September 23, 2014 SAC Meeting
6:30-8:00 pm
Attendees:
Beverly O’Brien (P), Georgia Koziol(VP), John Kyriazis(VP), Joy Lachica (teacher), Melissa
James (Model Schools CSW), David Darling, Sara Tropea, Claudia Filici-McMullan, Nicola
Rudzik, Jennifer Rozon, Laurie Barnett, Lisa Lebeer, Aron McGrath, Louise Rossi-Chan, Victor
Giourgas, Trent Smith, Katrina Lotho, Rosalie Fine, Melissa McKay, Cameron Lille, Sarah
Phipps, Liz Lundy, Jo Anne Gould, Kelly Askew, Margaret John, Julie Roebotham, Shawn
Pinto, Iolani Lee, Judee-Faith Mallari, Erik Lepik, Kimberly McArvey, Eilleen Buchholtz, Jann
Segal, Teresita Link, Angie Holstein, Jim Valentine, Angie Law, Lisa Curran-Lehman, Tracey
Arsenault, Belinda Forrest, Ellie Arscott, David Watt, Julia Purdy, Sara Gray, Nicola Mansworth,
Suzanne Krupchya, Tammy Sisco
6:37 call to order by Chair Victor Giourgas
Introduction of New SAC executive (by election organizer Julia Purdy)
This year there are no nominees accepted on the floor due to the fact that nominations must
be available for 10 days prior to the election. There was only one person nominated for each
position, therefore the following people have been acclaimed to their positions:
Chair - Victor Giourgas
Vice Chair (fundraising) - Aron McGrath
Secretary - Sara Tropea
Treasurer - Louise Rossi-Chan
Ward Representative - David Darling
Model Schools Representative - Jennifer Gibson
Parent Representatives - Eilleen Buchholtz, Kimberly McQuay, Jo Anne Gould
Treasurer’s Report (by Louise Rossi-Chan)
Principal’s Report (by Principal Beverly O’Brien, with comments from Georgia Koziol and John
Kyriazis)
1. Staffing
- a successful start to the school year
- 781 students currently enrolled
- 43 teachers / a total of 78 people on staff- full day kindergarten has brought in a lot more staff and many new logistical
issues, but everything is working well so far
- projected student enrollment is 757, but we are currently at 781. We didn’t get
any new staff but as part of our realignment but some classes have been
realigned. The grade one classes were over the ministry cap, so there was some
changes to those classes
- a new full time secretary is being hired by the end of October
- introduction to Melissa James (new model schools CSW), she is interested
hearing from parents for ideas for community programs/activities we would like to
see, she will be updating the community board at the front of the school (near
kindergarten classroom) on a regular basis with programs that are available. She
can be contacted at [email protected]
2. Extracurriculars
- introduction of Joy Lachica (teacher of grade 7/8), a great thank you to the SAC
for the ways they support the learning taking place at our school. Ms. Lachica is
the lead teacher for our school’s Positive Space Room (room 209). It is a well
used space by students and by teachers when they are doing equity activities.
Students from grade 5-8 are able to be in the room during the lunch hour. A big
thank you for all items donated by our school community. The equity meetings
are monthly, well attended by students, student driven, and parents are welcome
to attend. Last year the equity committee raised 3 000 to provide relief aid for the
Philippines.
