Wilkinson School Community Council
Meeting Minutes
February 13, 2012
Present: Leasa Adams (vice-principal), Laura Bullard-Brezovsky, Shauna Dobbie, Paul Dobson, Sarah-Jane Gillespie, Sharon Hennessey, Raihana Ingar, Kris Kearns, Allan Kelly (principal), Bruce MacDonald, April Moon, Alison Motluk, Deanna Rosolen, Martin Saxton, Jill Spellman, Karen Wiseman
Regrets: Bipasha Choudhury, Liza Finlay, Susan Haney, Ruby Lederman, Kirsten McGoey, Jill Spellman, Erin Vaillancourt, Karen Wiseman, Paula Weekes-Kahn (council chair)
Guests: Sara Hoac (Dandylion Daycare), Joel Krentz, Batya Levy, Tori Wright (DonateNaturally.com)
Recorder: Deanna Rosolen
Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m.
1. Welcome and Introductions: Treasurer Martin Saxton chaired tonight’s meeting as Paula Weekes-Kahn was away.
2. Approval of the Agenda: Agenda was approved.
Motion: Paul Dobson. Seconded: Sarah-Jane Gillespie.
3. Approval of the Minutes from Feb. 13, 2012: Minutes were approved.
Motion: Laura Bullard-Brezovsky. Seconded: Martin Saxton.
4. Donate Naturally Fundraising Presentation:
Guest Tori Wright gave the presentation. DonateNaturally.com is a website that allows users to purchase their groceries and at the same time donate 15% on every single sale to a cause of their choice – those causes can even be local schools.
Wilkinson is listed on the site and parents have already raised $250. The site would give the Parent Council another way to raise funds for the Wilkinson community. Council discussed adding news of this to the next newsletter and putting up posters.
5. Principal and Vice-principal’s Update: Allan Kelly
A. Report card season was successful.
B. After-school activities are running smoothly. Many teachers are volunteering their time.
C. Junior division intramurals are ending and the Primary division is starting up.
D. This September there will be two Grade 4 French classes instead of just one. Only one of those classes will continue through to Grade 6.
*Amendment: There will be two Grade 4 extended French programs for 2012-2013. The year after that there will be one Grade 4 extended French class and two Grade 5 extended French classes, etc. The year after that there will be one Grade 4, one Grade 5 and two Grade 6s. In this way the school will only need one extra classroom.
E. Projected enrollment for the 2012-2013 academic year has turned Wilkinson into a “closed school.” This means the school will no longer be keeping a waiting list. If enrollment numbers go down, this may change. What this means is if children are not in the Wilkinson catchment area or in Dandylion Daycare or in the Extended French program, they cannot get in.
Sixty children have signed up for Extended French and the school will most likely be hiring an extended French teacher.
F. Some Wilkinson parents have expressed an interest in having an Indoor Tennis Program. It would be an after-school program. The fee would be $144 for eight weeks and would include 75 minutes (one evening) per week. Mr. Kelly will investigate the idea further regarding more details and what interest there is from the school community.
G. There are several co-op students currently in the school. From: Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute, Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute, Monarch Park Collegiate, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University.
H. Chess Club is to start up.
I. Wilkinson has been asked to participate in a pilot project on learning how to use personal electronic devices in the classroom. No additional details are known yet.
Leasa Adams:
A. Kids Have Stress Too is Wilkinson’s second parent workshop and is taking place on Feb. 23 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in Room 3. Representatives from Toronto Public Health will facilitate the workshop, which includes an introduction on identifying stress in our children and ways to help parents deal with behaviour that may arise due to stress.
B. The Parent Census Survey from the Toronto District School Board was issued to all parents. There was one survey per family. Parents are asked to complete the surveys and return them to their child’s teacher or the office by Feb. 29, 2012.
6. Treasurer’s Report: Parent Council’s account balance is $15,768.
7. Funding Request: Ms. Batya Levy, Wilkinson’s music teacher, has asked for funding for new risers. The ones we have are in such bad shape that a representative from Health & Safety has said the school cannot use them any longer. Ms. Levy would like to have new risers for the Spring Concert in May. She will need to order them by March break to have them in time.
Ms. Levy contacted five suppliers and received quotes – all of which include taxes and shipping. Ms. Levy went over the different suppliers she found and the differences between each of the risers (the differences in weight, some come with wheels and some without, some include straight and/or semi-circle formations). The School Board does not consider risers a necessity and will not cover any of the cost.
Principal Allan Kelly offered to put $2,000 toward the cost.
After much discussion Parent Council agreed to put $4,000 toward the purchase of new risers. A payment schedule will be determined. Half of that amount will be required by the end of this school year.
Motion: Martin Saxton. Seconded: Alison Motluk.
8. SMART board presentation: Librarian Mr. Joel Krentz came to the meeting to discuss the SMART board technology. He reviewed how they work in the classroom and how students are responding to them. He also discussed the different features they offer (databases, software, lessons, etc.). He emphasized that they don’t change the way teachers teach but they do enhance students’ overall experience. Students can participate: they can draw and write on the boards. They can also learn how to use different software programs.
9. School Council Appreciation and Information Evening: April Moon and Bipasha Choudhury could not attend.
10. Dandylion Daycare: Sarah Hoac says the Centre has two vacancies in the After School-Age Program (ASAP) room. The ASAP room is for children in Grades 4-6. Parents are asked to contact Patrina Stathopoulos or Sarah Hoac at (416) 469-0091 or via e-mail dandylion@bellnet.ca.
11. Sweetheart Bake Sale: April Moon and Laarni Portelli are leading the sale on Feb. 14, 2012 in Room 3 in the morning and during the lunch hour.
12. Committee Updates:
A. Arts: Carnaval de Quebec is coming to Wilkinson on Feb. 16 to perform for the Grades 2-6.
B. Communications: Chair Jill Spellman was away.
C. Education: Chair Bipasha Choudhury was away.
D. Fundraising: April Moon spoke on behalf of Susan Haney who was away. Susan is asking for someone to take a lead on Movie Night. She needs someone who can be at the school for 3:30 pm to let in a group of students who regularly volunteer on Movie Nights and know what needs to be done. They will come in and set up the chairs, the VCR and the concession stand. They will also work the stand during the movie. The next movie night is March 23.
Treasurer Martin Saxton volunteered to cover the next three Movie Nights until the end of the school year. There is one in April, but there is no Movie Night in May. The proceeds from the June Movie Night go toward the Teacher Appreciation Lunch.
E. Greening: Chair Kirsten McGoey was away.
F. Health & Safety: Meeting is to take place soon.
13. Report back/follow-up items: The Toronto District School Board has the new laptops but is still trying to figure out how to distribute them equitably across several schools.
14. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 pm.
Motion: Sarah-Jane Gillespie. Seconded: Paul Dobson.