Multicultural Dinner

If you came out to the Multicultural Dinner on April 24th, I'm sure you weren't disappointed. A special thanks go to all the parents who shared their cultural dishes with everyone. Most will agree that the food was delicious. Thanks also to the teachers and students who contributed to the success of the event. It was nice to see MPP Joe Volpe in attendance for the second time in April. He also came out to support the Brushamania program.

Council Minutes- 10/04/08

Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Carol Lunansky
Manisha Patel
Paul Dover - Treasurer
Karen Yellan – Chair
Julie McFayden - Secretary
Sue Hill

1. Welcome

2. Minutes of the previous meeting – A spelling correction was made to Mrs. Segal’s name.

3. Treasurer’s Report – Paul reported an opening balance of $6,906. A new fridge was purchased for $600.20 and a deposit was made for $358.40 from the last pizza lunch. The new balance is $6,929.75.

There was a discrepancy between the balance reported at the last meeting and the current balance. The amount reported last time was $7,209. Paul also referenced a deposit which he was unclear about. The discrepancy will be resolved by the next meeting.

Paul reported on the accounting seminar he attended for the Board of Education. He advised of the Board’s request for year-end parent advisory budgets to be supplied in Quicken. Karen outlined the challenge in doing so – we would need to purchase a new license each year - and indicated that they have accepted our budgets in Excel in previous years. Mary will follow up with the Board contact to see how we should proceed.

4. Principal’s Report:
• Brush-a-mania – Dr. Dick Ito will be visiting the school this month to deliver a 15 minute presentation to all students. Every child will receive a toothbrush and a diary where they will be required to keep track of their brushing habits for the chance to win prizes. Joe Volpe plans to stop by in support of the program.
• Playground meeting – A meeting is scheduled for April 16th to discuss the start-up of the playground project. Mary invited parents to attend. The meeting would take place outside in the playground.
• Engineering Week Award – Two Grade 4 students won second place in the Engineering Week competition. The students were asked to design an eco-friendly transportation alternative.
• Walkway – Mary outlined the need for a walkway between the two gates at the front of the school. Increased foot traffic is wearing the grass down. One parent suggested she approach the playground crew about putting something in place. She will do so and report back.
• Sign – Mary got estimates from two companies. The estimate she preferred quoted the sign at $4,753. We would need to add $1,000 - $1,200 on top of this as the cost for the School Board to dig, pour cement and post holes for the sign. No decision was made on how/if we would be proceeding.
• Jump Rope for Heart – This is currently going on now.
• Parking Letter - A concerned parent wrote to Mary about the no stopping signs that the City plans to install as a result of the parking problem in front of the school. While the signs will make the conditions safer for children, parents will be further inconvenienced. He suggested convening a meeting with parents and community members in order to work out a viable solution. He also offered assistance in recruiting parent volunteers to act as crossing guards. Mary will follow up on what would be required for parents to volunteer. She will also draft a letter to hand deliver to specific parents who may be able to assist.
• Lockdown – A lockdown is scheduled for April 15th.
• Community Clean-up – This event is scheduled for April 18th. Students who do not have permission to leave the school premises will clean-up the school yard while other students will clean up the park by Dufferin/Castlefield.
• Multi-Cultural Dinner – This event is scheduled for April 24th.
• STOPP and ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) Training – Scheduled for April 29th.

5. Fun Fair – Updates are as follows: Chubby’s said no, Beaumanville Zoo is providing passes, mystery bag flyers went out today, and we need shoe boxes for ticket collection, Canadian Tire money is coming in. A short list was also made of other organizations we can approach. These included, Home Depot, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Sobey’s, Future Shop and Tim Horton’s.

6. Fundraising QSP – Parents agreed that we are not prepared to undertake this right now. We will commit to doing it in the fall if our contact agrees to complete all the paperwork for us. We will need her commitment in writing if so.

7. Pizza Lunch – The next lunch is scheduled for May 2nd.

8. Ms. Patel – Hot Dog Days – Manisha went over her plans and all agreed that hot dog lunches would be spread over the week of May 12th to accommodate all grades with ease. Rice Krispie squares will also be available. This is a fundraising opportunity to raise funds for the Grade 4 class field trip.

9. Next Meeting – May 8th.

ATTENTION TDSB Parents

Do you think that parents should be involved in the Principal/Vice-Principal selection process? TDSB's Parent Involvement Advisory Committee wants to hear from you! Click here to view flyer for workshop dates and locations.

Council Minutes - 18/03/08

Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Carol Lunansky
Trina Byrne
Bernadette Ryan-Phillips
Karen Yellan – Chair
Julie McFayden - Secretary

1.Welcome

2.Minutes of the previous meeting – A correction was made to the minutes. The first item on the Principal’s report was changed from ‘Let’s Dance Workshop’ to ‘Dance-a-thon’. ‘Wake-Up Wednesday’s’ was amended to read - Karen was concerned, as apparently the Grade 5’s were not doing any DPA.

