1. CALL TO ORDER
Meeting called to order on October 20th, 6:03 pm
In attendance: Sarah Maki, Krista Shelley, Jennifer Clark, Sam Welch, Kim Peterson, Avery
Pawelek, Kathy West, Brian Andreasen, Emily Cartier, Shannon Collins, Yasmin & Rochelle
Review and Approval of agenda and meeting minutes – approved
Welcome New Student Reps!
2. Welcome and Introductions
• “Welcome to School Council” presentation shared by Becky
• Reviewed the 2022 Mission Statement.
3. Student Representative’s Report
• Acting as connectors for the student voice.
• Leadership opportunities have been provided to 6, 7, 8 students
• Grade 7/8 trip to Ottawa planned — fundraising ideas underway.
• Spirit Day ideas: mix and match, funky shoe day, red & green day, jersey day.
• Students have expressed interest in having more swings in the yard.
• Reminder: Schools are allowed 10 non-compliant food days per year, we have had one
bake sale already (Evan Luker) so we have 9 remaining.
• Question from Reps: Do milk/chocolate milk sales count toward non-compliance days?
(Follow-up required.)
• Reminder on Spirit Days from Mrs. Clark…
o To propose a spirit day the idea must be brought to Ms. Allison who will review and
then vet the idea through Mrs. Clark.
o Spirit days need to be inclusive and ensure cultural sensitivity
o Becky noted that the last week before the Holiday break it felt ‘quiet’. It was
suggested that holiday spirit events are planned with more lead time. These can be
MACAULAY SCHOOL COUNCIL added to the printed calendar is the ideas were in by the third week of the pervious month.
6. Teacher Update – Brian
• Top 3 Fundraising Priorities for Teachers (voted through Google Form):
1. Outdoor Sports Equipment
2. Large Swing Set
3. $100 for New Books
o Also mentioned: removal of baseball diamond and a new gym bench.
• Swing set review showed age-related wear; repairs or replacement needed.
• Discussion about reaching out to community partners or families for donations.
7. Principal Update
• Enrollment: 321 students (highest in 10 years)
• Classrooms: 13, 3 portables
• VP Position: Under consideration – Our numbers would support it.
Staffing Updates:
• Graham Vogt – 7/6
• Mackenzie Thatcher – French, Kinder Prep
• Olga Tavares – EA retirement
• Tracy Jamieson – EA
• Jen Clark – returning after 2 years
Early Reading Screening (K–2):
• Province-wide reading initiative based on research.
• Includes risk assessments and targeted teaching for struggling readers.
• Parents will be informed of results on Term 1 report cards.
• MAC is performing well with the new program.
Facility Updates:
• 2 Lifts: Currently unreliable; advocacy underway for one small elevator.
• Outdoor Light and Letter Board? Could these be fixed or replaced? Letter board is broken. Board
will not be repaired. Discussion about removing it; digital signage is costly and there are MTO
restrictions.
Time Capsule (Upcoming Project)
• Original capsule placed in 2015 (10 years ago).
• Located behind a wall in a wooden box.
• Plan for November 2025 opening — possibly move this event to later in the year.
• Event could include BBQ, cake, and reunion for parent/community engagement.
• Add to next meeting’s agenda for further planning.
Annual Insurance
• Annual cost: ~ $140.
• The board now allows councils to purchase one policy for the entire year, which covers all events
(e.g., Howler).
Student Achievement & Learning
• EQAO – no information from them yet
• Early reading screening completed – working on entering and will be analyzing that data on the pa
day
• Still working on 3-8 reading data – Maze assessment and ORF
• Math assessments will happen in January
• This information will have us work on our SIP, which will likely have us stay the course and slight
revisions
11. Fundraising Updates – Shannon
Current and Upcoming Events:
• Krispy Kreme: Sold 380 boxes; extras sold out. Not sure how much money was made. Will
update.
• Too late to participate in Smile Cookies this year (paperwork deadline passed).
• Tim Hortons indicated willingness to help if we have a specific fundraising goal in the
future.
• Howler Event:
o Kathy will oversee the Sensory Station
o Book Fair will run concurrently; tables needed for the Howler
o Grades 7/8 will run pizza, water, and mystery bags tables
o Activities include:
▪ “Guess How Many” jar
▪ Pumpkin Carving Contest (movie passes for winners, donated by Delany’s)
▪ Little pumpkins to take home
▪ $5 per family entry
▪ Cody Cartier to MC the Costume Contest
▪ “Mystery Judge” replaces parade. Decided to keep parade even though its
chaos. Jen may need others to help judge costumes
▪ Becky to confirm gluten-free pizza price option
• Monthly Calendar:
o $50 per ad space.
o November issue to go out first Monday of the month.
• Poinsettias:
o Sale: Nov 3–14
o Pickup: Nov 26
o Funds go toward top 3 fundraising goals.
• Family Skate: Dec 22 (Monday).
• Kernels Popcorn: Ongoing discussion.
• Little Caesars: Jan 16 — allocation of funds TBD.
• Big Box of Cards: Feb 23 — allocation of funds TBD.
• Mini Putt Night: Planned for spring. Made a lot of money on concession stand. Provide
more incentive for people to buy snacks and drinks. Maybe a draw?
• Family Literacy Day: Used book sale (successful in past years).
• Valentine Grams: Organized by Grades 7/8.
• Fire and Ice Event: Possible lollipop stand fundraiser (to be explored).
12. Storm Wear Collection
• Council will continue collecting storm wear
13. Financial Report
Motions and Going Forward:
A motion was passed to transfer $1,500 from the General Account to the Legacy Account.
~Motioned by Shannon, seconded by Rochelle.
A motion was passed to use the funds raised from the Krispy Kreme fundraiser to purchase one of
the top three teacher requests, outdoor classroom equipment, at a cost of $934.37.
~Motioned by Rochelle, seconded by Sam.
A motion was passed to provide each classroom with $100, totaling $1,300, to purchase new
books, another of the teachers’ top three requests.
~Motioned by Shannon, seconded by Sarah.
We will look into the cost of a new swing set, the third of the teachers’ and students’ top requests.
The board no longer offers to split costs on this type of purchase. We will revisit the idea once we
have a clearer estimate.
We will continue to collect storm wear. A donation bin will be set up in the office for families to
drop off items that children have outgrown. These items will be sold at our Holiday Family Skate
event.
14. Meeting Adjournment
• Meeting adjourned at: 8:03 p.m.
• Next meeting: December 15, 2025, 6:00–7:30 p.m. in the library.