- Caring and Safe Committee is spearheaded by Mr. Kyriazis (involves parents,
students, teachers, administration). Meetings will be starting next week, parental
involvement is welcome
- picture day will be September 29
- Chess Club will be starting soon, demand is still be assessed for Mad Science,
Robotics team is up and running for grade 5-7 students, Lego club details still to
be announced
3. Facilities
- a review of the construction to prepare for full day kindergarten, toilets in the
French immersion kindergarten classes will be working soon
- 2 new toilets in the cafeteria will be working soon
- foundation work will be done in the Woodfield Building (hopefully done next
summer)
- railing is being replaced in the pool, should not impact swimming lessons
- buzzer system is required to be compliant with ministry, it is logistically difficult
due to multiple uses of the building. It should be in place in October. This means
the doors will be locked from approximately 9-3:10, you will need to buzz to enter
the building. Duke families will be notified before this program is active- to deal with dog feces in playground the students will make signs and post them
to remind people of the rules regarding no dogs on school grounds. They are
exploring the idea of locking the kindergarten play area outside of school hours
to stop them from using it as an off leash area
- an expansion is planned for the current kindergarten area located at north of
school, Duke is on the waitlist for the building of this area
- two new bike racks will be installed in the near future
4. Budget
- $135 000 is the school budget, but it might go up when final numbers are
calculated
- we will also get an approximately $20 000 from our role as a Model School
- spending will be aligned with School Plan for Continuous Improvement, and
Board-School Improvement Plan
- the fun fair is being held when SH Armstrong is closed which means the payment
of caretakers will have to come out of the school budget and might impact future
activities outside regular school hours (ie. Santa’s Breakfast). This is something
the SAC should consider when planning future events.
5. Academics
- application for early entry FI will be happening earlier this year than in the past it
is important that parents are aware of the dates and have applications submitted
on time
- early admission FI information evening will be November 26 (6-7) - applications
for the program are due November 5, extended French information evening
January 21
- Duke has been rated a Platinum Eco School
- a mental health initiative is rolling out at our school (spearheaded by the TDSB
Director Donna Quan), our school will be sharing strategies to help students who
are struggling with anxiety
- EQAO
- a review of the meaning of EQAO (note: school/province/board results are available on the
EQAO website)
- it is just one part of the overall understanding of student achievement
Plan for Improvement:
- embedded professional development for teachers will be part of the school budget. PD will be
provided by administration and will be focused on the gaps that are evident in EQAO results.
- English read up program will continue (weekly on Thursdays), French read up will begin soon
(every other week on Tuesday)
- teachers are being accountable to ensure kids are doing guided reading
- an all school data wall to track student progress related to reading- number sense and measurement were the biggest gaps for the grade 3 students (these types
of questions are layered and require stronger reading skills)
- teachers are participating in professional discussions/book club related to reading and math
- teachers engaging in moderated marking (team marking) to ensure they have common
expectations/standards
- math lessons are being delivered in a 3 part lesson (involves thinking and talking about the
math)
Discussion related to EQAO
- parent asked if there are efforts being made to embed skills within the classroom rather than
simply asking students to join in extracurricular activities like read up
- Ms. O’Brien will review ways learning is happening in class at a future SAC meeting
- Dave W. asked how they will know if we are on a positive track for better results in the future
(how can students misfire every time the testing takes place)
- Ms. O’Brien responded that she thinks students are responding well to the changes, but
these changes are not reflected in EQAO results
- Sara T. said she feels positive about the professional development that is happening
- Joy L. outlined the positive attitudes among teachers and hardworking staff at the school
- a parent expressed concern about what this means for our students when they go to high
school, that these results should not be a shock when the results come in
- Ms. O’Brien responded that this is something our school is planning to do, but it is
something that they will work towards in the future. They will track our students when
they go on to Riverdale
- Liz L. said the attitude among the staff is very positive, parents need to take more
responsibility for supporting their child’s reading
- Nikki R. and Julia P. worried about how evaluation is happening on the daily basis in the
classroom (kids with A+ should not get a level of 2 on EQAO)
- CAT 4 data should be going home in January
- a meeting will take place in the near future so Ms. O’Brien can review what is happening
related to reading/writing/mathematics learning at the Duke
Sub-Committee Update (introduced by Aron)
- please sign up for any committee you are interested in: Santa’s Breakfast, Fun Fair,
Academics, Athletics, Safe and Caring School, Equity, Adult Social, Family Night, and People
interested in volunteering at events but not joining a sub-committee
Other Business
- Joy Lachica introduced Jane Farrow, a candidate for city council in Ward 30
- Janna S. raised concerns that the back field was not available for students during the lunch
hour. Mr. Kyriazis responded that it is a supervision issue and their simply isn’t enough
supervision to watch both sides of the school at this time.
