LIVERPOOL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Present :
V. Oickle, T. Doucette, G. Raddall, J. Baker, A. Purdue, J.
Robart, B. Potter, J. Leonard, J. Rhodenizer, H. Benvie, D.
Harvey, H. Benvie, J. Howard, G. MacNeill, R. Comeau, C.
Stewart
Call to Order:
Chair Oickle called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm.
Welcome:
The Chair extended a sincere welcome to members of the
School Advisory Committee. Greg MacNeil was welcomed
as the grade 9 class representative.
Review of Minutes: The minutes for our May 21, 2013 meeting were circulated,
reviewed and approved. A spelling error was corrected in
the minutes; Lieutenant Governor Awards, “year”
Supper Meeting:
The June supper meeting was reviewed. Discussion
occurred relating to location, price, and meeting date.
Consensus was that our meeting was positive and well
attended.
School Photos:
Mr. Doucette confirmed the decision of the council to
change school photography services. LifeTouch will
replace Nova Scotia School Photography (AKA Calnen
Photography). Contract expectations were not being
fulfilled.
Silver Dollar Awards:
New Teachers:
Mr. Doucette noted that Gavin Raddall, Grade 11 and
Liz Baker, grade 10 were the winners of the School
Advisory sponsored silver dollar awards for top
academic achievement in the 2012-13 school year.
Mr. Doucette noted that Liverpool Reginal High School has
6 teachers new to the school this year; Ms. Amiro, Ms.
Smart, Ms. Corkum, Ms. Dylan, Mr. White, & Mr. Framp
New Teacher Assistants: Mr. Doucette noted Liverpool Regional’s teacher
assistant allotment went from 3 to 8 for the
2013-14 school year. New teacher assistants
to our school include; Amanda Gallant, Brenda
Plummer, Cheryl Wentzell, Mayme Porter,
Alana Gordon
International Students:
Exit Survey:
Liverpool Regional is pleased to be hosting 21
international students from 12 different countries.
Our international students benefit LRHS in numerous
ways including financial, cultural, extra-curricular
involvement, and academic achievement to name a
few.
Mr. Doucette handed out the 2013 results of the Exit Survey
completed by our grade 12 class. For the 8 th year in
succession, our grade 12 students regard their school as a
quality school, as having a quality professional staff and as
having quality administration. Ninety seven point four
percent of our students enjoyed their high school
experiences.
Fire Drills/Emergency Response:
Liverpool Regional has conducted 2 fire
drills to date and one emergency
response drill.
Staggered Start:
Mr. Doucette reported the positive benefits of the staggered
start to the 2013-14 school year. On day 1 the new grade 9
and 10 students received their second orientation session.
On our second day the 9 and 10 students were joined by
grades 11 and 12. School administration believe the
staggered start greatly assisted in the positive start to the
school year.
New Beginnings:
The theme for students orientation this year was, “New
Beginnings”. Gavin, as SRC Vice-President, outlined
orientation activities and spirit week. SRC efforts served to
make students feel comfortable, meet others, and to share
in fun activities. Efforts were appreciated by staff.
Financial Updates: Mr. Doucette circulated and reviewed the Office Account
summary. The total balance on hand was noted to be
$31, 848.46.
Discipline Update: Mr. Doucette noted there had been 2 external suspensions
to date. One was for one day for refusal to turn over a cell
phone. The second was for 1.5 days for defiance relating
to texting. The after school detention room is being used
for assignment recovery, undesirable behaviors and lates.
Meeting Times & Dates: School Advisory Council Meeting times have been
established for 2:05 pm, meeting dates are:
Wednesday, October 16
Wednesday, November 20
Wednesday, January 15
Wednesday, February 15
Wednesday, March 19
Wednesday, April 16
Wednesday, May 21
June’s meeting will be determined at the May
meeting.
Others:
School Spirit: A discussion took place on school spirit and
the efforts of staff and students on such activities as Lip
Dub, REP, Orientation.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 at 2:05 pm.
Adjournment:
3:00 pm.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, October 16th, 2013 at 2:05 pm.
Minutes recorded and respectfully submitted by:
_______________________
T. Doucette
Approved as read:
_______________________
Vernon Oickle, Chair
TD/sm
LIVERPOOL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Present :
V. Oickle, T. Doucette, G. Raddall, A. Purdue, B. Potter,
J. Rhodenizer, C. Stewart, R. Comeau,
D. El Ziftawi, J. Leonard
Regrets:
H. Benvie, D. Harvey
Welcome:
Chair Oickle welcomed all council members to our October
meeting.
Call to Order:
Chair Oickel called the meeting to order and circulated the
agenda at 2:05 pm.
