ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Minutes of Meeting – Tuesday, November 26, 2013
ATTENDANCE:
Jason Boily (Vice Principal)
Lindsay Campbell (Staff Advisor for
Student Council)
Maria Canning (Staff Rep.)
Dan Compagnon (Principal)
Toni DiFranco (Vice Principal)
Sarah Donovan (Co-Chairperson)
Michele Drenters (Secretary)
Angela Farrugia (Staff Advisor for
Student Council)
Olivera Glasford (Vice Principal)
Eleanor Harrigan (Co-Chairperson)
Sydney Herault-Ayres (Student
Council)
Valerie Peters (Treasurer)
PARENTS:
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn
Victoria Ariri
John Creighton
Lorraine Hoareau
Arlene Metivier
Tony Metivier
Bella Motie
Bell Nseke
Dina Scheitzbach
Christine Sova
Debra Tucker-Arango
REGRETS:
Maria Borsato (Chaplain)
CALL TO ORDER Meeting began at 7:03 pm
OPENING PRAYER
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
There was a correction to the spelling of Co-Chair Eleanor Hendrickson’s name in the October minutes.
Motion to approve the amended October 15, 2013 minutes made by Valerie Peters, seconded by Dina
Scheitzbach, approved by council.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Motion to approve November 26, 2013 agenda made by Victoria Ariri, seconded by John Creighton, approved
by council.
REPORT FROM THE STUDENT COUNCIL: Sydney Herault-Ayres & Lindsay Campbell & Angela
Farrugia, Staff advisors for Student Council
•
Successful sales of spirit wear during Spirit week. Spirit wear will also be sold into the New Year.
•
Tuesday, December 10th is dress down day.
•
Students have focussed on giving to local organizations. $10 from all activities goes to the charity
budget. The Student Council has donated $5,000 to Social Justice, $2,500 towards gift cards and 30
turkeys for needy families in the community.
•
Thursday November 28th is white shirt day. Students pay $2 to wear a white shirt or T-shirt. Funds
raised will go towards relief in the Philippines.
•
HarvestFest was well planned and executed.
REPORT FROM THE TREASURER: Valerie Peters
•
Parent Involvement Grant balance $1,441.47
•
PRO Grant balance 406.81 (this is to be returned to the Ministry)
•
General Council balance $1,548.47.
REPORT FROM THE CO-CHAIRS: Sarah Donovan & Eleanor Hendrickson
•
Eleanor sent letters to our 2 trustees inviting them to attend our meetings this school year. Scott
McLauchlan has confirmed he will attend our April meeting, no response yet from Anna Da Silva.
•
Both Co-Chairs attended the CCCSC training on November 2nd. It was well attended and informative,
with the training for School Council Chairs focussing on the financial aspect of the council’s role.
•
Toni Di Franco, Sarah & Eleanor attended the CCCSC meeting at St. Francis Xavier. Sarah was
elected the Brampton North East Family of Schools representative.
•
Sarah again brought the issue of recycling uniforms within the St. Thomas Aquinas community. She
explained that in previous years the parents had been dissuaded from doing this on the basis that
the Aquinas uniform was new and that until it was totally phased in with each grade it probably
would not work. Sarah mentioned that Holy Name of Mary has been recycling their uniforms for
Page 1
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Minutes of Meeting – Tuesday, November 26, 2013
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
many years. Also, that Notre Dame holds a used uniform fundraiser sale in May/June and again in
late August. There was a good response and it was decided that a number of members would discuss
this possibility of putting this program in place.
School Council was excluded from the school newsletter. In past years we were given a reminder in
the event we wanted to include a submission. The school will remind council before the next
newsletter is issued.
The School Council meeting was not included in the school events on the school website.
The School Council minutes have still not been updated on the school website.
Locating the School Council on the website is quite a task.
REPORT FROM THE TEACHERS: Maria Canning
Students will start making their course selections for 2014/2015 soon.
Completing this process before exams allows timetables to be complete by the end of the school
year.
Grade 9 students are anxious about the upcoming exams. The mentoring program will help with this.
Grade 11 students mentor grade 9 students. Grade 12 students mentor grade 10 students. Mentors
will visit classrooms in the new year to provide strategies for exams. There is lots of support for
students, including a student success worker, child youth worker and the guidance department.
Students log into ‘My Blueprint’ program (myblueprint.ca) to select their courses. Each student has a
specific login number. They can map their courses for grades 9 to 12, build a database to track their
progress, investigate course requirements for post secondary programs, log their community hours
and more. Information on My Blueprint was sent home in the mid term report card package.
