École John English SAC

 This virtual meeting was held online via Google meet. 

Welcome 7:05 – 7:06

• Links to agenda and SAC Budget shared in the meeting chat 
• Introductions
  • Jen introduced the meeting, herself and David Fudge as Co-Chairs
  • General introductions not completed because of virtual meeting, but all families are welcome to this and future meetings
  • See Appendix A for meeting attendance 
• Offer extended to add agenda items
  • None at this time

Principal/Vice Principal’s Report 7:06 – 7:52

• The school had been granted permission for photos, then 4 days later permission rescinded
  • If we enter red zone we will be able to host individual photos
  • Question posed to attendees: have the opportunity to do it indoor or outdoors, any preference?
    • Benefits to outdoor include added Covid safety 
    • Need to take weather into account when planning and booking
    • Casual vote taken and the consensus is to go outdoor if possible
  • M. Gélinas will contact our vendor and discuss how it might work
  • Parent question- would outdoor photo allow group photo? 
    • Will follow TDSB policies for the time of the photo, so that is as of yet unknown

• HEPA filters in the school
  • JEJMS currently has 6 HEPA filters that have been provided by the TDSB
    • They are placed in specific rooms in the school
    • Assumption that rooms were identified because of low ventilation
    • Recently got an email that all classrooms will receive a HEPA filter
    • Parents will be informed as soon as more information is available and the filters become available to the school

• Playground Committee and update
  • The playground committee has met— the TDSB has indicated that the sustainability office will be paying for everything
  • The TDSB Project leader has said that once they tender to different vendors, it will determine the end product based on vendor catalogue
    • The school might be able to top up from the base TDSB structures
    • The project lead gave the committee a list of schools to look at who have recently had playground structures replaced, and the committee is visiting them to see what the potential end product could look like

• Project next steps
  • The TDSB has several milestones that need to be met along the way, which initiate the next steps in the project.

• Need to survey the school community and see what kind of needs we would like serviced in our playground 

• Site visit was to our school cancelled a couple of times because of the weather
  • That will be rescheduled to allow the project lead to see the space that is available
• Parent question- Is there a timeline assigned to anything? Do we know when our wish-list is needed? When breaking ground would happen?
  • This will be triggered by completion of each project milestone
  • Then the project goes to tender, and once a vendor is identified, more firm project timelines will be established 
• Committee has visited a few playgrounds already and will update their documentation to support that
  • Committee comment: RH McGregor – the only thing that seemed new was the natural elements, but the play structures appeared well used and well loved
    • This replacement was just the kindergarten playground, not the same scope of the project that we have
• Committee will be trying to get milestones done by mid-March 

• Parent question : would the renovation be completed over the summer? 
  • If we are able to meet the milestones, that would be the goal
  • Would it also be a project they would do over the school year?
    • The construction timelines are not long, can be completed within weeks
• Parent question: has anyone looked at David Hornell?
  • Thought to not be a board-funded project
• Parent question: Can it be a combo of school committee and TDSB money? 
  • Perhaps, but we will first ask for the best possible playground and see what we get. Can reassess depending on the board final product
• The project will not touch the spider web area, and the way the project is going to be completed would allow for additional expansion in the future (which would likely be community funded) 
• Parent question: In previous years discussions about field and track had come up-is that part of this?
  • At this point this has not been discussed

• Teacher virtual field trips: 
  • The SAC offer of $150 to each class to support virtual experiences has been shared with teachers
  • Indicated that classes can pool their money if it is a more expensive experience
  • Should be getting some requests from teachers soon
  • Only restriction is that it has to be a TDSB approved vendor
  • This represents a SAC Spend of $6k in order to capture all teachers 
    • Motion approved by majority in the Zoom chat 
      • See meeting Appendix B for details
• Question posed to attendees: The office received a complaint from people whose yards back on the schoolyard 
  • The basketball nets are being used at lots of hours of the day/night and neighbour would like the school to restrict their access
  • Parent question: what is the complaint? 
    • Noise from the basketball court
    • Suggestion that they should call the bylaw office to file a complaint through the proper channels
  • Parent comment: It is a lot of additional ask to the caretaking staff
  • Admin agrees, schools are meant to be community hubs
  • School has been there for a long time, and the homeowners likely knew that upon purchasing their home
  • Note: The discussion in the Zoom chat is overwhelmingly in support of the basketball nets being present 

• Gym floor is going to be resurfaced this summer
  • Permits are out, so by the time school begins in September the floor will be replaced
  • Teachers will provide line suggestions that reflect the gym use

