Sir Ernest MacMillan School Council 2019-2020
November 4, 2019 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Present: Chris Row (Principal) Christian Brodnjak (Faculty) - 7/8 Math
Andrea Howard (Staff) *Sharon Kearney
*Jenna Burnham Diane Leclerc
Cindy Steed *Ben Bokma (will alternate with wife Karmyn)
*Gail Blakeley *Rosanne Kendall
*Ann Morgan *Douglas Emerson
*7 voting members, which means quorum is 4.
Chris began by welcoming everyone.
Dr. Margo Shuttleworth , the Ward 4 school board trustee, spoke about upcoming board events and items of interest to SEM families:
Douglas thanked Margo for her time, then asked that the minutes from the June 2019 meeting be approved. Ann so moved, Rosanne seconded. Carried.
Chris reported that the new SEM website will be posted soon. The plan is to post the minutes from council meetings (including from last year’s meetings) on the new website.
Election
Douglas Emerson was ACCLAIMED as chair.
No nominees were put forward for vice-chair.
Rosanne Kendall was ACCLAIMED as secretary.
Ann Morgan was ACCLAIMED as treasurer, and will work with Lana, the SEM secretary.
Jenna Burnham and Ben Bokma were ACCLAIMED as PIC representatives.
Everyone took a moment to introduce themselves.
Treasurer’s Report (Ann Morgan)
Last year we spent $5,323. That money went to support the Grade 8 grad, blacktop painting, buses for field trips, new computers, sponsoring some students for the Grade 8 grad trip, music, numeracy, student fees, athletic uniforms, and the Waterloo (Gauss) math test.
As of the beginning of this year we had $3,799 in the bank, but $1,500 of that has been earmarked for landscaping around the front of the school, and $353 of it was carried over from last year’s PIC grant and must be spent accordingly.
Our typical annual commitments include the math contest ($400), Grade 8 grad ($2,000), and movie license ($800). Our usual pizza day fundraiser is already in place – Ann will bring the numbers to the next meeting.
Principal’s Report (Chris Row)
This year SEM has 348 kids, in 15 homeroom classes (one self-contained). We have a new custodian, Dave MacMillan (who is already tired of jokes about his last name). The Grade 6 team-building trip to the ropes course at Brock University went very well. Our cross-country team was highly successful – SEM won awards for the most participants at the junior and senior levels, and our grade 8 boys won the meet. The grade 8 leadership symposium also went very well (considering opening it up to grade 7s as well next year).
Many teams and clubs are up and running: volleyball, Eagle Club, Leadership Club, Safespace. Several spirit days have been planned or have already taken place, thanks to the Leadership Club. The grade 4-6s will be going to a Bulldogs game this month. Meanwhile, the grade 8 grad trip has already been booked, and the grad wear has already been ordered (it’s supposed to arrive by Christmas this year).
There will be a Remembrance Day assembly on November 11 during period 3 (11:10). It is not being advertised, but parents/community are welcome to join. The holiday concert is coming up on December 10. Report cards will go home on November 18, and then parent-teacher interviews will be held that week (watch for an email to go home inviting parents to make the appointments online). November 14 is MMR info night for grades 7 and 8. Rehearsals for the school play will begin after Remembrance Day.
The outdoor lights around the school have been fixed – hooray! The new school website should be up and running soon – it will be very simple but intuitive, and mobile-friendly. The Gift of Giving Back food drive has been running for the past couple of weeks, and has been a big success – the organizers will be picking up the donations on November 5.
Chris unveiled a big plan for the school moving forward – to turn the library into a learning commons, at an estimated cost of around $20,000. The existing room will be gutted and then fitted out with new carpet and shelving, flexible seating, a makerspace, a smartboard, and other initiatives, to turn it into a space where every child feels supported and has the ability to learn in the way appropriate to them, similar to the library at Hayden. The big plan also includes the creation of a sensory room (estimated cost $3,000). All the fundraising that the school does this year (Lunchbox, book fair, etc.) will be going toward this big plan; Chris asked that council consider donating the bulk of their fundraising from this year to the project as well.
Chris reported that most of the smartboards/projectors in the school are on the board’s “sunset list,” meaning that the board will not pay to repair them any more. This means that as the school’s technology breaks, it will have to be replaced instead. Chris is considering replacing some of the projectors with smart TVs, which cost about $400 each instead of the $1,500 cost of a projector.
Rosanne asked how announcements work at SEM. It was explained that they are distributed to the teachers through GoogleDocs, not read over the PA (except for birthdays). There appear to be some gaps in disseminating the information to the students; Chris pointed out that any student whose teacher does not share the announcements can ask to see them at any time.
Proposed meeting schedule for 2019-2020: November 4 (today), February 3, April 6, and June 1. After discussion, the dates were confirmed. It was agreed that anything that needs to be sorted out between meetings can be discussed by email. Everyone provided their email address.
