza lunch is on November 23rd not 30th.
Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer was absent and therefore no report was provided.
Principal’s Report:
Missions Statement and School Improvement – Briar Hill teachers came up with a mission statement for the school which incorporates the following principles: A safe and caring environment that is consistent with the mission of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB); a challenging academic program that encourages students to perform; model active living.
· Gym Ceiling – The repairs are currently being priced by Design and Construction. Mary indicated the repairs could take as long as 3 months to complete. She suggested that parents could speak with the Superintendent about speeding up the process if they wanted to help. Julie McFayden volunteered to make the call.
· Playground update – Mary advised that the playground would be priced by November 19th therefore we can add this item to December’s agenda.
· Halloween update – Mary reported that one of the special needs children pulled the fire alarm during the dance. The fire department was quickly advised of the false alarm however the same student also made off with the keys for the school resulting in a bit of a situation. They were eventually found.
· Teacher update – A teacher has been identified to replace Mrs. Traculia. Menitia Patel is enthusiastic and energetic. Her approach to literacy is on par with Briar Hill’s and she is very strong in classroom management. Mary is very pleased and believes she will fit into the Briar Hill culture very nicely. On another note, Eva gave birth to a baby boy, 6 lbs 7 ounces.
· Mary’s Dog Murphy – Mary brought in her dog for a day. The dog spent time with the special needs class. The visit went very well.
· QSP – Mary received a message asking when Briar Hill would like to participate in another magazine campaign fundraiser. Parents indicated that the timing was not right at the moment. There are too many other things going on, namely the coupon book campaign.
Chairperson’s Report:
· Reading Recovery – Trina reported that there are currently 4 students in the program (3 – Grade 1, 1 - Grade 2,). The Grade 2 will be discontinued next week and the selection process will start again. Four to 6 students will be picked.
· Toronto Schools on the Move (TSM) – 4 students were selected for playground leader workshops. The students learned different playground activities to lead other students during recess. A schedule will be set up where each student will pick 1 activity to do over a 2 week period. Other Grade 4 & 5 students will be trained to take over as the program is rolled out.
· Pep Rally – The launch of TSM is scheduled for November 16th at 1 p.m. Cheerleaders will perform outside on mats. It will also be blue and yellow spirit day. The banner will be unveiled and there will be a number of prizes and draws as well as goodie bags which include health pamphlets.
Fundraising – Parents vocalized their disappointment with how the coupon book fundraiser was positioned. They had not agreed to apply the money raised to the basketball nets as the letter to parents stated. While they initially agreed to indoor basketball nets, when the Board price came in at almost 3 x the initial amount quoted parents were outraged. Mary apologized for the misunderstanding and advised that she would send out a note to parents to clear things up. She also explained that the permission note had to be sent out to parents based on the Board’s liability requirements. Parents felt that if that is the case, the Board needs to be consistent with all fundraising efforts as QSP requires no such permission note.
Date for next pizza day – December 14, 2007
Dance-a-thon – scheduled for February 14, 2007
Other Business:
· Julie advised that the blog site is active and has current info on it. The address is briarhilljps.blogspot.com. She asked Mary to ensure that all parents are advised of the address and encouraged to log on to check for current info. The site will be a way to engage parents in what’s happening at the school in the event they cannot make it out to council meetings.
· Fridge – Karen was not able to source a new fridge for under $750. Parents were in agreement that she should go ahead and purchase it.
Date for next meeting – December 6, 2007.
Council Meeting – November 11, 2007
Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Daniel and Sue Hill
Trina Byrne
Amanda Abad
Karen Yellan – Chair
Carol Lunansky
Julie McFayden - Secretary
Welcome.
Minutes of the previous meeting – An amendment was made to the minutes of the previous meeting. The next pizza lunch is on November 23rd not 30th.
Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer was absent and therefore no report was provided.
Principal’s Report:
Missions Statement and School Improvement – Briar Hill teachers came up with a mission statement for the school which incorporates the following principles: A safe and caring environment that is consistent with the mission of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB); a challenging academic program that encourages students to perform; model active living.
