ECE PAC -- Minutes from Sept 20/2010

East Chilliwack Elementary
Parent Advisory Council
Mon, Sept 20, 2010

Present: Nicole Johnston, Tyla Elgersma, Jen Hansen, Amy Herfst, Terri Krug, Sarah Burke, Natalie Sache, Jayne Dekany, Donna Stiles, Erik Van Laar, Caroline Laanstra, Alyson King, Bonnie Kind, Anne Russell, Tia Le Texier.

APPROVAL of AGENDA

Moved by Natalie; seconded by Donna

Approved


APPROVAL of MINUTES from June 2010

As these haven’t been written yet, this was deferred

Deferred

TREASURER’S REPORT
(See Bonnie Kind’s report for full details.)

• We are starting the year with approximately $8,500 in our main account, and 41 cents in our gaming account (all gaming funds must be spent each year by law).

• We made a profit of $372 from the Meet and Greet barbecue. Fed 256 people. Have some leftovers that have been kept frozen for future hot lunch.

• So far this year, have spent money on Meet and Greet supplies (thanks to Natalie for doing the humungous shop), and chocolate bar treats for the Teapot Hill hike.

HOT LUNCH REPORT
(Sarah Burke)

• A planning meeting was held and the following decisions made:
• Will rotate three types of hot lunches: home-made meal once a month (thanks to volunteer cooks), hot dogs, and pizza by the slice.
• No more McDonald’s except once a year in order to provide healthier fare, reduce garbage, and make distribution simpler.
• We need at least seven people to help count at 8:07 am on the first Wednesday of every month. Just show up!
• Hot lunch forms are due by 8:07 am on first Wednesday of the month.
NO LATE ORDERS ACCEPTED.
Could also use more help with distributing lunches on Fridays.
Contact Sarah Burke: 604-794-5520 or ssburke@shaw.ca

FUNDRAISING REPORT
(Nicole reported for Lorraine Brown)

• We will be having a meat raffle once again. Currently sourcing a freezer as can’t get donation from Wagner this year. May have to buy one at cost from The Brick.

• Johnston’s is once again donating some meat, and we’re buying some at cost from them. Also looking into other donors. Scott’s was suggested as some ECE families have a connection to them.

• Made $3,700 profit from this last year.

Motion to spend $350 on prize supplies for raffle.
Moved by Donna. Seconded by Natalie. Approved.

• Have decided against selling Bruins tickets as a fundraiser. Hard to sell.

• Will do poinsettia sales at Christmas and get the forms out earlier this year.

• May do a partnership with Pine Meadows where we get a payout for every tree they sell to a family that mentions our school.

• Are planning a BIG EVENT for spring to raise some major funds for playground expansion. Hoedown? Spaghetti dinner? Bit of both? Ideas?


PRINCIPAL’ S REPORT
(See Mrs. Ruth Neufeld’s report for full details.)

Start up went smoothly and classes were settled by Thursday, but then Mrs. Neufeld found out on Friday afternoon that we will get one more morning kindergarten (an addition of a half-time teacher). This means the portable classroom must be used. Chris Pauls has volunteered to take her Grade 3 class there. There may be some other shifting around of classrooms (i.e., a whole class moving to a new room).

We have several split classes this year for the first time in recent memory (have had one or two, but now have three). Haven’t had intermediate splits recently, but now we do.

Population of the school has grown from 170 to 235 in the four years Mrs. Neufeld has been here. Most growth is in the primary grades so there are many young children at the school and proportionately fewer older children: a challenge for “buddies” and other mentor activities.

Because of the decision to add eight minutes to the school day and add a week to spring break as a budget-saving exercise, school now starts at 8:02 am and goes to 2 pm.

The Teapot hike went well, but may consider something more inclusive this year, that our wheelchair-bound students can do too.

Smart learning
We are into our fourth year of implementing a ‘smart-learning’ approach that emphasizes learning by doing. Our kids are doing well across the board in district and provincial assessments. This ties in well with initiatives being introduced by the provincial ministry of education. Check out ‘21st Century Learning’ on ministry website.

Running program is now twice a week at days of each teacher’s choosing. (Some parents requested warning on which days it will be so kids can wear appropriate shoes, but Mrs. Neufeld noted it is often weather determined.)

There will be a Terry Fox run on Thurs, Sept 30. Intermediates will run on road, primaries around the track.

Soccer has started. Mr. Letkeman coaching boys; Verna Hoogeveen coaching girls, with Ms. Solheim as sponsor teacher.


NEW BUSINESS
(Nicole and others)


Playground
Our new playground equipment is nice, but rapidly becoming insufficient with so many younger children joining our school. This will be exacerbated next year with full-day kindergarten coming on.

We will need more playground equipment which means we may need to swing into higher gear for fundraising for next couple of years, and also sock away some of our current nest egg for future playground use.

Motion: to put $5,000 of our $8,000 into a savings account earmarked for future playground expansion.
Moved by Anne, seconded by Alyson


Destination Imagination

East Chilliwack has enjoyed huge success with this creativity competition activity over the past five years, both in a competitive sense in that we have done very well at the provincials and sent teams to the globals on three occasions, and in an enriching sense, in that it has provided a stimulating extracurricular activity to many ECE children.

Destination Imagination has been a very parent-driven activity at ECE: parents run noon-hour workshops to teach the kids the concepts, and then coach individual teams (which generally means provide a safe place for them to work in groups and let their imaginations run wild).

BUT WE NEED NEW BLOOD! Several of the key families are moving on to middle school and we need parents of younger children to get involved as leaders.

We will be providing info about DI at the family movie night on October 8.

Family Movie Night
• An East Chilliwack tradition!
• Thurs, Oct 7
• Doors at 5. Pizza available (pre-order). Show at 6:15 pm.
• Note: we had planned on How to Tame Your Dragon but it is not released on DVD until Oct 15, so we will provide an alternate title (Marmaduke)