T.A.Blakelock H.S School Council Meeting Sep 26, 2023

Present at meeting in person: Kristina Kriston, Melissa Crawford, Katherine Garber, Lisa Duncan, Terrance Henry, Vineed Guliani, Dolunay Sen, Lienne Leung, Dan Duncan, Jessica Lim, Rania Elbeheiry, Paul Daswon, Kerry Sagar, Kevin McConvey, Art Hilson

Online attendees: 

The meeting began at 7:00 PM with Mr. Dawson giving a brief introduction. He started by acknowledging the Indigenous history of the land they were on and the importance of honoring and respecting it. He also mentioned that it was Reconciliation Week at the school, marked by students wearing orange shirts on Friday.

Introductions were made by various attendees, including Kristian, Melissa, Katherine, Dan, Lisa, Terrence, Dolni, Leanne, Kevin, Riana, and others.

Mr. Dawson discussed the roles within the school council, including general members, executive members (chair, co-chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer), and committee representatives. He emphasized the importance of parent involvement and the various ways one can participate, from attending meetings to taking on specific roles.

Roles and responsibilities within the council were outlined:

• Chair: Responsible for presiding over meetings, supervising council activities, and preparing agendas.

• Co-chair/Vice-chair: Assists the chair in their duties and helps with council activities.

• Secretary: Maintains records of meetings and handles membership sign-ins.

• Principal: Supports the council by providing information and communication.

• Fundraising: Involves planning and organizing fundraising activities for the school.

Mr. Dawson also mentioned the significance of fundraising in high schools and encouraged parents to get involved in school events, as students appreciate their participation.
The meeting discussed the potential election of council roles, but due to the number of attendees, a formal vote couldn't take place. Instead, attendees were asked to express their
interest in specific roles.

There was a call for volunteers to take on roles within the school council, ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to contribute to the school's community.

• Attendees expressed interest in various roles within the school council. Notable appointments included Kristina Kriston and Veineet Guliani as Co-chair, Lisa Duncan as Treasurer, Kalsum Kakar, and Riana Elbeheiry as PIC Representatives, and Jemma Hagarman as a volunteer willing to help wherever needed.

• There was a discussion about fundraising, with Kristina Kriston proposing it be a committee effort rather than the responsibility of one person. This suggestion was well-received.

• The meeting identified those who had expressed interest in becoming voting members of the council. The organizers would follow up to formalize these roles.

• The meeting touched upon using social media for communication and reaching out to parents. Katherine Garber offered assistance in managing social media.

• The roles within the school council, including Chair, Co-chair/Vice-chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Principal, and various committee roles, were explained in more detail.

• The student council representatives provided an overview of planned events for the school year. These events included a scavenger hunt, club displays, a potential assembly with SAVIS (Sexual Assault Awareness organization), and initiatives to foster friendships among students. Other events like a Career/Elective Course Fair, a Coffee House Night to showcase student creativity, and a Winter Assembly were also mentioned.

• The idea of "No Can, No Park" for Halloween was discussed, where students and parents would bring canned food to park in the school lot. It was suggested to have a chosen charity and explore options for cash donations alongside canned goods.

• A parent suggested having music during Art Night, which could enhance the event's atmosphere and engagement.

• Paul Dawson discussed the importance of making learning visible and public, emphasizing that it enhances organization and promotion.

• Karen Bowman inquired about the date for the semi-formal event, but there was no specific date mentioned yet.

• Paul Dawson mentioned that the semi-formal event would be open to all grades.

• Jemma, who works for an art charity, offered to connect with Kristina regarding potential art programs for the school.

• Andrew from Employment Halton presented information about programs and services offered by Employment Halton, focusing on support for graduating students. He emphasized the importance of networking and planning ahead for post-secondary education or employment.

• A discussion touched upon opportunities for high school students in co-op placements and internships.

• An update was provided on various programs at the school, including the Community Pathways program, the iSTEM program, and specialist high skills major programs. The school's growing enrollment was also mentioned.

• The importance of making wise course selections and planning for timetables was highlighted, and the school administration discussed their efforts to accommodate student preferences as best as possible.

• Brandy emphasized the importance of course placement as the first choice and avoiding waitlists in high school.

