Meeting Minutes

(Thank you to our Secretary Crystal Carstens for taking such detailed notes!! What a rockstar!!)

November 2018 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:
Minutes
November 5, 2018
Pineridge School Council
Attendance: Leslie (principal), Ruth (assistant principal), Melissa (chair), Karen , (vice-chair), Meghan (treasurer), Crystal  (secretary), Nikki , Naomi, and Bonnie. *Last names removed for privacy reasons.

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m.

2)     September 10th meeting minutes and October 1st meeting minutes
Approval of the September 10, 2018 meeting minutes will be tabled until the next meeting.

Motion: Crystal motioned to approve the minutes of the October 1, 2018 meeting; Nikki second it and the minutes were adopted.

3)     School report
The school gave a presentation called School Results and the School Development Plan 101. It was explained what the school development plan (SDP) is and the data used to create the plan (such as report card results from June, PAT scores, the CBE Student Survey, and the Accountability Pillar Report). It was explained how they create the SDP and how the SDP is used by teachers and schools all with the goal of continuous improvement of student learning. The school determines the success of the strategies contained in the SDP by aiming to achieve improvements in things such as an increase in the number of students getting “acceptable” levels on PATs and by having more 3 and 4s on report cards by the end of year, among other measurable targets.

It was explained that Pineridge’s focus this year is on math, literacy and well-being (specifically on empathy and kindness). The school staff are also working on getting every student at Pineridge using the CBE Iris system. Iris is an interactive platform where both students and teachers access an online portal that allows for personalized learning and teaching as students create their own goals in the system. It was noted that Pineridge has a math coach this year (part-time, half days), who is working with teachers to develop learning/teaching strategies.

Feedback on the SDP from parents is welcome and there are plans to provide updates on this document likely at the February school council meeting.

4)     Old business
Breakfast program
The Pineridge School Parent Association (PSPA) asked how the breakfast program was going and if any financial support is needed at this time from the PSPA. There are six to eight regular students. Teachers will share information about the breakfast program at parent-teacher conferences to spread the word as more families would benefit from this program, but just aren’t aware of it. It was noted that through corporate donations and the Breakfast Clubs of Canada donations no financial support is needed from the PSPA at this time.

5)     New business
None.

6)     Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:36 p.m.

Minutes
November 5, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association
Attendance: Leslie (principal), Ruth (assistant principal), Melissa (chair), Karen (vice-chair), Meghan (treasurer), Crystal  (secretary), Nikki , Naomi, and Bonnie (Last names removed for privacy reasons)

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:36 p.m.

2)     September 10th meeting minutes and October 1st meeting minutes
Approval of the September 10, 2018 meeting minutes will be tabled until the next meeting.

Motion: Crystal motioned to approve the minutes of the October 1, 2018 meeting; Karen second it and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Treasurer reports
a)     General account balance: $ (REMOVED)
b)     Casino account balance: $ (REMOVED)

The money in the casino account needs to be spent by mid-February 2019.

4)     Old business
a)     Casino
Casino was a success---a big thank you to all the volunteers. Due to the offering of volunteer credits, all positions were filled and adequate backups were in place. We went over our snack budget by approximately $25.
b)     Cookie dough fundraiser
The fundraiser ran October 12th to November 1st. Orders will be submitted tomorrow so order totals and profits will be announced later. Two volunteers are required to count and roll change (huge thank you to Naomi and Nikki for volunteering to do this).

                             i.     Prizes
Prizes will be purchased and distributed on November 7th (students who sold five or more boxes are entered into a draw to win one of four Toys R Us $25 gift cards). The top seller wins a $50 gift card. First names will be announced on the PSPA Facebook page and parents will be notified.

                           ii.     Delivery
The delivery date of the cookies is not known yet, but the PSPA will coordinate the date with the school.
5)     New business
a)     Fun lunches
Karen will look into McDonalds and a pizza option for the two Fun Lunches the PSPA plans to host this year. Other food options will be considered only if other volunteers do the research into profit margins, ease of execution, etc. It was discussed that February would be a good time to host a Fun Lunch given that Christmas is fast approaching and we just finished the cookie dough fundraiser.

Motion: Karen motioned that a Fun Lunch be held in February; it was seconded by Nikki and the motion was carried.

b)     Child care trial at school council/PSPA meetings
The three-month trial of providing childcare at school council/PSPA meetings in order to determine if it would make a difference in the number of parents attending the meetings is complete and there has been no noticeable improvement of attendance at meetings due to us providing childcare. It was discussed that it would be ideal to provide childcare at the January meeting because it is the AGM meeting, but after that there likely isn’t a need. Melissa will talk to Niki to see if she is willing to provide childcare at the January meeting.

6)     Discussion
a)     Update on parent question re: Walk Safe Program
The School provided an update on a question from the September meeting regarding having a walk-safe program provided to students in some capacity. The School had a discussion with the traffic/road safety person for Alberta and is applying for a grant to help cover the cost of signs to put out front indicate bussing parking and to run a program for students in the April/spring timeframe. The emphasis of these initiatives is educating kids on safety and encouraging walking/bike riding to school over getting a drive to school.

In addition, the school resource officer was out walking along the main stretch and communicating/giving ticket warnings to parents who were violating rules. A walk-safe committee (consisting of two teachers, and the VP and hopefully one or two students will join) has been formed.

In regard to having a hole made in the fence along Rundlehorn Drive to allow for a quick drop-off spot is being looked into as well, although it was noted that there is a lengthy process involved to have something like this put in place.

b)     Parent question: outdated website content
A request was received from a parent regarding content on the Pineridge School website that is outdated and wondering if it could be updated/removed. There is a significant amount of information on the website and school staff is working on getting it updated as time permits.

7)     Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 6:51 p.m.


September 2018 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:
Minutes
September 10, 2018
Pineridge School Council
Attendance: Leslie G (principal), Ruth P (assistant principal), Melissa M (chair), Karen M (vice-chair), Meghan P (treasurer), Crystal C (secretary), Nikki C, Naomi B, April Ur, Caitlin O, Niki M, Bonnie

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m.

2)     June 11th meeting minutes
Naomi motioned to approve the minutes of the June 11th meeting; Karen seconded it and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Secretary’s report
Crystal had no updates to share.

4)     School report
Ms. G & Ms P acknowledged how welcoming the community and school has been in their time here so far. They discussed the following items:

Student agendas
The school wished to thank the parent volunteers for coming in to label the agendas and getting them ready to go for the first week of school.

Registrations
There have been a number of new registrations across all grade levels and the school is looking at student numbers and how best to support the students at Pineridge School.

Staffing Names removed for privacy reasons ( please see school office for name)

Athletic residencies update
Ms. B, the dance residence instructor, is teaching dance to kindergarten, CSSI and the Grade 1/2 classes on Mondays for the months of September and October and then will no longer be at Pineridge.  

ELEV8 Lacrosse has been booked for the fall and the school is looking for another sports residency for later on this year.

Terry Fox Run
The Terry Fox run will be held the morning of September 18th; more information will be coming on this in the agendas.

Parent teacher conferences
Meet the teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, September 20th from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Friday, September 21st from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (no school for kids on September 21st).

Fuel for School breakfast program
In June, Pineridge School was gifted with funding to run a breakfast program for the 2018-2019 school year through the Fuel for School breakfast program. The funding includes staffing for a breakfast supervisor position of 10 hours per week to cover grocery purchases/ordering from vendors, set up/take down). The cost of food is not covered and the school is responsible for this cost. The CBE Corporate Partnership has donated $405 and Breakfast Clubs of Canada has donated $900 (to be paid out in three installments throughout the year) and $500 in gift cards. The school will be requesting help from the Pineridge School Parent Association (PSPA) for assistance (preliminary estimate is between $5,000 and $6,000 for food for the year). There are a few more steps to complete (inspections to be done and permits obtained) before the program can start, but the goal is to have it running for as soon as next Monday. The school will send out an announcement via Messenger letting parents know about the program. Details have not been finalized yet, but the school will likely open 30 minutes early to allow time for serving and kids to eat breakfast. The kitchen in the CSSI room will be used , an educational assistant, has taken on the breakfast supervisor role and is currently doing the meal planning.

It was noted that the funding is for one year only and there are too many variables at this time to say for sure whether or not this program will be available for the school next year.

Telus Spark Educational Opportunity
Pineridge also received through the CBE Corporate Sponsorship Telus Spark credits. The credits allow classes to attend educational programs at Telus Spark at a reduced cost. Three credits have been offered to the school which allows students to attend programs at a reduced cost of $50 to $100 and include bussing. They have offered two additional credits for programs at a cost of $50 to $100, which do not include bussing. The credits need to be used by the end of June.

The school requested the PSPA if they would cover the cost of two busses so that two classes can attend Telus Spark programs at a greatly reduced cost. It was noted that there was leftover bussing money from last year that could be used for this.

5)     Old business
a)     Agendas
Agendas were labelled—thank you to the volunteers (Nikki, Naomi and Meghan).

b)     Childcare at meetings
Childcare will be offered by a PSPA member on trial basis during the school council/PSPA meetings until December and we need volunteers commit to this. Niki M volunteered to fill this role.

Action: Niki M to provide childcare for the school council/PSPA meetings until December.  
c)     Buddy bench
The buddy bench has been installed with the exception of the plaque (the plaque is at the school but not affixed to the bench yet). A focus of the School Development Plan is student wellness and teaching kindness and empathy so the school plans to incorporate the buddy bench to help teach students about these topics.

6)     New business
a)     Casino
The casino is on October 6th and 7th. Volunteer request forms were approved and sent home last week. Response has been positive and a number of spots have been filled, but there are still spots left to fill. There are several backup positions available in which you may or may not be needed, but if you sign up as a backup, then please make sure you are available in case the regular person can’t make the shift. Melissa passed out an information sheet from the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission about volunteering at a casino in case people have questions (see attached).

b)     School events
The PSPA would like to request approval from the school to run the following events:

·       two fun lunches
·       one Jelly Bean dance
·       one catalogue fundraiser (cookie dough)
·       two themed days (pajama day, crazy hair day, etc.)