8:25 Meeting is concluded
Attendees:
Beverly O’Brien (P), Georgia Koziol(VP), John Kyriazis(VP), Joy Lachica (teacher), Melissa
James (Model Schools CSW), David Darling, Sara Tropea, Claudia Filici-McMullan, Nicola
Rudzik, Jennifer Rozon, Laurie Barnett, Lisa Lebeer, Aron McGrath, Louise Rossi-Chan, Victor
Giourgas, Trent Smith, Katrina Lotho, Rosalie Fine, Melissa McKay, Cameron Lille, Sarah
Phipps, Liz Lundy, Jo Anne Gould, Kelly Askew, Margaret John, Julie Roebotham, Shawn
Pinto, Iolani Lee, Judee-Faith Mallari, Erik Lepik, Kimberly McArvey, Eilleen Buchholtz, Jann
Segal, Teresita Link, Angie Holstein, Jim Valentine, Angie Law, Lisa Curran-Lehman, Tracey
Arsenault, Belinda Forrest, Ellie Arscott, David Watt, Julia Purdy, Sara Gray, Nicola Mansworth,
Suzanne Krupchya, Tammy Sisco
6:37 call to order by Chair Victor Giourgas
Introduction of New SAC executive (by election organizer Julia Purdy)
This year there are no nominees accepted on the floor due to the fact that nominations must
be available for 10 days prior to the election. There was only one person nominated for each
position, therefore the following people have been acclaimed to their positions:
Chair - Victor Giourgas
Vice Chair (fundraising) - Aron McGrath
Secretary - Sara Tropea
Treasurer - Louise Rossi-Chan
Ward Representative - David Darling
Model Schools Representative - Jennifer Gibson
Parent Representatives - Eilleen Buchholtz, Kimberly McQuay, Jo Anne Gould
Treasurer’s Report (by Louise Rossi-Chan)
- final financial statement submitted to the board (copy available to anyone who wants to
- see)
- at end of 2012-2013 school year $ 6,300 remained to be spent
- $22,400 raised by SAC over course of 2013-2014 school year
- $24,250 disbursed over 2013-2014 school year
- a call is out for proposals for how to spend money raised in the 2014-2015 school year
Principal’s Report (by Principal Beverly O’Brien, with comments from Georgia Koziol and John
Kyriazis)
1. Staffing
- a successful start to the school year
- 781 students currently enrolled
- 43 teachers / a total of 78 people on staff- full day kindergarten has brought in a lot more staff and many new logistical
issues, but everything is working well so far
- projected student enrollment is 757, but we are currently at 781. We didn’t get
any new staff but as part of our realignment but some classes have been
realigned. The grade one classes were over the ministry cap, so there was some
changes to those classes
- a new full time secretary is being hired by the end of October
- introduction to Melissa James (new model schools CSW), she is interested
hearing from parents for ideas for community programs/activities we would like to
see, she will be updating the community board at the front of the school (near
kindergarten classroom) on a regular basis with programs that are available. She
can be contacted at [email protected]
2. Extracurriculars
- introduction of Joy Lachica (teacher of grade 7/8), a great thank you to the SAC
for the ways they support the learning taking place at our school. Ms. Lachica is
the lead teacher for our school’s Positive Space Room (room 209). It is a well
used space by students and by teachers when they are doing equity activities.
Students from grade 5-8 are able to be in the room during the lunch hour. A big
thank you for all items donated by our school community. The equity meetings
are monthly, well attended by students, student driven, and parents are welcome
to attend. Last year the equity committee raised 3 000 to provide relief aid for the
Philippines.