· Gym Ceiling – The repairs are currently being priced by Design and Construction. Mary indicated the repairs could take as long as 3 months to complete. She suggested that parents could speak with the Superintendent about speeding up the process if they wanted to help. Julie McFayden volunteered to make the call.
· Playground update – Mary advised that the playground would be priced by November 19th therefore we can add this item to December’s agenda.
· Halloween update – Mary reported that one of the special needs children pulled the fire alarm during the dance. The fire department was quickly advised of the false alarm however the same student also made off with the keys for the school resulting in a bit of a situation. They were eventually found.
· Teacher update – A teacher has been identified to replace Mrs. Traculia. Menitia Patel is enthusiastic and energetic. Her approach to literacy is on par with Briar Hill’s and she is very strong in classroom management. Mary is very pleased and believes she will fit into the Briar Hill culture very nicely. On another note, Eva gave birth to a baby boy, 6 lbs 7 ounces.
· Mary’s Dog Murphy – Mary brought in her dog for a day. The dog spent time with the special needs class. The visit went very well.
· QSP – Mary received a message asking when Briar Hill would like to participate in another magazine campaign fundraiser. Parents indicated that the timing was not right at the moment. There are too many other things going on, namely the coupon book campaign.
Chairperson’s Report:
· Reading Recovery – Trina reported that there are currently 4 students in the program (3 – Grade 1, 1 - Grade 2,). The Grade 2 will be discontinued next week and the selection process will start again. Four to 6 students will be picked.
· Toronto Schools on the Move (TSM) – 4 students were selected for playground leader workshops. The students learned different playground activities to lead other students during recess. A schedule will be set up where each student will pick 1 activity to do over a 2 week period. Other Grade 4 & 5 students will be trained to take over as the program is rolled out.
· Pep Rally – The launch of TSM is scheduled for November 16th at 1 p.m. Cheerleaders will perform outside on mats. It will also be blue and yellow spirit day. The banner will be unveiled and there will be a number of prizes and draws as well as goodie bags which include health pamphlets.
Fundraising – Parents vocalized their disappointment with how the coupon book fundraiser was positioned. They had not agreed to apply the money raised to the basketball nets as the letter to parents stated. While they initially agreed to indoor basketball nets, when the Board price came in at almost 3 x the initial amount quoted parents were outraged. Mary apologized for the misunderstanding and advised that she would send out a note to parents to clear things up. She also explained that the permission note had to be sent out to parents based on the Board’s liability requirements. Parents felt that if that is the case, the Board needs to be consistent with all fundraising efforts as QSP requires no such permission note.
Date for next pizza day – December 14, 2007
Dance-a-thon – scheduled for February 14, 2007
Other Business:
· Julie advised that the blog site is active and has current info on it. The address is briarhilljps.blogspot.com. She asked Mary to ensure that all parents are advised of the address and encouraged to log on to check for current info. The site will be a way to engage parents in what’s happening at the school in the event they cannot make it out to council meetings.
· Fridge – Karen was not able to source a new fridge for under $750. Parents were in agreement that she should go ahead and purchase it.
Date for next meeting – December 6, 2007.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Council Minutes -11/10/07
Council Minutes– October 11, 2007
Present: Mary Whittaker – Principal
Daniel and Sue Hill
Karen Yellan – Chair
Melissa Francis
Julie McFayden - Secretary
Carol Lunansky
Paul Dover – Treasurer
Welcome.
Minutes of the previous meeting – One amendment was made to the minutes re: school reorganization – Grade 3 has 20 students.
Treasurer’s Report – Carol reported that September’s opening balance was $5,736.94. The following are expenses to date: $39.90 juices, $50 babysitting, and $153.33 pizza leaving a new balance of $5,493.71. Paul is officially taking over as treasurer.
Principal’s Report:
· Basketball Hoops – Mary reported that the Board of Education’s approved supplier advised that nets must be 4 feet away from the walls according to safety regulations. Our outside net is not regulation however it will be allowed to remain because of how old it is. She was also told that the gym ceiling is too low and therefore indoor nets are not recommended. The cost for 2 freestanding nets (for outdoor use) is $3,750 and line painting is $1,300 for a total of $5,050.
