Meeting close: 9:30 PM
Attendees: Steve Cole, Jo-Anne Henning, Donna White, Julene Duncan,
Jennifer Huntley, Tracey LeBar, Amanda Drewett, Lisa McDonald, Lisa Hooper,
Joan Rundle, Julie Croteau, Ozzie Ahmed, Benedictus Soga, Richard Marcil,
Roger Boettcher, Allison Wardrop, Elizabeth Ney (recording minutes)
Next meeting: November 21st @ 7:00 PM
2007-2008 Sources and Uses of Project Funds
- Several fundraising activities planned this year in a very short time period when the school year is very busy getting started.
- Having several fundraising activities has provided parents with some options as to how they may want to support the school.
- In future, council may want to plan ahead a bit more with communications going out to parents to optimize programs, increase time between fundraising campaigns, provide value added fundraising options, and carefully consider how student fundraising incentives are encouraged.
- Communicate to the parent community that fundraising is done to provide financial support for the next school year, clarifying the fact the council may have a significant bank account at the beginning of September, which is designated to the current school budget and allows for timely spending/investment.
- Re-enforce to the school community how money is spent within the school.
- Opening Funds: $26,703.27. The playground is expected to net an additional $2,900 credit, primarily from a GST rebate (not forecasted in 2006-2007). Final expenses to be processed this month include $3,584 for the playground borders. It was suggested that Council hold back this money and apply it to future maintenance of the playground. There was agreement by members present.
Discussions around current year budget review began with listing the criteria council will follow in deciding how to spend school council funds. The following were given:
- School ownership for items purchased
- Money spent must benefit the kids
- Durability and value of the spend
- Spending meets the Board’s initiative for school communities, the goals for Leaning and Caring
- Each spend is monitored with additional discussion throughout the year if necessary.
- Mr. Boettcher consulted teaching staff and provided a list of items for the 2007-2008 school council budget. An item-by-item discussion was held by council members noting the following:
- A discretionary fund, to be managed by council, was added to the budget list.
- Mr. Boettcher will provide more information on costs/usage of the Alphasmart Neo minicomputers for the next council meeting. Council members suggested that the purchase of 12 Alphasmart Neo minicomputers could be done this year and additional units purchased in future years.
- A request to the Assembly of School councils and or the Board will be made for insights on council spending considerations.
- Council appreciates the budget input received from teaching staff, and will send a note to that effect to Mr. Boettcher.
- The final budget will be voted on at the next school council meeting held in November.
- Another successful magazine campaign has concluded with the final money raised over $6,000. Kudos to Wilma Miyasaki for leading this ever-popular program.
- This was the first year council sold Treasurers Coupon books promoting value added options to parents. Approximately 189 books have not yet been returned to the school and a reminder letter will be sent to these families. The total money raised should be available for next council’s meeting. Kudos to Steve Cole for spear heading this first time initiative which brought money saving options to Clemens Mill parents while also providing financial support to the school.
- Education Minister Kathleen Wynne has announced the Parents Reaching Out (PRO) program for 2007 that includes provision of grants to help school councils increase parental involvement. Under this program, school councils can submit project proposal to the Ontario Ministry of Education to apply for $1,000, with the deadline October 26th. Council has submitted an application for the seminar programs.
- Graduation for the current school year is June 25th, 2008 and concerns about the school venue were raised. Council discussed how they could provide support to teaching staff for this event. It was decided that council would come up with a proposal that would be presented to the teaching staff for their consideration.
- Roger Boettcher and Alison Wardrop provided an update on some of the happenings in the school.
- Several extra curricular activities are in progress in the school.
- Information for a Music Band has gone out.
- School’s goals of Learning and caring, which include development of a student’s higher order thinking skills, and promotion of a whole child to include physical and environmental, including increased parental involvement.