- Caring and Safe Committee is spearheaded by Mr. Kyriazis (involves parents,
students, teachers, administration). Meetings will be starting next week, parental
involvement is welcome
- picture day will be September 29
- Chess Club will be starting soon, demand is still be assessed for Mad Science,
Robotics team is up and running for grade 5-7 students, Lego club details still to
be announced
3. Facilities
- a review of the construction to prepare for full day kindergarten, toilets in the
French immersion kindergarten classes will be working soon
- 2 new toilets in the cafeteria will be working soon
- foundation work will be done in the Woodfield Building (hopefully done next
summer)
- railing is being replaced in the pool, should not impact swimming lessons
- buzzer system is required to be compliant with ministry, it is logistically difficult
due to multiple uses of the building. It should be in place in October. This means
the doors will be locked from approximately 9-3:10, you will need to buzz to enter
the building. Duke families will be notified before this program is active- to deal with dog feces in playground the students will make signs and post them
to remind people of the rules regarding no dogs on school grounds. They are
exploring the idea of locking the kindergarten play area outside of school hours
to stop them from using it as an off leash area
- an expansion is planned for the current kindergarten area located at north of
school, Duke is on the waitlist for the building of this area
- two new bike racks will be installed in the near future
4. Budget
- $135 000 is the school budget, but it might go up when final numbers are
calculated
- we will also get an approximately $20 000 from our role as a Model School
- spending will be aligned with School Plan for Continuous Improvement, and
Board-School Improvement Plan
- the fun fair is being held when SH Armstrong is closed which means the payment
of caretakers will have to come out of the school budget and might impact future
activities outside regular school hours (ie. Santa’s Breakfast). This is something
the SAC should consider when planning future events.
5. Academics
- application for early entry FI will be happening earlier this year than in the past it
is important that parents are aware of the dates and have applications submitted
on time
- early admission FI information evening will be November 26 (6-7) - applications
for the program are due November 5, extended French information evening
January 21
- Duke has been rated a Platinum Eco School
- a mental health initiative is rolling out at our school (spearheaded by the TDSB
Director Donna Quan), our school will be sharing strategies to help students who
are struggling with anxiety
- EQAO
- a review of the meaning of EQAO (note: school/province/board results are available on the
EQAO website)
- it is just one part of the overall understanding of student achievement
Plan for Improvement:
- embedded professional development for teachers will be part of the school budget. PD will be
provided by administration and will be focused on the gaps that are evident in EQAO results.
- English read up program will continue (weekly on Thursdays), French read up will begin soon
(every other week on Tuesday)
- teachers are being accountable to ensure kids are doing guided reading
- an all school data wall to track student progress related to reading- number sense and measurement were the biggest gaps for the grade 3 students (these types
of questions are layered and require stronger reading skills)
- teachers are participating in professional discussions/book club related to reading and math
- teachers engaging in moderated marking (team marking) to ensure they have common
expectations/standards
- math lessons are being delivered in a 3 part lesson (involves thinking and talking about the
math)
Discussion related to EQAO
- parent asked if there are efforts being made to embed skills within the classroom rather than
simply asking students to join in extracurricular activities like read up
- Ms. O’Brien will review ways learning is happening in class at a future SAC meeting
- Dave W. asked how they will know if we are on a positive track for better results in the future
(how can students misfire every time the testing takes place)
- Ms. O’Brien responded that she thinks students are responding well to the changes, but
these changes are not reflected in EQAO results
- Sara T. said she feels positive about the professional development that is happening
- Joy L. outlined the positive attitudes among teachers and hardworking staff at the school
- a parent expressed concern about what this means for our students when they go to high
school, that these results should not be a shock when the results come in
- Ms. O’Brien responded that this is something our school is planning to do, but it is
something that they will work towards in the future. They will track our students when
they go on to Riverdale
- Liz L. said the attitude among the staff is very positive, parents need to take more
responsibility for supporting their child’s reading
- Nikki R. and Julia P. worried about how evaluation is happening on the daily basis in the
classroom (kids with A+ should not get a level of 2 on EQAO)
- CAT 4 data should be going home in January
- a meeting will take place in the near future so Ms. O’Brien can review what is happening
related to reading/writing/mathematics learning at the Duke
Sub-Committee Update (introduced by Aron)
- please sign up for any committee you are interested in: Santa’s Breakfast, Fun Fair,
Academics, Athletics, Safe and Caring School, Equity, Adult Social, Family Night, and People
interested in volunteering at events but not joining a sub-committee
Other Business
- Joy Lachica introduced Jane Farrow, a candidate for city council in Ward 30
- Janna S. raised concerns that the back field was not available for students during the lunch
hour. Mr. Kyriazis responded that it is a supervision issue and their simply isn’t enough
supervision to watch both sides of the school at this time.
8:25 Meeting is concluded