Sir Winston Churchill School Council Meeting ~ Thursday, Nov. 14th, 2019
Attending:
Staff: Wanda Mills-Boone, Louise Cesario
Voting members: Margaret Sambol, Fiona Warren, Cara Baas, Jillian Ade-Sibbitt, Amanda Lancaster, Naomi Elias, Carolyn Berezowsky, Pam Woolridge, Harinder Baath, Katherine Percival, Olga Blais, Jason Hinek, Leila Chinaei, Kelly Manweiler, Mark Bylsma, Emily Murphy
Guests: Nancy Murphy, Duygu Morewood, Amy Mammen, Karen Roberts, Diana Tamova, Charlene Kakandonbasi
Regrets: Tim Dietrich, Jenn O'Reilly, Rebecca Johnston, Philip Mansfield, Wendy Mansfield, Cindy Chan
MINUTES:
Meeting Called to Order @ 5:35 p.m.
October minutes reviewed – Olga moves to approve; 2nded by Fiona: Motion Passed
Principal's Report (Wanda)
- − Big thanks to those that came to the school clean-up day :)
- − 100+ parents @ Remembrance Day ceremony and it all went very well
- − School photos went home this week; retakes on 20th Nov.; if you want retakes, send your proofs back with your child(ren) (email about this will be sent out soon)
- − working through changes & challenges in the office (administrator & assistant)
- − School Learning Plan (SLP) – board-wide focus on Gr.3 & 6 guided groups & diagnostics in Language & Math
- − Sir Win collaborating with U of O – early learning project re: children's adapting to Kinderarten (Kinder parents will receive permission forms to volunteer for this 4-year longitudinal study)
- − Staffing continues to evolve
- − Movie Night went very well (we were at capacity!)
Treasurer (Cara):
- − cost of pizza (we are making the same amount as we used to make – corrections now in spreadsheet)
- − see report for more details (we have about $13000 to spend this year)
- − $11 234 to spend today for the teachers
Other Issues:
- − Safe needs to be professionally unlocked (we don't have the combo but Margaret will check with previous chairs; otherwise, the safe needs to be replaced with a digital one with a code, and possibly a new, smaller safe) so we need to buy a new one; Cara can ask if there is an after-hours drop-off system at Scotiabank to help with deposits from high-earning events such as Movie Night – proposal to put aside a placeholder amount of $350 for this until at least the next council meeting, while we investigate this issue (i.e. may find a way to get it open.....)
- − Katherine: needs to pass a motion for budget for Junior Movie Night $500 + $300 float – 2nded by Amanda – motion passed
Chair's Report (Margaret):
- − Indigo Night Nov. 19th – need more participants & shoppers; go to FlipGive first to buy ecards to spend @ Indigo Night – advertised on the school Facebook page; tell your child(ren)'s teachers to promote it
- − Equator Coffee sales is on SchoolCashOnline
- − MacMillan cookie dough
Library initiative (Naomi): – Naomi put together a list of volunteers that will be in the library, trying to encourage more use of the library by classes (i.e. like a Learning Commons); Mr. Brandy is doing a really good job, especially getting all the new books into circulation!
Carolyn – pizza order for Term 2 is coming up and already on SchoolCashOnline – last day to order Dec. 5th
Spending Requests:
- − we have more requests than we have money to spend
- − goals we set out: 30% academics, 20% wellness, 20% arts, student support, classroom support (in the past we've done $75/classroom, but new proposal is $50; administrative – staff luncheon: put aside $150 as a placeholder for that)
- − Later-in-the-year spending requests – we could leave $1000 or so aside for that purpose
- − Elise Lanthier-Brun – Gr. 4 & 5 immersion teacher
- − asking for funding for 2 initiatives
- − 1) Black History Month performer – Bboys Dance Co. to come in for the end of January - whole-school presentation on Bboying (break-dancing) – paid extra for over a 300-person cap – includes a 2nd day for Junior students' 1-hr. workshops: $2135.70 total cost, made up of: popcorn sales from last year (provided the $800 deposit) + $550 from Juniors attending workshop; asking council for $500 + using $285.70 from this year's popcorn sales
- − 2) Funding request for Science resources (Gr. 4 and all students) – tactile resources - need more funds for more rocks & minerals kits to sort, talk about, use, etc. - hoping for $500 for these sets (but will take any amount)
- − Questions:
- − Will work-to-rule will affect the Bboy presentation & workshops?
