CLARKE HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes - April 2, 2009
ATTENDANCE: Jodi Stewart, Brien Page, Katherine Cornthwaite, Anne Ball, Joyce Roberts, Annette Campney-Westgarth, Kim Bell, Janet Brandt, Cindy Baird, Victoria Austin, Meaghan B., Justine V.
REGRETS: Michelle Prescott, Aimee Harris
PRESENTATION: Parent support group called HOPE. Helping Other Parents Everywhere
Do you feel out of control with your children, angry, depressed, embarrassed/or scared, or possibly a failure as a parent? This is a support group for parents with kids who act out. They have been in the Durham region for 15 years.
HOPE helps parents cope with a range of issues that range from;
Parents being verbally and or physically abused by their children,
Receiving regular calls from child’s school,
Kids are involved in drugs and alcohol,
Children are involved with the law,
Parents are making excuses for your child’s behaviour
The people giving the support are parents who have been there and experienced these issues themselves. They offer suggestions, not dictating what parents should be doing. They offer HOPE, respect and support in a non-blaming, confidential, safe, environment.
There are three locations, one in Toronto (Wellesley Street) and two being in Durham, Ajax/Pickering and Oshawa
This is a volunteer based community support group.
HOPE is empathetic and supportive for parents, step-parents, grandparents, all guardians of children
You learn that you are not alone, not a failure, you learn to disengage and change how you respond to issues within your home.
There are five words that you can use to help disengage: yes, no, wow, oh really, oh well. At times to help break the cycle you may also be required to physically remove yourself from the situation. HOPE teaches you to be simple with your actions and be consistent.
Thanks to Jackie, Brian, and Debbie for sharing their experiences with their children before, during and after seeking help from HOPE.
This group is for all parents/guardians, single, married, 1 of 2 parents, quite often if one parent starts going the other parent may notice a change and become curious. Once you join the group you are able to use this service 24/7 anytime you might have an issue arise.
When you change, the environment around you changes.
There is a website for more information:
www.helpingotherparentseverywhere.com
1-866-492-1299
905-239-3577
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: No Changes. Motion to accept by Ann Ball seconded by Katherine Cornthwaite
STUDENT REPORT: Report given by Meaghan B.
Ø The student 30 hour famine is on April 3&4, roughly 70 students have signed up for the overnight event.
Ø Bake sale was successful, raising just under $1000.00 for World Vision.
Ø Next Thursday is Decades Day...staff and students are encouraged to dress in their favourite decade
Ø An Easter egg hunt is planned on April 9 with 400 eggs being hidden around the yard with house points being involved.
Ø House points: Hulk House is in first place, followed by Batman, Superman, and Spiderman.
Mr. Page congratulated Student Council for coming up continuously with great events.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Report given by Joyce Roberts
There are two separate accounts:
School Council account ... there were no debits leaving a balance of $329.68
Parent Involvement Grant account... there were purchases for paper, envelopes and stamps for mass mailing of School Council flyers and paper for the School Council survey coming to a total of $318.40
Two door prizes for School Council were purchased $20.00 each
Leaving a balance of $541.60 in the account
Annette motioned to donate $100.00 to HOPE for their time, pamphlets and booklets they provided council. Seconded by Kim Bell.
STAFF REPORT: As distributed by Katherine Cornthwaite
Ø Arts-a-rama is on May 13, evening of music, art, and desert
Ø Breakfast Club is feeding an incredible number of students
Ø Cafeteria is following Health Smart Guidelines. They won an award for this.
Ø 14 students have applied for OYAP, currently 220 students have applied for co-op this year
Ø Mrs. Walters and Ms. Donovan are taking grade 11 English academic to see Macbeth
Ø JK/SK Activity Day – students from Dr. Ross Tilley will visit Clarke on April 7&8. Ms. Stone and Mrs. Cornthwaite’s classes will run activities for the children. Approx 120 will be visiting
Ø Mrs. Walters and Ms. Colville took grade 10, 11 and 12 French classes to a French movie and out for crepes
Ø Mr. Helleiner is planning a grade 10/11 geography trip in May. Mr. Helleiner’s classes will be going a garbage only clean up of the yard on April 25 for Earth Day.
Ø School Newsletter is on line at School Website. It is updated each week.
Ø Post Secondary planning is ongoing.
Ø Option sheets are done and time tabling has begun
Ø Course Verification sheets were sent home with students. Guidance is still looking for more to come in.
Ø There is after school badminton and indoor soccer.