Review of Minutes: Chair Oickel circulated the minutes of our September 18,
2013 meeting. The minutes were reviewed and approved by
Council as presented.
Extra-Curricular Updates:
Financial Update:
Mr. Doucette offered updates on boys and girls
soccer teams, as well as volleyball and cross
country running. Ms. Amiro took our girls
volleyball team to a tournament in Halifax. Our
boys soccer program has been completed. The
girls soccer team will be participating in
qualification play this weekend with hopes of
attending provincial play. Our cross country
team had a very successful season with our
boys teams moving on to provincial
championships.
Special appreciation is
directed to our coaches Mike Milosevich (boys
soccer), Greg Killam (girls soccer), Ceri Stewart
(cross country) and Ruth Amiro (girls
volleyball).
Mr. Doucette circulated and reviewed the financial report,
effective October 22, 2013. Library funds were reviewed at
$1200.00. Total balance on hand was noted at $32,879.86. It
was also noted that $13,042.55 had to come off the total
once invoices were process.
We are anticipating
$10,000,.00 to be restored through the Board’s IEI money
School Enrolment: Mr. Doucette reported our 2013-14 school enrollment to be
at 376. This figure includes our 20 international students.
Grade 9 Transition: Mr. Doucette reported that our grade 9 students have
transitioned quite well. We have completed close to 2
months with our new grade 9's. The transition has
been fine however, the extra students are contributing
to a higher level of garbage, both in school and on the
school grounds.
Fire Prevention Week:
Ms. Rhodenizer gave a positive update on Fire
Prevention Week that was held earlier in October.
Discussion occurred relating to the evacuation of
students in wheelchairs.
Professional Learning Communities: Mr. Doucette and Ms. Rhodenizer shared
information on Professional Learning
Communities.
LRHS completed its
second session and the topic was sign
language. Staff reported an enjoyable
learning opportunity.
Bring Your Child to Work:
Bring your Child to Work is scheduled for
November 6, 2013. This program si for grade 9
students.
Discipline Update: Mr. Doucette circulated the discipline report for the months
of September and October. External suspensions for
September were 3 for 4 days and for October 3 for 13 days.
Both months were consistent with numbers in 2011 and
2012.
Lates & Attendance:
Mr. Doucette noted that he and the vice principal, Ms.
Rhodenizer
have
prioritized
follow-up
and
communication with respect to lates and absences.
Phone calls have been made and letters written.
Communication and follow up is important for staff.
Action taken will be noted in staff bulletins.
After School Detentions: Mr. Doucette reported that LRHS has an after school
detention room that is utilized for assignment
completion, lates and misbehavior. Staff were tanked
for their volunteering to chaperon the after school
detentions.
New Teacher Adjustment:
Liverpool Regional experienced a number of
teachers new to our school. Mr. Doucette and
Ms. Rhodenizer reoprted all were transitioning
well to LRHS.
Provincial Conference Day:
Provincial Conference Day for Nova Scotia
Teachers Union Members is scheduled for
Friday, October 25.
Superintendents Visit:
The new South Shore Regional School Board
Superintendent, MR. Geoff Cainen and Director of
Schools, Mr. Jeff DeWolfe visited LRHS on October
22, 2013. Mr. Cainen noted his pleasure at visiting
Liverpool Regional. He specifically noted the high
quality of our teaching staff and the obvious respect
students and staff have for each other.
Bus Evacuation Drills:
Bus evacuation drills are scheduled for Thursday,
October 24 at dismissal.
Noteworthy:
Mr. Oickle was featured in our local Advance speaking to
the members of the Paranormal Society.
Next Meeting:
The November meeting of the SAC is scheduled for
Wednesday, November 20st, 2013 at 2:05 pm.
Adjournment:
3:15 pm.
Minutes recorded and respectfully submitted by:
_______________________
T. Doucette
Approved as read:
_______________________
Vernon Oickle, Chair
TD/sm
LIVERPOOL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Present :
V. Oickle, T. Doucette, G. Raddall, J. Rhodenizer, C. Stewart,
R. Comeau, D. El Ziftawi, J. Leonard, G. MacNeil
Call to Order:
Chair Oickle called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm.
Review of Minutes:
The minutes of our previous meeting, dated October 23,
2013, were reviewed and approved as read.
Extra-Curricular Updates:
Ms. Stewart gave an update on a very successful
cross country running season. Our boys’ team
made it to provincial play. The boys’ & girls’
volleyball team will attend regional competition
this coming weekend. Our boys’ and girls’
basketball teams got off to a winning start. Thank
you to Ms. Amiro and Mr. Framp for coaching our
volleyball teams. Mr. Faber and Mr. Metcalfe are
coaching our boys’ & girls’ basketball teams,
respectively.
