Catholic School Council - November 5, 2015 Minutes
Attendance
Erin O’Grady-Bimm – Chair
Kamilla Heidebrecht – Treasurer
Adelle D’Silva – Parish Rep
Julia Biondi – Co-Chair/ OAPCE rep
Mark Daher – Parent rep
Aga Madej – Secretary
Bobbi Wilson – Co-Chair
Natasha Fraser – Fundraising Rep
Valerie Elder – parent
Nikki Careri – parent
Natalie Di Santo – Public Health Nurse
Shena Mesic – Teacher Rep
Patrick Cahill – Principal
Meeting started at 6:40pm
Mrs. O’Grady-Bimm and Mrs. Heidebrecht motioned to approve October minutes, and Mrs. Wilson
seconded the motion.
Mrs. O’Grady-Bimm welcomed the new council and the parents present . With the active agenda
planned for the evening, did not have any news to add.
Principal’s report
Mrs. Di Santo was introduced by Mr. Cahill, she is the Public Health Nurse for the Region of Peel. Mr.
Cahill and Mrs. Di Santo have met previously and discussed various ways St. Elizabeth Seton (SES) can
benefit from this partnership. There are some scholarships and grants that Mrs. Di Santo has filled out
on SES behalf and there is some funding coming from PALS (Playground Active Leaders), Ministry of
Education funds to enhance the Kindergarten pad (colours and possibly equipment) and a larger grant
from OPHEA is put in place. The discussion was largely about how to get our kids active at recess and
during outdoor time and still keep them safe.
Mrs. Di Santo also discussed her various projects and one that stuck out was “Making Kindness go Viral”
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OPHEA has a program where they send equipment to benefit one the goals of their Healthy
School Certification.
Step 1 of the certification process is due February 12, 2016 and that’s where needs and goals are
established and documented.
Mr. Cahill updated the Council on the EQAO results
- Gr. 3 – 95% Reading/ 83% Writing/ 80% Math
- Gr. 6 – 96% Reading/ 92% Writing/ 58% Math!!
The school will continue work to address needs in Gr 6 math
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Kiss N Ride: Thank you to parent Adelle D’Silva for volunteering to assist us on Thursday mornings.
Thank you – to CSC members and especially to Fundraising Rep Natasha Fraser. The work to make
the dance-a-thon fundraiser a success – and help us exceed our goal of $8,000– is very much
appreciated.
Parent Guide from Institute for Catholic Education - sample distributed/discussed
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Pastoral Plan –due date originally Oct 13 – delayed due to work to rule. New deadline TBD. CSC is
invited to write a few words of welcome to include in our Pastoral Plan.
Paving/Painting: No work to be done just yet in Kindergarten yard due to anticipated Ministry
initiative re FDK spaces; work in larger play area to be coordinated with replacement of asphalt in
front of portables in Spring 2016 (diagram displayed)
Token of Appreciation for CSC/attendees – Wind-up flashlight with school logo. (distributed)
Wi-Fi in schools: Assembly with students to explain rationale and set expectations
Work to Rule C.U.P.E. – Custodial and secretarial staff have just ended their work-to- rule campaign
Catholic School Council’s meeting dates for the 2015-2016 School Year will be: Nov. 5, 2015, Jan. 14,
2016, Mar. 3, 2016, May 5, 2016 and June 16, 2016.
Upcoming events:
Date
Nov 6
Nov 9
Location
Library
classrooms
Event\Speaker
Father Joseph Kalluvila
Rosary Apostolate
Time
10:00 a.m.
AM\PM
Audience
Grade 2 students
All students
Nov 10
Iceland
Indoor soccer invitational tourney
AM\PM
Grades 6-8
Nov 11
Gymnasium
Remembrance Day assembly
10:35 a.m.
Whole School
Nov 12
Nov 12
Foyer
St. Margaret of
Scotland
Gymnasium
Photo retakes
French Immersion info session for
parents
School wide speeches
AM/PM
7:00 p.m.
Whole School
All
Nov 16
9:15 Jr
Jr-Int students
12:45 Int
Nov 17
Gymnasium
Dance-a-thon Prize assembly
2:05 p.m. Whole school
Nov 17
School
Progress Reports go home
3:15
Whole School
Nov 18
School
Pictures with Santa
All day
FDK-Gr 8
Nov 19
School
Parent-student-teacher interviews
3:30-8:00 Whole School
Note: Not for every student; teacher may not feel an interview is warranted, parent may choose not to
request an interview with the teacher
Nov 19
Rm 304
Ryerson University media project
All day
Gr 3 French
& 20
Immersion
Nov 20
Gymnasium
St. Aloysius Gonzaga music
9:30 a.m.
Whole School
presentation
Nov 24
Gymnasium
“Shapecaper” – Math interactive
TBD
FDK – Gr 3
student presentation
Nov 26
St. Aloysius
Information night for parents
6:45
Gr 8 parents
Gonzaga
Dec 8
Rm 307
Student Leadership workshop
9:30 a.m.
Ms. Radul’s class
(Dr. Rumeet Billan)
Dec 8
St. John of the
Family Advent Mass
7 PM
Whole school
Cross Parish
community
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Parish Report – Adelle D’Silva
Parish Representatives Meeting – October 19, 2015 @ St. John of the Cross Church
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The meeting dates for this year are January 25 and April 25, 2016
A teacher representative is required from each school and one requires to be assigned for our
school.
School Bulletin board dates (2 per year) are October 2015 and May 2016
o October 2015: Completed; Theme: Doors of Mercy
o May 2016: To be determined; Catholic Virtue of the Month will be Acceptance
Parish Weekly Newsletters: The church is looking for student input on the monthly virtues which
they can include in their weekly newsletters to Parishioners around 10 lines.
o Recommendation is to have one grade a month provide classwork (written reflections)
for the newsletter.