Schools on the move will give $400 for line painting however would not provide baskets. Parents discussed alternatives however it seems this initiative will need to be shelved as it is simply too expensive.
· Gym Ceiling – The tiles in the gym ceiling are falling off therefore the gym will need to close for 3 weeks to facilitate repairs. Mary is doing her best to have the work done as soon as possible. All loose tiles have been removed however while she is waiting for repairs to commence Ms. Byrne will be getting students to do safety posters.
· Health Action Committee; Toronto Schools on the Move; Pep Rally – The teachers leading this initiative will be organizing a pep rally with cheerleaders from York Memorial Secondary School to launch the program. The timing will be beginning to mid November.
· Teacher update – Mary has not identified Mrs.Traculia’s maternity leave replacement yet. She made recommendations to the Board however is waiting to hear back from them.
· Intramural Soccer – Grade 5’s are playing right now and are being trained to coach the Grade 4’s. The Grade 4’s will then play and train to coach the Grade 3’s; etc.
Fundraising – Entertainment Books – The entertainment book idea was discussed. The book sells for $20 and the school gets 50% of the proceeds. Parents browsed through the book and agreed that there was tremendous value in it. Each child would receive 1 sample book and the company would provide a team to help manage. There are no charges for damaged books and unsold books could simply be returned.
The Dance-a-thon and Grade 5 fundraisers were also discussed to determine the best timing so as not to overburden parents. Dates will be set for these once we know what the Grade 5’s plan to do.
Pizza Lunch – November 30th was the date set for the next pizza lunch. Paul volunteered his wife Yvonne to assist.
Other Business – The Holiday Concert will take place on December 13, 2007. The suggestion was made not using the floor in front of the stage for performances as too often, parents stand up and block those who are seated so they can take pictures of their own children. Mary will explore this option. Many parents also end up having to stand outside the door because of space limitations. Another suggestion was also made to limit the number of family members who could attend however this idea may not be feasible.
Next Meeting – November 8, 2007.
Present: Mary Whittaker – Principal
Daniel and Sue Hill
Karen Yellan – Chair
Melissa Francis
Julie McFayden - Secretary
Carol Lunansky
Paul Dover – Treasurer
Welcome.
Minutes of the previous meeting – One amendment was made to the minutes re: school reorganization – Grade 3 has 20 students.
Treasurer’s Report – Carol reported that September’s opening balance was $5,736.94. The following are expenses to date: $39.90 juices, $50 babysitting, and $153.33 pizza leaving a new balance of $5,493.71. Paul is officially taking over as treasurer.
Principal’s Report:
· Basketball Hoops – Mary reported that the Board of Education’s approved supplier advised that nets must be 4 feet away from the walls according to safety regulations. Our outside net is not regulation however it will be allowed to remain because of how old it is. She was also told that the gym ceiling is too low and therefore indoor nets are not recommended. The cost for 2 freestanding nets (for outdoor use) is $3,750 and line painting is $1,300 for a total of $5,050.
Schools on the move will give $400 for line painting however would not provide baskets. Parents discussed alternatives however it seems this initiative will need to be shelved as it is simply too expensive.
· Gym Ceiling – The tiles in the gym ceiling are falling off therefore the gym will need to close for 3 weeks to facilitate repairs. Mary is doing her best to have the work done as soon as possible. All loose tiles have been removed however while she is waiting for repairs to commence Ms. Byrne will be getting students to do safety posters.
· Health Action Committee; Toronto Schools on the Move; Pep Rally – The teachers leading this initiative will be organizing a pep rally with cheerleaders from York Memorial Secondary School to launch the program. The timing will be beginning to mid November.
· Teacher update – Mary has not identified Mrs.Traculia’s maternity leave replacement yet. She made recommendations to the Board however is waiting to hear back from them.
· Intramural Soccer – Grade 5’s are playing right now and are being trained to coach the Grade 4’s. The Grade 4’s will then play and train to coach the Grade 3’s; etc.
Fundraising – Entertainment Books – The entertainment book idea was discussed. The book sells for $20 and the school gets 50% of the proceeds. Parents browsed through the book and agreed that there was tremendous value in it. Each child would receive 1 sample book and the company would provide a team to help manage. There are no charges for damaged books and unsold books could simply be returned.
