École John English SAC

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Welcome 7:04

• Introduction and welcome to meeting
• Agenda document shared in the zoom chat
• Land Acknowledgement played for all attendees 
• Today’s focus is to review the Ukulele program and to vote for its inclusion in SAC spend for next year. We will also have an update from our Treasurer and cover some additional areas of business.
• Are there any additional agenda items? None at this time. 

Principal/Vice Principal’s Report

• Playground access shortly, inspection checks have to happen
  • No confirmation from when the fencing will be removed, likely require some inspection checks before that will happen
  • Will be an opening ceremony before end of year
• Graduation:

• Madly planning for the many components of the event. Will be live at school on June 23^rd. 
• Teachers, intermediates, grade 8s have been rehearsing
• All students will receive 2 complementary tickets with the possibility to request more dependent on capacity
• Following the ceremony there will be refreshments in the courtyard and photo opportunities for parents and students.
• Students can attend a dinner/dance at Oasis Convention Centre 6-9:30 in Mississauga 
• We are asking for volunteer parents to help with chaperoning, and staff will be there as well.
• Need everyone to have a ride to and from and that they are accounted for
• All families were also able to order a graduation composite photo of the whole graduating class plus faculty in grade 8
• Parents will be able to buy a grad hoodie, so the final decisions regarding that were made today following a survey of students to be sure they had a voice in the final product. 
• Before the ceremony, there will also be a graduation 2 night overnight stay at Camp Wahanowin
• We are hoping all students will be able to participate in that.
• Teachers can now book field trips

• Always looking for volunteers
• Police check needed, feel free to contact the office if you would like more info

• EQAO:
  • Tests will be on June 6-10 for grade 3 and June 13-17 grade 6
  • Big difference this year, it is the first time everyone will be doing it online only – no paper this time
  • The teachers said the sample test very interactive and there are all kinds of tools the students can use during the test.

Board Business                                                                                

UKULELE PROGRAM

• This was a primary agenda item for this meeting—to review and vote on what the SAC support for the Ukulele program will look like for the next school year, which will be for the Grade 3 students.
• For the last two years we have had no extra curricular programs run at the school but prior to that Melanie Doane’s USchool had run from 2010-2019 a Ukulele program as part of the Grade 3 curriculum. 
• It was wildly successful and very much loved by the Grade 3 students, and fully funded to the students by the SAC each year.
• This program ran with an annual cost of $7500—a cost which has not been raised since the USchool program started at John English. 
• This program typically runs from October-June (approx. 36 weeks), and we would like to offer this to the Grade 3 students again. In order for this to happen we need to commit $7500 to USchool.
• Because this is a big ask, we need to have an official motion and vote on it. In order to do that, we are bringing this discussion tonight and answer any questions that our school community might have before we vote.
• If you are unfamiliar with the program, a good place to start is to read the Ukulele Program Letter that was emailed to the school community.

Letter read aloud for the record.

• We acknowledge this is a significant portion of our annual SAC budget, and that it offers a unique opportunity that the students don’t get elsewhere.
• Even though it is large spend it’s not at the detriment to other program that our SAC typically supports each year.  We’re still able to fund all of the other programs that would normally find like scientist in school, classroom support, skating program or the subsidizing field trip to the students.

Open the floor to questions, please unmute or write your question in the chat.