Financial Update:
Mr. Doucette circulated the office account summary. LRHS
continues to be in a positive financial position, with a total
balance of $30 588.15.
School Enrolment: The current enrolment at Liverpool Regional High School is
370.
Bring Your Child to Work: Jackie provided an update of the recent “Bring your
Child to Work” program. The vast majority of our
grade 9 students participated. Grade 9 teachers
Smart, Amiro & Dylan worked hard to ensure student
placement.
Junior Achievement: Grade 9 students participated in a Junior Achievement
program on November 20, 2013. Six members of the
staff at Reynold’s Pharmachoice were on-board to help
the students learn about success, balance, discovering
self and planning. The key message was certainly
education and motivation for success.
/2
Technology Committee: The Technology Committee met recently. Items
reviewed included LCD installation, Twitter/website re:
homework posting, use of Cloud, student accounts,
new-to-us computers, app purchases, air server,
RUCKUS for the library, and iPad purchases.
Lions Club Speak Out:
The Lions Club Speak Out is scheduled for Monday,
November 25, 2013. Natalie Rogers will represent
Liverpool Regional.
Parent Teacher Sessions: Thursday, November 21, is Parent Teacher day at
Liverpool Regional. Two sessions have been
established for parents; 12:00 – 2:00pm and 6:00 –
8:00pm.
Professional Development:
The next opportunity for teacher professional
development is scheduled for Friday, November
29, 2013. Topics for the day include; drug
awareness, yoga, mindfulness, and technology
directions.
Philippines Relief Fund: Thanks to the leadership of our student council,
students at LRHS are raising funds for the
Philippines, following the disaster. Today and
tomorrow will feature bake sales. This will be
followed by a student collection of money. Gavin
noted that the federal government will match our
contributions.
Operations Visit:
School Board Director of Operations, Brian Smith and
Assistant Director, Andy Selig will be at LRHS on November
27. LRHS will require a gym curtain and some changes to
our library, to accommodate an additional class of grade 9
students to start the 2013-2014 year.
New Desks: Two grade 9 classrooms (Smart & Dylan) and Mr. Comeau’s
classroom received new desks for students. In addition, two new
teacher desks were placed in the grade 9 classrooms.
School Dance:
Bus Evacuation:
Mr. Doucette reported on the improved attendance at our
school dances. Thus far, our dances have been trouble-free.
School spirit seems to be up this year, and our dances are
generating revenue for our SRC.
Mr. Doucette reported that bus evacuation drills have been
conducted.
/3
Remembrance Day Recognition:
On November 7, students and staff
participated in a Remembrance
Recognition assembly.
Teachers
commented positively on the respect
shown by students, to our veterans.
Death of a Former Graduate: Mr. Doucette acknowledged his appreciation to
staff for covering classes for teachers and
teacher assistants who wished to attend the
funeral of Patrick Hamlin. The Hamlin family
have expressed their gratitude to the staff at
Liverpool Regional, for their support.
AARAO Tour:
Students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives
from numerous post-secondary institutes on Friday, November
22.
Key Club Induction:
Discipline Report:
Others:
1)
The annual Key Club induction ceremony took place on
Wednesday, November 13. Key Club President, Gavin
Raddall, reported on a quality evening for Key Clubbers. The
club has a current membership of 34 members. Special
appreciation goes to advisors, Ms. Swim, Ms. Amiro, and Ms.
Jackson.
Mr. Doucette reviewed the external suspension report for the
months of October & November, 2013. It was noted that
external suspensions were down, significantly, compared to
previous years. Staff members are feeling very positive about
the year, to date.
Ms. Stewart reported that grade 12’s will be attending a
Mooseheads’ game on December 6.
2)
Ms. Stewart reported that ESL students attended the Parade of Lights
in Halifax on Saturday. In addition, our international students will be
arranging an awareness display in our display case.
3)
Ms. Stewart also noted the commitment of international
students on our sports teams.
4)
Mr. Comeau reported on the involvement of our students and
staff in the production, Les Miserables.
5)
Birthday greetings were extended to Ms. Rhodenizer, Vice
Principal.
/4
6)
Next Meeting:
SRC President, Gavin, reported that the council will be
celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas with a series of
events, including collection for the Food Bank, Warm Clothing
Drive, and SPCA.
The next meeting of the SAC is scheduled for Wednesday,
January 15th, 2014.