7)     Discussion
There were a few discussion topics as follows:

Child Safe presentation on “getting to school safe”
It is believed that several years ago kindergarten students would attend a presentation through Child Safe Canada and learn the basics of crossing a street safely, etc., and wondered if this could be brought back in some form. It was suggested the Calgary Police Service may also have something like this available and that, at a minimum, students up to Grade 3 should attend.  

Action: Ms. G and Ms. P to look into Child Safe or Calgary Police Service for presentations on pedestrian/road safety for children.  

Traffic/speeding issues
Speeding and parking issues continue to be a concern on the roads surrounding the school. It was asked if a community liaison could be contacted to come to the school and talk to parents about speeding and parking in front of the school. It was also mentioned that in previous years there was discussion about creating drop-off/pick-up zone for the school. Some of these ideas can be looked at again to see if they are feasible.

8)     Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:21 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·       Niki M to provide childcare for the school council/PSPA meetings until December.
·       Ms. G & Ms P to look into Child Safe or Calgary Police Service for presentations on pedestrian/road safety for children.


Minutes
September 10, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association
Attendance: Leslie G (principal), Ruth P (assistant principal), Melissa M (chair), Karen M, (vice-chair), Meghan P (treasurer), Crystal C (secretary), Nikki C, April U, Caitlin O, Niki M, Bonnie I, and Naomi B.

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:22 p.m.

2)     June 11th meeting minutes
Karen motioned to approve the minutes of the June 11th meeting; Crystal seconded it and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Secretary’s report
Crystal had no updates to share.

4)     Treasurer reports
a)     General account balance: $ - Removed - 
b)     Casino account balance: $ - Removed -

There is $_________left over from last year from unused bussing. There is also $______that was designated to be used for books for the Learning Commons that hasn’t been used. Also, there will be more money available to use with Ms. B only teaching for two months this year.
5)     Old business
a)     Step challenge grant
Karen and Melissa explained that last year a grant was received from “Activate YYC” in which the PSPA was going to run a pedometer/step challenge and award prizes to the top step earners. No PSPA or school staff were able to take on co-ordinating this initiative last year and it was decided that it would be revisited at the September meeting.
Karen will forward information regarding the scope of this idea to Ms. G. The school will ask teachers if there is any interest running this. If not, the grant money will be returned.
Action: Karen to forward Step Challenge information to Ms. G.
6)     New business
a)     Ms. B leaving ( Dance Instructor)
Ms. B is leaving in October and the school would like to use the remainder of the money for her salary for other residencies and needs at the school.

It was discussed that ELEV8 Lacrosse is coming in the fall, a Sound Creations dance residency (similar to Stomp and hip hop style) has been booked, and swimming at the Genesis Centre has also been booked.

It was noted that many of the residencies are sports oriented and it was discussed if there are other residencies that relate to science or other core subjects that could be brought in. It was discussed that there is an emphasis on sports residencies this year because there is no Phys Ed specialist at the school.

There are a lot of excellent residencies available and the school is open to exploring different ones. It was mentioned that Grade 1/2 students are going to Zoo School this year which is science oriented (it was clarified that Zoo School is actually applied for by teachers and teachers may or may not be awarded a spot at Zoo School).

b)     $1,500 for books for the Learning Commons
As discussed earlier there is $___________that the PSPA set aside last year to purchase books for the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons does not need books right now and it was discussed if we want to release this money to the school to be spent on other items it needs and not limit it to books or items for the Learning Commons.

Motion: Karen motioned that the $_____________be released to be used for the school to use toward other items it needs. The motion was seconded by Niki and approved.

7)     Discussion
Cursive writing
It was asked if cursive writing is still taught at schools. Ms. G explained that some teachers teach it, but it is not part of Alberta curriculum. Ms. G will approach the Grade 3/4 teachers and ask for their thoughts on cursive writing.

Action: Ms. G to ask Grade 3/4 teachers about cursive writing.

Swimming
Parents have expressed their preference that the school return to levelled swim lessons rather than the water safety program at the Genesis Centre and noted the Village Square Leisure Centre is within walking distance to the school, eliminating the need for bussing. The pros and cons of each program have been discussed over the last year. It was noted that swimming pools and time slots fill up fast and if changes are wanting to be made then timing is of the essence and changes must be made as soon as possible. The school will look into other swimming options, but if the timing is too late, then we proceed with the Genesis Centre for this year and implement changes to the swimming program for next year.

Motion: Nikki motioned that if the school will look into options for swimming for this year, but if the timing is too late, then we keep the booking at the Genesis Centre for this year and implement changes to the swimming program for next year. The motion was seconded by Niki and approved.

2)     Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:43 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·       PSPA to continue to recruit volunteers to work the casino in October.
·       Ms. G and Ms. P to look into swimming options.
·       Ms. G to ask Grade 3/4 teachers about cursive writing.
·       Karen to forward Step Challenge information to Ms. G.

April 2018 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:

Minutes
April 9, 2018
Pineridge School Council 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. 

2)     February 12th and March 12 meeting minutes
Karen motioned to approve the minutes of the February 12th and March 12th meetings; Alli seconded it and the minutes were adopted. 

3)     Principal’s report
The Principal discussed the following items:

Enrolment
There are currently 248 students at Pineridge. 

Staffing
A new assistant principal has been hired and is starting in mid-April (to replace Ms. Best who is retiring).

Thank you
The Principal thanked Mr. Herold for attending the meeting tonight and expressed her appreciation for all parents who have been ‘choosing kindness’ while at the school. 

Updates
School food service
Currently Pineridge has cereal, toast and snacks available for students and work is progressing on implementing a more formal program with more options available. Notices with information will be coming home to parents at a later date. 

U of C project
The University of Calgary has a solar car that they designed and built and will be bringing to the school to show students. The solar car concept lines up with what the Grade 3/4s have been working on, but the plan is that all students will have the opportunity to see the car. 

Can Learn Friends
Parents of students in grades 5 and 6 who may be interested are being contacted. 

Outdoor school
Outdoor school is run by the YMCA at Camp Chief Hector in Kananaskis Country and is for Grade 5/6 students. Funding is available for families through the YMCA Strong Kids program. Eighty per cent participation is needed for outdoor school to proceed and there is still time to get your forms in. 

Swim program
The swim program is for kindergarten to Grade 4 students and is scheduled for June. Notices will be coming home to parents with more information.

PAT (Grade 6)
Provincial achievement testing for Grade 6 students is done in two parts, one in May (the written component) and one in June (the multiple-choice component). 

Celebration of Learning 
A celebration of learning will be held on the evening of May 10th at the school highlighting music, dance and visual arts (all students). 

Volunteer tea
The volunteer tea is on May 11th, at the school. 

CPS cyber bulling presentation
The Calgary Police Service has been booked to come to the school to give a presentation to parents on the topic of cyber bulling (this is a parents only presentation). There is no cost for this and forms will go home to parents. 

Advisory role 
School Development Plan
One of the focuses of the School Development Plan is creating a joyful literacy rich environment and this concept is refined for each age group. 

Formative assessments/conferences
Parent teacher conferences are on the evening of April 19thand the morning of April 20th. These are a bit different from the student-led conferences in that there will be one-on-one time with the teacher with no other people in the room. Formative assessments include goal setting and feedback as students work toward these goals. 

Next year plans
Plans for next year (such as staff changes, etc.) will be discussed once details are available.

School council meetings
A request that the school be informed of the school council meeting dates and times for next year. 

May: Healthy Living Month
May will be recognized as healthy living month at Pineridge; however, there is the Heart and Stroke Foundation Jump Rope for Heart assembly in April and the Family Fitness Fun Fair in June. 

4)     Old business 
a)     Wacky hair day
The Pineridge School Parent Association (PSPA) thanked the school for hosting a wacky hair day in March. 
b)    Spring fundraiser
The PSPA informed the school that it is not running a spring fundraiser this year. 

5)     New business 
a)    Dance on April 26th
It was brought to the PSPA’s attention that the renewal of its insurance is currently being processed so the PSPA is not going to organize a dance at the end of April because the PSPA will not take any chances of running events without insurance being in place.

Motion:Astrid motioned that the dance be cancelled. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance. 

b)    May Fun Lunch
Another Fun Lunch is scheduled for May 17th. Food will be provided from McDonald’s.

c)    Buddy bench conversion
There is currently a bench outside of the Ms. Garrioch’s room that is used for a reading buddy bench. Work has been started with students talking about the concept of the buddy bench, including a discussion on things such as: what is a buddy bench used for, questions you could ask somebody sitting on it, how you could make somebody feel better, where a bench should be located outside, and what colour it should be. The students were also asked about what makes Pineridge the best school and the students indicated that Pineridge is known for friends and friendship. Students also indicated that blue would be a good colour for the bench, and they want to name it the “Ms. Best Buddy Bench” to recognize Ms. Best. 

Someone from the CBE Facilities department is coming out to look at various items at the school and Ms. Androsoff will ask about a bench conversion at this time. The PSPA noted that $1,000 has been budgeted to convert an existing bench to a buddy bench. 

Action: Ms. Androsoff will email Karen a summary of the students’ responses and let her know what the Facilities person said concerning the bench conversion. 

d)    “Activate YYC” grant
The PSPA received a $1,500 grant from “Activate YYC” and is seeking approval from the school to run a movement challenge event for students by providing all students with a pedometer and tracking their steps over a period of six weeks. Prizes would be awarded, including four grand prizes at the end of the challenge for the top step earners in kindergarten, grade 1/2, grade 3/4 and grade 5/6. The school is in favour of this event and would like to run it in September to tie-in with the Terry Fox run. Ms. Androsoff noted that if the PSPA can obtain a pedometer then the teachers are willing to test them out and work out any potential kinks that may arise with the pedometers. 

6)     Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is May 14, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items: 
Ms. Androsoff will email Karen a summary of the students’ responses and will let her know what the Facilities person said in regard to the bench conversion. 
Minutes
April 9, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.

2)     February 12th and March 12 meeting minutes
Astrid motioned to approve the minutes of the February 12th and March 12th meetings; April seconded it and the minutes were adopted. 

