Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
April boundary study meeting meetings
For those interested in attending the boundary study meetings, preliminary options will be discussed at the following meetings:
(1) Working Group Meeting
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
4:30 p.m., Ryerson PS, Preston, Cambridge
(2) Public Meeting
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
7:00 p.m., Silverheights PS, Hespeler, Cambridge
Flyers will be sent home with students mid-April, advising of the public meeting, and the meetings will also be advertised in the Cambridge Times on Friday, April 18th.
(1) Working Group Meeting
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
4:30 p.m., Ryerson PS, Preston, Cambridge
(2) Public Meeting
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
7:00 p.m., Silverheights PS, Hespeler, Cambridge
Flyers will be sent home with students mid-April, advising of the public meeting, and the meetings will also be advertised in the Cambridge Times on Friday, April 18th.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
French Book Fair
A number of parents have asked about French resources in support of their children in French immersion. This week, Keatsway Public School in Waterloo will be holding a French book fair, which may help with some of this.
Who: La Librarie Française, The French Bookstore
What: Picture Books, Pattern Books, Big Books, Novels, Information Books, Activity Books, Videos, CD Roms, Pedagogical Resources, and More!
When: Thursday, March 27, 2008 2:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Keatsway PS, Waterloo
Teachers and Parents are all welcome!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Minutes from March 19th 2008 Council Meeting
Meeting close: 8:30 PM
Attendees: Ozzie Ahmed, Steve Cole, Jo-Anne Hennig, Jennifer Huntley, Julene Duncan, Lisa Hooper, Richard Marcil, Lisa McDonald, Alison Wardrop
Next meeting: April 16th @ 7:00 PM (Clemens Mill PS, Art Room)
Financial Update
Ozzie reviewed the monthly budget statement. The current account balance is $39,282.89. Fundraising remains on track, with projected inflows expected to meet targets. Outflows have materially increased year-to-date as equipments and materials are purchased, all as per budget.
2008 Seminar Planning
Richard continues to work with the Water Regional Police on a date for the parent Internet safety seminar. Preliminarily, Tuesday April 8th is the first workable date for all. Once confirmed, communication of the event will begin through the Dolphin newsletter, posters and notes to parents. A second seminar is also being researched, focusing on children and self esteem. Early May would likely be the best timeframe for the delivery of such a seminar.
Richard indicated that The Boundary Study Working Group has begun assessing options, all of which do not impact the Clemens Mill PS population. However, this is still early in the process. Minutes of the March 4th meeting will be posted on www.clemensmill.ca, and the next meeting is scheduled for April 1st at Ryerson PS.
Lisa Hooper provided detailed considerations for the June 12th BBQ:
• Preliminary timing is 5:00-7:30PM
• Steve Cole will secure an event permit from Waterloo Region
• BBQ’s have been booked though other options will also be investigated
• Purchasing hotdog meat will not be a problem
• Dominos Pizza is confirmed
• Need to purchase many incidentals, including ice, soap, gloves, etc.
• Steve has begun calling people on the volunteer list
• The team will look at the opportunity to involve the police and fire department in the event
• It was agreed to ask people to bring their lawn chairs as opposed to book/rent tables; a music event remains of interest, though it’s imperative that it not consume undue time and resources; it may be easier to approach looking radio stations, e.g. Beat 91.5, Kool FM , etc.
• Alison will see if a student/group can coordinate “paparazzi” pictures
• Richard will begin developing a spreadsheet that captures activities, materials, costs, tasks, volunteers, etc.
2008-2009 Fundraising
Thank you to all who have contributed to the 2008-2009 fundraising survey. In summary, council believes it will be most productive and timely to maintain the three key programs we ran in 2007-2008, i.e. magazines, Treasures Book and special lunches. These appear to be well received by the parent community, and deliver the needed funds for the school. In upcoming meetings, Steve will ask the Treasures Book group to present the 2008-2009 program. Richard will do the same with the Readers Digest QSP program. It would also be useful to review the special lunch program, i.e. issues and opportunities.
Rewards & Recognition
The group had a brief discussion about rewards and recognition for parent volunteers. Specifically, a number of parents have expended significant time and effort at the school, though there is no process to recognize and thank these people for their contributions. This topic will be again reviewed at upcoming meetings.
School Update
Alison shared with the group that the third semester had begun, and that the months of April, May and June will likely be the busiest of the year. On deck are report cards, school trips, track & field and graduation. At the next meeting, the team will review Bill 212.
