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CASC meeting April 12, 2011
Approval of February minutes and tonight’s agenda Action - Sara to re-send these to the meeting attendees from the last meeting. Meeting agenda is approved Alternative Tenet/Report Card Discussion Alternative Tenant Document We have been meeting with ASAC and Franc Wiley and people from the OCDSB and putting together a documents for the Alternative Program at Churchill. This came out of the alternative review last year and then went to the education committee. This documents will be part of the larger framework for the Alternative Schools that will become the working document for the board. This will be handed out to new parents at the school and will be posted to the website. Action – to add this to the website and have a quick blurb in the newsletter to check it out online. OCASC mentioned that this paper was in the works and that the alternative schools were working on this document. Action – to include in the newsletter to send feedback on this report. Report Card Discussion Richard Deadman wrote a letter to our MP Yassir Naqvi indicating that we were not happy that we had to put grades on our report cards. We received a response from Yassir that said paraphrasing “we can request that we have our child’s grades covered up if we decide” This will be effective for the June report cards. Dan MacKinnon penned a letter to Megan requesting that we are able to send home report cards with no grades – trying to make this as easy for the teachers and for parents. The ministry wants to set the standards for the parents and the families – they do not want boards getting in the middle. Yassir says that if parents want this they should not be interfered with. There is a plan to put in place and office administrator to help implement this process for grading at Churchill. |
The Learning Skills will still be included on the report cards (S, G, E)
Principal’s Report
The class sizes right now are to large – ¾ classes are counted as junior classes.
This means that we lose 1.5 of a teacher because of this.
Much discussion about multi age groupings and what that really means. Traditionally it was split grades but we need to find a way to still do multi age groupings to lower class sizes.
Multi Age Groupings
The grades for next year will not be the typical 1-2, 3-5 etc but will be different types of groupings
We have been granted an additional 1.5 teachers which will mean smaller classes.
That is what it is right now but this might change before the end of the year.
Now we have a couple of teachers that may be coming in to teach music and computers to allow teachers more prep time.
Our enrollment is up and Megan has asked teachers today to see if they need release time to see how they will multi-age group their straight grades. Use DPA or computers as an opportunity to have leadership opportunities within the straight grates.
We will not be telling students in June who their teachers will be in the fall – there is to much movement in the summer and it is to difficult to guarantee a teacher to a child when there might be changes.
Purposeful intent in not allocating children to their teacher on Megan’s part.
Two weeks before school starts Megan will open up the school for the day and parents and students will be welcome to come into the school and meet with their teacher and see their classroom.
Megan is committed to making the kids feel comfortable going into the fall and will do whatever she can to make sure that that happens.
Megan will send out an email & synervoice message letting parents know. Parents can contact Megan if there are extenuating circumstances that affect the decision for your child’s placement.
Agendas for Next Year
Grade one’s do not necessarily need agendas.
Large cost but not a lot of use overall.
Individual cost for agendas will be greatly reduced - $3-$4 per agenda and fully recyclable.
Rooms
Girls and Boys change room need to be cleaned out.
ACTION – add request to the CASC newsletter for help.
Yard
Megan has bought a basket of toys and has been going out during the two breaks and taking these games out.
More conscious about structuring the games in the yard – student teachers have come out to help.
End of may and beginning of June we are looking for parents to come and help in the yard.
There have been many kids helping in the yard to sweep it and get it cleaned up.
The lines need to be painted on and this will be arranged by Megan
After school parents need to adhere to the 3:15 deadline to leave the yard so that the daycare can use the yard.
Signs that are up in the yard now are misleading – Megan has ordered these signs but we need to decide on the timing –
Much discussion about the rental agreement with the daycare. Skate boarders are also an issue.
This is a legality issue for the daycare and then need to ensure the safety of the kids in their care. Other daycare’s also try to use this.
5/6 Dance
Megan had a meeting with the classes.
Bake sale fundraiser May 18th and want to take on the next movie night on May 27th. Earlier planned start for the movie, the movie will be Tangled.