3)     Treasurer reports 
a.    General account balance:  REMOVED
b.    Casino account balance: REMOVED

4)    Old business
a)    Spring fundraiser
As previously discussed, the PSPA is not running a spring fundraiser this year. 
5)     New business
a)    Administrative Professionals Day
The PSPA set a $25 limit on gifts for Administrative Professionals Day. The PSPA will gift X to the school’s two secretaries. 

Action:Karen and Melissa to purchase X to give to Peggy and Joanne on Administrative Professionals Day.

b)    Staff appreciation lunch
The PSPA typically hosts a lunch for staff at the end of the year. Last year, the PSPA decorated the room and had Lester B. Pearson High School cater the lunch at a cost of approximately $400. The PSPA will host a lunch again this year. It was noted that this comes out of the general account funds. Volunteers will be needed, but the date has not been determined yet. 

Motion:Karen motioned that the PSPA budget up to $550 including food and decorations to host a staff appreciation lunch. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance. 

c)    Dance
As previously discussed, the dance will not go ahead. We will consider having a welcome back to school dance in September, or a spring dance next year.  

d)    Fun lunch
A McDonald’s Fun Lunch will go ahead on May 17th. Volunteers will be needed. Astrid and Crystal are able to assist with counting and rolling up money. 

2)    Discussion
a)    Childcare at meetings
It was discussed that a possible way to increase parent involvement at our meetings is if there was childcare available. Various ways that childcare could be made possible and the positive and negatives of each were discussed, including:

·      moving meetings to the Learning Commons or the gym
·      putting on a movie for kids
·      use casino fund to pay to put somebody through the babysitting course and then hiring them to come to our meetings
·      getting members to rotate turns watching kids

It was agreed that with only two meetings left this year, the childcare initiative is something the PSPA would look to implement for next year. We could include “childcare available” on the sign for September’s meeting to try to get more people to attend. 

Action: Melissa will contact other parent councils and see what they do in regard to providing childcare to get other ideas of what would work best at our school. 

3)     Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m. The next meeting is on May 14, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·      Melissa and Karen to purchase X for Administrative Professionals Day gifts.
·      Secure volunteers for May Fun Lunch. Crystal and Astrid are available to help count money. 
·      Melissa will contact other parent councils and see what they do in regard to providing childcare to get other ideas of what would work best at our school.
·      Form a committee/find volunteers to organize the staff appreciation lunch. 


March 2018 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:

Minutes
March 12, 2018
Pineridge School Council 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. 

2)     February 12th meeting minutes
The minutes of the February meeting were not circulated to all members so adoption of the February minutes will be tabled until the next meeting. 

3)     Principals report
Recent grade 1/2 field trip to the Reading House
The grade 1 and 2 classes went on a field trip to the Reading House in Inglewood. The basic concept is to share the joy of reading with children. Children had a story read to them, chose a special spot in the house to read a book and were able to choose a book to take home with them. 

The trip also included going to see the Bite grocery and eatery. Children saw how a commercial kitchen works, learned how to make sausage, and did some tasting. The trip also included going to the Esker Foundation public art gallery, which specializes in modern art. Students were able to learn how you can express yourself through art and saw different pieces of artwork.   

Extremely positive feedback was received on this field trip and Pineridge hopes to be able to have this field trip again in the future.  

Staffing update
·       (REMOVED) staying on as the kindergarten teacher until further notice while Ms. Sage is away.
·      (REMOVED) has put in her retirement notice so the AP position will be filled, but for now, a teacher has been hired for the teaching part of the AP role. 
·      A staff member will be away until after spring break.

Student population
Enrolment has increased with 10 new students in the past two weeks; the current number of students at Pineridge is 249. The projected number of students for the 2018-2019 year is 227.

Budget
The Principal has a meeting on Tuesday regarding next year’s budget process. The budget can impact programming and staffing. Student numbers also have a role in determining how much money the school gets. 

School development plan
Focus remains on creating a literacy-rich environment and that all children will read with comprehension. It was noted that math includes a reading comprehension aspect, which is also included in the plan. 

Next year updates
Kindergarten
The Principal met with a specialist week and inquired about kindergarten options available such as:

·      a 4-day kindergarten program
·      kindergarten/grade 1 classes

The kindergarten schedule will remain the same as this year because the options above are not possible. Having a 5-day morning program for two classes may be possible, but is not ideal as is preferable to give parents the choice of sending their child in the morning or afternoon. 

School schedule
The school timetables and schedules for next year have not yet been determined. 

School environment
Extracurricular
Extracurricular activities and clubs are ongoing (grandparent program, etc.)

Young Writer’s conference
There are spots available to grade 4/5/6 students to attend the Calgary Young Writer’s Conference. It gives students a chance to meet with authors and is a hands-on learning experience. It is paid for, but parents are responsible for drop off/pick up of their child since it is on the weekend. 

Pink Shirt day/Choose kindness/Wonder book
Pink shirt day was in February and was a success. Students are encouraged to choose kindness and have read the book “Wonder”. 

Panda beverages
Students involved in the BMO Entrepreneurial Adventure program are continuing their work in selling beverages at the school to raise money for CPAWS.

Calgary Reads
Pineridge is a Calgary Reads school, which means there are certain benefits we get such as the sponsored field trip to the Reading House. Calgary Reads also provides support and is helping to ensure Pineridge is meeting the school development plan focus of reading comprehension for all children.

University of Calgary
Pineridge is involved with a program with the University of Calgary where children learn by experts in various fields exactly how things work, providing for a enriched learning experience. For example, different grades are learning about such things as the engineering behind solar cars, architectural design of a building, and “what it’s like to be a historian”.

Thank you
The Principal expressed her thanks to all the volunteers who help at the school, during field trips, and at the fun lunch. 

4)     Old business 
a)    Buddy bench conversion project
The Pineridge School Parent Association (PSPA) reminded the school that there is $1,000 set aside for converting an existing playground bench into a “buddy bench” by painting it and adding a plaque. The PSPA wants to have input from students on the bench colours and wording to include on the plaque.  

5)     New business 
a)    Request to have assemblies and family events to start at 9 a.m. or end closer to the end of the day
The PSPA informed the school that a request has been received asking that assemblies and family events start at 9 a.m. or end closer to the end of the day to avoid an awkward time gap between the event times and dismissal times. 

b)    Request for a “wacky hair day”
The PSPA is requesting if it can organize a “wacky hair day” on March 22nd. The school approved the request asking that the PSPA try to make sure parents know about this event so people do not get upset that they were not informed of it. The PSPA will ensure the information is available using various resources such as a message/sticker in the agendas, announcing it on the PSPA facebook page/blog and posting notices on the outside doors. 

c)    Request for a dance in April
The PSPA requested if it would be possible for it to host a dance at the school in April. The answer was yes, it should be possible. The available dates are the Thursday evenings of April 5th, 12th and 26th.

d)    Request for fun lunch in April or May
The PSPA requested if it could host one more “fun lunch” this year. The school approved this request. The date has not yet been determined. 

e)    Upcoming calendar 
Spring celebration
The school is organizing a spring celebration event on May 11th. This will highlight fine arts and Ms. Barbara’s work with the students. 

Family fitness fun fair
The school is planning to have a family fitness fun fair again this year.

6)     Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:34 p.m. The next meeting is April 9, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items: 
·      Determine fun lunch date with the school

Minutes
March 12, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m.

2)     February 12th meeting minutes
The minutes of the February meeting were not circulated to all members so adoption of the February minutes will be tabled until the next meeting. 

3)     Treasurer reports 
a.    General account balance: (REMOVED)
b.    Casino account balance: (REMOVED)

4)    Old business
a.    McDonalds fun lunch
This fun lunch was highly successful in terms of participation, profitability and organization. There were approximately 150 orders received and approximately $340 in profit.  
b.    Proposed budget letter to the school
As outlined in the February meeting, the PSPA budget letter to the school was accepted.

5)     New business
a.    Spring fundraiser
It was discussed whether the PSPA wanted to organize another fundraiser this year. The consensus that we do not want to put on another fundraiser this year. This is partly due to the success of the cookie dough fundraiser and McDonald’s fun lunch. 

Motion: Karen motioned that the PSPA does not hold a spring fundraiser this year. It was seconded by Astrid and approved by all in attendance. 

b.    Spring dance
The school has approved the PSPA organizing a dance in April. A committee needs to be formed to organize the details of the dance (Melissa and Nikki volunteered and Astrid volunteered to help during the actual dance). It was noted that the PSPA typically looses money on a dance event. Various ideas to reduce the cost were discussed, including increasing the price of the concession slightly and using different DJ services. 

It was raised that an issue at the last dance was the lack of janitorial services and that it would be a good idea to have a backup plan in place this year. 
Motion:Karen motioned that the PSPA budget up to $375 to organize a dance at the school. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance. 

c.    Activate YYC grant
The Activate YYC grant is a grant that can be applied for to support community projects that encourage communities to get out walking/playing/being active. Karen explained that this grant was applied for in the fall using the general concept of purchasing pedometers for the students, tracking the number of steps of each student and awarding prizes to the students who had the most steps. Karen received a letter stating that the grant had been awarded for $1,500. It was noted that the grant money can not be used to purchase prizes so PSPA members will have to approach companies for prize donations or use PSPA funds. This project has not been approved by the school yet. 

A committee will need to be set up to work out details, including:

·      Prizes
o  ensure that only “active” themed prizes are awards such as soccer balls, swim passes, etc.
o  how to organize them, top prize per class/per grade, etc.
·      How the steps are to be tracked (such that there is minimal work needed on the part of the school/teachers)
·      Can this be tied into the family fitness fun fair somehow?
·      Marketing this to families
·      Obtaining school approval

Motion:Karen motioned that the PSPA budget $500 for prizes for this initiative. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance. 

d.    Fun lunch
The school approved one more fun lunch for this school year. We will do another McDonald’s fun lunch. Melissa, Karen and Astrid all agreed to help organize and/or volunteer for this. 

6)    Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:04 p.m. The next meeting is on April 9, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·      Form a committee to execute the “Activate YYC” grant pedometer idea.
·      Form a committee to organize and find enough volunteers to have another McDonald’s fun lunch.
·      Melissa will check with the school in regard to having a backup plan for janitorial services at the dance.  

February 2018 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:
Minutes
February 12, 2018
Pineridge School Council 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:04 p.m. 