3.Treasurer’s Report – Karen gave the treasurer’s report in his absence. The current bank balance is $7,209. $369 was collected for the pizza lunch. Expenses totalled $176.

4.Principal’s Report:
• Report Cards – Teachers are currently working on report cards. They will go home on April 1st.
• Gym – The repairs are almost completed. It will be ready by next week. Mary also reported that the gym needed new lighting, which Fred Doyle agreed to provide from his budget. The lighting costs were $3,000. The gym curtains are old therefore she will be checking out the cost to clean as well as replace them.

5.Chair’s Report:• 2 Fruit Tuesdays – Trina reported that the school will be participating in two initiatives this year as part of the Healthy and Active Schools program.
•Reading Recovery – The school Board is paying for Trina to attend the National Conference. Mary added that she will also be attending the Toronto School Administrators Association’s conference on April 21-23.

6.Principal’s Profile – Parents in attendance discussed and completed the Principal’s profile that Mary is required to submit at the end of March.

7.Fun Fair – Karen confirmed the cotton candy machine and the Mad Science presentation.

8.Bake Sale – Flyers will be going home this week advising parents.

9.Other Business – Mary went through the projected enrollment for next year. Class grades are as follows:
• 1 – Grade 1
• 1 – Grade 1/2
• 1 – Grade 2/3
• 1 – Grade 4
• 1 – Grade 5
• 2 – Special needs
• 3 – Kindergarten
Mary also advised that the following teachers would be coming back from leave; Mrs. Segal, Sonia Brankovic (January); and Eva (Nov or Jan).

10.Other Business – One parent made a complaint about a supply teacher (Mr. Walsh). He was not acknowledging students who put their hands up in class. Mary advised that she will speak with him.

11.Next Meeting – April 10, 2008.

FREE Immunization Clinics for Toronto Children

Toronto Public Health will be holding free immunization (vaccination) clinics for children/youth at various locations and times throughout the month of April. You do not need a health card. Please click here for more information.

Council Minutes - 21/02/08

Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Eric Yerlen
Karen Yellan – Chair
Carol Lunansky
Paul Dover – Treasurer
Manisha Patel – Long-term occasional teacher (Grade 4)

1. Welcome

2. Minutes of the previous meeting – the minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

3. Treasurer’s Report – Paul reported that net profit to date from the January pizza lunch was $195.59, giving us a current bank balance of $7,016.62.

4. Principal’s Report:
• Dance-a-thon– this was a great success raising a little over $700 for the cause. Congratulations everyone! Karen showed us an envelope specifically made for donations right on the envelope; a copy was taken, and we’ll research where we can get them.
• Wake-Up Wednesdays – many activities took place in the hallways. Karen was concerned, as apparently the Grade 5’s were not doing any DPA. Mary will have this corrected.
• Police Presentations – a police constable will visit the school next Tuesday & Wednesday, to give a talk on class-appropriate issues (traffic safety, etc.).

Parking Problem – Howard Moscoe’s visit – Howard Moscoe met with Briar Hill School on Jan. 22 to discuss the problems re parking, student drop-offs, etc. in front of the school. In attendance was Howard Moscoe , Jack Sinopoli (Supervisor, Traffic Operations), Bob Cott, and Howard Goodman (trustee) from the City, and Trina Byrne, Tony Minchella, Mr. Pagano (parent) and Mary Whittaker. A number of possible solutions were brought forward and discussed during the meeting; the proposed solution - making the area on both sides of the street in front of the school a No Stopping zone, patrolled on a daily basis by police (or Parking Authority); a very small 15 minute parking area to the west of the bus loading zone; moving the present sidewalk north and create a boulevard between the sidewalk and the road. (During the winter, the boulevard would be used to collect snow ploughed from the road.) This would also involve moving the current fence surrounding school property from city land to school land.

Howard Goodman suggested identifying parents who are contributing to the parking problems in order to have individual conversations with them. He also suggested identifying those parents who had expressed concern for student safety due to parking to enlist their support.

• Kindergarten Registration – occurs next week, potential students must be 4 years old.
• School Daycare – daycare for Briar Hill School has not been successful, as we were not able to come up with personnel or programs that were up to our standards.
• ABA Training – for autistic children; there was a session last month, ensuring that all involved are interacting the same with the children. The second session is scheduled for March 26 – we have 12 signed up so far.
• STOPP (Students Triumph Over Peer Pressure) – this is a group of mostly African-Canadian children, who do performances & workshops throughout the country. This shows our cultural diversity, and addresses major issues (resist peer pressure, stop the violence, etc.). Mary proposed to have them perform at the school (cost = $500); as well, in conjunction with STOPP, there is an afternoon with the First Nation dancers and drummers from Kitkatla, who also do an exciting show (cost for both = $800). After some discussion, it was agreed to have both performing groups put on their shows for the school.
• School Organization 2008/2009 – Mary handed out the projected enrolment for 2008/2009, asking that we put together a class structure, based on the numbers given.

