Monday,
March 6, 2006
2. Treasurer’s Report – Sandy Moriarty
We had $1200 at the end of November. We received $500 from the board of education in December, another $281 in popcorn sales an spent $100 on the Curtis fund. We now have a total of $1921.24.
A business class has taken over the popcorn sales.
The grade 10 EQAO literacy test will be March 29. The grade tens will write the 3 ˝ hour exam on one day. Grade 9, 11, and 12 will stay home until the grade tens have finished. The grade tens write until 12:00 p.m. and a regular period 4 will begin at 12:20 p.m. for all grades. The grade tens have been practising writing tests in the cafeteria to get used to the environment. There will be a grade 10 literacy blitz for the last few weeks before the test.
There has been a good start to the second semester. The option card selections for next year must be in for March break. If they are handed in after March break, they will be dated and they will have a harder time with course selection.
Susie has followed up on the ID tags for all staff and students. She has been looking at different costs at different companies.
A parent had a question about summer school. Steve said that it is not the preferred way to get a credit. It is intense but they do not get the same depth as a course throughout the year. Markville S.S. has summer school every year for grades 7 and 8 students.
For the second
year in a row a group of Ryan’s students have been recognized as having one of
the top 10 videos in a national contest.
The five students involved and Mr. Weinberg will be flown to
Markville will have a new grade 9 Com Tech course next year that will touch on all 3 integrated tech courses.
The vision of the special education department is that all students will be successful. There are 10 special education teachers in the school. There are 2 self-contained special education classes with 6 teachers. There are 110 identified students in the regular program. These exceptionalities encompass autism, behaviour, physical disabilities, gifted, hearing, vision, or learning disabilities. The goal is to have a sensitive, caring, and supportive school community.
“How to Speak with your teens”
Calvin works in
He often deals with mental health issues, behavioural problems and
conflict mediation. He believes that
teens are given lots of freedom in
Teens believe that verbal communication is over rated. They want action. As parents, we tend to intertwine discipline and punishment. They are different. Discipline is the strong base that needs to be put in place in the home. Teens need to be reminded where discipline broke down and they need to be aware of the consequences and when punishment will come into place. Our children need to have a strong base to fall back on or they’ll choose what is most attractive to them. It is better to tell teens what not to do, rather than what to do. Parents have only 27% influence over their kids.
Parents need to have a united front. Your house, your rules. Once your rules are in place, enforce them. Rather than parents punishing, Calvin believes that it is more effective if the teen understands what rule was broken, what could have been done differently, and the teens can be responsible for setting their own punishment.
It is a mistake to believe that we can be friends with our children. We can be close, but we are parents, not friends. If you try to be friends with them, then you won’t be able to set or enforce discipline.
Do not argue with your children, they can only see their point of view. Lay the strong base. Calvin used a business analogy. You wouldn’t turn over a business to a new employee without training. Teens need the strong base, the support and guidance, the training before they can be given their independence.
His last piece of advice was to never accuse your children of lying. Instead, ask some smart questions, and the truth will come out.
8. Next meeting Monday, April 3. Gary Unitas, our school trustee will be our guest speaker.