• Question: It is great to hear that fundraisers are coming back. Are we only doing one? Is it possible to do more?
  • Absolutely! The one fundraiser was meant to be an additional fundraiser specifically targeted to support this USchool program. 
  • Fundraisers in the past:
  • Pizza day is a big one traditionally
  • Fresh-From-The-Farm
  • Spring flower baskets/poinsettia sale
  • Marlies game
  • Movie Night
  • Trivia Night
• Question: Will there be a chance for other grades to participate that weren’t able to in the grade 3 year due to Covid?
  • This specific part of it is just for the Grade 3 curriculum program
  • USchool does also offer lunchtime programs, possibly after school as well
  • The additional programs are paid for in full by participant families at a fairly reasonable rate.
  • Students in the extra curricular program are also required to provide their own instrument
  • So while they wouldn’t be part of the school day programming, they’d be encouraged to take part in lunch time program.
• Question: Popcorn fundraiser question – ever done it?
  • Not that we are aware of.
  • Recommended as they’re wildly successful.
  • We hope to be able to do this sometime soon, knowing that food is a big seller and has a low price point.
• No other questions/concerns comments. Because this is a large spend, we will now introduce the motion to approve the program. Once it has been seconded we will then ask for any yeas/nays/abstentions.
  • Also before we introduce the wording of the motion, if you would like the wording changed at all, please know that this is an opportunity to do so. 
  • The wording of the motion will also be posted to the chat.

• M. Gélinas: Noting that the attendance of the meeting includes some families with more than one member on the call, and also many families from the school with no one at this meeting. Wonder if we should consider other ways to capture the overall school voice to ensure everyone has their say.
  • Discussion held to support that the SAC is following the board guidelines for motions for this type of business. 
  • We always welcome and encourage families who cannot attend to share opinions and concerns via email or with school administration in advance of meetings. 
  • We will be completing our bylaws before the TDSB deadline to strengthen our processes moving forward.
    • Including clarity around voting members of the SAC for future motions to capture as many voices as possible.
  • Motion to approve posted in the chat and read aloud with an invitation to modify: “I move that the SAC commits to funding the USchool ukulele program as part of the grade 3 curriculum at a cost of $7500. This will include asking grade 3 families for a $25 instalment payment in each of September or October and January or February. SAC will also run at least one fundraiser specifically targeted at raising money to support this program.”

• Moved by David Fudge and seconded by Reay Jespersen
• No requests for modification.
• Unanimous in favour

• Question: Will child care being offered when these meetings resume in person?
  • Will definitely offer childcare when we are back in person.

• Question: Has a vote ever gone home by paper?
  • No.  TDSB bylaws do not indicate this is a way to do it – needs to be an “in person” vote.

FUNDRAISING UPDATE:

• Pizza day has returned
  • Looking for volunteers 11am-12:45pm
  • Police checks required, If not done for Pizza Day this year, it’ll be ok, but moving forward, police checks will be necessary.
• Dance-a-thon for JK-5 – June 17th
  • DJ volunteer will be present
  • Each grade gets a timeslot
  • Hoping for outside
  • Looking for freezers for freezie freezing in advance!

TREASURER’S REPORT

• Link to budget document shared in the chat
• Pizza days are driving the budget at this point in the year.
  • The budget line has been updated to reflect the actual sales but would note that day of sales may change the numbers very slightly.
• Structure of the budget document has changed
  • highlighted revenue generation lines
  • greyed out lines which were not able to happen because of Covid
  • expenditures will be updated depending on some decisions we make
    • Ukulele & potentially staff appreciation event
• Balance stands at $12,719 as of May 19^th, 2022

STAFF APPRECIATION EVENT

• This has historically been an annual event for all the staff, not just teachers.  Caretaking, lunch room, etc. and this is something we want to ensure continues
• We have a person who is willing to chair the committee and drive the event but we are looking for additional committee members
• We are also going to send an ask to have families contribute.
  • What this looks like will depend on the type of event the committee defines. 
  • Potentially food contributions, or cash.  Financial contributions will be collected as cash and not through the cash online portal.
• Question: If you make contributions do you also have to attend?
  • No, you can just contribute in whatever way you are able.
• If you can help please email sacinfo@johnenglish.ca and we will connect you with the committee

SCHOOL COUNCIL BYLAWS

• There is a template provided to us by PECO 
• Going to work on the template in June so that it works for our school community
  • Due date is extended to October 2022
• Anyone interested in helping to define the bylaws, please contact us.  sacinfo@johnenglish.ca.

Next Meeting: September 2022

Meeting Ends 8:11