2)     January 22nd meeting minutes
Crystal gave the highlights from the meeting on January 22, 2018. 

Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes of the January 22, 2018 meeting. It was seconded by Karen and the minutes were adopted. 

3)     Principal’s report 
The Principal discussed the following items:

Student population
Enrolment has increased; the current number of students at Pineridge is 245. 

Staffing update
Ms. Androsoff noted that the CBE is short on subs and it can be challenging to secure one at times. 

·      (REMOVED) is still away and nobody has been found to fill in during her absence. 
·      (REMOVED) is back teaching her grade 3/4 class.
·      (REMOVED), who was filling in for Ms. Garrioch, is now teaching kindergarten while Ms. Sage is away.
·      Three experienced student teachers from the University of Calgary are assisting teachers. 

Special occasions
Valentine’s Day is this week and teachers are meeting to discuss how to acknowledge it. Notices will be going home tomorrow explaining any special plans. Emphasis will be placed on showing kindness to one another. Students can give out valentines if they want to (if they choose to do this, then one is to be given to ALL students in the class). Parents will only be asked to pack a snack for their child(ren), and will not need to prepare a snack for a whole class. 

Planning for the future
The Principal has received no communication from the CBE and therefore has no updates regarding any changes to the kindergarten schedule (hours, dismissal times, half-day/full day, etc. for next year. 

The Principal met with Area Director Dr. Dianne Lee. The school development plan was discussed in which one of the main focusses is creating a literacy-rich environment and included discussion on the different ways to do this, including how classes are put together, field trips and how to incorporate it into the curriculum. 

Sponsored field trip to the Reading Room
As part of having a literacy-rich environment, Pineridge has been gifted with a field trip for the grade 1 and 2 classes to go to the Reading Room in Inglewood. Calgary Reads is covering the cost. 

Kindness
The school has been really working with the kids to “choose kindness” in their actions and exploring the different ways kindness can be shown. (REMOVED) explained some of the activities students are working on toward this focus. The grade 5 and 6 classes have read the book “Wonder” which is book that teaches acceptance and diversity and now the grade 3 and 4 classes are reading it. (The Principal) also explained that the We Club is starting a campaign where grade 5 and 6 students will be buddy-readers to younger students, but it will be social justice themed books to continue the kindness and caring focus. It was also explained that the school will tie this work into the buddy bench concept and the anti-bullying Pink Shirt Day on February 28th by having a bench inside the school for the students to read on together (the bench would be inside for now, but a playground bench can still be converted once it is warmer). This would be a good way to introduce the concept of the buddy bench and start incorporating it at the school.  

(REMOVED) also explained that the grade 5 and 6 students are getting ready to start their Entrepreneurial Adventure business of selling beverages. The first day of operations is on February 21st where students will be selling hot chocolate with different toppings available. Students get a discount if they bring their own cup. Notices will be coming home with information; participation is voluntary. A reminder that any proceeds go toward CPAWS. 

4)     Old business 
a)    Kindergarten update
As discussed above, there is no update on any changes to kindergarten scheduling. 

b)    Fun lunch
The February Fun Lunch will proceed on February 14th with food from McDonald’s. There are approximately 150 orders that were placed. Food will be in individual bags by name and sorted by class. Food will be delivered at 11:30. 

5)    New business 
a)    Valentine’s Day 
As discussed above. 

b)    Buddy bench
As discussed above. 

c)    Exercise playground update
It was clarified that the recommendation of removing the exercise playground was not a safety issue with the structures themselves but had to do with the issue of snow removal and gravel. When snow is cleared, it also causes the gravel to be removed at the same time, which makes for slippery conditions. No decision has been made about removing the structures. 

d)    Basketball hoops
It was noted that the basketball hoops are too high for the shorter students trying to play and it was wondered if one of the hoops could be lowered. It was also mentioned that having a square painted on the backboard would help the kids to know where to aim. It was discussed that there are rules around the height of the hoops and the concern is that we do not want kids to be able to jump/climb up and swing off of the hoop because then it is a safety issue and the basketball hoops could break. Some schools have had portable hoops, but there has been the issue of vandalism with those types of basketball hoops. Ms. Androsoff will inquire about the options available for the basketball hoops. 

6)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. The next meeting is March 12, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·      The Principal to inquire about basketball hoop height and backboard painting rules/options.

Minutes
February 12, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
Meeting called to order at 6:40 p.m.

2)     January 22nd meeting minutes
Motion: Karen motioned to approve the minutes of the January 22, 2018 meeting. It was seconded by Astrid and the minutes were adopted. 

3)     Treasurer reports 
a.    General account balance: (REMOVED)
b.    Casino account balance: (REMOVED) 
                                      i.     Casino money
         This casino money has to last until February 13, 2019.
                                    ii.     Casino date
The next casino date will in the fourth quarter of 2018. 

4)    Old business
a.    Invoices requiring clarification
Guitars (approximately $2,800)
The PSPA motioned that it would approve the purchase of the guitars if they were for the whole school and not just for guitar club use. It was clarified that right now the guitars are being used for guitar club and grade 5 and 6 students with a plan to incorporate them for the younger grades. 
Aubrey books (approximately $2,200)
It was clarified that these books are resources for teachers and therefore do not meet AGLC requirements to be paid out of casino funds so the PSPA will not cover the cost. 
b.    Fun lunch
As discussed above. 
An additional one or two volunteers are needed at 11:30 a.m. to help hand out lunches. It was noted that McDonald’s is proving to be a popular Fun Lunch choice with approximately 150 orders placed.

5)     New business
a.    Agendas
It was discussed whether or not the PSPA wants to cover the cost of agendas for students for the 2018/2019 school year (approximately $2,000). The PSPA wants to include the PSPA labels on the front page of the inside cover again and to ensure that the PSPA information section gets included in the information pages of the agendas next year. 

Motion:Karen motioned that the PSPA cover the cost of the agendas for the 2018/2019 school year. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance. 

b.    Fall residency
It was discussed whether or not the PSPA wants to cover the cost of having a residency for the fall (such as Alien-in Skating, Havana Cuban Dance Studio). It was noted that the PSPA can provide suggestions as to the residencies to bring to the school, but ultimately the school chooses which ones to have. The PSPA will provide a list of suggestions to the school of possible residencies to have. 

Motion:Astrid motioned to cover the cost of a fall residency up to the amount of $3,500. It was seconded by April and approved by all in attendance. 

c.    PSPA sponsored budget for Pineridge School
To increase communication between the school and the PSPA, a letter was drafted which outlines what the PSPA budget is for the school to use toward purchases for the betterment of the school. It stipulates that purchases must meet the AGLC guidelines in order to be covered by the PSPA (it was noted that this budget only pertains to funds in the casino account) and includes information that the money is only available until February 2019, or when the next casino funds are received. The letter also outlines items the PSPA has already voted to cover. 

Motion:Nikki motioned that the PSPA approve the use of this budget letter and present it to the school. It was seconded by Crystal and approved by all in attendance. 

6)    Adjournment
It was discussed that rather than have a workshop for the March meeting, that we have a regular meeting and use it to plan a spring dance/event. The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. The next meeting is on March 12, 2018, at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·      An additional one or two volunteers is required for the fun lunch on February 14th.
·      PSPA to provide list of suggested residencies to bring to the school for fall 2018. 

January 2018 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:
Minutes
January 22, 2018
Pineridge School Council 
Annual General Meeting

Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. 

2)     November 13th meeting minutes
Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes of the November 13, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by April and the minutes were adopted. 

3)     Principal’s report 
(The Principal) discussed several items as follows:

Numbers
Current enrolment at Pineridge is 240 students. 

Staffing
·      (REMOVED) is staying on as a grade 5/6 teacher since Ms. LeBlanc is not returning to the school after maternity leave.
·      (REMOVED)i is teaching grades 3/4 while Ms. Garrioch is on leave.
·      (REMOVED) was only able to work until the New Year due to other commitments so Pineridge is currently waiting to see who the leadership team will be for the coming months.
·      The head lunchroom supervisor has moved and it is recommended that the position not be filled at this time.
·      An education assistant has been away, but is recovering and should be back soon.

School Development Plan
The school development plan has been posted to the website and on the TV by the office. It focusses on a literacy-rich environment, beginning computation skills, and community and well‑being.  

Student achievement
The school has been working on high-impact strategies to improve student learning. A comparison of report cards marks was conducted and it shows that over time, our kids are improving. 

Literacy day
A literacy day is typically held a day in January. Our literacy day took place in December. 
Technologyupdate
Upgrades to the school’s wireless network was completed in December. Computer evergreening was also completed which resulted in 23 outdated Mac desktop computers in the Learning Commons being replaced with 11 Mac laptops. The school would like an additional laptops purchased. It was noted that the smartboards will need to be replaced within three years. 

Learning Commons books
New books have been purchased for the Learning Commons through book fair profits.
Playground
A review of the playground was completed with a recommendation that the smaller exercise play structures at the back of the school be removed mainly due to gravel concerns (i.e., is there enough gravel within the wooden frame and also all the gravel that surrounds the area poses a safety issue when it freezes in the winter. Nothing has been decided just yet; conversations are in progress.

Trickster
Trickster was a success and a final report on Trickster is to be submitted (this is being completed by The Principal). 

Cold weather
Blue dots are being hung in outside windows when the weather is too cold for kids to wait outside. If parents and kids see the blue dots, kids can knock on their door and staff are just inside to let them in. Staff are also checking the grounds and flagging kids in during the cold snaps. Students sit in the hallways and chat until class starts. 

Kindergarten registration
Registration started today and so far there has been two registrations. 

4)     Old business 
a)    PSPA offer to purchase $1,500 worth of reading materials for the Learning Commons
A quick reminder was provided that the PSPA offered to purchase $1,500 worth of reading materials for the Learning Commons this year.

b)    Raz Kids invoice
The Raz Kids invoice is outstanding and needs to be paid. This was voted on and approved in a previous PSPA meeting. The invoice in the amount of $1,096.56 will be paid by the PSPA. 

c)    Buddy bench 
Due to limited time the buddy bench discussion will be tabled to the next meeting.

d)    Trickster and Elev8 Lacrosse 
Trickster residency was in December and Elev8 Lacrosse residency was last week; both were successful. 

e)    City of Calgary Workshop “Evening of Learning and Discussion about promoting inclusion and diversity in our Parent Councils”
Karen, Melissa and Astrid all attended this workshop. Due to limited time at our meeting no discussion was held on this topic. 

f)     Cold weather
Thank you to the staff for keeping our kids warm this winter. Parents appreciate the blue dot initiative. 