• Paul Dawson explained the school's process for building timetables and accommodating students' course selections, ensuring that they prioritize graduation requirements for senior students.

• The discussion continued on course placements and timetable allocations. It was explained that sometimes courses can be accommodated if there are equivalent courses running in the same semester or if it's an e-learning course with available space. However, there are limitations based on resources and teacher availability.

• The importance of students planning ahead and making wise course selections was reiterated.

• Information about the school's code of conduct was provided. The school follows the board's code of conduct, which applies to various school events and activities, including dances and off-campus events.

• The emphasis was placed on creating a safe and inclusive environment for students, and parents were encouraged to communicate with the school if they have any concerns or if their child witnesses any incidents.

• Information on the dress code was shared, and it was mentioned that the school's dress code aligns with the board's code.

• Upcoming events and dates were announced, including Orange Shirt Day, parent-teacher interviews, information sessions for grade 8 students, and the school's school improvement plan for student achievement (SIPSA).

• The school's SIPSA focuses on achievement goals and student well-being, anchored in human rights and sustainable development goals. The plan includes six areas of focus: connecting to the community, engaging student voices, innovative teaching practices, making learning visible, reflecting on resources, and using data to inform next steps.

• Student input and engagement are essential components of the SIPSA process, and the school aims to keep families informed as the plan progresses.

• The meeting discussed fundraising plans, emphasizing that funds raised during a school year should be used in the same year. Some funds can carry over, depending on the nature of the fundraising activity.

• The school's sports clubs and teams are active, with the gym being used for practices, games, and events. Student leadership opportunities, such as the Tiger Crew, are also available.

• Updates on ongoing construction and renovations in the school building were provided. Renovations include changes to the library, addition of change rooms, and the removal of lockers to create more space. The school is gradually working towards improving its facilities.

• Temporary electrical and Wi-Fi arrangements have been made during the renovation process. The renovations are expected to enhance the learning environment for students.

• The school emphasized the importance of students getting involved in various programs and activities offered by the school.

• A trustee report was not presented at this meeting

• The dates for upcoming School Council meetings, which are typically held four times a year. The next meeting is scheduled for November 28th at 7 PM followed by meetings on February 27 and May 28. 

• The meeting concluded with the opportunity for questions or thoughts from attendees.

T.A. Blakelock School Council Minutes- May 29, 2023

Land Acknowledgement

Introductions and Welcomes - 7:00-7:10:

• Welcome members in attendance

Student Report 7:10-7:20:

• Information from Student Council Co-Prime Ministers

Co-Chairs Report 7:20-7:40:

• Fundraising - arts, films and everything festival

• Pro-Grant - report on the event and discussion

• Opportunities for next year - events and School Council Roles

Principal’s Report 7:40-8:00:

• Programming updates

• Renovation updates

Clubs, teams, extracurricular

• Spring sports 

• Many clubs are finishing up

• Extracurricular updates
  
  

Teachers Report

Trustee Report

New Business

Next Meeting Dates:

To be determined - First meeting expected in September of 2023

T.A. Blakelock School Council Minutes- November 21, 2022

Present - Paul Dawson, Joanne Chubb, Dennis Han, Jennifer Heuft, Dolunay Sen, Lienne Leung, Jeanette Armitage, Melinda Pegg-Liauba, Karen Puhmmann, Linda DiBiase, Kas Hallman, Ann Murphy, Carole Baxter, Tabitha Pyrchalla, Hannah Kohler

PD - Greetings and welcome, thanks for joining us for the Nov 21 School Council Meeting 

Land Acknowledgement

PD - acknowledgement

Introductions and Welcomes - 7:00-7:30

• Welcome members in attendance

JC - welcome everyone, one of the co chairs, KK cannot attend, turn over to student council

Student Report:

• Information from Student Council Co-Prime Ministers

HK - we are here to share what the student council has been doing to improve school spirit and student engagement and voice.  We have been working on bully awareness through special activities and events including just dance, friend grams, yoga, door decorating contest for open house to showcase tab spirit, stay tuned we will be announcing the winner soon.  The November focus is mental health and men’s health and this is supported with our daily announcements.  On the 30th we will encourage that we all wear mustaches.  In the New Year we will be hosting the cocoa and cram with study help.