The grade 8 graduation ceremony/reception is set for June 22.
General Discussion
Question from Ben Bokma – Why do we have a school council?
Chris: Council is meant to be a connection between the school and the community, and to provide input and feedback. The Council Chair and the principal are in constant communication. Council discusses what’s best for the students based on what we have available. The Chair collects feedback and observations from parents, principal does the same from the school’s perspective, and we discuss the issues as a group. Topics can be added to agenda in advance, or brought up in General Discussion. Council’s primary activity is to raise money for the kids, and to use that money to improve kids’ experience at school. Council needs to be a positive environment where we talk about what’s best for the kids, the school, staff and faculty.
Question from Ben – Is the best way for us to support the school just support, feedback and fundraising, and if so, is there a plan for what that looks like?
Chris: Yes – let’s discuss it during the Fundraising Goals discussion. The school improvement plan goals (as well as the anti-bullying plan and the school budget) are still in draft form, but I will share them by email prior to the next meeting.
Ben: Are those displayed publicly in the school in any way?
Chris: There are ways to share it, let me reflect on that.
Ben: Will we have an opportunity to discuss what our goals are and our role as a council?
Douglas: Yes, it will come out in part based on what we do in our fundraising discussion. Let’s come back to it then.
Question from Ben – What is the role of staff and faculty reps?
Andrea: We represent these groups, can bring issues forward.
Douglas: They make sure we have all perspectives from the school represented. They facilitate communication, but any issues would be channeled through Chris.
Ben: Thank you for committing your time, we value your voice.
Landscaping discussion
Chris reported that the board has approved the school’s request for a walkway across the front of the school, but it could take up to 2 years before the walkway is installed. He said we would save the $1,500 earmarked for landscaping until the walkway is in, so that we don’t risk doing work that will have to be removed again when the walkway goes in. Work on the signage on the front of the building (school name) will also wait.
Ben pointed out that the original proposal for the landscaping was less for new planting and more for clean-up, as our physical space informs our attitudes and perspectives. The $1,500 quote was based on the landscaping company donating its time; it would be good if we could move ahead with at least some of that investment for cleanup before winter sets in. Vendor vetting?
Chris reported that there will soon be a new facilities manager at the board, which will hopefully mean more clarity and answers. He will push for answers, and will report back to council via email.
Question from Ben – How does the community see the school? Can we solicit feedback from the larger community?
Chris: Board surveys go out every year, soliciting feedback – but only about 6% of recipients answer the surveys, and an even smaller number come to events that we run. We’re trying to build engagement; it’s a process.
Ben: What if we sent out school-specific surveys?
Douglas: Sounds good, let’s look at that going forward.
There was discussion about creating an educational pamphlet for families, along the lines of, “Who does what to affect my child’s school career?” There was support for the idea; this would probably be a long-term project.
Movie Night discussion
This year’s first movie night will be on November 28 (Thursday). Sharon will run point, and will train up someone to lead the event next year. Angry Birds 2 was suggested as a possible film to show.
Spring Fling FYI
The Spring Fling is booked for Tuesday June 9, 2020.
PIC/PRO discussion
The $353 left over from our PIC grant from last year will have to be spent in a PIC-approved way. Some will be set aside for the volunteer recognition event in June; we can assess other options through the year for the rest of it.
The PRO grant has a new procedure this year: we have to submit the application form to the board instead of directly to the Ministry. Then the board reviews all the applications and decides which ones will be granted (because now the board only has a limited pool of money to grant). Douglas will run point on the PRO process this year.
Holiday Concert discussion
The SEM winter holiday concert is booked for Tuesday December 10. There will be a dress rehearsal in the afternoon (which is open to parents, as well as the whole school), and then the final performance in the evening.
Council will provide hot chocolate and craft tables again this year. Volunteers will be needed; might be able to coordinate this with the Student Leadership Club through Chris. Any adult volunteers will, of course, need to have a police check on file with the school. Chris will organize the hot chocolate, kettles, cups, etc.; Ann and Rosanne will coordinate the craft tables/kits. Douglas moved that council spend up to $100 on supplies for the concert; Ben seconded; carried. Note: ETFO job action may impact the holiday concert.
Fundraising Goals
After discussion, it was decided that our fundraising goal is:
To help bring the community together to support a small school and improve the student experience, creating a positive learning environment where kids want to excel and where they find reward and fulfillment, and where families feel they are part of a positive culture.
Our mission (how we will reach that goal) is: through fundraising, community events, and teaching.
Ben proposed that this goal be stated on the agendas for future meetings.
After some discussion and revision of wording, Rosanne moved that the bulk of our fundraising this year be put towards the Learning Commons project, with the exception of previously discussed expenses and special projects that may arise during the year. Douglas seconded. Motion carried.
Douglas adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.