The grade 8 Open House event is November 27th. The RAP Open House was held 2 weeks ago.
REPORT FROM THE CHAPLAIN: Maria Borsato was ill.
•
The Christmas drive has started. Aquinas will support approx. 30 families. Approx. 60 classes have
adopted a family and will put together care and gift packages for them. Another 35 – 40 classes are
collecting food for the baskets and for other needs in the community.
•
St. Anthony of Padua Parish has sponsored a refugee camp family with support from the school.
•
Dress Down day is December 10th. Students are asked to donate canned food.
•
Advent mass is December 12th.
•
Educational Leadership classes are raising funds to support relief in the Philippines.
REPORT FROM VICE PRINCIPALS: Jason Boily, Olivera Glasford, Toni DiFranco
•
An Urban and Priorities Grant steering committee meeting was held on November 19th. Parent
representative Debra Tucker-Arango attended. Models were discussed and the action plan was
approved by the Ministry. The Minister in attendance was very impressed with the school’s
organization. The next meeting will be held on February 20th. Four steering committee meetings are
held each year. There is a focus on sustainability and making plans for if and when the grant is not
renewed. St. Thomas Aquinas School receives $396,000 per year. Two thirds of those funds go
towards additional staffing to support the needs and success of the additional programs the school
offers.
•
This week the Mentorship program will focus on drug and alcohol awareness to align with Drug and
Alcohol Awareness Week.
•
Upcoming activities include:
•
Night of Stars on December 5th will feature a variety of dance performances.
•
Sounds of the Season Vocal Performance and Christmas Instrumental Concert on December 12th.
•
Aquinas Got Talent on December 18th
•
Arts Olympics on December 3rd
•
The Art Show on January 8th will feature a wide variety of works by RAP visual arts students from all
grades.
•
Grade 12 RAP drama students will present Blood Brothers on January 8 -10 in the Brian Dunn
Theatre.
•
One Act Festival on January 31st will feature 3 original short plays written, directed, produced and
acted by grade 11 RAP drama students.
REPORT FROM THE PRINCIPAL: Dan Compagnon
Page 2
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL
Minutes of Meeting – Tuesday, November 26, 2013
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WiFi is up and running in the school and working well. Teachers have been bringing their own
electronic devices to assist them. The Board is looking at new devices and working on a student BYO
device policy for next year.
There were to be 3 unpaid PA days this year as per the agreement signed with OECTA: Oct 11, Dec.
20 and Mar. 7. Through cost savings and strategies, costs have been recouped for 1 day. Dec 20th
and March 7th remain as unpaid days for teachers.
Mid term reports have been sent out. A marks analysis is in progress. The school is looking at high
and low success rates and the reasons for them. There is a credit rescue program where a student
who is struggling can be put into a classroom with a student success teacher, then can return to their
class once they are successful.
Exams are January 22 – 27. January 28 is a contingency day.
The Cross Country did well this season. Student Rachel Ortiz qualified to attend the OFSSA event.
There was a Remembrance day assembly on November 11th. The History department and students
placed white crosses with the names of fallen soldiers on them on lockers throughout the school. It
was a very powerful visual statement about the sacrifices the men and women of our military
services have made for our country.
Put Yer Pinkies Up Day will take place again this year. On December 6th teachers and students can
have their pinkies painted with nail polish as a symbol of solidarity against violence towards women
and in memory of the murders of 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique in 1989.
The Social Justice trip in the last few years to Nicaragua has become challenging to handle logistically
because it has become a popular destination for many schools. Teacher Sean Connolly has
investigated Bolivia as an alternative destination and is working on a partnership project with other
schools and universities. Ten grade 12 students and five teachers will make the trip this year.
Planning and fundraising activities begin in September and continue after the trip. Participating
students hold conferences and awareness programs for the school when they return.
School trips this year include 2 trips to New York and a trip to London.
OTHER BUSINESS
•
The Robotics club will represent the school at an event on November 28th.
•
A parent enquired about sweaters for students in the Arts program. Dance students wear sweaters
when attending out of school performances. Is there a similar opportunity for visual arts students?
Toni Di Franco, who is the Vice Principal liaison for the arts program, advised that if the students
wished to organize obtaining sweaters, she would assist them with this.
2013 – 2014 SCHOOL COUNCIL FUTURE MEETINGS (7:00 p.m., Library)
February 25, 2014
April 8, 2014
May 13, 2014
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was concluded at 8:37 p.m.
Page 3