5)    New business 
a)    Attendance letters
Some parents provided feedback about receiving attendance letters that are sent home to children who have missed a certain amount of days of school in the month. The school is following the attendance management plan which sets out the number of days a student misses to be considered chronically absent (seven days per year is considered chronically absent (10 days per year is considered chronically absent in Area 4), as well as the criteria for excused and unexcused absences. The letter is a form template and is not meant to be rude, but to stress the importance of attendance and success at school. There is also an element of safety—schools need to know where their students are. It was pointed out that the school calls home every time a student is away when parents do not phone in the absence (a call is made both from the office staff and from the student’s teacher). It was also pointed out that there is an average of 30 students who are late each day, which adds up over the course of a month, disrupts the class and takes away important learning time.  

b)    Kindergarten 2018/2019
                             i.     Registration
Kindergarten registration starts January 22, 2018.

                           ii.     Parent requests
Full-day kindergarten program
It was discussed that the decision for full-day kindergarten program is based on several things including the level of transience in the area, the education level of the mother, household income and available space at the school. If the CBE directs a school to provide full-day kindergarten then it is funded, otherwise the school would have to pay for it out of its own budget. It could cost approximately $100,000 to pay for a teacher and assistant and other resources needed to run a full-day program. Right now the kindergarten program is a 475-hour program over five days a week and no change in this format has been directed for Pineridge as of yet. 

Kindergarten schedule 
Some parents are requesting a change to the kindergarten schedule from the alternating Friday mornings for the entire year back to having the morning class attend Friday mornings for half of the year and then having afternoon class attend Friday mornings for half of the year. The feedback has been received; no decision has been made on whether this will be changed for next year. 

Kindergarten dismissal time
Parents would like to have the kindergarten dismissal time align with the rest of the school’s dismissal time so the little ones aren’t waiting to be picked up out in the cold for older siblings to get out. It was clarified that there is a 10-minute time difference which has to be taken into account somewhere during the day so another option is to have kindergarten starting 10 minutes later. A third option is to create waiting space inside the school for kids to wait; this is being considered, however, it will depend on student numbers next year to determine if this space would be able to be used for this purpose. 

c)    Fun lunch
The PSPA can host a fun lunch in February. It would be ideal to have six volunteers in place to assist with the lunch. Students will eat in their classrooms and be supervised by their teacher (parent volunteers are not required to assist with classroom supervision).

d)    Invoices/expenses
There are several items that the school has either purchased or has recognized a need for and would like to see if the PSPA is wanting/able to help cover the costs, including:

·      Bussing for the Nutcracker ballet performance (the performance itself was free).
·      Bussing for the We Day field trip in the amount of $269.85.
·      New lacrosse sticks (it is recommended that our sticks be replaced with a heavier-build model that actually make it safer). School would need approximately 50 sticks (two class sets). The quote received is approximately $50/stick.
·      New sports equipment including vests, floor hockey goals and crash mats in the amount of $2,869.40.
·      Outstanding Raz Kids invoice. 
·      Acoustic guitars.
·      Elev8 Lacrosse invoice.
·      12 or 13 Mac laptops. 

e)    School council member roles and nominations
Everybody in attendance at the meeting was familiar with the roles of the council members and no in-depth description of the roles was necessary. 

The nominations were made as follows:
·      Melissa Molberg nominated for chair and won by acclamation
·      Karen MacKinnon nominated for vice-chair and won by acclamation
·      Meghan Pittman nominated for treasurer and won by acclamation
·      Crystal Carstens nominated for secretary and won by acclamation

The positon of volunteer liaison is vacant but will be shared amongst the council members with Melissa being the leader and delegating tasks as needed, until a replacement is found.

6)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. The next meeting is February 12, 2018 at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·      Include buddy bench discussion on February agenda.


Minutes
January 22, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association 
Attendance: REMOVED

1)     Call to order
Meeting called to order at 6:59 p.m.

2)     November 13th meeting minutes
Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes of the November 13, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by April and the minutes were adopted. 

3)     Treasurer reports 
a.    General account balance:  REMOVED
b.    Casino account balance:  REMOVED
                                      i.     Casino money
         This casino money has to last until February 13, 2019.
                                    ii.     Casino date
The next casino date will in the fourth quarter of 2018. The exact date will be announced the first Thursday in May. 

4)    Old business
a.    Toy bingo
Toy bingo was a success with approximately 200 people attending and 57 toy prizes awarded. The total cost to the PSPA was $207.47 (grant was received for $950). 
b.    Elev8 Lacrosse and Trickster residencies 
Both of these residencies were a success with mostly positive feedback received. 

5)     New business
a.    School requests
                                      i.     We Day bussing ($269.85)
This item would have to come out of the general account.
Motion: Dominica motioned that we do not cover the cost of bussing for the We Day field trip. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried.

                                     ii.     Sports equipment--vests, floor hockey goals, crash matts (approximately $2,869)
Motion: Dominica motioned to pay the invoice for the new sports equipment in the amount of $2,869.40. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried. 

                                   iii.     Acoustic guitars (approximately $2,800)
The school purchased guitars. Clarification is needed to determine if the guitars are for guitar club use only, or if it is for the music program and would benefit all students. 
Motion:Astrid motioned that if the guitars are for the music program then the PSPA will cover the cost of them, but if they’re for the exclusive use of a guitar club, then the PSPA does not cover the cost. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried. 

                                   iv.     Life Touch school photo framing (approximately $160)
Each year, the school gets a photo of all students and staff framed and hung in the hallway.
Motion:Dominica motioned that we do not cover the cost of the school photo frame. It was seconded by Crystal and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried.

                                     v.     Toasters (approximately $160)
The school is currently getting bread donated and needs toasters to prepare toast for students in the morning. This would come out of the general account.
Motion:Astrid motioned to cover the cost of the toasters. It was seconded by April and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried.

                                   vi.     Emergency clothing (approximately $35)
The school purchased underwear and pants to have on hand. 
Motion:Astrid motioned to cover the cost of the emergency clothes, but next time to ask for donations from families first. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried. 

                                  vii.     Wooden picture frames for literacy night (approximately $315)
Craft supplies were purchased for use at the literacy night in December. 
Motion:Crystal motioned that we do not cover the cost of the picture frames. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried. 

                                viii.    Bussing for the Nutcracker ballet performance (approximately $860)
Motion:Astrid motioned that we cover the cost of bussing for the Nutcracker performance. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried. 

                                   ix.     Audrey books (approximately $2,200)
Clarification is needed to determine if the books are more teaching resources for teachers or actual books for the students. 
Motion:Meghan motioned that the PSPA cover the cost of the books if they are for the students, but that the PSPA does not cover the cost if the books if they are for the teachers. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried.

                                     x.     Request for additional Mac laptops (approximately $24,000)
This will be tabled to the next meeting and Meghan will more exact numbers for us to consider. 
                                    xi.     Request for lacrosse sticks (approximately $2,500)
Motion:Dominica motioned to cover the cost of new lacrosse sticks in the amount of $2,500. It was seconded by Astrid and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried. 

b.    February fun lunch
Meghan, Karen and Melissa formed a committee to organize the February fun lunch. We will try a McDonald’s fun lunch. A pizza fun lunch will be organized if McDonald’s can’t accommodate us. 

6)    Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. The next meeting is on February 12, 2018 at 6 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·      Get clarification on guitars and on Audrey books purposes.
·      Fun lunch committee to organize lunch in February (Melissa, Karen, Meghan).
·      Look at finances (Meghan) and add discuss purchasing additional laptops to the next meeting agenda.

Minutes
January 22, 2018
Pineridge School Parent Association 
Annual General Meeting

Attendance: REMOVED 

1)     Call to order
Meeting called to order at 7:31 p.m.

2)     Old business
a.    Annual report summary for September 2016 to January 2018
Karen highlighted the major accomplishments of the PSPA, including:
-       Covering the cost of bussing for 1 field trip per classroom as well as to cover the costs of bussing for the swim/gym program at the Genesis Centre.
-       Purchased snacks for vaccination days.
-       Supported to the Me to We club by providing t-shirts with a custom logo.
-       Supported the patrols by paying for t-shirts and bussing to the patrollers’ picnic at Heritage Park.
-       Purchased a condolence give for a family who lost a kindergarten-aged child.
-       Purchased gifts/flowers for Administrative Professionals Day, and for staff retirements/leavings.
-       Organized a year-end staff appreciation lunch (decorated room and catered in lunch).
-       Paid for upgrades to the kindergarten room, Learning Commons, music room and font sign board.
-       Brought in residencies (Trickster, Alien In-line skating, Elev8 Lacrosse, Ms. Barbara dance).
-       Gifted books to students.
-       Organized a toy bingo and family dance for the Pineridge Community.
-       Co-hosted a Family Fun Fitness Fair for the Pineridge Community.
-       Organized several “fun lunches” for students.
-       Branded the PSPA and established a slogan (purchased event signs, cards, agenda stickers, promotional items, etc.)
-       Established a blog and Facebook page to keep parents informed.
-       Covered the costs with filling planters used for an urban sustainability project.
-       Volunteer co-ordinator worked with the school to establish a volunteer program, manual and welcome package.
-       Held several fundraisers (cash calendar, Mom’s pantry, casino, cookie dough).
-       Organized workshops “Purpose of School Council” and “Purpose of Fundraising Association”.
-       Paid for agendas for grades 1 to 6.

b.    Buddy bench
PSPA has asked the school to allow us to rebrand an existing playground bench into a “buddy bench” by painting it and adding a plaque, establishing bench “rules”. The PSPA wants student buy-in and to tie it into the anti-bullying/pink shirt day on February 28th. This will be tabled to the February meeting due to limited time at this meeting. 

3)     Old business
a.    PSPA bylaws
Three revisions and two additions to the PSPA bylaws were proposed.