French Immersion Resources
Richard asked about resources available to parents with children in the French immersion stream. Specifically, some parents have expressed an interest in resources to understand and support their kids as they journey through this demanding program. Alison indicated that there were no Board sanctioned resources per se, though she will ask French immersion teachers for recommendations. Such resources could be added to clemensmill.ca and published in an upcoming Dolphin newsletter.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Preliminary agenda for March 19th meeting
When: Wednesday March 19th 2008
Where: Art Room
Time: 7:00 – 8:00PM
Agenda:
1. Financial update – Ozzie (5 minute)
2. 2008 seminar update – Richard (5 minutes)
3. 2008 BBQ planning – Lisa, Steve (15 minutes)
4. School boundary update – Richard (5 minutes)
5. 2008-2009 Fundraising: preliminary thinking – All (15 minutes)
6. School update – Alison (5 minutes)
7. Other – TBD
All parents are welcome to attend!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Minutes from February 20th 2008 Council Meeting
Meeting start: 7:00 PM
Meeting close: 8:00 PM
Attendees: Steve Cole, Jo-Anne Hennig, Jennifer Huntley, Julene Duncan, Lisa Hooper, Richard Marcil, Roger Boettcher, Ozzie Ahmed, Donna White, Elizabeth Ney
Next meeting: March 19th @ 7:00 PM
Financial Update
The current account balance is $47,194. Based on year-to-date performance, 2007-2008 budget inflows are forecasted to carry over approximately $27,000 to the next school year – a small decrease versus the original forecast. Council has therefore cut back slightly on discretionary spending, though not cutting deliverables to kids or teachers. A motion by Joanne Hennig was made to adopt the amended budget, seconded by Steve Cole. PRO Grants have been received from the Ministry of Education which awarded our school with a grant of $1,000 for the 2007-2008 school year and $1,200 for the 2006-2007 school year. Only 40% of the grant applications were funded and CMPS has received a grant for the past two years. The pool of funds from the ministry is shrinking and money may not be available next year. Lastly, the playground GST carryover of $ 2485.87 has been received.
2008 Elementary School Boundary Review
Population in the Silverheights area in Hespeler has created need for the school board to propose new elementary school boundary, however the impact on Clemens Mill School may be minimal as the school is already operating a full capacity. Preliminary discussion suggested busing children from the Mattamy south subdivision to Ryerson PS or W.G. Davis PS, though this is very early in the process. The Boundary Study Working Group meeting was attended by Richard Marcil and Roger Boettcher on January 31st. Meeting minutes are posted on www.clemensmill.ca, and the next meeting is scheduled for February 21st.
2008 Seminar Planning
The plan for the first seminar promoting internet safety was scheduled for early March. Unfortunately, it has been postponed to early April due scheduling conflicts on the part of our community constable. Richard attended the Avenue Road PS session held in late January and reported on its success. There was an overwhelming interest for a parent-only seminar whereby any questions about internet use could be posed. The community constable would hold a seminar for parents at the school free of charge but requires a guarantee of at least 40 attendees to warrant the cost of police overtime and council members are asked to put out the word to other parents. The community constable did in-school presentations to Primary, Junior, and Intermediate students on February 12th, which was also well received. Council members discussed the idea of purchasing fridge magnets or mouse pads promoting internet safety to be given to Clemens Mill students. Roger will let council know of a suitable date for the seminar in April.
2008 School BBQ planning
Planning for a year end BBQ to be held June 12th is underway. Volunteer captains for the following are sought:
• Food/Equipment – Lisa Hooper/Steve Cole have volunteered
• Pre Order – Joanne Hennig to volunteer in the school
• Volunteer Organizer – Steve Cole has volunteered, Jennifer Hundley to send a copy of the spreadsheet list of parent volunteers who signed up early in the school year.
• Set Up Crew – Volunteer required
• Treasurer – Ozzie Ahmed has volunteered
• Take Down Crew - Volunteer required
• Communications – Richard Marcil will provide announcement to parent community asking for more volunteers to work with each captain.
• Music – Air Band
• Games for the younger crowd – CMAC students
• Photo Slide Show of the school year – Mr. Boettcher to ask teachers to provide photos from each division.
Principal Profile
Each year the Waterloo Region District School Board asks School councils to complete a principle profile and discussion was focused around the following questions:
1. Identify the school council priorities/expectations.
2. School Focus – Identify the special programs/innovations which your school provides to support student learning.
3. Identify any issue or concern for your school community which you would like taken into consideration when looking at leader transfers or changes for your school.
A copy of the CMPS profile was completed by council chair Richard Marcil and forwarded to council members for comments prior to submission to the WRDSB.
School Update
Roger Boettcher provided council with school update, which included:
• A number of board and ministry initiatives require that Roger be absent from the school close to 50% of his time.
• At the next school council meeting, Roger will spend 30 to 45 minutes to update council on ministry policies changes, including Bill 212 on discipline proceedings. The School Behavior Code will also be reviewed.
• Report Card time is fast approaching and teachers are very busy. The snow days have been somewhat disruptive to schedules.
