School Council Meeting

Date and Time: 
Thursday May 4 - 6:30pm to 8:15pm
Event Location: 
School Library

Join us for the May School Council meeting. The meeting will be held in the school library from 6:30-8:15pm.

Child care is available. Please register at info@gardenschoolcouncil.com including the names/ages of the children requiring care.

Meeting Agenda: 
  1. School Council Initiatives Update
    • Fun Fair Update
    • TDSB Enhancing Equity Task Force
    • Tackling Stress & Anxiety Workshop on May 18
  2. Ward 7 Update
    • Student Nutrition Programs
    • Lunchroom Supervision
  3. Treasurer's Report
    • Recap of funds raised/spent to-date
    • New proposals for spending
    • Planning for 2017/2018
  4. Principal's Update
Meeting Minutes: 

Council Update (M)

Fun Fair

  • Rowe farms will supply food

  • Wristbands: $25 play all day and $10 for toddlers (3 years and under)

  • Spirit wear: Norm to supply caps and shirts for sale

  • Norm to supply aprons for volunteers?

Fundraising

  • Jack of Sports, Datenight, Mabel’s Labels

  • Madeleine has figured out how to receive charitable donations through the Toronto Foundation For Student Success - they take 5% for admin.

    • Garden school fundraising page. Will get a cheque twice a year. TDSB doesn’t want schools to register as charities.

  • Fresh from the Farm Fundraiser

  • Garden gets 40% of whatever is sold.

    • Kids to sell the bundles of fruit and vegetables.

Alana suggested using QSP as a fundraiser. (magazines, bulbs, cookie dough, popcorn.) Madeleine agreed to take a look at it.

TD Donation

PRO Grant application for 2017-18. STEM education night.

  • Madeleine to put grant in and we can decide on the details later

TASAM Workshop

  • Arts Express will work with the kids during the day

  • Evening for parents from 6-8.

  • Registration so we have an idea of numbers

  • Send another flyer home? (One that looks more “Garden”)

TDSB Enhancing Equity Task Force

  • Madeleine attended this meeting to learn about work done over the last 10 years. John Malloy met with Black Lives Matter. He agreed to mandate diversity training.

  • Start from the bottom up - lots of participation from schools.

  • System is biased.

  • Survey to come home. Reps from 4 groups. Teachers, parents, students, non-teaching staff. Together come up with answers. Discussed the best way to come to consensus

  • Madeleine mentioned difficulties of students’ needs. Some discussion of gifted program and equity issues in the neighbourhood.

Discussed dates of upcoming events.

Will approve skeleton budget at June 15th meeting so need ideas from staff.

WARD 7 Update (Katherine)

Ward 7 Meeting on 25th April

  • Nutrition: TDSB Nutrition program. Used to gather money from parents. $15/term. Prepared a mid-morning snack and was served to kids in the class.

    • Teachers weren’t happy b/c took 15 minutes out of teaching day.

    • Budgeting/accounting very onerous.

  • Lunchroom supervision. Many kids not eating at tables. Very noisy environment. The children’s lunchtime experiences is a very low priority for TDSB.

  • Anne Frank travelling exhibition. Sunday the 28th is open to the public.

Treasurer’s Report (Zoe)

  • Pizza lunch - doing well, probably not as much as last year.

    • Apples are coming in from Foodshare and have excess.

  • Question of excess Forest of Reading money - whether to buy more books?

    • Decided we will take extra money back and roll it into next year’s FOR program.

Alana wants headsets for Ms. Zampiero’s production of “Matilda”.

MOTION E. Spencer To spend money from sound system on headsets. Seconded by A. Cundari.

  • Pot of Gold hasn’t been accessed apart from Ms. Chawla using $ for the bus to The War Museum.

  • Feedback on pottery and dance programs, field trips etc.

  • Skeleton Budget for next meeting - teacher spending etc. Keep Pot of Gold?

  • Jays night - for both parents and kids. Will sell tickets at cost. One Friday in September. Community event.

Principal’s Report (Alana)

  • Staffing Model for next year.

    • Numbers are down in Grade 3 and JK.

    • School still not open for optional attendance though.

    • Placement meetings next week.

    • Changes may also take place in September

    •  

  • Gym painting done. New curtains for the stage are coming.

  • Tree pruning completed in kindergarten yard.

  • Kindergarten yard to be updated over spring/summer.