The 5/6’s have been offered the opportunity to meet with a Holocaust survivor at W. Gowling – very powerful message. Parents are welcome to attend and it is Tuesday April 19th at 8:45 – 10:00
Lock Downs
There are two more lock-downs to do at the school
Technology
What we may need to include in the classroom – what would parents like to see in the classroom. Sounds like SmartBoards would be a great addition.
Student Survey
These will be sent home at the end of April
Year Book
Lynn to run two hot dog lunches to raise funds and parents can still send in their forms.
Teachers Report – Heather Gillman
Baobob and children will be performing and the new convention center April 21st
3-4’s - Are going to the NAC on April 5th, Tree planting , upper Canada village, billings estate,
nature walk.
We need a master calendar that would help parents and teachers - it is hard to keep up with all the information that is coming in and it would be good to have one place to keep track of these items. Possibility of having a Google calendar that parents could access. There is the question of actually having this on paper – will it look equitable in the parents eye?
School of Rock - May 13th
Maureen Clark is organizing it for each class will produce a piece of art that we will raffle the art off that will go to the red cross to help the Japan crisis. Art will be displayed on the website. All classes have received a canvas and need to come up with a piece of art.
Active and Safe Routes to School
Bike racks are coming! These are purchased and provided by the city of Ottawa. We have obtained grant money to get three new bike racks to replace those that need to be replaced.
Follow up survey to be sent out and we are deciding when that will happen – once this is done we will be eligible for the second honorarium that we received.
Wednesday May 25th – wheeling day at Churchill. Ottawa Public Heath, CAN bike program,
Demonstrations about bike maintenance - possibility of three station for the kids. Helmet safety from public health.
Westboro United Redevelopment – substantial changes to the plan.
Second phase of the Churchill redevelopment was not passed for this year.
Advance planning is in the works for dates in the next year.
Education Committee
We had two information nights for families – internet safety and then bullying.
So far this year we have had three nights for the education committee and we have had the most positive feedback on the internet safety workshop.
At our next meeting we will decide what we want to do going forward and will have a postmortem on these events.
Families have indicated that they are interested in information on school transitions and helping kids transition from Kindergarten to grade one and then grade six to grade seven.
Need to find a good forum to get more feedback from parents.
Possibility of having and “Ask Anything” night for parents - parents put their questions in a box and Megan answered them in an open forum.
Open night with our Trustee is also another possibility.
Art Committee Update
Knitting club has been a big success – 7 lunchtime meetings. They still need additions to the “tree cosy” for the yard. There will be a knitting party next week with crafts.
They have spent about 2/3’s of their budget, electives, baobob drumming, NAC events.
There are a few things coming up chalk festival, wandering loom, etc…
Action – Need for a joint committee meetings so that we can have more cross-pollination on events.
Plant Sale – May 20th
Plants have been ordered and will be outlined in the newsletter.
Looking for sponsors and volunteers for the event.
We are asking people to contribute perennial’s to the sale and we will have a raffle during the day with prizes.
$1400 was the projected amount to raise for the plant sale.
Treasurers Report
We are in need for increased fundraising for the coming year.
We are still looking for a treasurer.
OCASC Update
Check the website if you want to see the minutes
Chalk It Up
Different OCASC reps discuss different points – head lice, ministry requirements for PD days, kindness to animals, Shannon’s Dream (reserve school allotment increase) milk programs, best tools for schools, formal interview nights need to be implement across the board.
Discuss Issue – Parent Involvement Committees (PICS)
Each school district needs to have a parent advisory committee – increase parent involvement in the schools. Philosophical discussions about where OCASC fits into this.
Options include that PIC would have its own group and the OCASC executive would sit on this panel. Options for a stand alone committee. OCASC works now and so then need to decide how much to overlap this new Parent Involvement Committees.
Staff Appreciation Lunch – June 3rd.
We need a volunteer to help organize this.
Action – Sara to talk to the previous organizer to see if she is interested.
Garage Sale – June 4th
$25.00 tables this will coincide with the Island Park - 8-1:30
Barbecue to coincide – Bake table as well.
Tables for rent
Next Meeting May 10th
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