Meeting – 15 Dec 2025 – 6-8pm
Present
David, Brian, Sam, Becky, Kim, Kathy, Krista, Jennifer, Emily, Sarah, Rochelle
Regrets Avery, Yasmin, Shannon
Students – Sylvia, Molly, Isla
– Start, review agenda, reminder there is no winter carnival concert, approval of previous minutes
Student counsel updates
o Update from last meeting, spirit days were fun, fundraising so far $3000,
o Gr8 tours, successful candy gram fundraisers went well, approx. $1260, $500 donation from Peake family so all kids got a candy gram
o Fundraising idea, Valentine Dance Feb 13, next spirit day in February (red, white, Pink), Gr6-8, trip to Ottawa or Gr8 trip, open to other schools? Check with principal for approval? Counsel for snack purchase and sales?
Chaperone and volunteers? More planning to be completed
o Question: clubs for Gr1-3 like crafting or writing? Can look into teacher supervisor, find clubs of interest
Teacher Updates – Mr A
– Robinson
o Busy and productive
o Science units for Gr1 – Materials, Gr2 – Simple Machines
o Literacy – practicing letter writing and reading comprehension
o Math – daily number sense routines and moving to measurements
o Learning about cultures, looking in Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, visiting in the community by going to The Pines to spread cheer
Lemay
o Gearing up for yearly toy market, spending “Lemay Bucks”, live silent auction and café of baked goods, great opportunity to practice French
Bound
o Fun growing sprouts and made healthy sandwiches for wriign and health class, baked brak with Ms Lindner
o Needs and wants difference with letters to Santa, mailed off with a mailbox walk with Mrs Jones class
o Math facts with facts on fire and proud of improvements
o Learning timelines in social studies that connect families and community
o Todd Parr inspired art by creating characters
o Were brave in front of peers doing the Remembrance Day ceremony
o Looking forward to visiting The Pines for carols and cards, creating gifts or ornaments and sewing for them, baking and hot chocolate for people we love
– Allison
o Geography – focus on quality of life, anchor learning in reflective stance, holding Cole at the centre of it, strong community behind us
o For December, choosing to focus on community helpers (family, Macaulay, class, neighbourhood), ook to positively impact the quality of life in others
o Making shoebox gifts for Cole and family members including items and inspiring quotes and encouragement
o Visiting The Pines to make Christmas banners
o Bake for first responders and “flash mob” of kindness dropping them off
o Drop off homemade ornaments to the Wilshier neighours as thanks for looking out for students to and from school
o Walking trip to the main street to visit a book store and holiday craft shop, then local shopping (keeping it local
Fry
o human organ science fair Monday, kids have worked hard on it!
o Mr W’s class is also presenting with their 5’s doing the same and Grade 4’s doing dioramas on animal habitats
Blue Jays
o Mini toy drive with Beth Nichols and Salvation Army, will visit and sing carols and talk more about what they do, lots of toys donated so far
Music
o Mrs. Edwards from the music department at BMLSS came to support the grade 8 music class,
o the BMLSS Band class came to perform and work with students 1 on 1 with Mr Vogt’s grade 6/7 and Mrs. Slemin’s grade 7/8. It was a huge success for our students to work with older students. Hopefully BML will see an uptick in participation in music classes!
– Stormwear Profit $103, Mrs Kennedy’s students are counting the Stormtastics which are then redistributed to Staff mailboxes
o Cole fundraising – lunch for Cole, students were waiters, cards and gifts to Sick Kids, looking to replace outfit, GoFundMe going well, look to identify where the need is
Principal Updates – Mrs Clark
o Enrolment 315 – slightly down from Sept numbers, but still high for us
o Staffing Updates: new custodian just met tonight, Heather Lipskie, Teaching and Learning Coach, has been had a change of schools and Neroli Ovell will be returning
o Early reading screening – Phonics, fluency moving to comprehension
Kinder – 93% – Met Benchmark
Grade 1 – 75% Met Benchmark
Grade 2 – 60% Met benchmark
Grade 3 83% Met Benchmark
Comprehension/Fluency – ARMM
Grade 4 – 75%
Grade 5 – 71%
Grade 6 – 87%
Grade 7 – 86 %
Grade 8 – 86%
o Math assessments happening now, this information will have us work on our SIP, which will likely have us stay the course and slight revisions, any individual questions – please see teacher
o Attendance, goal from the Ministry – Health attendance = 90% present (10%) absenteeism rate.