- − How many sets will you buy? (as many as they can that are quality and will last a long time)
- − Do the sets come with resources? (some)
- − Val Cain:
- − asking for Wonder books $292 – there's a lack of fiction resources for Junior students with depth of character and literary merit
- − Mme. Perry request for class set of Dragon Master books in French for $450 ($508.50 after tax)
- − Cribbage Club is asking for $102 for sets for the game, etc.
- − Marian & Nicole – AUT A & B classes:
- − equipment for Sensory Room for AUTs & BIP and other learners needing to self-regulate
- − diverse sensory needs (tactile already there but would like some visuals, like an LED Projector); lighting (aura LED projector $506 taxes in. or prism light which is less expensive)
- − seating options as well – similar to durable library cushions $407.93 taxes in. or the FatBoy $214 taxes in.
- − expensive lights & seats $1000ish OR inexpensive combo $230 or $240...; expensive is generally more durable like the mounted projector that is out of reach and specialized for sensory integration & processing/neuro-atypical learners)
- − Grade 1 teachers:
- − Dawna Gates & Bianca De Boers mentioned Raconte-Moi kit (French sound learning) $318.50 ($359.91 taxes in.) before tax that would remain in the school – book and sound CD
- − Breanna & Mrs. D’Angelo: Tradanza is coming to teach dance to the children – works with all learners in the school for a week in the form of 3 French dance workshops with a performance @ the end (last day Fri. Dec. 20th) (multicultural dances around the world) – already booked for the last week of December (these 2 teachers will organize the event) $3641.83 – Karen Perry has offered to throw a bake sale to support, and they'll ask learner families to contribute, as well - asking $1000 from Council
- − Request to support Mathletes: $800 (which is about half of the cost) whole-day math experience for G. 3 - 6 (Carrie Johnson)
Wellness:
- − Swim program is now taken care of
- − Kinder yoga program budgetary needs, to continue the program this year, has been moved up from $1000 to $1600 to provide more experiences to really solidify the yoga habit with the learners; supports self-regulation in learners. Harinder is requesting an additional $1,000 to extend a yoga program beyond kindergarten to older students.
- − Request for more gym mats – rough estimate = $200/mat (need about 10-15 mats, or at least 4)
- − STEM support request (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics):
- − materials proposal Gr. 3-6, consumables and other small resources $631 taxes in.
Arts:
- − Drama Club requests $651.89 – for script rights, printing services, & costume materials
Fund to support students:
- − proposal to donate 1% to Education Foundation to improve equity between all the schools in the board
Request Total = $15,000
- − Margaret moves the motion to allocate $2000 to support students that can't afford to pay for field trips, pizza, milk, etc.– Kelly 2nded, motion passed with 14 votes
- − Margaret has requested to set up a direct donation option on SchoolCashOnline so parents who are not interested in participating in fundraising activities, can still contribute to council activities.
- − proposal to reduce mat $ amount to $1000
- − motion passed to group Black History Month ($500), Tradanza ($1000), & Mathletes ($800) proposals/money allocation together (total of $2300)
- − Raconte-Moi motion passes for $360
- − Kelly motions & Naomi 2nds for $900 for the Sensory Room – motion failed
- − Kelly motions & Naomi 2nds for $525 for the Sensory Room – motion passed
- − Margaret moves to approve STEM ($631.90), Drama ($651.89), & Cribbage ($102.71) for $1386.50; Harinder 2nds – motion passes
- − Naomi motions, Kelly 2nds for gym mats - $1000 for the school – motion passes
- − $1150 for classroom support (We will continue this discussion in December.)
Meeting adjourned 7:33 p.m.