Mitchell Woods Public School
School Council
Meeting Notes
Meeting Date & Time: / Monday, February 6, 2017Meeting Participants:
Jane Brown (Chair) / Mair Gault (Principal)
Stephanie Sambells / Sara Dick (regrets)
Carolanne Reid / Joan Maynihan (regrets)
Monica Chamberlain / Bryan VanDerZuet Stafford (regrets)
Kate Borthwick (Secretary) / Cassie Broadhead (staff)
Sara Dales (regrets) / Cynthia Hayes
Katie Matheis / Jared Carroll (regrets)
Stacey Murphy / Lori Kush
Majida Akter (regrets) / Nicole Hamilton (Vice-Principal)
Amanda Dawson / Raymond Tu (West Willow Village)
Lavendar Mai (regrets) / Tanya Richardson (regrets)
Keilani Carroll / Harshika Arora
Liz Hazlett (staff)
No. / Agenda Item / Summary Notes / Actions
1 / Welcome / Jane welcomed members to the meeting.
2 / Approval of Agenda & Minutes / Minutes were approved as circulated.
3 / ECO Club Update / Greening Committee – Environmental Project
- Students presented a proposal to create a butterfly garden that would include a buddy bench, sandboxes. A proposed design was provided for information. This smaller project is part an overall School Yard Greening & Naturalization Project. Ideally there would be two buddy benches – 1 on each side of the school.
- Would like to sell stainless steel water bottles
4 / WW Village / Raymond presented an update
SKILLS UPGRADING
Please find attached a flyer to please share with SC. We have been working with the UGDSB for the past 2 years to try and secure some educational offerings on the west side of the city as there is nothing on this side of the Hanlon.
In January we did a soft launch of the Skills Upgrading Program in collaboration with Continuing Education. Mondays and Wednesdays adults are able tocome and upgrade their skills for school and work, and on Mondays adults who are working on credit courses, booklets or on-line,can come and get individual support. This is great news for the neighbourhood as this was a need identified by the community.
annual WINTERFEST
This annual event goes head snow or no-snow! but we are hoping for a lot more snow :) Our ice rinks have melted and we are considering trying to make them again in time for Winterfest.
The event takes place on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00- 1:00pm at WestwoodPS in the Gym and on the hills. This is a free annual event, we will have courtesy sleds available for families, hot chocolate, and we are waiting for confirmation that the Storm players will becoming for a visit. There are games and hot cholcolate and just some fun for families!
TAX Clinics
The Neighbourhood Group provides assistance with Tax Returns all year round as well as Clinics during Tax Season. We are always looking for volunteers! This year we are hoping to recruit and train GCVI High School students to help with the community support.
March Break Camp
This year's March break Camp is Food Around the World. The week's activities include a visit to Zehrs, learning how to make simple after school snacks, food safety, there is a swim day and then the camp-wide lunch.
The location has changed to Westwood as MWPS is having work done in the gym during March break.
More 2 Me: S.U.P.E.R. Girls Group
The Neighbourhood Group received a grant from CHEO Dare to Dream youth mental health and the girls group is working to organize a free Girls PA Day activity at the end of April. The theme will focus on the UGDB's S.U.P.E.R. theme for mental health awareness week. more info will follow.
Summer Camp
The Neighbourhood Group's 7 weeks of Summer Camp will take place at MWPS again this summer. We start to promote this affordable activity for kids in March.
West End Market
We are working with a grad student who is laying the ground work for a west-end pocket market. The initial work on this started in 2013, identifiying skills in the neighbourhood and also identifying a possible location. The pilot will be launched at St Peters Catholic school in the parking lot, more info to come!
Website
You can mention that you are updating the website in an effort to make it more accessible and reflective of who we are and what we do!
5 / Staff Report / Cassie Broadhead gave an update.
- Lights for the Dance-A-Thon ($96.67) – Kelly has ordered from Long & McQuade and will take care of pick-up and drop-off.
- Would like to buy glockenspiels and trumpets for the senior band using funds from the budget and popcorn sales.
- Dance-A-Thon concession sales will be contributed to the music program.
- Math Tutoring program is getting started.
6 / Principal’s Report / Mair gave a report.
- Mair contacted, Kate Berry, at the UGDSB in regards to parking and traffic issues. Kate Berry will be leaving her position and Mair requested that concerns be documented prior to her departure to ensure continuity in knowledge about the nature of the problems that the school experiences.
- Key Issue: Parents are parking in the staff parking lot. There is no availability for parent parking unless they have an accessibility parking permit.
- Key Issue: Volume of traffic on Willow Road.
- Games Night was a great success.
- The Friendship Skate is a great activity for all students regardless of ability to skate.
7 / Treasurer’s Report / Keilani provided the following Treasuer’s Report.
Treasurer's Report:
- Balanceof $3198.20
- Working balanceof $2198.20 (with the $1K kept in reserve)
- Revenue- Movie Night - net proceeds $270.58; parent donation from 2016 - $23.78
- Prior month's discrepancy - Now solved:2 entries that didn't appear on the month's activity but now appear: NSF charge (from the Gift Card fundraiser) $25; Credit to our account for translation charges that were incorrectly charged to our account instead of being processed via the PRO grant at the beginning of the school year $169.50.
8 / Games Night / Amanda gave a report.
- Based on name tags, 113 people attended.
- Lots of people volunteered and provided food and refreshment and this greatly contributed to the success of the event.
- The promotion of the event helped get the word out to as many people as possible.
- Pizza was donated by a local Pizza Pizza business.
- People who attended the event would be interested in another event like this one.
9 / PRO Grant / Amanda explained that the PRO Grant is available from the Ministry of Education and there is an application required.
- The idea to do another similar event to last October’s event.
10 / Buddy Benches / Cynthia provided an update
- Received information from two potential sources for benches – College Heights & Kill it with Kindness.
- The cost for the bench if it is provided by Kill it with Kindness is significantly higher and therefore cost-prohibitive.
- There are added expenses for the concrete and the requirements for making sure the bench is secure. Need to obtain a quote for the installation quote.
- Ideas to raise funds for the installation were discussed.
11 / Fundraising / Stephanie gave an update.
- Dance-A-Thon is planned for February 14, 2017
- Prizes are being collected.
- Ms. Battaglia and Student Council will be running the concession stand
- Prizes: 4 top classes – Cupcake Party, Top 3 sellers - $25 Gift Card
- Need volunteers to help count the funds (Harshika volunteered)
- Mr. Thompson will be the DJ for the event.
12 / Movie Night / It was suggested that another movie night be planned.
- April 27
- Time: 6:00 – 8:30, Movie Start Time: 6:15
- Movie TBD
13 / Other Business / Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) - Jane relayed the following information.
- Draft 2017/18 UGDSB Calendar – feedback will be provided.
- Lunchbox Program will be running in September 2017
- Are you as Social as your Kids – Sat, April 8 @ 9 – 12 p.m. – Westside Secondary School Theatre, Orangeville
- Digital Saturday in Centre Wellington - Planned for March Break
- Jane completed the survey with feedback from Council.
15 / Adjourn / The meeting adjourned at
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Mitchell Woods Public School
School Council
Meeting Notes
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