Meeting close: 8:00 PM
Attendees: Steve Cole, Jo-Anne Hennig, Jennifer Huntley, Julene Duncan, Lisa Hooper, Richard Marcil, Roger Boettcher, Ozzie Ahmed, Donna White, Elizabeth Ney
Next meeting: March 19th @ 7:00 PM
Financial Update
The current account balance is $47,194. Based on year-to-date performance, 2007-2008 budget inflows are forecasted to carry over approximately $27,000 to the next school year – a small decrease versus the original forecast. Council has therefore cut back slightly on discretionary spending, though not cutting deliverables to kids or teachers. A motion by Joanne Hennig was made to adopt the amended budget, seconded by Steve Cole. PRO Grants have been received from the Ministry of Education which awarded our school with a grant of $1,000 for the 2007-2008 school year and $1,200 for the 2006-2007 school year. Only 40% of the grant applications were funded and CMPS has received a grant for the past two years. The pool of funds from the ministry is shrinking and money may not be available next year. Lastly, the playground GST carryover of $ 2485.87 has been received.
2008 Elementary School Boundary Review
Population in the Silverheights area in Hespeler has created need for the school board to propose new elementary school boundary, however the impact on Clemens Mill School may be minimal as the school is already operating a full capacity. Preliminary discussion suggested busing children from the Mattamy south subdivision to Ryerson PS or W.G. Davis PS, though this is very early in the process. The Boundary Study Working Group meeting was attended by Richard Marcil and Roger Boettcher on January 31st. Meeting minutes are posted on www.clemensmill.ca, and the next meeting is scheduled for February 21st.
2008 Seminar Planning
The plan for the first seminar promoting internet safety was scheduled for early March. Unfortunately, it has been postponed to early April due scheduling conflicts on the part of our community constable. Richard attended the Avenue Road PS session held in late January and reported on its success. There was an overwhelming interest for a parent-only seminar whereby any questions about internet use could be posed. The community constable would hold a seminar for parents at the school free of charge but requires a guarantee of at least 40 attendees to warrant the cost of police overtime and council members are asked to put out the word to other parents. The community constable did in-school presentations to Primary, Junior, and Intermediate students on February 12th, which was also well received. Council members discussed the idea of purchasing fridge magnets or mouse pads promoting internet safety to be given to Clemens Mill students. Roger will let council know of a suitable date for the seminar in April.
2008 School BBQ planning
Planning for a year end BBQ to be held June 12th is underway. Volunteer captains for the following are sought:
• Food/Equipment – Lisa Hooper/Steve Cole have volunteered
• Pre Order – Joanne Hennig to volunteer in the school
• Volunteer Organizer – Steve Cole has volunteered, Jennifer Hundley to send a copy of the spreadsheet list of parent volunteers who signed up early in the school year.
• Set Up Crew – Volunteer required
• Treasurer – Ozzie Ahmed has volunteered
• Take Down Crew - Volunteer required
• Communications – Richard Marcil will provide announcement to parent community asking for more volunteers to work with each captain.
• Music – Air Band
• Games for the younger crowd – CMAC students
• Photo Slide Show of the school year – Mr. Boettcher to ask teachers to provide photos from each division.
Principal Profile
Each year the Waterloo Region District School Board asks School councils to complete a principle profile and discussion was focused around the following questions:
1. Identify the school council priorities/expectations.
2. School Focus – Identify the special programs/innovations which your school provides to support student learning.
3. Identify any issue or concern for your school community which you would like taken into consideration when looking at leader transfers or changes for your school.
A copy of the CMPS profile was completed by council chair Richard Marcil and forwarded to council members for comments prior to submission to the WRDSB.
School Update
Roger Boettcher provided council with school update, which included:
• A number of board and ministry initiatives require that Roger be absent from the school close to 50% of his time.
• At the next school council meeting, Roger will spend 30 to 45 minutes to update council on ministry policies changes, including Bill 212 on discipline proceedings. The School Behavior Code will also be reviewed.
• Report Card time is fast approaching and teachers are very busy. The snow days have been somewhat disruptive to schedules.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Hespeler/Preston Elementary Schools Boundary Study - minutes from February 21st meeting
A meeting of the Working Group was held on February 21, 2008 (made up of Board staff, school administrators and parents of each of the school communities). Planning staff reviewed the purpose and scope of the boundary study, and identified issues and discussed the objectives of the study.
Item 1 – Development Activity Overview - Guest
Jim Kirchin, Director of Planning for the City of Cambridge provided an overview of the remaining residential development activity in the northern half of the city, and discussed the areas that could impact the schools under discussion.
He noted that the Mattamy "Millpond" development unit maximum under draft plan approval was 940 units, which used up the available Hespeler STP capacity. J. Kirchin advised of current uncertainties with the Arriscraft urban density proposal (currently approved for large single family lots on private septic systems), which is in the present Silverheights boundary, and development constraints with the Mattamy Preston Heights draft plan.
