School Council Meeting Minutes May 2025

BLPS School Council

Meeting Minutes

May 5, 2025 6:30 – 8:00pm

Welcome 

(5 min)

• Land Acknowledgement
• Welcome/Introductions
  • Students are now available to play on the field again; they were very excited!
  • We are lucky to have such a beautiful green space, as well as Canada Geese that are living in the yard

Approval of Minutes

(5 min)

• Approval of previous minutes
• Agenda/Minutes posted on BLPS School Website under ‘School Council’ - new website live today
  • Tammy will go through it and check it out
  • New feature - school and board websites are now connected; event pieces will be more available; information on the school - Will be easier to translate to different languages for our community 

School Updates

(15 min)

• School updates
  • During the staff meeting everyone realized that there is no day between now and end of year that there isn't something going on
  • Junior boy and girls basketball teams played
  • Badminton team -girls doubles team won today
  • Today students participated in a SODA (Students Of Differing Abilities) event and was an incredible day
  • ‘Girls at bat’ has started. 35 girls of grade 6,7,8 have signed up. The goal is to learn baseball and for the girls to support one another. It’s been great fun so far
  • There was a Chess tournament recently and one of our students is moving ahead
  • Track and field is coming up
  • Talent show is in June
• Administration update
  • School Improvement Planning (SIP)
  • Will now be focusing on math, and improving student math achievement
  • Teachers have also been focusing on racial literacy - understanding how to approach language that is inappropriate - now adding goals for students

Fundraising Plan

(15 min)

YRDSB School Council Fundraising

BLPS Fundraising Plan 2024-2025 (Draft)

Updates:

• 6 of 12 document cameras ordered and received
• portable PA ordered - hoping for arrival in time for Track & Field
  • Money to purchase was donated by local realtor Lina (Fridman) and Team
• outdoor equipment (soccer balls and basketballs) ordered from Phys. Ed budget
  • School was able to order outdoor equipment, still had a lot of equipment in good condition
  • Children had to be made aware of designated areas for ball play to be safe
• still need additional technology for classrooms

Discussion

(40 min)

School Council - Planning for September 2025

• School Council Chair
  • Talar will not be able to head the council, will still support but will need someone else to step into her role
  • Ways to sustain attendance and engagement
  • At the beginning of the school year the turn out is great, but attendance dwindles and more support is needed - Maybe we have people sign up for specific matters, or sub-committee
  • Could maybe sign up at “ meet the teacher”, join subcommittee ex. A,B,C
  • Community wave - council members can submit experience, or information to boost engagement
  • Sending feedback form after event was suggested, with question asking if parent would like to volunteer at next event
  • Talar explained that form to sign up could have a space to provide feedback
  • Tammy explained that community does not respond to a lot of emails sent out
• Ways to sustain attendance and engagement

School Council Sub-Committees - Sub-Committee Sign-Up Responses 

• Parent/Guardian Engagement and Learning
• Equity and Mental Health
• Safe School Zones and Active School Travel
• Fundraising and Parent/Guardian Event Planning 

Parent/Guardian Engagement and Learning

• Triple P Next Step - We hope to have a series for the fall (next school year) 

Safe School Zones and Active School Travel

• We have noticed a big improvement since the snow has melted
• Volumes of cars has gone down
• Parents have been educating other parents
• Safety Campaign #3 (June) during Bike to School Week - Will be doing raffle again to get the kids excited
• Next steps for fall 2025

Fundraising and Family Engagement Event Planning

• Fundraising Updates:
  • Fresh from the Farm $794.00
  • Purdy’s Chocolate $1,069.12
  • Gingerbread House Sales $165.85
• Grade 8 grad fundraising update - request for Council to fund memory books for graduates
  • ($9 each x 60) - council has been asked to support this - all members have agreed
• End of Year Carnival date and planning
• Carnival plans:
  • Pizza dinners to be ordered ahead
  • Last year it was offered with pop or water
  • It turned out well
  • It was decided that we will have a ice cream truck instead of freezes
  • Button making station will need support - Ms. Meltz is running the book fair
  • Giovanna knows how to do it; will need one more volunteer
  • Will need more buttons and book to rent more button making machines
  • The preparation of the circles was the trickiest part - will need to be done ahead of time
  • It was noticed that kids are left to their own devices during events at game stations - will need supervision to make sure that games do not get broken/lost
  • Tammy suggested team challenges with small prizes - We’ve done relay races with Mme Yungblut
  • We will need multiple adults to help out
  • Talar suggested tins that you knock down
  • Will make signs for games (grade 6 & 7)
  • Temporary tattoos
  • Face painting? Kat + two student volunteers
  • Balloon arch - Talar will order balloons
  • Backdrop - Talar will order backdrop
  • We’ve been asked to have some healthier options for events - Talar has suggested ordering fruit cups
  • Will need someone with food handling certificate in future if we want to make our own
  • Talar will contact Greco’s market
  • Nina said there is a vendor that sells fruit cups with syrup
• Donations
  • We will ask local businesses to donate to the fair
  • Talar has written a letter to be given out to businesses
  • Giovanna - has contact with produce manager at Greco’s and may be able to get it at cost
  • It was discussed whether healthy snack should be free
  • Ms. Meltz asked if we should reach out to parents
  • It was clarified that if a business does donate to the school, it cannot publish and will only be able to be announce at the carnival
  • For a silent auction option we can indicate who the prizes were donated by
  • If we have a Raffle we cannot sell tickets and would need to give away raffle tickets
  • Giovanna explained that Bamboo Dental has donated free fruit bouquets for her child’s previous school - she will contact them
  • May 12 - announce date of fair and ordering details
  • For food vendors - Talar reminded us how expensive carnival style food vendors are
  • Tammy suggested having some parents volunteer with face painting or henna 

o Staff appreciation; food to be brought for teachers - date to be planned in order for staff to be around 

o Book Fair 

o Mindfulness Day - may need to choose some different games and activities 

o Supervision/Volunteers? 

Budget update (Lucia): School Council Report $2472.41 $1905.26 ● Priorities from Fundraising Plan

Next Meeting

(5 min)

Set tentative dates for upcoming Meetings meeting 

(minimum 4/year)

• June 4 (Summer Carnival Planning) 

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.