The Dance-a-thon and Grade 5 fundraisers were also discussed to determine the best timing so as not to overburden parents. Dates will be set for these once we know what the Grade 5’s plan to do.
Pizza Lunch – November 30th was the date set for the next pizza lunch. Paul volunteered his wife Yvonne to assist.
Other Business – The Holiday Concert will take place on December 13, 2007. The suggestion was made not using the floor in front of the stage for performances as too often, parents stand up and block those who are seated so they can take pictures of their own children. Mary will explore this option. Many parents also end up having to stand outside the door because of space limitations. Another suggestion was also made to limit the number of family members who could attend however this idea may not be feasible.
Next Meeting – November 8, 2007.
Council Minutes - 25/9/07
Council Meeting Minutes – September 25, 2007
Present: Mary Whittaker – Principal
Karen Yellan Said Bensaid
Carol Lunansky
Alexsander Cvetkovic
Julie McFayden
Mario Penetra
Maria Machado
Jerry Dogino
Ann Thompson
Paul Dover
Beverley Elcoch J
ohn Osbourne
Fely Escano
Kuwassi Huthcinson
Welcome and Introductions.
Minutes of the previous meeting – The previous meeting was a wrap-up of the Fun Fair. There were no minutes.
Treasurer’s Report – Carol Lunansky as follows: Current balance $5,736.94. $5,000 of this was allocated for the new playground however since the Ministry has not provided new pricing and it is unclear how long it will take, parents agreed the funds should be put to good use as needed.
Principal’s Report:
· Organization of the School – Mary reported on class sizes as follows:
- JK/SK – 22 a.m. / 20 p.m.
- Grade 1/2 - heavy with Grade 1’s
- Grade 2/3 – 23
- Grade 4 – 26
- Grade 5 – 31
One child was moved from the split Grade 2/3 class to the Grade 3 class. There is a diagnostic class for students who have trouble learning.
· New Superintendent – Our new superintendent is Jeff Hainbuch. Parents can contact him at any time to discuss concerns. Mary will make his number available.
· The Board is focusing this year on Safe and Caring Schools. Every Wednesday class will stop to do a lesson on planned topics like ‘respect’. The hope is to develop a more sympathetic school.
· Gym Inspection – Ms. Byrne arranged for an inspection for the possible installation of basketball nets. The gym is equipped to have four nets installed (2 courts). If the parent council approves the purchase of nets (& installation), she will run a basketball league. The cost for inside nets is $1,600; total cost for inside and outside nets is $2,300. The parent council approved the purchase of inside nets pending the cost of installation.
· Toronto Schools on the Move – Ms. Byrne applied for this program for Briar Hill and was accepted. The program provides banners, T-shirts, mentoring/networking opportunities, a box of age appropriate equipment and line painting, and other items.
· Fun Fitness Ambassadors – These are student leaders who were required to write essays in order to be selected as Fitness Ambassadors.
· Turn Around Project – Mary advised that these are capacity building workshops that teachers attend in order to learn new strategies. Briar Hill teachers take part in these.
· EQAO Scores – Briar Hill scores went up significantly. Although 19 students wrote the test, Briar Hill was scored based on 29. 10 students could not write due to their being developmentally disabled or having English as their second language. Published scores will therefore not reflect the actual improvements. Score comparisons are as follows:
Actual Score/ Board Score
78.2% Reading/ 62% Reading
84.2% Writing/ 55% Writing
73.9% Math/ 59% Math
Mary was pleased with the scores and credits her teachers for the new teaching strategies.
· Fire Drill, Lockdown – Briar Hill had 1 internal lockdown and 1 fire drill. Schools are required to have 6 fire drills and 2 Lockdowns per year. An internal lockdown means that the threat is inside the school. Mary also advised that a work order was in place to have locks put on the gym doors. As it stands, these doors cannot be locked.
· Terry Fox Walk – The Terry fox walk will be on September 27.
· P.A. Day – September 28th is a P.A. Day. Teachers will be spending the day on literacy.
· Earth Rangers presentation – October 2 – Briar Hill won the Bronze Award for being an eco-friendly school. Teachers are looking at encouraging litter less lunches.