HK - questions concerns

PD - thank you for the update, we meet once a month, encourage your students to connect with student council, if we are missing anything we will find a way to incorporate new ideas

HC - Tiger Talk - general council is rebranded, Thursday at lunch, posted on Instagram

JC - Can you stay for a few minutes, useful for you to have info

Co-Chairs Report:

• Fundraising

JC - Time to get back to fundraising, four areas of need, the first is Angel fund and the need to replenish this fund. Second area of need is the shortage of technology such as computers. Third area of need is HLF (Halton Learning Foundation) as there are a lot of families in need. We have two ideas which include hot chocolate and Cobbs Bread and/or Tim Hortons to benefit the HLF and Angel Fund. We are looking at a soft launch and to rebuild the volunteer base as we need volunteers.

The other concept is to have a big event such as a first annual film festival and arts fest. This is another way to get parents involved and to invite feeder schools and to build community among staff and students. We have lots of great talent, and raise funds for Angel Fund and for technology. Have a concept idea for this like the Oscars.

The arts fest will feature creative student works such as wood working, sewing and other arts created. Design this to be a scalable event. We can use the library, gym, studio, both.  KK and I would like to remove barriers and fully include all members of our school community. The CPP kids could create posters, and with communication devices can make announcements, creating a day in the life of a CPP student mini documentary.  We have a fair number of students new to Canada and ELL students so we need to be mindful of how to include everyone. We are planning on a low cost for admissions, lots of volunteer opportunities for students, and also need to build up a volunteer base. The plan is to raise funds by admission fee or donations, and if students are willing to contribute then sell some of the students' work by auction or by gallery, and concession sales. Next, we need to create a buzz, KK and I will be attending the next staff meeting Dec 5th, get people involved in a committee, and I will pass a committee sign up for a tentative event date of May 11, 2023.

Question - Have you considered third party fundraisers? As it would require a lot less work, we get a cut of the sales etc. 

Question - Do you have financial goals or participation goals?

JC - This is more about creating an event for the school anything we raise is a bonus, put money towards a laptop 

PD - I believe many teachers are keen to this idea, great to bring people back into our school

JC - It would be for feeder schools as well

JC - Will stay around after the meeting to discuss with anyone interested in helping 

Principal’s Report 7:30-8:15

• School Councils Financial Training - Monday, November 28th

PD - Financial training JC and me 

• I-STEM Open House review

PD - We had over 1500 people in building, 200 applications, closes Dec 5th, positive response 

• Grade 8-9 Open House

PD - Great tours, great participation by staff and students touring their younger siblings, between 400-500 in attendance, thank you to DS and her team

• SIPSA development

PD - School improvement plan for student achievement, looking forward to having more student voice, establish some of the goals but it is a multi year plan 

Clubs, teams, extracurricular

• Fall/winter sports up and running

PD - Everything is on, full swing, more opportunities for kids to get involved

• Many clubs are getting organized

PD - We have everything running (list later), if we are not running something then get in contact and we will make it happen

Physical Plant:

• Update on next phase of the renovations 

PD - phase one of the renovations will be to have four classrooms renovated around the library as well as two change rooms and a storage room.  This will start around March break, significant demolition. Next will be the library in mid June.  May be limited access to the library during this time.  The seminar room will be moved to the front of the library and large glass walls will be installed in the halls to make the learning visible.  Having experience at a previous school when staff and students see learning happening they want to get involved.  Phase two will start summer to fall and will be the science labs.  Phase three will start 2025 and include expanding the air conditioning to remaining parts of the building, CPP classrooms, Drama rooms, and the interior courtyard of the school.  Busy and hectic but will be very good.

Question - will the drawings be posted?

PD - we don’t have all of the final plans

JC - what do you anticipate the impact on students?

PD - we are taking it phase by phase, we feel confident we have this planned to minimize disruption 

Teachers Report

AH - On behalf of the education workers I would provide the perspective that it has been a great school year so far.  It is also very exciting to be at a school that is seeing significant investments to improve the learning environment.     