o Our current rate of attendance is between 72-74% of students at the rate of healthy attendance Conversation with the Director Letter going home at the beginning of January
o We have had some incidents of racialized language from our student body – we are committed to education and interrupting this – as part of the education we are inviting Aubrey Noronha – bio – https://www.hellohope.ca/ – January 16th
o Jersey Day moved to January after “double booking”, feed all four fundraiser is important and would like to support
Fundraising updates
o Howler, Poinsettias, successful
o Holiday Skate this weekend, 12-1 is pasta lunch, 125 meals to be planned, Santa to attend!, gingerbread house contest coming up, Town donated prizes for skate and swim to winner
o Little Caesar kits coming up, Jan 12, pick up Feb 16, profit ->swing set
o Mini-putt in June, more event suggestions welcome
o Big box of cards in Feb, pick up March
o Winter concert Jan 21, piggyback that with Used book sale and a bake sale -> Gr7-8 Ottawa trip, door prize for book sale -> draw for Cedar Canoe Books, other family literacy promotion, “Buck a book”?
o Scrap metal approximately $1556.60
o Concern with Howler price? Usual max $20 per family and then pizza costs more, donation? Pizza per entry?
o Suggest a debrief form at the end of the event to get better perspective on it’s success
Finances
o $4200, $1500 moved to Legacy so now at $11,800
o Krispy $5250 minus cost = $2480
o Calendar sponsorship and others = $4553
o Still need to be invoiced by teachers for equipment and books, use it or lose it by June
o Cash box after events? Protocol for during holiday? Counsel chair can be designated, witness cash count, as long as principal is aware, approved
NEW BUSINESS
o 3 references received for swing set from board, various pricing
Look into next fall? Still short of goal, solidify quote and put out to
community for sponsorship?
Wes Hahn visit
Appreciate survey was filled out, even if it was twice
Feel community knows what counsel is about
How was attendance? Snow days affected, it’s a grant for bussed kids,
absences calculated properly?
1:1 tech? too much isn’t great, get back to fundamentals with pen and paper, access on snow days is restrictive to some but would be appreciated to have guidance for filling those days
Train the trainer with parents? Especially in smaller grades, a video would be beneficial so parents can reference at home to assist kids
EQAO numbers are good because of staff and leadership, reflected in the community
District Meetings
o TLDSB has new website so want to encourage usage, won an award
o No YouTube at school, messaging continue to go out
o 7 different categories of violence, TLDSB is low on this scale but high on suspensions
o Push attendance and snow days
o Most recent meeting, lots on literacy so need to focus on math, TLDSB is still improving
o Snow days = school open so if it’s safe, bring kids, teachers are available by phone
o Reaching out for autism, specific families for assistance
o Use PEG and encourage to use
o There’s $12000 left for updating play structure, Mrs Clark to apply if so
o Report cards don’t have level of reading, it won’t so call teacher, dictated by ministry
o No 1:1 tech, pencil and paper is promoted as there are some literacy and writing issues
o Christmas culture celebrations? Up to principal to decide on when to have events
Question came up about “Christmas sweater” or Christmas themed events should have alternative to make sure it is inclusive, spirit colours ok and still get points? Go for all events?
o Is money being used in positive way? Aubrey Noronha came up
NEW BUSINESS STILL
o Time Capsule and Swing Set sub committee to be tabled for later
NEXT MEETING – FEB 23 rd