                        i.        Revision 4A
FROM: The books, accounts and records of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be audited at least once each year by a duly qualified accountant or by two Members of the Association without signing authority, elected or appointed for that purpose at the Annual General Meeting of the Membership.

TO: The books, accounts and records of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be audited at least once each year by two Members of the Association without signing authority, at the Annual General Meeting of the Membership. 

                         ii.     Revision 6Aiv, 6Biii and 6civ
FROM: Quorum at a/n (Annual General Meeting/Regular General Meeting/Special General Meeting) shall be 7 Members, 5 of whom must be voting Members and 2 of Whom must be elected Officers of the Association.

TO: Quorum at a (Annual General Meeting/Regular General Meeting/Special General Meeting) shall be 4 Members, 3 of whom must be voting Members.

                        iii.     Revision 8E
Change from 4 consecutive terms to: There is no maximum number of consecutive terms, in the same Officer or Director position on the Board. 

                        iv.     Addition 3A3:
All Officers must have a current (5 years or newer) “Pineridge School Security Clearance Check” (Not a requirement for Directors)

                          v.     Addition 9E:
Electronic (Email) Voting
i.     In an instance where a member who has attended a minimum of 80% of the regular meetings in a school year (September – June) is unable to attend a meeting, but wishes to cast a vote for voting topic that has been listed on the upcoming meeting’s agenda, they will be able to do so by sending an email to President and/or Vice President no later than 5 hours prior to the start of that meeting, indicating the topic they wish to register a vote for, and whether they wish to be listed for or against the motion.

ii.    Only when deemed absolutely necessary by the President and/or Vice President, motions can be made by the executive members (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) via email. In order for a motion to carry, the email motion must:

a.    be clearly stated in email format
b.    sent to all members of the executive (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer)
c.    if relating to momentary value, the total amount must not exceed $750.00
d.    the motion must be seconded
e.    all executives must be in favor (unanimous)

The revisions and additions were reviewed and it was decided not to add clause 3A3 to the bylaws.  
Motion: Melissa motioned to amend the bylaws as proposed, with the exception of the addition of clause 3A3. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance. Motion carried.

b)    School council member roles and nominations
Everybody in attendance at the meeting was familiar with the different roles of the council members and no in-depth description of the roles was necessary. 

The nominations were made as follows:
·      Melissa Molberg nominated for chair and won by acclamation
·      Karen MacKinnon nominated for vice-chair and won by acclamation
·      Meghan Pittman nominated for treasurer and won by acclamation
·      Crystal Carstens nominated for secretary and won by acclamation

Dominica Witt and Astrid Ritz were nominated to be directors-at-large and accepted. 

c)    Social media postings
Astrid is resigning from admin position on Facebook page.

4)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:53 p.m.



(NO DECEMBER MEETING)

 November 2017 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:

Minutes
November 13, 2017
Pineridge School Council

Attendance: (REMOVED)

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m.

2)     Adopt minutes from October 2, 2017 meeting
Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes from the October 2, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by Niki and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Grades 5/6 curriculum slide show and student Entrepreneurial Adventure presentation
Grade 5/6 teachers presented slides on what the Grade 5/6 students have been and will be doing this year. All activities are connected to the curriculum in various ways.

Leadership Club
The Leadership Club meets after school every second Thursday, The Leadership Club puts forward such initiatives at the school including the “We Scare Hunger” campaign where items are collected for the food bank, the Walk for Hunger, and a battery drive. Some Grade 6 students also attended the We Day event at the Saddledome on November 1, 2017. We Day is where students across Alberta come together to celebrate youth making a difference in their local communities and includes a concert and inspirational speakers.

Outdoor school
Grade 5/6’s get to attend outdoor school in May. They spend a few days at Camp Chief Hector and go hiking, build forts, sing songs, play cooperative games, learn to canoe, etc.

Patrols
Patrols are made up of grade 5/6 students (and a few grade 4s) which is an excellent way to teach them about responsibility (students make sure kids get across the road safely, have to arrive on time for their shifts, and if they can’t make it, help find someone to cover their shift, etc.)

Entrepreneurial Adventure
Students have been involved in the Learning Partnership’s Entrepreneurial Adventure program which is a hands-on program where students come up with a business venture and have to draft a business plan, write proposals, do marketing, etc. and any money raised from their business is donated to a charity.

Student presentation
Students made a presentation to the school council about their business idea to sell beverages such as hot chocolate and juice to students, staff and parents to raise money for the charity CPAWS (Canadian Parks & Wildlife Society). Students explained that CPAWS works to protect Canada’s land and water. The students requested a loan of $500 to buy supplies to get their business operational.

4)     Principal’s report

Student numbers
Pineridge currently has 238 students registered.

Staffing update
(REMOVED) is off until the new year ((REMOVED) will be returning as acting assistant principal on November 27th to fill in during (REMOVED) absence). (REMOVED) is not returning after her maternity leave is over. The evening caretaker has returned to work.

School Development Plan
The School Development Plan is written and will be posted on the website by end of day on November 15th. It will include provincial achievement test results. An annual results report will be posted by the end of November. There is also a CBE student survey being completed by students that includes child-friendly language to capture what kids think.

Thank you
(PRINCIPAL) highlighted the Remembrance Day assembly, the We Day event and announced that the PAWS program is now up and running (students are recognized for demonstrating good leadership). She also expressed thanks for all the council work in volunteering and work at the school including purchasing flower bulbs, helping out with the Trickster residency, Alien inline skating residency and the buddy bench.

Raz Kids
The accounts are being updated and login information will be sent home shortly.

Field trips
We day on was on November 1st, and Calgary zoo for the grade 3/4s and CSSI is on November 16th There is a Meeting Challenges Together group where it is being discussed that there is a group of students who would benefit from attending outdoor school in a smaller group setting rather than with the larger group setting.

Trickster
Volunteers are required and staff will also be working evenings November 27 to December 1 to accommodate this residency.

Toasty Tuesdays
The school is aiming to start a program next Tuesday where toast is provided to students who are hungry (times and details, and toast toppings are still being worked out). Cobbs Bread bakery donates bread and a local church has also donated bread for this. This initiative doesn’t require venting, a third sink or all the extra requirements of the breakfast program that has been looked into in the past.

A question was raised about kids not having enough time to eat their lunches. (PRINCIPAL) clarified that students get roughly 25 minutes to eat, five minutes to dress and then 10 minutes outside to play and indicated she will talk to lunchroom staff tomorrow.

Action: (PRINCIPAL) to talk to lunchroom staff.

Pineridge Peace/Kindness activities
An event called the Pineridge Community Safety Walk is being organized by the Sudanese Social Club and Robert McClure United Church to get people out and about and learning who’s in your neighbourhood and to celebrate diversity in response to a racist incident in the community in September. The walk is on November 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. A brochure advertising the walk will be sent home with students.

S4 lessons/lockdown drill
Constable Scott continues to meet students and discuss the S4 lessons (Start Smart Stay Safe). There will be a lockdown drill occurring sometime over the next couple of weeks.

Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are in December.

Teacher blogs
The blogs are up and running. They are updated twice each month.

Winter literacy celebration
On December 15th families can come to the school for a winter literacy celebration in the afternoon where there will be activities and people can enjoy being together as a community before school is out for winter break.

5)     Old business
a.     Fun lunches
The October 26th fun lunch was unable to be held since there were not enough volunteers to serve pizza to students and there was no lunchroom access. Future fun lunches can be held as long as there are six Pineridge School Parent Fundraising Association (PSPA) volunteers who can stay throughout the entire lunch hour to help supervise students and as long as the lunch is pre-boxed/packaged.

The next fun lunch is scheduled for February 2018.

b.     Cookie dough fundraiser
The cookie dough will be delivered to the school on November 16th at 2:45 p.m. Parents can pick up their orders from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m.

c.     Raz Kids reading program
The school was notified that the PSPA is covering the costs associated with Raz Kids program, but not the Mathletics program. The school has continued on with Mathletics and is paying for it themselves.

d.     Bussing for field trips
The school was advised that the PSPA is continuing to pay for bussing for fields the same as last year (one bus per classroom and bussing for swimming program).

e.     Paul Davis/social media/online safety presentation
The school has been advised that the PSPA will not book Paul Davis for next fall but would like to book him every second year.

f.      Flower bulbs
The PSPA donated seven bags of flower bulbs for the planters at the front of the school.

g.     Buddy bench
The school was advised that the PSPA would like to proceed with converting one of the existing benches into a buddy bench by painting it, adding a plaque and incorporating the students into its conversion so kids understand its purpose.

h.     Alien skating residency
The inline skating residency and family night was a big success.

6)     New business
a.     Elev8 Lacrosse residency
A four-day lacrosse residency has been booked for January 2018. The cost is approximately $495 per day.

b.     November 29th workshop
There is a workshop being put on by the City of Calgary at the Village Square Leisure Centre on November 29th from 6 to 9 p.m. It is an evening of learning and discussion about promoting inclusion and diversity in parent councils. The guest speaker is a social worker with the City of Calgary. Any involved school council/PSPA parents are welcome to attend, as well as any teachers. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Kathleen.mcmurray@calgary.ca.

c.     Trickster residency volunteers
         The Trickster residency requires several volunteers. There is an online volunteer sign up for parents who want to volunteer. Parents can visit http://signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4dae923aafb6-pineridge and sign up for any position(s) they are available for.

7)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. There is no December meeting.

Summary of action items:
·       (PRINCIPAL) to talk to lunchroom staff.
·       Interested parents to sign up online for Trickster volunteer positions.

Minutes
November 13, 2017
Pineridge School Parent Fundraising Association (PSPA)

Attendance: (REMOVED)

1)     Welcome
Karen called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.

2)     October 2, 2017 meeting minutes
Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes from the October 2, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by Niki and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Treasurer’s report
(REMOVED)

The approximately $13,000 from the old casino funds has been cleared up. The next casino date is in the fourth quarter of 2018 (not in the spring as was previously announced).  

4)     Old business
a.     Cookie dough fundraiser
Cookie dough fundraiser was a major success. We sold 338 boxes and raised approximately $2,250. The $50 cash prize and four $25 Toys R Us gift cards have been given out. The cookie dough will be delivered to the school on November 16th at 2:45 p.m. Parents can pick up their orders from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. A couple of volunteers are required for this.