· World Record Walk Day – October 3 – All students are encouraged to walk to school.
· Curriculum Night, Family BBQ, Literacy Night – This will be held on October 4.
· Kindness Program – A dog named Chloë will be brought in and taken to each classroom. The dog is used to introduce children to different topics to teach them about empathy, the environment and other useful lessons.
· Lorraine Kimsa – “Raven Stole the Sun” – Grades 1 to 5 will visit the theatre to see this production that has an Aboriginal view of the earth.
Elections – Karen Yellan will serve as President as no other parents volunteered for this position. This will be Karen’s last year at Briar Hill. Paul Dover is considering serving as Treasurer. Julie McFayden agreed to continue serving as Secretary.
Playground Update – Mary reported that the Architect had to send back the plans to the Ministry three times before it had finally been approved. We are now waiting for the project to be priced.
School Council – money to spend – Karen advised parents that the school needs a new fridge. Parents all agreed that a new fridge should be purchased as opposed to seeking a donation. Slightly used or floor model fridges will be looked into. Funds would also go towards inside basketball baskets (see Principal’s report above).
Fundraising - The following ideas were suggested: - bingo night, family movie night, soccer/baseball game, QSP, Coupon books, Classified page in monthly newsletter
Pizza Lunch – Date set for October 12. Fely Escano volunteered to help on that day.
Uniforms – Mary discussed the possibility of uniforms for the school. The uniform dress code would be optional. She brought two polo shirt samples in different fabrics both in royal blue and indicated that gold could be added to the sleeve and collar to reflect the Briar Hill Colour. She had no pricing to offer at this time. There was some discussion around the feasibility of implementing uniforms. It was decided that another survey needed to go out to parents advising them of the actual cost of this initiative. The school would require 80 % parent approval in order to implement.
Other – Three issues were raised and discussed as follows:
· Door left open during special needs class unsafe – Mary advised that she had discussed the problem with her teachers and will address this concern by unlocking the gates for the grassy area in front of the school. When the special needs class is ready to go back inside they will alert the office by walkie-talkie and will use enter the front door via the grassy area.
· Teacher releasing students late from class – Mary indicated she had not had any other complaints however said she would speak to the offending teacher.
· Email addresses for parents – it was suggested that a note should go out to parents asking them for their email addresses. This could potentially eliminate the amount of paper being sent home to parents. Additionally parents can become more engaged in school activities by remaining up-to-date on meeting minutes, school events and fundraisers.
Present: Mary Whittaker – Principal
Karen Yellan Said Bensaid
Carol Lunansky
Alexsander Cvetkovic
Julie McFayden
Mario Penetra
Maria Machado
Jerry Dogino
Ann Thompson
Paul Dover
Beverley Elcoch J
ohn Osbourne
Fely Escano
Kuwassi Huthcinson
Welcome and Introductions.
Minutes of the previous meeting – The previous meeting was a wrap-up of the Fun Fair. There were no minutes.
Treasurer’s Report – Carol Lunansky as follows: Current balance $5,736.94. $5,000 of this was allocated for the new playground however since the Ministry has not provided new pricing and it is unclear how long it will take, parents agreed the funds should be put to good use as needed.
Principal’s Report:
· Organization of the School – Mary reported on class sizes as follows:
- JK/SK – 22 a.m. / 20 p.m.
- Grade 1/2 - heavy with Grade 1’s
- Grade 2/3 – 23
- Grade 4 – 26
- Grade 5 – 31
One child was moved from the split Grade 2/3 class to the Grade 3 class. There is a diagnostic class for students who have trouble learning.
· New Superintendent – Our new superintendent is Jeff Hainbuch. Parents can contact him at any time to discuss concerns. Mary will make his number available.
· The Board is focusing this year on Safe and Caring Schools. Every Wednesday class will stop to do a lesson on planned topics like ‘respect’. The hope is to develop a more sympathetic school.
· Gym Inspection – Ms. Byrne arranged for an inspection for the possible installation of basketball nets. The gym is equipped to have four nets installed (2 courts). If the parent council approves the purchase of nets (& installation), she will run a basketball league. The cost for inside nets is $1,600; total cost for inside and outside nets is $2,300. The parent council approved the purchase of inside nets pending the cost of installation.
