Input
Input from the field
Kathy talked about attending the robotics competition at Rick Hansen Secondary School. She was very impressed with the level of parent involvement. Each of the competing student teams has adults—parents, community members and teachers—volunteering with them to share their expertise. She mentioned she felt this was the type of initiative PIC should support and encourage.
Update on ESL/ELL project
Varsha updated the committee on the ESL/ELL project for the elementary level. She shared a snapshot of what the parent presentation will look like and explained the resource will cover the following topics:
- benefits of the ESL/ELL program
- who qualifies to receive support
- why it’s necessary
- how we support equity and success for all students
- the various ESL/ELL programs
- how teachers use unique approaches to meet the needs of individual students
- the advantages of retaining the home language
The package is near completion. Varsha will consult with curriculum staff to have the package reviewed before it’s prepared for distribution.
Update on Parent Literacy Conference planning
The Make a Difference in Literacy and Beyond Parent Conference is on March 24 at Rick Hansen Secondary School in Mississauga. Flyers will be distributed to families through schools in February. The deadline to register is March 9. Online registration will be available soon at http://www.peelschools.org/parents/literacy_conference.htm
The committee will have a booth at the event and give out tip sheets for parents, as well as encourage parents to apply for the committee this spring.
Committee to fund speakers in the community
At its budget meeting last fall, the committee decided to set aside $5000 to fund speakers in the community. The intention is to connect with community organizations and identify needs related to family engagement and the school system. Committee members talked about connecting with faith centres, cultural groups and resident groups. At the next meeting, members will come with ideas or needs they’ve heard from the groups they spoke to and the committee will decide which events to support.
Selection of new members
Dan, Shan, Salha, Kathy and Lisa volunteered to sit on the selection committee to select new members. There will be four parent positions available this spring. The positions start in September 2012 and are a two-year term. Application packages will be available in the spring and will be posted on www.peelschools.org, sent to schools and to school councils. The opportunity to apply will also be promoted through a news release and the board’s social media sites.
Budget
The committee decided to set a separate budget meeting for Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 to determine how to spend the remaining budget of approximately $12,000. A summary of expenditures to date has been provided to committee members.
Discussion about fees guideline
Committee members were asked to review the fees guideline and speak to their networks to determine what impacts, if any, are being felt by families. Feedback from members is parents and students have noticing a reduction in the number of field trips. Otherwise, the guideline hasn’t had a major impact on families’ school experiences.
Presentation by Catherine Soplet
Catherine Soplet provided the committee with an overview of some work she’s been involved with over the last number of years related to the PRO grants. She informed the committee she has been encouraging the Ministry of Education to evaluate the impact of the PRO grants on achievement and school climate. Catherine encouraged the committee to do whatever it can to support our schools’ PRO grant applications.
School council email addresses provided to People for Education
We received a request from People for Education to share our school council email addresses so they can add them to their newsletter distribution. The email addresses are public information and the list has been provided.
Next regular meeting
The next regular committee meeting is on February 27 at 4:30 p.m. in the Inglewood Room of the HJA Brown Education Centre.
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