Trustee Report

I am new to the role and happy to be involved in everything, please reach out, email baxterc@hdsb.ca

JC - We appreciate you coming to the meetings and being our new trustee

JC - the Pic rep for our school is Dennis Han

DH - Thank you JC, the PIC rep is the liaison between school council and the board parent involvement committee, we also attend a conference where we learn about best practices for parental engagement and the new process in term how funds assigned, equal share for each school, funds to be used to increase engagement

Question - what is PIC?

DH - parent involvement committee

JC - end of meeting we can all meet to discuss

Question - will kids have a big school dance?

PD - Yes, prom or grad in May at Burlington convention center, in discussion about semi formal

Question - movie night?

JC- yes, in hands of student council

PD - to do this right there is a licensing fee

PD - small cost, we do need to have some H&S that has some cost, committed to doing

DH - remember there is donation matching by employers or other organizations

JC - any other questions?

JC -  tabschoolcouncil@gmail.com

JC - Feb 27, 2022, May 29th both Monday

PD - Thank you again, meeting adjourned 

Student Services Presentation:

Course Selection process

• My Blueprint

• Post-secondary planning information

Next Meeting Dates:

February 27, 2023

May 29, 2023

T.A. Blakelock School Council Meeting Minutes - September 28, 2022

Present - Paul Dawson, Kerry Sagar, Joanne Chubb, Kristina Kriston, Dennis Han, Lienne Leung, Wilson Lai, Dolunay Sen, Reena Shah, Brett Herrington, Khalid Ibrahim, Dolly, Karen Paulman, Art Hilson, Tabitha Pignatiello, Hannah Kohler

Introductions and Welcomes - 7:00-7:30

PD Welcome members in attendance, excited to have people in building, 

Land acknowledgement

Timely to share acknowledgement as it is truth and reconciliation week

PD Introductions of meeting attendees 

Paul Dawson  - principal

Kristina Kriston - last year co-chair, nominee for co-chair  

Joanne Chubb - last year co-chair, nominee for co-chair  

Reena Shah - parent

Kerry Sagar - vice-principal

Brett Harington - parent

Dennis Hann - parent

Khalid Ibrahim - parent 

Dolly - parent

Wilson Lai - parent

Lienne Leung - parent

Karen Paulman - 

Hannah Kholer - student council

Tabitha Prychalla - student council

Art Hilson - teacher

PD Thank you for coming to listen and share, this is an opportunity for feedback

Explanation of election/acclimation of school council positions 

Joanne and Kristina have offered to stay on as co chairs, Art has offered to stay on as the teacher rep, student reps are from student council, each school has a PIC representative, PIC rep is part of a board wide group and attends the PIC conference and opportunities to share experiences

School council meets a minimum of 3 times a year, this is our first meeting with additional meetings in Nov, Feb and June

There are many opportunities to play a role

I am very excited to be at Blakelock which is an excellent school and at the beginning of the I-STEM transition. There will be lots of positive changes coming to this school to make it even better.  I am also a parent with a 7 and 9 year old so I understand school issues from that lens. There is so much planned for this school it is an exciting time to be at Blakelock.  Everyone knows the students are fantastic.  Please stop by and say hello at any time.  

Student Report:

Information from Student Council Co-Prime Minister - HK & TP

Student council meets every Monday and has a  PM, deputy PM, treasure, secretary, social media, and different grade reps.  Student council also oversees the General Council which is open to everyone to get feedback and student voice and input from clubs who also send reps.  Student council organizes the school club fair which connects students with the many teams and clubs at Blakelock.  

Other initiatives of Student Council include; TRC week is this week awareness including the gallery walk in library seminar room, podcast events, baby moccasins

Student Council is seeking candidates for grade 9 rep and will hold election soon and we are collecting candidate blurbs

Other initiatives include; basketball free throw contest for pink game, $1 per minute for throwing, all money going to breast cancer charities, pumpkin carving contest $5 cost, costume draw, no can no can park with proceeds going to Halton Food for Thought, we intend to hold one big event per month 

Question - can all students get involved? Yes, with General Council in room 215 on Tuesdays at noon 

PD Any more questions?  Thank you, great work being done by student council 

Principal’s Report 7:30-8:15

Start Up

PD Covid- 19 Updates - no update other than what has been shared from board

One big change is that we are in person, gyms are full, bands are back up and running, it feels like a normal school start up, mindful about assemblies, day to day is basically 100%

Semester Scheduling - expect a regular semester, ministry has gone back to normal 

Code of Conduct Review (review slide show) - slide show, go to HDSB code of conduct, things that happen on school property and off school property, students, staff volunteers, also virtual, it applies to those areas. It is a shared responsibility, respect the people and the place.  We have a progressive discipline approach. There is an anonymous button on our website to report bullying. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

PD There is a board wide dress code and we will make sure it aligns well, students and staff 

to express themselves and feel safe and supported and if there are challenges we  will work to come to a resolution, what we see fits with everyone.  In a teck shop or in a science lab there are some professional pieces. 