5. Fun Fair – Sue has contacted all her suppliers; most say call again in April. It was mentioned that Julie will call her contacts next week. Karen hopes to get some prizes, raffles at a discount (or free) this year, instead of simply buying prizes at full price. Mary will contact Karen’s boss to solicit ‘bargains’ on science booths, presentations, etc. for the fair.

6. Bake Sale – scheduled for March 28. Mary will make a Bake Sale schedule, and determine the layout for this year’s sale. The Grade 5’s will look after raffle sales.

7. Other – Manisha put forth a proposal for a field trip for the Grade 4’s; as they are currently studying castles, she thought a trip to Casa Loma would be appropriate. The entrance cost is $8 per student. A special program where the students are bused there and back would cost $145 ($25/student). To fund this, Manisha suggested a hot dog sale; she has a fairly large grill, and volunteers could cook and administer the whole thing. This would be open to the entire school. After some discussion, it was agreed, as these sales are always successful at Briar Hill. Manisha wants her students to learn responsibility, run this fundraiser themselves, for their field trip – this will encourage participation, cohesiveness, etc.

8. Date for next meeting – Tuesday, March 18th, 2008.

Council Minutes - 17/01/08

Present:
Mary Whittaker – Principal
Sue Hill
Trina Byrne
Paul Dover - Treasurer
Karen Yellan – Chair
Carol Lunansky
Julie McFayden - Secretary
Bernadette Ryan-Phillips
Kuwassi Hutchinson

1. Welcome

2. Minutes of the previous meeting – The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

3. Treasurer’s Report – Paul reported that the new balance in the account is $7,039.54. Net profit from the entertainment book fundraiser was $847.50 and pizza lunch was $123.42.

4. Principal’s Report:
• Gym Ceiling – The repairs have not been done yet. The ceiling was looked at over the holidays and the job was re-costed. The materials are being ordered. Mary reported that work would start before March break to be completed by the time students returned.
• Parking Problem – meeting with Howard Moscoe – Mary received an email from his office advising of his availability to meet on January 22nd at 10 a.m re the parking issue. Mary plans to discuss the possibility of a layby. She invited parents to attend to lend a voice to the discussion however the time of day made it inconvenient for most. It was also uncertain as to whether Howard planned to attend the meeting or if he was planning on sending a representative. Mary would be calling to clarify.
• Principal’s Profile – Mary is required to provide a Principal’s Profile to Jeff Heinbach’s office. She is asking parents at the meeting to identify the qualities they want to see in their principal. Mary provided a copy of the profile questions which they agreed to review and complete for discussion at the next meeting. The profile must be completed by the end of March.
• Falconer Report/Safety Procedures in place at Briar Hill – Mary felt it was important to mention that Jeff Heinbach and many other superintendents were never asked to speak to the panel as reported in the media. She highlighted the legal responsibilities of teachers and advised that Briar Hill has a code of behaviour in place. Julie will be posting this on the blog.
• Me to We (Building a school in a Third World Country) – Mary highlighted this character building initiative which would engage students in fundraising toward this worthy cause. Its purpose is to help teach students empathy. This is slated to start after March Break.

5. Chair’s Report:
• Reading Recovery – One more student has left the program successfully. Two other students came close however they did not meet the level 16 requirements. Trina is recommending another support system be put in place for those students (Early reading intervention program). Her goal is for all students to achieve level 16 by the end of Grade 1. She will be interviewing 2 more students to join the program.
• Let’s Dance Workshop – Grade 4 and 5 students will be participating in this program next Friday. Students will be introduced to hip hop and jazz in a 2 hour long session. The first hour will be dance instruction and the second hour will have kids perform their own dance routines.
• TSM (Toronto Schools on the Move) – Trina has not received any more info on this program however she is attending a workshop on January 24th.
• Health Matters Fair – The fair was cancelled due to the inability of organizers to confirm a pharmacist. They would not stage the fair without one.

6. Fun Fair – Sue has started calling her list of suppliers. Julie also has a list which she will start working on soon. This year we will be trying to get as much stuff as possible for free.

7. Bake Sale – March 28th

8. Dance-a-thon – February 14th (this is tentative as Mary is still waiting to hear from the DJ)

9. Date for next meeting – February 21, 2007.

Briar Hill Safety Plan & Procedures

Code of Behaviour:
•The Briar Hill Code of Behaviour is published in both our school agendas and handbook.

Briar Hill Golden Rule:
•The Briar Hill “Golden Rule” “At Briar Hill we keep our hands, feet and hurtful words to ourselves” is well known to most senior students and should be familiar to all junior students.