Schools are encouraged to engage children as Altar servers both in school and in church. The
church will provide training.
Parish Updates
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The Book of Life is placed at the Altar for the Month of November. You are encourage to write
the names of those you would like to be remember on the sheets provided.
Rite of Enrollment for Confirmation Candidates on November 7/8 and November 13/ 14. All
registered confirmation candidates must attend any of the masses on these dates along with
their parent.
Prime time Craft and Bake Sale (Nov. 14/15 after all masses)
Carol Services in Church is on December 20th (Sunday evening). All are encouraged to attend.
Fr. Abraham, the previous Associate Pastor has accepted a position as Pastor of Holy Name of
Jesus, Laval, QC. His inauguration was on Sunday, November 1st.
Children’s choir sings two Sundays of every month and is looking for new members. For more
details reach out to sjotc.cc@gmail.com. Children must have received their First Holy
Communion.
2016 Living with Christ Missals available ($5 or 3 for $10)
Last mass on Sunday is at 4PM and not 5PM.
Central Committee for Catholic School Councils Meeting – October 29th, 2015 @ Catholic Education
Centre
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Objective of this Council: How to increase and engage parents more in understanding and
participating in the School Community.
The new committee was elected.
Religious Education Program and Update on Health and Physical Education Curriculum – S.
Peterson
o The board in November will release its new Religious Education Curriculum for
elementary classes (Grades 1 and 2). The plan is to update this each subsequent year.
o Growing in Faith for Grades 1 and 2 features fun and relevant material available in
digital format for kindergarten and special needs classes, posters, floor puzzles, making
a rosary kit etc. It also includes by the end of the year expectations which all other
subjects have.
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Fully Alive is a Family Life Education program sponsored by the Assembly of Catholic
Bishops of Ontario (ACBO). It accounts for 20% of the Religious Education program.
o Family Life Education, as it is represented in the resource Fully Alive, is intended to pass
on a distinctively Catholic view of human life, sexuality, marriage, and family. The
Ontario Bishops have a parent website, with program background, overview, resource
material and information (ACBO.ON.CA for a detailed description)
Two new schools in Brampton. St. Alphonso instead of Pope Francis school
Internet Safety Initiative – Tilly Cruz
o Board has partnered with Peel Safety Village for a program on Internet Safety with the
Youth Cyber Safety Academy with Sheridan School. Program is geared for Students of
Grade 5 where children are given IPads and allowed to explore the internet. Situations
are set up for them to lure them and allow them to feel as if they are working in the
comforts of the home. The afternoon session then uses a classroom format to explain
to the children just how much information they have revealed inadvertently and made
themselves vulnerable via the internet.
Custodial Work to Rule update
o Seeking to find resolution by November 1st
o Health and Safety come first
Training for Catholic School Council Executive members
o Moving to a Webex format on Saturday, November 7 @ 9am.
o Training available for New chairs, experienced chairs, treasurers, secretaries, parish
reps, OAPCE reps.
Next meeting is December 3, 2015.
Parish Budget
2014-2015 Budget: $500/- Actuals : $447/Number of Children last year were 57 (Grade 2s) and 26 (Grade 8s).
Budget was utilized for:
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Gifts for Communion students (all Grade 2s)
o a magnetic bookmark/ fridge magnet : $73/- (Approx. $1.28 per child)
Gifts for Confirmation students (all Grade 8s)
o a bookmark with gift pins : $81/- (Approx. $3.11 per child)
Pizza lunch for Grade 2s with a juice box and baked treat: $45/- + Pizza and Juice boxes
Feast Day Mass expense: ?
For 2016: Number of Children 57 (Grade 2s) and 47 (Grade 7 and 8s).
Budget to be utilized for:
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Gifts for Communion students (all Grade 2s):
Gifts for Confirmation students (all Grade 8s):
Pizza lunch for Grade 2s with a juice box and baked treat :
Pizza lunch for Grade 7 and 8s with a juice box and baked treat :
Feast day mass:
Total
57 * $10 = $570
47 * $10 = $470
65 * $ 5 = $325
50 * $ 5 = $250
$250
$1,865
P.S. Can I oversee the Liturgical Committee Budget expenditure?
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Fundraising Report – Natasha Fraser
Dance-a-thon – raised over $10,000!
Mrs. Fraser thanked the Council members and volunteers for their contirbutions and assistance in
getting this Dance-a-thon soo successful. With this great and overwhelming turnout the following are
the prizes for the students that raised the most money.
1st Place – GoPro Camera
2nd Place – Raptor’s Tickets for the family (6)
3rd Place – Movie Tickets for the family
2 classes that had the most participation, both at 80% - will get their own Pizza Lunch
Mrs. Fraser discussed the idea for a School Movie Night. December date was not possible, future dates
to be discussed.
Treasurer’s Report – Kamilla Heidebrecht
Natasha stated she would like to support money towards playspace/equipment.
New items for this year:
- Field Trips $1600 added
- Liturgical Expenses, increased from $700 to $1100
- Teacher requests of $100/classroom to be linked with 5 pillars of Catholic learning. Mr. Cahill
will recreate the form
- Spirit Wear/ Yearbook $1000.00 added
- The budget will be a fluid document that can change over time and the budget will be revisited
in January.
- Mrs. O’Grady-Bimm motioned to approve the budget, Mrs. D’Silva seconded it and the Council
voted unanimously to approve it.
Other Business
Spirit Wear – Bobbi Wilson
- Discussed branding for spirit wear – decided to keep the brand and more discussions needed to
change it.
November 27,28,29th on the way to Bethlehem, Milton - Recommended attendance
Mrs. O’Grady-Bimm motioned to adjourn and Mrs. Biondi seconded.
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