Due to the fact that the cookies are shipped in cases of eight, we had to purchase an extra 22 boxes to make complete cases. It was discussed if we want to try to sell them, or save them to use at our events. It was decided that we would use them for our events.

Action: Volunteers are needed to assist with cookie dough pick up; several parents confirmed they would be able to help with this.

5)     New business
a.     Grade 5 business proposal loan
A brief discussion was held as to whether or not the PSPA would like to grant the loan requested by the students who presented their beverage selling business to the parent council this evening.

Motion: Nikki motioned to grant the loan to the students in the amount of $500 to use for their beverage selling business. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance.

b.     Alien skating residency cost
The previous motion to cover the cost of the Alien skating residency was for $2,000. The actual cost of the residency was $3,066.

Motion: Dominica motioned to cover the cost of Alien skating residency in the amount of $3,066. It was seconded by April and approved by all in attendance.

c.     Elev8 Lacrosse residency
A discussion was held as to whether we are able to cover the cost of the Elev8 Lacrosse residency. The cost is approximately $2,000 ($495/day for four days). It would be covered by the casino account. Parents expressed that they would like to see residencies brought in that would cover core subjects as well and not only athletic and arts programs.

Motion: Meghan motioned to cover the cost of the Elev8 Lacrosse residency. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance.

Action: Parents will put together a list of residencies that they would like to have considered brought to the school and will present it to the school.

d.     Toy bingo
The grant request for hosting a toy bingo was approved in the amount of $950 so toy bingo will go ahead on November 24th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The community hall has donated the use of the hall, and a bingo machine and bingo cards are also being donated. Most of the grant was used to purchase toys (58 toys valued at $750 appropriate for ages 3 to 15, including i-tune cards, etc.). This event will be open to the entire Pineridge community and RSVP’s are required as there is limited space. Lindt Lindor chocolates will be given to everyone at the end of the evening. Volunteers are needed set up and run this event.

Juice/cookie break
Juice donations are currently being looked into but it was discussed if we to want to have a cookie and juice break and pay for juice/water if a donation cannot be secured and to serve cookies from the extra boxes from the cookies dough sales. All were in favour of having cookie/juice break.

Motion: Naomi motioned that we purchase juice boxes and water up to $100 to use for the toy bingo event. It was seconded by Niki and approved by all in attendance.

Winner rules
It was discussed how we want to handle the winning bingo players and if we want to allow the same child to win multiple times. It was decided that we won’t allow multiple wins for the same child, but will instead let a child who wins more than once pass on the win to a neighbour/friend/sibling.

RSVP/Facebook prizes
It was discussed that RSVP rates to events are low and it would be nice to increase the number of responses. The PSPA also wants to increase the number of people who join the PSPA Facebook group. Ideas were suggested such as everybody who RSVP’d would be entered into a draw to win a prize. To increase Facebook participation, an announcement would be made during the event that for everybody who joins our Facebook group during the evening will be entered to win a prize. It was decided that for the toy bingo event, we liked the idea of awarding people who join the Facebook group the best.

Motion: Dominica motioned to spend $20 on prizes to be awarded during the toy bingo event for people that join the Facebook page. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance.

Action: Volunteers required to set up and run event; several parents volunteered to assist with this.
Action: Karen to purchase prizes to award for people joining the Facebook group during the toy bingo event.

e.     Event signs
It was discussed that it would be useful to have signs to put up at our PSPA events that advertise and highlight that fundraising pays for these things. Various signs were looked into at Vistaprint including a tall narrow one that would be suitable for indoor event ($135) and then a sandwich board ($240). It was noted that Vistaprint has sales often and these items can be purchased for less (approximately $100 and $180, respectively). It was noted that the casino account can be used to cover the cost of these types of items.

Motion: Astrid motioned to cover the cost of event signs. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance.

Action: Karen will order the signs when they’re on sale.

f.      Wounded Warriors coupon books
Wounded Warriors is a fundraiser that involves selling coupon books (coupons are for free coupons, rather than buy one get one type coupons). The profit margin is decent where we sell them for $25 and $15 dollars stays with the school. The PSPA does not want to launch another official fundraiser at this point, but it was discussed that we could try selling them at some of our events such as the toy bingo and Trickster, as well as putting a note on our Facebook page. Dominica volunteered to set up and work the table for these during the bingo event. The unsold books will be returned.

Action: Astrid will ask school if we can try selling Wounded Warriors coupon books during the Trickster evening.
Action: Dominica to sell Wounded Warriors coupon books during the toy bingo event.

g.     AGM discussion
The annual general meeting for the school council and the PSPA is in January and there will be a review of everything we’ve done the past year, a review of the bylaws, and we will vote in new or returning members. Karen reviewed the different positions parents can run for:

School council
PSPA
Chair
Chair
Vice-chair
Vice-chair
Treasurer
Treasurer
Secretary
Secretary

Volunteer Coordinator

If you want a detailed description of each role’s responsibilities, please email Karen and she will send you the descriptions. Karen, Dominica and Astrid have announced that they are stepping down from their current rolls come January. If you are interested in any of the positions, please make it known so that somebody can nominate you for the role. It was clarified that the same person doesn’t have to fulfill the same roll for each of the school council and the PSPA (e.g., you can be the secretary of school council, but a different person can be the secretary for the PSPA). It was also clarified that the Communications Liaison roll is typically tied into the chair/vice-chair rolls.

6)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. There is no December meeting.
Summary of action items:
·       Volunteers need to assist with cookie dough pick up; several parents confirmed they would be able to help with this.
·       PSPA to put together a list of residencies that they would like to have considered brought in and will present it to the school (such as Mad Science)
·       Volunteers required to set up and run toy bingo; several parents volunteered to assist with this.
·       Karen to purchase prizes to award for people joining the Facebook group during the toy bingo event.
·       Karen will order the event signs from Vistaprint when they’re on sale.
·       Astrid will ask school if we can try selling Wounded Warriors ticket books during the Trickster evening.
·       Dominica to sell Wounded Warriors ticket books during the toy bingo event.


 October 2017 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:
Minutes
October 2, 2017
Pineridge School Council

Attendance: (REMOVED)

1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m.

2)     Adopt minutes from September 11, 2017 meeting
Motion: Alli motioned to approve the minutes from the September 11, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by April and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Principal’s report
(REMOVED) thanked everybody for coming and noted September was a great month and expressed her appreciation and work put in by staff, volunteers, school council members, and community members.

Student numbers
Pineridge currently has 235 students registered with a few more still to come. While this number is below the projected number of students, the budget has balanced and there are no staffing cuts.

Student teacher
Pineridge accepted a student teacher from the University of Alberta who will be working with (REMOVED) and (REMOVED) grade 3/4 classes. A practicum advisor is also coming and will be assisting in the classrooms.

Learning and School Development Plan
Part of the School Development Plan’s focus is to create a literacy-rich environment – this is both a system level and area focus. The school is also looking at the research that has been conducted on how kids are connected to learning through books. The School Development Plan is in progress; it should be completed next month and then reviewed every couple of weeks.

School environment: treating others well
The school is working with the children to self-regulate and make good choices based on the Three Pillars of Care:

·       Take care of yourself
·       Take care of others
·       Take care of this place (school/environment around you)

An upcoming initiative is “Paws-itive News”. Teachers will observe kids and submit one child a week (for the year) who has demonstrated good leadership at the school. The student will bring the paw print to the office and the student and principal will phone the parents to let them know what they’re being recognized for. The paw prints will be displayed in some form (some details on this initiative are still being worked out).

Parents can reinforce this concept at home by asking their children what they think they can do help somebody, etc.

We Day/Leadership Club
Pineridge continues to part of the We Day initiative and has 18 tickets for students to attend the We Day event in November. The Leadership Club is open to grade 4, 5 and 6 students.

Halloween update
Leading up to We Day, a We Scare Hunger campaign will kick off to raise awareness of healthy eating, food banks, etc., and then it will tie into October 31st Halloween festivities where kids can wear costumes to school (no clowns, masks or gory costumes please). Snacks are allowed in the afternoon, but only for your child and nothing too sweet.

Principal Advisory Team
The Principal’s Advisory Team meetings are starting in mid-October.

The Learning Partnership/Entrepreneurial Adventure BMO/Computer Coding Club
The Learning Partnership organizes a bunch of programs such as the Welcome to Kindergarten and Entrepreneurial Adventure programs. They also have a computer coding program they offer.

A coding club will be started in the spring. Students will learn coding skills and create a video game. Coding is part of STEM education.

Social skills group
A social skills group is being started at the school. This group helps kids learn such skills as how to make friends and interact positively with one another. This is an extra piece of school linked to Alberta Education and additional funding and staff are hired to help run it.

Clubs
A variety of clubs and activities will be starting this year, including the Leadership Club, a knitting club, and a walking club during supervision times. Information on these groups will be issued to the impacted classes by way of a letter being sent home, meeting dates on the calendar, and maybe information posted on the blogs.

Photo day
Picture day is on October 19th.

Outdoor school parent meeting
The outdoor school meeting has been delayed for a week.

Pineridge Peace Run
This will take place on October 24th (weather depending). This is a distance run that is being organized as part of Canada 150 celebrations. It is thought that this is more for the older kids, but all kids are welcome. They will run a lap around the Pineridge field and then cross the street and do a lap around Douglass Harkness Field. Ribbons or certificates, or something of that sort will be given out.

Parent Cyber Safety Night
This will be a joint event hosted with Douglas Harkness in January. This is different from the Paul Davis presentation we just had, but this presenter works with him. More information will be coming at a later date.

Constable Scott
Constable Scott from the Calgary Police Service will be going into classrooms to meet the students as part of the S4 program.

Alien in-line skating residency
Alien In-Line Skating comes to schools and teaches kids how to in-line skate (they provide all the skates and protective equipment). Quotes to bring in this program have been obtained. This is discussed in the Pineridge School Parent Fundraising Association (PSPA) meeting minutes below.

Elev8 lacrosse residency
Elev8 Lacrosse comes to schools and gives lacrosse lessons to students. Elev8 lacrosse is being considered as a residency for this year.

