Minutes from
Date:
Time:
Location:
Present:
Sofia Alim (Co-Chair) Kim Brandon-Uyede, Susan Brown, Alex Corry (Vice-Principal),
Nancy Elliott, Valerie, Milligan, Sandy Moriarty (Treasurer), Angela Hill
(Co-Chair), Sarita - filling in for Heela
Omarkhail (Student Council), Connie Chan, Sandy Cole (Special Education
Department Representative), Royce (Alternative Education Representative)
1. Chair - Sofia Alim
§
Welcome
to staff representatives and parents.
§
Introductions
were made.
§
Minutes
from
2. Sandy Cole – Special Education Representative
§
The
Special Education department provides support to 160 students, including
students that have been identified as gifted, behavior difficulties, learning
difficulties and challenged.
§
The
department includes 4 support staff and 2 student teachers.
§
IAP
provides accommodations to students not formally identified but in need of
support.
§
The
Learning strategies program helps students in grades 9, 10 and 11 develop
learning skills.
§
The
department provides monitoring support and progress reports to class room
teachers.
§
Community
class students are helped to understand their disability and become self sufficient
with a goal to help them reach their full potential.
§
There
are 8 students in the life skills program, students are helped to find jobs in
local businesses (Sobey’s, the Gap ect..).
Their progress is monitored as they develop new skills.
§
The
Best Buddies program matches special needs students with buddies for fun and
friendship. There are 18 students
currently matched. Students and buddies
participate in activities that help to develop interpersonal skills. Students also sell Best Buddies merchandise
to raise funds for the buddies program.
The funds are used to finance outings, such as Jay’s game tickets,
crafts and group activities.
§
A
number of the students participate on the swim team and in the equestrian club.
§
The
Special Education department is expecting approximately 40 new students in
05/06 school year. These students are
all from the local school zone.
§
Staffing
is a concern and is being reviewed.
3. Royce – Alternative Education Representative
§
Students
in the Alternative Education program are all identified as high risk – special
needs, problems with school programs, do not perform will in standard class
room structure, financial problems.
§
Students
may not all be from within the Markville school zone, some students are sent to
Markville for the Alternative Education program.
§
Students
in the program are usually looking for 3 to 5 credits to graduate.
§
Enrollment
fluctuates from 13 to 30, with new students starting and current students
finishing through-out the year.
§
Programs
are tailored to meet the students learning needs.
§
Correspondence
courses and on-line courses are also supported by the department. Courses completed are added to the students’
transcript.
4. Royce – Peer Mediation
§
Peer
Mediators meet with students in conflict to help them to find their own
resolutions to issues. When a conflict arises
students can request mediation, as well, teachers can suggest mediation.
§
17
students have been trained in mediation (last year 21 students)
§
There
have been 7 mediation sessions held so far this year (last year 6 sessions were
held).
§
Mediation
takes place during lunch or breaks.
§
Peer
Mediation has been very successful in helping students resolve conflicts.
§
Staff
support is always available but staff is not involved in the mediation process.
§
In
the past students have been asked to become peer mediators, students interested
in becoming a peer mediator in the
future will need apply.
§
Training
is provided to the students and takes 25 hours.
5. Serita (for Heela) – Student Council
Representative
§
In
support of AIDS awareness the council has been selling jewelry from
§
Prom
will be held on June 2nd.
§
A
number of school spirit activities are scheduled, Blast from the Past, Rainbow
(each day of the week will be given a colour of the rainbow, students ware the
colour of the day).
§
Mayhem
activity day will run in the last week of May.
Activities are planned and the grade 8 students from our feeder schools
will attend.
6.
§
Received
a further $50.00 in donations.
§
Current
balance $691.00
§
It
is felt that we should roll the balance forward to the 05/06 year and continue
to fund raise until we have sufficient funds to purchase the lighting board.
§
The
$500.00 received from the board was spent on the past purchase of equipment for
the art department.
7. Alex Corey – Principals Report
§
Student
timetables will be given out at the start of the 05/06 school year. Last year timetables were given out at the
end of the school year with the hope that it would reduce the number of
timetable changes in September that did not happen; in fact there was an
increase in the number of request for changes.
§
The
board is opening up the early school year start to other schools. This indicates support from the board and acknowledgement
that the early start is beneficial.
Currently suspensions across the board are at .9%, our school is at .4%,
and it is felt that the reduction in suspensions is related to the change in
the school year.
§
Literacy
test results – 86% pass, up 2% from last months report due to results being
added that had not been available last month.
§
Art
Show, Feb 20th at the McKay House.
We watched a report by
§
Hoops for Hearts will be held on April 7th.
§
Fashion
Show will be help on April 27th at
§
Asian
Beats will be held in the evening of May 12th – tickets should be
purchased in advance. In the past this
show as been held during school hours, this year the group felt that would like
to do an evening performance.
§
The
school Jazz band will be going to
§
Grant
money for Grade 9 and 10 students that have been identified as at risk has been
made available. There are a number of
programs that have been setup to meet these students’ needs.
a. Boys and Girls Reading Club –
Students meet at lunch to discuss books.
b. Stats Group – Students track stats
on teams and stocks. They then go to a
baseball or hockey game and the stock exchange.
These help students with math skills.
c. Music – Students in the music
program work on performances.
d. Feeder Reader – Students with literacy
and behavior problems go back to the elementary school they came from and are
matched up with a student that is experiencing difficulties they will read
with. They will eventfully write they
own story to share.
§
Math
and Physical Education has been de-semestered.
Students in grade 9 next year will have a full year of Math and PE. The teachers will have some flexibility in
how they use their time. Some will run
on alternate days, others may break the 75 minute period into two periods. Teachers will decide how to best manage their
time based on program needs.
§
Commencement
will be held in June instead of September.
The board has mandated the change.
There are a couple of issues that come out of the change, 1.
co-ordination may be a problem since getting all the necessary information and
grades may be rushed and 2. the cost this year may be a concern since there
will be two commencements in this school year.
Most parents seem to favor the June Commencement.
§
Esquire
watches have been donated by the Canadian Junior Amateur Golf Association and
will be presented to two students in each grade as character awards. Students will be nominated by their peers, a
vote will then be held and the winners will receive the awards. The school will continue to identify students
for achievement awards but this award will be given to students from their
peers.
The next meeting
will be Monday, May 2nd at
Thank you for your attendance.