Minutes recorded and respectfully submitted by:
_______________________
T. Doucette
Approved as read:
_______________________
Vernon Oickle, Chair
TD/mlr
LIVERPOOL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Present:
V. Oickle, T. Doucette, G. Raddall, A. Purdue, B. Potter, J.
Leonard, J. Rhodenizer, J. Howard, G. MacNeill, R. Comeau, C.
Stewart, Deena El Ziftawi
Regrets:
D. Harvey, H. Benvie
Call to Order:
Chair Oickle called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm. It was noted
the two meetings scheduled for January, 2014, were cancelled
due to snow storms.
Review of Minutes: The minutes for our November 20, 2013, were circulated and
approved as read.
Schools Plus Program: Mr. Doucette reported that our first Schools Plus
coordinator, Bridget Morgan, resigned from our school to
take a board position. Sharon Brown has been selected to
replace Bridget, and began her assignment on Monday.
Sharon’s background was in the field of justice.
Superintendent’s Message:
A message from Superintendent, Geoff Cainen,
relating to winter cancellations and related
challenges was circulated and reviewed.
Thank You Letter: Mr. Doucette circulated and reviewed a thank you letter written
by Brenda Peters, who did a guidance mentorship placement at
Liverpool Regional High School.
Ms. Peters noted the
welcoming atmosphere, the encouragement, the sharing, the
mindfulness movement, and the enthusiasm at our school. She
noted also the “tremendous sense of hope within this school”.
Financial Update:
Mr. Doucette circulated and reviewed the financial statements
for the Office Account. General funds, Breakfast funds, and
Cafeteria funds were noted to be in good order. The overall
account balance, effective January 12, 2014, was noted to be at
$27,519.71.
Discipline Update: The discipline update for external suspensions, effective
January 28, 2014, was circulated. Compared to the same time
period last school year, our results are down 1 suspension.
/2
Budget Restraint: A memo, dated January 24, 2014, re: “Substitute Restraint” was
reviewed.
Exams:
Mr. Doucette reported that exam week came and went without
too much trouble. Approximately 5 students had a re-write
opportunity on our make-up day.
Semester 2:
Second semester started a day later than anticipated, due to a
snow cancellation. We are up and running. Gym usage
scheduling has presented a challenge.
Capitol Item:
We have received word from the board’s operations department,
that Liverpool Regional High School will be having a new roof.
New Construction: In preparation for a 4th grade 9 class and demands for physical
education - PAL – Dance in our gym, a gym divider has been
requested. In addition, changes were noted for our library; a) a
conference room as you enter the library, to the left; and b) a
glassed-in technology room for students in the opposite end of
the library.
Grade 9 Exam Week:
Education Leave:
Mr. Doucette announced that Stacy Thorburne will be on
education leave until June. Her replacement is Lindsey Croft.
Teachers believe Lindsey to be a positive addition to our school.
International Students:
IBL Semester 2:
Compliments were extended to our grade 9 students, who
displayed much respect for the exam writing process.
They were rewarded with snacks and free pizza on the last
day. Grade 9 students will be writing 4 exams in June.
Mr. Doucette reported that 8 of our international students
have returned to their home countries. Eight new
international students have arrived for semester 2.
Ms. Rhodenizer gave an update on Module 3. Some of the topics
noted include mindfulness, art, empathy, business kids, and air
to air solar design. Ms. Rhodenizer also referenced the student
IBL showcase.
Random Act of Kindness & Rep Week:
Teachers reported positively on our
random act of kindness week. Mr. Doucette noted on the
positive input of REP week, 2013, and how excited the school is
to have its continuation in 2014.
/3
Last Day of School:
On behalf of teacher request, Mr. Doucette has requested the
last day of school to be Saturday, June 28, and not Monday,
June 30, 2014. The school board will be reviewing this
further, which was presented at January’s principal
meetings.
Tell them from Me:
Mr. Doucette reported that “Tell Them From Me” will feature
teacher and parent surveys, not students, this year.
Others:
a) Staffing, 2014 – Mr. Doucette reported draft #1 has been received, and
that a discussion was held with senior management relating to both
enrolment and impact.
b) School Start Time – Mr. Doucette attended a recent principal meeting
with Jeff DeWolfe to review the bussing time and start time for our
schools. Effeciencies will result with 1 bus run; however, we are currently
restricted by the number of buses required.
c) PLC-SAC – Efforts will be made to not have PLC’s and school advisory
council meetings on the same day.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, March 26, 2014.
Adjournment:
The meeting concluded at 2:55 pm.
Minutes recorded and respectfully submitted by:
_______________________
T. Doucette
Approved as read:
_______________________
Vernon Oickle, Chair
TD/mr