· Toronto Schools on the Move – Ms. Byrne applied for this program for Briar Hill and was accepted. The program provides banners, T-shirts, mentoring/networking opportunities, a box of age appropriate equipment and line painting, and other items.
· Fun Fitness Ambassadors – These are student leaders who were required to write essays in order to be selected as Fitness Ambassadors.
· Turn Around Project – Mary advised that these are capacity building workshops that teachers attend in order to learn new strategies. Briar Hill teachers take part in these.
· EQAO Scores – Briar Hill scores went up significantly. Although 19 students wrote the test, Briar Hill was scored based on 29. 10 students could not write due to their being developmentally disabled or having English as their second language. Published scores will therefore not reflect the actual improvements. Score comparisons are as follows:
Actual Score/ Board Score
78.2% Reading/ 62% Reading
84.2% Writing/ 55% Writing
73.9% Math/ 59% Math
Mary was pleased with the scores and credits her teachers for the new teaching strategies.
· Fire Drill, Lockdown – Briar Hill had 1 internal lockdown and 1 fire drill. Schools are required to have 6 fire drills and 2 Lockdowns per year. An internal lockdown means that the threat is inside the school. Mary also advised that a work order was in place to have locks put on the gym doors. As it stands, these doors cannot be locked.
· Terry Fox Walk – The Terry fox walk will be on September 27.
· P.A. Day – September 28th is a P.A. Day. Teachers will be spending the day on literacy.
· Earth Rangers presentation – October 2 – Briar Hill won the Bronze Award for being an eco-friendly school. Teachers are looking at encouraging litter less lunches.
· World Record Walk Day – October 3 – All students are encouraged to walk to school.
· Curriculum Night, Family BBQ, Literacy Night – This will be held on October 4.
· Kindness Program – A dog named Chloë will be brought in and taken to each classroom. The dog is used to introduce children to different topics to teach them about empathy, the environment and other useful lessons.
· Lorraine Kimsa – “Raven Stole the Sun” – Grades 1 to 5 will visit the theatre to see this production that has an Aboriginal view of the earth.
Elections – Karen Yellan will serve as President as no other parents volunteered for this position. This will be Karen’s last year at Briar Hill. Paul Dover is considering serving as Treasurer. Julie McFayden agreed to continue serving as Secretary.
Playground Update – Mary reported that the Architect had to send back the plans to the Ministry three times before it had finally been approved. We are now waiting for the project to be priced.
School Council – money to spend – Karen advised parents that the school needs a new fridge. Parents all agreed that a new fridge should be purchased as opposed to seeking a donation. Slightly used or floor model fridges will be looked into. Funds would also go towards inside basketball baskets (see Principal’s report above).
Fundraising - The following ideas were suggested: - bingo night, family movie night, soccer/baseball game, QSP, Coupon books, Classified page in monthly newsletter
Pizza Lunch – Date set for October 12. Fely Escano volunteered to help on that day.
Uniforms – Mary discussed the possibility of uniforms for the school. The uniform dress code would be optional. She brought two polo shirt samples in different fabrics both in royal blue and indicated that gold could be added to the sleeve and collar to reflect the Briar Hill Colour. She had no pricing to offer at this time. There was some discussion around the feasibility of implementing uniforms. It was decided that another survey needed to go out to parents advising them of the actual cost of this initiative. The school would require 80 % parent approval in order to implement.
Other – Three issues were raised and discussed as follows:
· Door left open during special needs class unsafe – Mary advised that she had discussed the problem with her teachers and will address this concern by unlocking the gates for the grassy area in front of the school. When the special needs class is ready to go back inside they will alert the office by walkie-talkie and will use enter the front door via the grassy area.
· Teacher releasing students late from class – Mary indicated she had not had any other complaints however said she would speak to the offending teacher.
· Email addresses for parents – it was suggested that a note should go out to parents asking them for their email addresses. This could potentially eliminate the amount of paper being sent home to parents. Additionally parents can become more engaged in school activities by remaining up-to-date on meeting minutes, school events and fundraisers.
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