• Assigned Public Health Nurse Update
  • Our assigned Public Health Nurse came to visit our school
  • She agreed to come to a parent meeting and give a presentation 
  • Suggestion that we open it up to other local school communities
  • Suggest that we pick a Thursday, avoiding Easter/Spring breaks
  • Can we submit questions in advance to ensure that the presentation addresses community concerns?
  • Jennifer to send possible dates to Luc moving ahead with this

• Parent question: Has there been any communication around asymptomatic testing and when our school will be included? 
  • Not immediately clear, M. Gélinas will check and report back

• PRO Grant—we had a parent submit an application for the Parents Reaching Out grant, and we wait for a decision. 
  • Should we receive the funds we are looking to put together a virtual presentation and follow up actions within the school that address and include strategies for “connecting, supporting, and engaging radicalized parents/caregivers, particularly those who identify as Indigenous and Black.”
  • The purpose of this project is to educate and be educated about how to effectively reach and engage racialized families in our community so that we can continue to create a school environment where everyone feels like they have an equal voice and opportunity for success. We would like to provide education that allows the entire school community to better understand the challenges that BIPOC/Indigenous families face and to create resources within the school that specifically support the mental/emotional well-being and target the sometimes unique educational needs of children from BIPOC/Indigenous families.
  • If we are approved for the grant, the money would need to be spent by the end of June with the goal of expanding the follow-up actions into the upcoming school year.

• A call has been made in the Weekly Update regarding our need lunchroom supervisors
  • Currently short 2 or 3 right now
  • Because of our current need, this would provide steady work for anyone who is hired

• School Staffing: 
  • Annual staffing process has begun for next year which begins with enrollment projections 
    • Our school projection is sitting at 815 
  • Will get staff allocation mid-March, which leads to building models of how classes will be structured
  • Once models are done, the class breakdowns will be presented to SAC for input
  • The TDSB school planning is as through things will be going back to entirely in-person, with a school model that is structured as it was pre-Covid
    • This means that virtual teachers coming back to their regular schools
    • Students will be assigned back to their home schools
    • Virtual schools could possibly be planned into the 2021-22 school year, more information to come.
  • If the ministry decides to implement restrictions like this year, they will be dealt with as they were this year
  • The school model has to be approved by April 15, and will be presented at the next SAC meeting

• Parent question: Have used the resource ‘28 moments in Black Canadian History’?
  • This was not a resource that had been brought up to staff yet, shared with families (update: this was included in the Weekly Update of March 8, 2021)

Teacher’s Report 7:52-8:01

• Student parliament initiatives
  • The Student Parliament put together a Bingo card, allowing classes to celebrate and learn about certain area as a class:
    • African and Chinese heritage month
    • Fairness/honesty/well-being
  • Classes can complete the BINGO card together and has allowed for great class discussion and learning
  • Are also planning a Spirit Week for JEJMS
    • The kids miss being together as a school and the Student Parliament is coming up with great ways to create a sense of connection and community
    • Helping the kids find ways to feel that it is a united community and to leave a mark on this extraordinary year
    • Parent comment: Some kids have expressed how much they miss PJ days
• The staff are putting together a book to honour Mr Howe
  • Teachers are inviting the SAC to participate along with Staff, Former staff, Admin, students to participate by completing a 8.5×11 page to be put together with the others from the school
  • Completed pages can be delivered to the school office or Mme D’Sa for inclusion

Board Business                                                                                 8:01 – 8:17

• Motion: Electronic sign at the front of the school
  • Motion put forth to formally cancel the project to build an electronic sign to replace the current sign in the front of the school
  • Parent question: Can this be brought up again in this future, as it might have been a useful thing to have this year to communicate with the community.
    • Yes—it can be discussed
    • The opposition for the sign was around the light pollution, and if a sign was even needed at all. In addition to a massive cost, it would be low quality technology that would arrive out of date and buggy.
    • The sign location would change from its currently placement in order to comply with city bylaws
  • Parent question: It has been mentioned that the current sign is somewhat dangerous, what is the plan for it? 
    • Yes—acknowledging this, the sign will be changed infrequently and not by students, but only by caretaking staff moving forward
  • Motion approved by majority in Zoom chat 
    • See Appendix C for details

• A call for additional volunteers to help with Kiss and Ride in the mornings
  • Note that staff would like to request a visual identifier for Kiss and Ride volunteers going forward
  • Will create lanyards or wear safety vests

• Next meeting date: The next meeting will be held virtually on April 8, 2021 at 7:00 pm

Meeting Ends 8:17

Ward 3 School Trustee: Patrick Nunziata can be reached at Patrick.Nunziata@tdsb.on.ca or 416 996 5572, sign up for e-newsletter at www.tdsb.on.ca/ward3/Ward3.aspx or follow him on Twitter @NunziataPatrick