Dress Code:
•The Briar Hill Dress Code is also published in both our school agenda and handbook.

Character Education:
•Character Education is taught on a weekly basis at Briar Hill. The staff has developed a curriculum to guide the weekly lessons.
•The Future Aces Program and Philosophy is actively promoted and pracitised at Briar Hill. Students are rewarded with Future Aces Mini-Alerts after displaying Future Aces behaviour and they are recognized at our monthly assemblies.
•The Briar Hill School Song is also sung at our monthly assembly to help instill pride in being a student at our school. The lyrics in the song promote good character behaviour. The song is also published in the agenda and handbook.

Partnerships with Charitable and Community Organizations:
Partnerships include:
Terry Fox Foundation
UNICEF
Jump Rope For Heart
Food Banks
Senior’s Group Entertainment
Remembrance Day and The Memory Project
Student Volunteer Programs: Eco Club, Milk Program, Fun and Fitness Ambassadors, Special Education Helpers, Library Helpers, Peer Tutoring

Centrally Assigned School Support Staff:
•Constantly being utilized to give support to “At Risk” students

Agendas:
•Many staff members use the agendas to communicate with parents about concerning situations in the classroom or at school

Phone Calls and Parent/Teacher Conferences:
•Ongoing for “At Risk” students

School Support Team Meetings:
•Monthly meetings to discuss students experiencing academic or emotional concerns

Staff Meetings:
•Staff meetings are held at least once a month to disseminate up-to-date information from the Board of Education or others on health and safety matters.

Physical School Safety:
•School Doors are locked on a daily basis at 9:15 a.m. Doors are unlocked by a buzzer system and visitors to the school are viewed on a video monitor before entrance is granted. Communication is by an intercom system.
•A Health and Safety Committee of different staff members is in place and meets to discuss school safety issues.
•Fire Drills and School Lockdowns are practiced six times a year to help students become familiar with school safety routines.

Student’s Emotional Well-Being:
•Except in extreme situations, progressive discipline is used at Briar Hill. Infractions of our Code of Behaviour are consequenced progressively e.g. warning, lost recesses, call to parents, in-school suspension, etc. Out of school suspensions are used rarely and usually only when other measures of discipline have not been successful.
•The Briar Hill Community is very diversified. Equity for all students and staff is an expectation at our school. An Equity Committee is in place and receives on-going professional development throughout the school year.
•To promote positive self-esteem, Briar Hill seeks out opportunities to highlight such events as individual birthdays, exceptional behaviour, academic successes, etc.

Transitions:
•To ensure smooth transitions for students who are moving to other schools, both students and their parents are invited to attend an information session and take advantage of an arranged school visit to the new school (for Grade 5 students, if it is the middle school that is in our area). This is also encouraged for Special Education students and their parents who are moving on to a new academic setting.

At-Risk Students:
•Students who are identified as “at-risk” academically receive individual support in either our self-contained classes, Home School Program or receive Resource Support from our school Special Education Staff
•Centrally assigned support staff are also available to support the above students, students with special needs (e.g. hard of hearing, blind, intellectual disabilities, students experiencing emotional difficulties, concerned parents, etc.)

Parking Concerns Meeting with Howard Moscoe

Meeting Date: January 22, 2008

In Attendance:
Howard Moscoe
Jack Sinopoli
Bob Cott
Howard Goodman (trustee)
Trina Byrne
Tony Minchella
Mr. Pagano (parent)
Mary Whittaker

Discussion centred on student safety and the negative impact on this safety from cars parked on Briar Hill Ave. to either drop off or pick-up children.

Several possible solutions were discussed, including: a bus layby, cut-outs of children attached to parking pylons, assemblies to enlist students' help in discouraging parents, no stopping signs, signs directed to parents, snow-removal from roadway, Walk-a-Block program, moving the sidewalk, creating a boulevard, etc.

Some changes involved changing by-laws.

Proposed solution:
- make the area on both sides of the street in front of the school a "No Stopping" zone patrolled on a daily basis by police (or Parking Authority);
- make a very small 15 minute parking area to the west of the bus loading zone
- move the present sidewalk north and create a boulevard between the sidewalk and the road. (During the winter, the boulevard would be used to collect snow ploughed from the road.) This would also involve moving the current fence surrounding school property from city land to school land.

Howard Goodman suggested identifying parents who are contributing to the parking problems in order to have individual conversations with them. He also suggested identifying those parents who had expressed concern for student safety due to parking to enlist their support, (the school’s allies).

School Safety - Draft Final Report

The draft Final Report on school safety from the School Community Safety Advisory Panel was released on January 10, 2008.
Click on www.tdsb.on.ca/schoolsafety to view the full report.
There will be an opportunity for parents to discuss issues from the Report at your School Council meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for January 17, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.