He indicated that other than some fairly modest infill developments (Elgin, Preston and Silverheights boundaries) and completion of building in the existing plans, this area of Cambridge is nearly out of "greenfield" development lands. Most new development will be infill at moderate to higher densities, in line with Provincial and Regional land use policies.
J. Kirchin also volunteered to attend in the future, perhaps when the Working Group has some options for his comments. J. Kirchin will confirm the status of the unopened Grand Valley Drive right-of-way.
Item 2 – Review Draft Study Objectives:
Chris Smith highlighted the revised study objectives and noted staff would be adding two more ‘Board’ objectives:
• Financial and operational feasibility.
• Good Schools Standing Committee recommendations (copies will be circulated with agenda for next meeting).
Item 3 – Information Sharing:
Chris Smith and Nathan Hercanuck updated the working group with the most recent school statistical data…(still missing one portable at Elgin!).
Nathan Hercanuck provided some additional information such as the students by grade from the Mattamy bused area and the "home" catchment area of Silverheights. The number of students feeding into Wm. G. Davis PS from the current Preston PS community was also provided and the projections for Preston HS and Jacob Hespeler SS were also discussed.
Chris Smith summarized the likely impact of the developments Jim Kirchin of the City of Cambridge identified.
Item 4 – Discussion / Review Issues:
• Mattamy area reps are concerned that their area's student numbers are being moved around to "bolster" existing schools/older communities.
• Could the Board build a school on vacant land in the industrial park on the north side of CanAmera Parkway? Would be closer to the larger group of children.
• What are the long-term projections for the Mattamy-Townline area?
• What are the long-term projections for the Ryerson PS area?
• Will the study also speak to outstanding issues at existing schools such as Silverheights, which will likely be back in a few years to similar enrolment AFTER a boundary change?
• It was suggested, and agreed, that Board staff mock up a number of potential scenarios for the next meeting, to serve as a starting point for the next discussion moving into the scenario development stage.
• It was also suggested that we look at a Public Information Meeting after we have some scenarios. Board staff will also look at potential dates/location (Portuguese Club on Townline Road?) for a Mattamy-Townline community meeting.
Item 1 – Development Activity Overview - Guest
Jim Kirchin, Director of Planning for the City of Cambridge provided an overview of the remaining residential development activity in the northern half of the city, and discussed the areas that could impact the schools under discussion.
He noted that the Mattamy "Millpond" development unit maximum under draft plan approval was 940 units, which used up the available Hespeler STP capacity. J. Kirchin advised of current uncertainties with the Arriscraft urban density proposal (currently approved for large single family lots on private septic systems), which is in the present Silverheights boundary, and development constraints with the Mattamy Preston Heights draft plan.
He indicated that other than some fairly modest infill developments (Elgin, Preston and Silverheights boundaries) and completion of building in the existing plans, this area of Cambridge is nearly out of "greenfield" development lands. Most new development will be infill at moderate to higher densities, in line with Provincial and Regional land use policies.
J. Kirchin also volunteered to attend in the future, perhaps when the Working Group has some options for his comments. J. Kirchin will confirm the status of the unopened Grand Valley Drive right-of-way.
Item 2 – Review Draft Study Objectives:
Chris Smith highlighted the revised study objectives and noted staff would be adding two more ‘Board’ objectives:
• Financial and operational feasibility.
• Good Schools Standing Committee recommendations (copies will be circulated with agenda for next meeting).
Item 3 – Information Sharing:
Chris Smith and Nathan Hercanuck updated the working group with the most recent school statistical data…(still missing one portable at Elgin!).
Nathan Hercanuck provided some additional information such as the students by grade from the Mattamy bused area and the "home" catchment area of Silverheights. The number of students feeding into Wm. G. Davis PS from the current Preston PS community was also provided and the projections for Preston HS and Jacob Hespeler SS were also discussed.
Chris Smith summarized the likely impact of the developments Jim Kirchin of the City of Cambridge identified.
Item 4 – Discussion / Review Issues:
• Mattamy area reps are concerned that their area's student numbers are being moved around to "bolster" existing schools/older communities.
• Could the Board build a school on vacant land in the industrial park on the north side of CanAmera Parkway? Would be closer to the larger group of children.
• What are the long-term projections for the Mattamy-Townline area?
• What are the long-term projections for the Ryerson PS area?
• Will the study also speak to outstanding issues at existing schools such as Silverheights, which will likely be back in a few years to similar enrolment AFTER a boundary change?
• It was suggested, and agreed, that Board staff mock up a number of potential scenarios for the next meeting, to serve as a starting point for the next discussion moving into the scenario development stage.
• It was also suggested that we look at a Public Information Meeting after we have some scenarios. Board staff will also look at potential dates/location (Portuguese Club on Townline Road?) for a Mattamy-Townline community meeting.
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