BLPS School Council Meeting Minutes - February 9, 2026

BLPS School Council

Meeting Minutes

February 9, 2026

Welcome 

(5 min)

• Land Acknowledgement
• Welcome/Introductions

Discussion

(45 min)

• Coffee, Conversation & Community Debrief
  • We had 6-8 parents/guardians attend each of our two events
  • Families shared parenting experiences and asked each other questions
  • Several attendees shared contact information, so the event seemed to meet our goals of creating community
  • Council members would like to continue these opportunities throughout the rest of the year. We will plan for one date per month including:
    • Thursday, March 26 from 6:00-7:00pm
    • Tuesday, April 21 from 8:15-9:15am
    • Thursday, May 21 from 6:00-7:00pm
    • Monday, June 15 from 8:15-9:15am
• Planning for Community Engagement Events
  • Council members would like to plan 3-4 events for the rest of the school year with the goal to bring members of the community together
  • Book Study > Katharina and Tammy will take the lead on organizing a possible book study to address parent requests for help with boundary setting with their kids. Tentative titles include: The Collapse of Parenting: How we Hurt our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups by Leonard Sax, Establishing Boundaries with Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Negotiating Limits and Improving Parent-Child Interactions by Kristi Miller, and The Parenting Handbook: Your Guide to Raising Resilient Children by Tania Johnson and Tammy Schamuhn. BLPS Parents/Guardians will be invited to join and the group will collaboratively determine text, meeting times and reading goals.
  • Snowshoe and Hot Chocolate > Families will be invited to sign up for snowshoeing on Thursday, March 5 from 5:30-7:30pm. There will be two slots of one-hour (5:30pm and 6:30pm). Hot Chocolate will follow. Tammy & Priscilla will count snowshoes. Kat and Lucia will organize hot chocolate and Joe will help lead groups outside.
  • Bike, Hike and Trunk Sale or Swap> Thursday, May 14 from 6:00-8:00pm. Families will sign-up to go on a hike or bike ride from the school. Families will also sign up for a parking spot to participate in a trunk sale or swap > idea is to encourage interaction and sharing of gently used but not needed items. Tammy & Priscilla to check YRDSB policies for guidance.
  • Summer Fair > Thursday, June 11 from 5:30-7:30pm. School Council members will organize a family event to celebrate the warmer weather.  The group will discuss how best to organize activities to encourage connection. 

Next Meeting

(5 min)

Set tentative dates for upcoming Meetings meeting (minimum 4/year)

• Monday, April 13
• Monday, May 4

Effective School Councils are those that:

• Focus on student learning and the best interests of all students
• Are actively involved in setting school priorities for improving student achievement
• Promote meaningful parental and community involvement and actively seek the views of their school communities
• Have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities
• Include members who represent the diverse views of their school communities
• Have clear and consistent processes for decision making
• Keep well informed about school and board policies and procedures
• Communicate with the community about their activities
• Maintain high ethical standards
• Have members who have developed mutual trust and respect for one another

The purpose of the School Council is to support improved student learning and to build an increased sense of shared accountability for public education.