PD Programming updates 

 I-STEM open house November 3, Orange Shirt Day is this Friday, Terry Fox is a nice event, students want to do spirit events to bring people together.  Program nights - October 20th, firth week reports a week before, all grade 9 get a report, all others if there is a concern, this is the first check in point with families, it will be onsite but also virtual appointments available, November 17 is grade 8 program night. Tomorrow night is the open house, specific session for grade 12 students and grade 9 students, work with those coming in and going out.  Tiger crew will be there to help direct people around the building.

JC Lots of positive changes at the school

PD I-STEM IStem launching next year, we are excited!   It is a 4 year integrated program,

we are at the very beginning of this journey

KS If your kids are already here at Blakelock they will see the transition to I-STEM but they

 are unfortunately not candidates for this program.  We are getting some incredible experts and bringing in lots of great community partners including McMaster University, UTMS. We are hoping we can make some great connections in the community.

PD We want to make this Blakelock specific

Clubs, teams, extracurricular

PD Fall sports up and running, Many clubs are getting organized

Physical Plant:

PD First phase will be the four classrooms near library will be thinking innovation space, in

approximately a year and a half this will be glass, people will be able to see into spaces, how engaged kids can get when they get into I-STEM learning we will have laser cutters and 3D printers, the library will have a major renovation, more glass walls and ceilings, for a building built in the 50’s this is a great space

KI This space is missing natural light 

PD This will be fixed during the renovations 

PD Air conditioning will be phase 2, also science lab updates, phase three will be updates to 

the front facade and door 27, lift will be renovated, and accessibility throughout the school. This school has a gun range that will be repurposed 

KS The plan will be to make more places for student to gather in the building like a

learning commons

PD The girls change room will also be moved up

PD A lot happening in this building, this will add to the student population, if you are a school

that is undersubscribed then you sometimes miss out on programming, distinct advantage to have a CPP program, how do we incorporate all students, there are a lot of opportunities

PD Questions?

Question - any more work to be done to enhance the outside spaces

PD The butterfly garden will be updated, the center courtyard.  I will also offer an apology in 

advance as there may be time when portables are needed when we are renovating

Question - any changes to the washrooms?

PD Some of them have already been renovated and I will check the plans, East wing newer 

Question - are there any updates on the cafeteria and hours of operation?

PD There has been a system wide challenge but we hope it will be back up and running, we 

don’t manage that staff, we do have a snack program so students will always have food available in the building  

.

PD Clubs teams sports up and running, if there is something wanted we can accommodate 

PD Our Trustee Tracey is at a board meeting tonight and sends her regrets for not attending 

PD We normally meet on a Monday and we can discuss any areas of interest including

fundraising, guest speakers, student services, as ideas come up please share.  The tentative dates for the next school council meeting are November  21st , February 27, May 29 , it will be published on the website 

Question - what type of fundraising?  

PD Does not have to be big scale, even if we were raising for 10 more chrome books it

would make a positive difference 

KK We can also do something larger 

PD SIPSA development - sense of community collaboration, school culture, first time in a 

long time we are able to get into this, 

Question - is this normal for attendance? 

JC Last year we had 25 online

PD We can offer to have it hybrid 

PD We really appreciate everyone joining us and we hope you are as excited about all the 

positive changes coming to Blakelock as we are.  Once again thank you for your time and support.

Question - Is there anything we can do tomorrow at the school Open House?

PD Tomorrow is for you to learning about the school, thank you 

Question - Are you encouraging the kids to come?

PD Yes, this is their school

PD Thank you again and the meeting is adjourned 

Constitution/By-laws for School Parent Advisory  Council