Central Elementary School
75 HUNTER STREET W
HAMILTON, ON L8P 1P9
TEL: 905.522.9690
FAX: 905.522.9801
EMAIL: central@hwdsb.on.ca
www.hwdsb.on.ca/central
PRINCIPAL: Elizabeth Arkell
September 20, 2012 Parent Council Meeting Minutes
Members Present:
E. Arkell, Principal, S. Schweiger, LRT
M. Elneel, S. Kheir, B. McaNaughton, N.A. Shubair, J.Mesic, N. Youssef, P. Mamaj, N. Ali, S. Bashir, D.
Yahya, M. Kavouras, A. El Gawwaddeifall, A. El-Taweil
Regets – B. Candelori, D. Edwards
Welcome to Parents by Principal
Introductions

Council Elections for Chairperson-
1. Brenda MacNaughton will assume Chairperson role.
2. Mr. Elneel will assume Vice Chair role.
Review of past business from June 2012 meeting

Mrs. Kavouras queried, “What happened to the idea of uniforms?”
Ms. Arkell explained the process- survey was favourable and at this time the survey will extended to our
new J.K. parents. Mr. Elneel outlined some pros and cons that were shared last year. Ms. Arkell shared
that some parents were concerned about the costs of a school shirt and she will share the facts with the
new parents to our school as well.
(Samples of the crest from the supplier were passed around and viewed by council members)
Mrs. MacNaughton inquired whether there would be an option to have the crest sewn onto suitable
shirt. We can double check with suppliers. We can also review costs of shirt with collar, sleeves, etc.
Mrs. Kavouras inquired whether we could move ahead with this initiative this year.
Ms. Arkell suggested that if we have a majority, first parent interview night might be a time to size
students for shirts. Alternatively, another suggestion would be to phase in the shirt this year voluntarily.
Ms. Bashir suggested we should consult student voice on this matter also.
Central Elementary School
75 HUNTER STREET W
HAMILTON, ON L8P 1P9
TEL: 905.522.9690
FAX: 905.522.9801
EMAIL: central@hwdsb.on.ca
www.hwdsb.on.ca/central
PRINCIPAL: Elizabeth Arkell
Mrs. McNaughton inquired whether it would just be the shirt at this point? Yes.
Mrs. Kavouras suggested one week of uniform and one week off- a trial period. She stated she was prouniform and feels that children would find the simplicity of not making a choice in the morning of what
to wear. Ms. Abdel Gawwaddeifalla suggested that a voluntary policy will remove the pressure to wear
a uniform. Mr. Elneel suggested combining the suggestions of time on uniform and time off.
Mrs. MacNaugton inquired when we would roll this out. Ms. Arkell stated interview time would be ideal
in November as we have a lot of parents in the building at that time to size shirts.
Ms. Arkell inquired which crest was preferred- both were appreciated by council. Inquiry re: cost from
Mr. Elneel – and approximate price was $10.00 or $11.00 for crested shirt. Mr. Elneel suggested that it
would be difficult to have a shirt of similar quality with the crest at that price.
Ms. Bashir stated a darker colour would be better suited to daily use- perhaps a darker grey.
Other business from June 2012?

Mr. Elneel raised crossing safety- Ms. Arkell has consulted with community police officers- there
will be a greater presence of Officer Clarke – who is a former Central student- and he is very
interested in our student safety. He will attend tonight’s meet the Teacher event.

Ms. Arkell thanked caretaking staff for doing an exceptional job of keeping our building clean
and neat.

Ms. Arkell thanked all of our staff who are hard-working professionals

Parents who have concerns/queries are welcomed to consult teachers who are happy to work
with you.

September focus- learning student’s strengths and needs in order to make the year a good one
for them- let your teachers know of any information that can help.

Board Strategic Directions – ACHIEVEMENT MATTERS, ENGAGEMENT MATTERS AND EQUITY
MATTERSand Central school will continue to endeavor to make these our priority.
Central Elementary School
75 HUNTER STREET W
HAMILTON, ON L8P 1P9
TEL: 905.522.9690
FAX: 905.522.9801

EMAIL: central@hwdsb.on.ca
www.hwdsb.on.ca/central
PRINCIPAL: Elizabeth Arkell
In terms of achievement, our Grade 3’s did very well in Ministry Grade 3 EQAO testing
Reading: 60% at standard
Writing: 72% at standard
Math:
76% at standard
(standard at Level 3 or 4) representing substantial increases in all 3 areas over previous year testing.

Our focus- Literacy and Numeracy-
-our students are working on reading strategies to support their comprehension of text
-in math- going beyond just memorizing facts- they are thinking about their learning and sharing their
understanding in problem solving
-instructional time is key- encourage all students to come in on time so we can make the most of our
time on task

Educational Garden-
Elke Goindi –leader- heads up approximately 6 friends who volunteer their time
-last year they acquired a grant from Union Gas and set up a teaching garden classroom

Meet the Teacher – Sept. 20, 2012- join us tonight from 5-6 for introductions to teacher, pizza, milk
and juice!

Student Safety- Fire drills are held regularly and Lockdown practices- newsletters will inform parents
of these events.
Central Elementary School
75 HUNTER STREET W
HAMILTON, ON L8P 1P9
TEL: 905.522.9690
FAX: 905.522.9801
EMAIL: central@hwdsb.on.ca
www.hwdsb.on.ca/central
PRINCIPAL: Elizabeth Arkell
Ms. Arkell also travelled to Australia this summer to gain knowledge about their Numeracy and Literacy
practices. This Sunday, Australian principal Michelle Shelton will join us in Canada and she will be
spending time at Central and other schools. Please make her welcome!
News from Teaching Staff:
1.
Choir will begin soon including Grades 1-5 on Day 4 – Nutrition Break 1
Thank you to our music teacher Mrs. Gregory.
2. Eco-Team begins the first week of October- recycling will be collected Fridays.
(or Thursdays on holiday/ P.A. days)
Thank you to our Gr. ¾ teacher Mr. Bouwman.
3. Cross Country meet on October 9th @ Christie Conservation area. There are 35
Members. Practices take place this Wed. and the following Wed. at H.A.A.A. in Hamilton. Thank
you to coaches Mrs. Bower and Mr. MacLean.

Mrs. MacNaugton inquired re: new teaching staff, their backgrounds, etc.
Any other business?
-Picture Day? Oct. 5th , 2012
-School Calendar? To follow
-Can we have a movie night? –fundraiser or just a family night?
-perhaps we can share this idea with staff at our next staff meeting
-there is a movie being shown by Durand Neighbourhood Association this weekend (Durand park)
-we can discuss a movie night further with Council on October 18th and possibly choose a date
-Are volunteers needed for Terry Fox walk on Sept. 26th? - absolutely
Next Meeting: Thursday, October 18, 2012 – 9:00am