Eramosa Public School

Parents Council Meeting Minutes – May 2023

Posted January 12, 2024

Eramosa Public School Advisory Council May 16, 2023 7:00pm – Agenda

In attendance:  Dawn AirdrieDonovan, Angela Murray, Diana Josiak, Jacqueline Nyman, Christa Ormiston, Blaire Comacchio, Marya Morrison, Cassie Hatch.

Joining Remotely: Jeff Murray

Regrets: Rebecca Dufour, Bhumika Munroe, Dawn Raynard, Billie LeBlanc, Rob Fletcher, Stephanie Moddison, Heather Weingartner, Heidi Muller, Jenny Broadfoot.

Marya Morrison acting as Secretary 

Upcoming Dates:

Food Truck Family Fun Night May 25

4/5/6 to Green Legacy

PD Day June 2 

Kindergarten Orientation June 2

Grade 6’s to Camp Brebeuf for the Day June 8

City Track June 14&15 Rain Date of June 16

Grade 6 Graduation June 20 at 5:30

1) Welcome

2) Approval of minutes – Link to April Minutes 

The minutes are stored in the Gdrive of the Parent Council Email address. They are shared with the Chair, School Principal and School Administrative Assistant within 48 hours of end of the meeting by the secretary. 

Motion: To approve April 2023 meeting minutes. 

Moved: Blair Comacchio

Seconded: Marya Morrison

For: All

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

2b) Suggested additions to agenda:

• Sent in by Billie LeBlanc
  • UGDSB wants parent/community input on the proposed LTAP. Billie’s suggestion is to request that Eramosa Public School be extended to include Grade 7 and 8. Discussion tabled until June meeting. Deadline for input to the Board is Sept, 2023.
  • Bussing concerns, request data available for schedule delays and timing limits etc.  Dawn AD suggests that not a lot can be done this semester. The bus companies are stretched thin. Tabled further discussion until June meeting. 

3) Treasurer’s report

• UGDSB suggestion/ rule is to spend all money raised within 1-2 years. Unless the funds are filtered into a Board approved long term goal/project (ie. playground)
• EPSAC has approx. $9500 to spend this year, or risk losing access to the funds.
• Funds from Chicken Dinner and Candles have not yet been tallied.
• Discussion on each request/approval of funds to be done case by case.

4) Update on library refresh and board policy on books

• Jacqueline Nyman presented some book examples being removed. Out of date mostly pre 1990, all non-fiction.
• All books which discuss “Indian/s”.
• UGDSB suggest replacing removed books with Indigenous author text. Some money came from “Equity Fund” last year, but nothing this year.
• It would be great to budget around $3000 for the next 2-3 years. 
• Motion: To allocate $3000 to Library for this year. 
• Moved: Cassie 
• Seconded: Blair 
• For: All
• Opposed: None
• Motion Carried

5) Finance discussion 

    Each proposal discussed separately before the motion presented. 

5a) Grade 6 Grad and Year End Awards

It’s unclear where funds for graduation have come from in the past. Possibly funded by previous teachers. Plans to allocate funds for Graduation will be budgeted earlier in the school year and possibly establish a designated event/initiative for Grade 6s to be involved. 

Motion: To allocate $400 for cake, decorations and awards for this year’s graduation.

Moved: Cassie Hatch 

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5b) Grade 6 End of year trip

Brebeuf Camp, ropes courses, games, outdoor activities. 

Motion:  To allocate $510 ($30/student), to Brebeuf Camp and to continue as an annual contribution. 

Moved: Cassie Hatch

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5c) Standing desks 

Discussion: Standing desk approx. $150-300 /desk. Ask is for 1-2 desks per classroom. 7 classrooms in need K-6. Kindergarten classes may not need/use them but those desks can be utilized by other classes and rotated as needed.

Motion: To allocate $300/classroom ($2100 total) for standing desks.

Moved: Blair Comacchio

Seconded: Cassie Hatch

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5d) Playground fund Transfer

Discussion: Cassie suggested to transfer $2000 to Playground Fund (long term account). Dawn and Jacqueline suggest that there are more immediate/ greater needs right now. 

Motion: None needed – Tabled to June meeting, once final fundraising amounts are totalled.

5e) Technology Fund 

Discussion: Technology is of great importance this year. Chromebooks vs robotics/stemits.  Chromebooks are the priority in the classrooms right now. Possible robotics kits (to work alongside the chromebooks) to come at the end of the year or next year. 

Motion:  To allocate $2000 to purchase 5-6 chromebooks

Moved: Cassie Hatch

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5f) Teacher/ECE and EA reimbursement

Discussion: EAs don’t typically spend out of pocket. Discussion between $100-150/teacher. Teachers/ECE save receipts and submit to Dawn for reimbursement. 8 total teachers (including ECE). There has been feedback from council that $100 is appropriate.  

Motion:  To allocate $800 ($100 each) for teacher reimbursement.

Moved: Cassie Hatch

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5g) Track and Field

Discussion: Eramosa T&F day, 1st-6th and all students receive participation ribbons. Cost has gone up to $400 for ribbons this year.  Suggest further discussion on 1st-3rd and participation for next year. 

Motion:  To allocate $400 for ribbons this year only. 

Moved: Cassie Hatch

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5h) End of Year Play Day 

Discussion: June 27th Students have a play day outside. School has asked for freezies. Dawn will pick up freezies, and store at Christa’s house until day of event. 

Motion:  To allocate $50 for freezies

Moved: Cassie Hatch

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

5i) 2 students to Camp

Discussion:  Jacqueline was hoping to assist in registering kids for camp at UofGuelph. Logistics of registration is making the process difficult, so will need to table it this year. 

Motion:  Not needed

6) Agendas

Discussion: Funds are available, just need to transfer to appropriate account. (Need approval to be transferred to our instructional budget to offset the cost of student agendas for the 2023/2024 school year)

Motion:  To move Board funds ($500) into Instructional budget. 

Moved: Cassie Hatch

Seconded: Christa Ormiston

For: All 

Opposed: None

Motion Carried

7) Update from chicken dinner

• Everything was great

8) May open house event

• Planned for next Thursday May 25th 5-7pm 
• 5-6pm School Open
• 5:30-7:00 Dinner
• Equipment and Game set up by Grade 6 Leadership Team and Highschool Volunteers
• Christa to send out Flyer tomorrow. 
• Need to arrange an Event Committee meeting. 

9) Next meeting

• June 13th @ 7pm (last meeting of the school year)
• Recommend that Blaire chairs this meeting

Topics to be discussed

• Math workbooks $16/book.  Approx $1600 purchase approval needed for next meeting. 
• Playground fund allocation
• Council election process and bylaw discussion
• UGDSB wants parent/community input on the proposed LTAP. Deadline for input to the Board is Sept, 2023.
• Bussing concerns, request data available for schedule delays and timing limits etc.  

10) Principal’s Report

Huge thank you to everyone for helping out and organizing the Chicken Dinner and candle fundraiser! It was absolutely incredible to see our community come together like that. 

We have put together an application for an outdoor alteration project. (fencing across the field and potentially moving the kindergarten area over. I will keep the council updated as we move through the process. 

Categories: School Council