Ø Indoor soccer tournament on April 7
Ø Hockey tournament next week at York University
Ø By May there will be a new book check in and out system in the library
Ø KPR Senior Concert band festival at BHS on April 3
Ø KPR Jr/Int Concert band festival at Clarke on April 23
Ø Grade 11 Music to Newcastle to see the “Jungle Book” on May 6
Ø Sound of Music Trip to the Princess Wales Theatre on May 20
Ø Grade 11 and 12 science classes are going to Science Centre in April for “Bio-tech Lab”. They will be extracting DNA from jelly fish and injecting it into bacteria to make it glow.
Ø Mr. Urquart will be taking 30 students on a trip to the trades fair on April 7 in Bowmanville
Ø Credit Recovery with Mr. Brydson is going to Larry Land on April 15 to build teamwork, character education and initiative. Mr. Brydson and Mrs. Cornthwaite and Ms. Donovan are taking the Credit recovery, OSSLC and Grade 10 applied English to the Metro Zoo and the Mandarin Restaurant on April 22. Promoting student success, motivation and initiative.
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT: As distributed by Brien Page
Ø grade 10 students wrote the OSSLT (literacy test)
Ø Total of smart boards in the school is up to six
Ø Bullying survey provided to grades 9,10 and 11, results hopefully will be ready for May’s meeting
Ø Mathematics Department and Mr. Watt has completed a diagnostic test to assess student skills, this models the grade 9 EQAO math test
Ø Homework club continues on Wednesdays after school, the also provided additional support to students preparing for OSSLT. The attendance at the last Club was more than 35 students.
Ø Clarke has a new Child and Youth Worker, Trina Craggs.
Ø Progress Reports for semester 2 were distributed on March 11. Parent’s night was March 12.
REGIONAL COUNCIL REPORT:
Annette was unable to make the regional meeting due to illness. April’s meeting is at Orono Public School on April 27.
COUNCIL ACTIVITIES:
A) The Constitution in hard copy was sent down from the board, it was recommended to table it for next meeting to allow for council members to review and bring back suggestions. Motioned by Ann Ball, seconded Annette, all in favour.
B) Board of Education’s Nutrition Policy. There is a link to the nutrition policy on the front page of the Boards website (www.kprdsb.ca ). The Board is asking for all staff, parents and students to review and provide feedback on the provided link at the bottom of the policy.
If you have an opinion on this issue, please let them know so that they can make a decision.
There are recommendations of not involving food for school fundraising, due to type of food being sold. Our cafeteria has been already working on changing the type of food provided within the school to be ready for bill 8 legislation
C) Parent questionnaires. Jodi and Joyce went thru the feedback of the parent survey provided at the parent/teacher night and compiled the information. There are still questionnaires left and will be handed out at Artsarama for further involvement. Compilation of answers was distributed.
D) The School’s website is currently being updated. Over the next few weeks training of staff will take place. Ms. Nichols has been busy transferring information from the old site to the new site. It is hoped that the new site will be activated in May.
E) Cathy Abraham (school trustee) mentioned at the last meeting that there was a clean up program thru the Operations Department called Operation Clean Sweep. Joyce called Susan Arends at 905-263-2291 and registered Clarke High School. The program supplies garbage and recycling bags, and is hoping to supply gloves. As well they will do a pick-up of the garbage collected, yet they need to know where the garbage will be located.
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Mr. Page will contact students who still require volunteer hours in order to graduate to come out. Council members are asked to come out. Please bring rakes with you. The Operations Department will drop off a parcel 1 week before with supplies.
We are changing the name from our Clean Up Day to Beautification Day (motioned by........seconded by..........all in favour) to ensure that it is different from the Clean Up day for geography classes and students can earn their volunteer hours. The day is set for Saturday April 25 from 9am to 12pm.
Thank you Joyce for organizing
F) Jodi received an email advising that Marilyn Hossack had resigned from her position of secretary. Victoria Austin has stepped forward to cover the position until the end of the year.
G) The tea, coffee and sugar for the meeting tonight were donated by Orono IGA. It was motioned to purchase thank you cards. Motioned by Ann Ball, seconded by Katherine. Jodi will purchase the cards.
H) Brian, one of the speakers from HOPE won the gift certificate from Tim Horton’s
NEXT MEETING
April 29, 2009 at 6:30pm
Next month’s speaker will be Allison Potts.
The topic is Mental Health for Teens.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 by Annette and seconded by Kim