April, 2024-School Council Minutes

Posted April 12, 2024

Date: April 9th, 2024 

Start Time: 6:30pm

Location – Salem Public School, Learning Commons

Welcome

Attendees: Kyla Lightfoot, Jessie Price, Thomas Sampson , Kortney Derikx, Lauren Harris Selby, Andrea Catteau, Lisa Wyatt, Katie Giddy and Vanessa Cordes

Approval of Minutes from February: LINK to February Minutes

Approve: Katie Cheesemond/Giddy

Seconds: Thomas Samson

Teachers Report (Amanda Marson- absent read by Kyla Lightfoot)

  • Writing and math skills developing throughout the grades
  • EQAO practice happening in grade 3 and 6 classrooms
  • Rocks and Rings-curling was great fun during gym

Principals Report (Kyla Lightfoot)

  • The Forest of Reading program is wrapping up and students in both the Blue Spruce and Silver Birch book clubs will be celebrating and voting on their favourite books during the last week of April.
  • Jenn Haines from the Dragon Book Store in Guelph is coming to host a 2-day Comic book fair on April 18-19th
  • April is Earth Month and classes are participating in an Earth-Month Bingo Challenge.  We are hoping to host an ECO Showcase on Friday May 3rd to share some student work and potentially fundraise for an environmental organization.
  • Local Author and Retired UGDSB teacher Beth Becker is coming for a visit on May 13th to share her book Something Nice; A Musical Tale with some of our primary classes.
  • Transition visits to Elora (grade 3/6) happening soon and tournaments throughout the year for grade 6.

Upcoming Events:

  • April 10th-Raise the Dough event -order pizza to support the school
  • April 22nd-Earth day (April focus on environment and sustainability)
  • May 6th-10th-Education week, each class will create something to sell/showcase on May 10th
  • May 10th Spring Swap (clothing, toys etc). More information to come for families
  1. New Business:
  • A motion was made to add an additional council meeting for next month. The date will be Tuesday May 7th at 6:30pm, this will be the final School Council meeting of the year.
  • Council discussed the three-five year playground fundraising/building plan.
  • Council confirmed that the playground account should be topped off to $11, 500.00  ($1500 from the sale of K.Cheesmond books from the winter craft night and about $5473 from Salem 2023/2024 fundraising efforts)-This money was shifted April 10th. 

Spring Swap

  • May 10th at approx 3:20-5:00pm is the day of the Spring Swap (clothing, toys etc). Families can donate their gently used items as well as pick up items as they see fit. This will go along with Earth Day and the education week that  Salem students will be focussing on, any leftover items will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. More information on this event to come.

Author visit

  • Mike Wade, Author of ‘And Then it Happened’ may visit our school and give an Author talk to students (need a local school in the area to partner with us). 
  • This event would be the kickoff to a whole school read-a-thon with prizes.
  • Funds raised from the read-a-thon will go towards our library, more information and pledge forms to come.
  • School council made a motion to pay for the cost of the author (which is $300 and an extra $100 to pay for ‘read-a-thon’ prizes). The motion was passed with Katie C. bringing the motion forth and Lauren S. seconding.

June Jamboree

  • June 6th is JK orientation (4:00-5:00pm) that will be followed by the June Jamboree school picnic at 5:00pm.
  • Food choices were discussed during the council meeting, with several different options available. More information to come, this will again be made available on School cash online for families to purchase.
  • At the May 7th school council meeting we will look at the organization of the picnic and volunteers needed
  1. Treasurer Report (Courtney Ecclestone-absent read by Kyla Lightfoot) 
    • Charitable lunches: $0
    • Fundraising: $10, 343
    • General Fund: $312.37
    • Nutrition Program: $4864
    • Parent Engagement: $-0 
    • Playground: $11,500 
    • Playground maintenance: $1000
    • Student Activities & Teacher Allocations: $0
  • Ending Balance: $ 28, 019.00

Final 2023/2024 School Council meeting: May 7th, 2024 at 6:30pm

End Time: 7:35




 

 

Categories: School Council News