Markville School Council Minutes

Monday, May 1st. 2006

 

  1. Elaine welcomed everyone.

 

  1. The minutes of the April meeting contained an error.  The date of this May meeting was wrong.

 

  1. Treasurer’s Report – We have received $500 from the ministry for parental engagement.  We currently have $2421.24 in the account.

 

  1. Vice-Principal’s Report- Rashmi Swarup

May is South Asian and Asian heritage Month.  To kick off the festivities, Rashmi wore traditional clothing today and did a presentation to the staff.  Rashmi showed us a slide presentation with video clips of the Music department’s trip to Europe.  The staff worked hard organizing the trip and the students were well-behaved.

The board has confirmed the early start on August 28.  Seven schools requested the new calendar, but only 3 will be doing it this year – Markville, Keswick, and Sutton.  The fall break will be from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.

April 27- the history department had the Heritage Fair

April 28 – the co-op department sponsored the OYAW, Ontario Youth at Work safety awareness assembly

May 4 – period 4 and 5 will be the fashion show buy in.  The evening event costs $10

May 11 and 12 – the grade nines will be doing literacy practice tests for one hour in the cafeteria.  Half the students will write on May 11, half on May 12.  The information will be held to help these students prepare for the grade 10 literacy exam

May 25 – Grade 8 barbecue and tour

May 25 – Markville Mayhem – the student council carnival to coincide with the grade 8 tour

May 26 – Asian Heritage Assembly

Stev Bewcyk is not at the meeting tonight because he is at the board office.  A student at our school is being honoured by the board along with 19 other students in the region.

 

  1. Vice Principal’s Report – Susie Nunes

The I.D. Badge committee has met and is composed of a custodian, a secretary, a teacher, 3 department heads, and administration.  The have decided to go with breakaway lanyards, the same colour for all students.  The staff will also wear I.D. badges, with a lanyard of a different colour.  The students’ name, picture, and grade will be on the front with the school name, a bar code will be on the back.  The committee is currently looking at the procedural details ( what to do when it is lost, what to do when it is left at hom, etc.)

Susie will go to Chicago this week with the music department.  The grade nines and tens will go to perform in a festival from Thursday to Sunday.  When they return on the 7th, they’ll have to rest, because the Markville Pops concert at Markham Theatre is on the 8th and 9th.

The school council has received $500 from the ministry for parental engagement.  This money must be spent by August 31st.  The board has suggested that $50 be held back for a team of parents and students to go to a workshop being developed.

 

  1. Sheri Caston – Head of Visual Arts

Sheri presented a very profession slide show for us and also brought in some of her students’ work.  She has been at Markville for 10 years.  The department has 3 full time staff members and 2 well-equipped rooms.  Courses are offered from grade 9 to 12 and students are allowed to take the courses even if they did not take them the previous year.  The department offers 3 specialty courses, Fashion Design, Animation and Photography.  The department has an art club and the club is commissioned to paint murals by other departments.  There is a one year waiting list for their work.  Each year, Markville students have a show at the MacKay house.  Last year, the students did a show about the house, since the MacKay house is undergoing major renovations.  This year, the student put on a show in collaboration with the Mulli Children’s Orphanage in Africa.  12 pieces of art from children at the orphanage were exhibited with 13 pieces of art from Markville students.  The students hope to raise $4500 for the orphanage.  They are selling posters made from an African painting for $10.   Tomorrow her class will be visiting the Stephen Lewis Gallery.  The visual arts department also works in collaboration with the AGO and they are the only high school to do so.  Many Markville grads take art at post-secondary institutions.

 

7.  Elaine said that it was a shame that we saw 2 wonderful, visual presentations this evening and only 9 parents were in attendance to see.

 

It was suggested that the art department sell the posters at the Markville Pops next week.

 

Elaine suggested we give $100 toward this fundraiser.  Marguerite suggested that we give the fundraiser $100 but that we buy posters to give to our feeder schools.  We’ll ask the art department to write up a blurb to explain the poster.

 

We agreed that the $500 provided by the ministry be spent on stamps for a mailing in the fall.  The mailing would include information about the school council, and perhaps the parent initiative letter.

 

Joyce, Tim, and Elaine will meet to do our year end report before the June meeting.

 

Judy reported that there are 2 stalls in the boys washroom in the history hall that do not lock.