Trickster
Trickster will run from November 27 to December 1.

Winter concert ideas
It was discussed that with Trickster happening this year, December is turning out to be a very busy month for evening events at the school, both for parents and staff. It was discussed if we still want a traditional winter concert or if there is interest in having a different type of event, more of an open house type celebration, where people can stop in, have hot chocolate, do crafts in the gym and mingle one evening. Even if there is no formal winter concert, there will still be activities that last week before winter break during school hours that kids will be doing (such as carolling in the gym). The performance piece will be Trickster and the community piece would be later on December.

Motion: Alli motioned that if the school cannot accommodate a separate evening event (concert, or open house) in December, then the focus will be on Trickster and the activities taking place the last week of school during school hours. It was seconded by Astrid and approved by all in attendance.

4)     Old business
a.     PSPA school provided gifts
The school has been notified that due to budget restrictions, the PSPA has voted against continuing to supply flowers/gifts for the music and dance teachers at the concerts and staff moving on to new schools, but that the PSPA will continue to purchase flowers/gifts for staff retirements.

b.     Technology/internet safety expert Paul Davis
The PSPA voted to cover costs of up to $2,000 to have Paul Davis come to Pineridge this year. Paul Davis spoke to our grade 5/6 students on September 13th and a parent information night was held that evening at Cecil Swanson school. Very short notice was provided to parents and attendance was low. Paul is currently booking fall 2018 dates if Pineridge wants to have him back and if the PSPA is able to cover the cost. This is discussed more in the PSPA meeting minutes.

c.     Gifted books
The school has been notified that the PSPA is not gifting books to students this year as was done last year and instead, the PSPA has offered to buy up to $1,500 books for the library with the intent that students have input as to what books are purchased (as long as they meet CBE requirements). The school is carrying on with the gifting of books on their own.

d.     Parent-teacher conference feedback
Excellent feedback from the parent-teacher conferences in September has been received. Parents loved the dedicated one-on-one time slots.

5)     New business
a.     PSPA cookie dough fundraiser
The PSPA cookie dough fundraiser has been approved by the school and will run October 3rd to October 18th.

b.     October fun lunch
The fun lunch will be on October 26, 2017. Pizza will be pizza by the slice purchased from AB King Pizza. However, for us to host a pizza by the slice fun lunch, volunteers are required to have a food safety handling course. Alberta Health Services offers a two-hour online session that would meet this need. The PSPA needs to secure enough volunteers to take the course and commit to volunteering on October 26th for it to go ahead.

c.     Raz Kids reading and Mathletics computer programs
School is asking if the PSPA is able to cover the costs associated with the Raz Kids and Mathletics programs. They are levelled programs that are used both at school and at home. The approximate cost is $5,000.

d.     Lead volunteer for Trickster
        The Trickster residency requires a lead parent volunteer to be the main contact person with Trickster; currently nobody has volunteered for this role.

e.     Volunteer orientation
Volunteer orientation is on October 3rd from 2 to 3 p.m.

f.      Sport residency question
The school is considering bringing in Alien In-Line Skating and also Elev8 Lacrosse this year.

g.     Parent request for school to consider bringing in “How to Code” programs
This is an option for this year. See discussion above regarding The Learning Partnership/Entrepreneurial Adventure BMO/Computer Coding Club in Section 3.

h.     Parent request that the school allows for two “spirit days”
School has agreed to allow a wacky hair day and a pyjama day this year. At least one of the days will tie into reading week such as kids doing their hair like their favourite story book character. Pyjama day could possibly be held on the last day before students leave for winter break.

i.      Bully program/buddy bench
Last year there was discussion of building a buddy bench and tying it into a bully awareness program. Pineridge is concentrating on the Three Pillars of Care and teaching kids to use proactive and positive problem solving and recognizing what has been done right such as with the Paws-itive News. The buddy bench concept is discussed below in the PSPA meeting minutes.

6)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:59 p.m.

Minutes
October 2, 2017
Pineridge School Parent Fundraising Association (PSPA)

Attendance: (REMOVED)

1)     Welcome
Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

2)     Secretary’s report and September 11, 2017 meeting minutes
Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes from the September 11, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by Dominica and the minutes were adopted.

3)     Treasurer’s report
General account balance: (REMOVED)
Casino account balance:  (REMOVED)

The purchase of six walkie talkies for the teachers to use during supervision, etc. that the PSPA agreed to pay for last year have been ordered and will be coming out of the casino account.

4)     Old business
a.     PSPA bulletin board
Last meeting the PSPA voted to cover up to $150 to re-design the PSPA bulletin board. This has been completed for an approximate cost of $100.

5)     New business
a.     Fundraiser incentives
It was suggested by Otis Spunk Meyer (cookie dough supplier) that we add an incentive to encourage kids to want to sell the cookie dough as follows:

·       The top selling student will receive $50 cash.
·       Anyone who sells at least five boxes of cookies/muffins will have their name entered into a draw for a $25 gift card (four gift card prizes)
·       As a bonus, as a school if our total sales are 500 boxes or more, then everyone who sold at least three boxes cookies/muffins will be entered into a draw for a Samsung Galaxy 7” tablet.

The cost of the prizes would be split between us and the supplier in the amount of $75 each (the tablet would be donated by the supplier).

It was discussed whether we could do a classroom prize incentive rather than individual prize incentives.
  
Motion: Astrid motioned to include prize incentives in the amount of $75 for the cookie dough fundraiser and to use a classroom prize concept for the next fundraiser. It was seconded by Niki and approved by all in attendance.

b.     October fun lunch
The fun lunch will be on October 26th. The proposed plan is $5 for a slice of pizza, a juice box and a package of cookies; extra slices of pizza would be $2 each. As noted earlier, serving pizza by the slice requires volunteers to have a food safety handling course. Not enough volunteers could be secured at this point to go ahead with an October fun lunch and it was discussed postponing it until enough volunteers could take the course and confirm their commitment. To simplify the pizza fun lunch process, only cheese pizza would be offered.

Motion: April motioned to postpone the October fun lunch until November. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance. 

c.     Volunteer coordinator position
The volunteer coordinator position is vacant. The role doesn’t require a huge time commitment and mostly involves contacting the list of parents who sent in volunteer forms to see if they can volunteer. 

d.     Facebook posts
Stephanie Ralph is helping with Facebook posts.  

e.     Reimbursement for supplies purchased for display stands used on PSPA table
Motion: Nikki motioned to cover the cost of supplies in the amount of $25.07 used for PSPA display stands. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance.  

f.      Administrative budget
It was discussed that we would like to set a budget for 2017/2018 year to cover off the extra supplies and items that are needed throughout the year for the PSPA to run events effectively.

Motion: Dominica motioned to budget up to $200 for the 2017/2018 school year to cover extra costs that are encountered while hosting and organizing events. It was seconded by Niki and approved by all in attendance.

g.     Hosting Paul Davis (internet safety presentation)
Paul Davis is currently booking dates for the fall of 2018, and we could book him now if we want to. It was discussed that he presented to our grade 5/6 students at our school for the last two years and it would make sense to have him come to our school every two years. We will not be booking him at this time.

h.     Cover the cost of Raz Kids/Mathletics
It was discussed that parents find value in the Raz Kids reading program, but not so much with Mathletics as there are a lot of games within the Mathletics program do not appear to be useful in learning math.

Motion: Crystal motioned to cover the cost of the Raz Kids program and not Mathletics for this school year. It was seconded by Astrid and approved by all in attendance.

i.      Flower bulbs for the vegetable garden containers out front
The school would like to purchase flower bulbs to put in the planters so that they’re not sitting empty all year. The idea is that the bulbs are planted so that the flowers appear in the spring (vegetables will still be planted once the flowers die). The money for this would come from the general account as the casino account will only cover the cost of vegetables. A price check of flower bulbs at Costco came to $102.07.

Motion: April motioned to cover the cost of flower bulbs for the planters out front in the school. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance.

j.      Buses for field trips
Last year the PSPA paid for buses for one field trip per class and it was discussed if this was something we wanted to do again this year. Noting the new constraints surrounding field trips as discussed last meeting, if the PSPA doesn’t cover the cost then field trips are unlikely to happen this year. It was noted that the money for buses comes out of the casino account.

Motion: Crystal motioned to cover the cost of buses for field trips like last year. It was seconded by Dominica and approved by all in attendance.

k.     Alien skating residency
The cost to bring in Alien In-Line Skating to Pineridge is approximately $2,000 and would come from the casino account. Each class would get three one-hour lessons and there is a family night where parents could come watch what the kids have learned. The parent night is optional and would save approximately $370 if it wasn’t included. Alien Skating provides all the equipment, but some parent volunteers would be needed to help tie laces. It was suggested that we recruit volunteers similar to a field trip where forms are sent home to parents about the skating residency and they can sign up to tie laces for their child’s class (or something similar). The residency would be during the week of October 10th.

Motion: Astrid motioned to cover the cost of the Alien Skating residency, including the parent night, up to the amount of $2,000. It was seconded by April and approved by all in attendance.

l.      Buddy bench
This concept has been discussed for a while and it was suggested that to save money and time if we can simply convert an existing bench at the playground by painting it and added a plaque to it to turn it into a buddy bench. It was noted that the school is supportive of having a buddy bench.

All in attendance still want the buddy bench concept implemented at the school. A committee will be formed to move this initiative forward. It was mentioned that a buddy bench may get the support of community stores (Home Hardware, etc., and they might be willing to pick up some of the costs).

Motion: Nikki motioned that the PSPA continue to pursue the buddy bench initiative at Pineridge. It was seconded by Alli and approved by all in attendance.

m.   Dance/toy bingo events
Karen is looking into hosting some of our events at the community centre instead of the school gym since Pineridge currently doesn’t have an evening caretaker. The community hall indicated that they may be able to donate the space or offer it at a reduced price for us.

A grant request has been made through the 3 Things program in the amount of $1,000 to use towards a toy bingo. This event wouldn’t just be for the school, but rather a community engagement event for all of Pineridge. Right now the tentative plan is to have it in November on either a Monday or a Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (it will depend on the availability of the community centre). A budget of $200 from the PSPA general account would also be required to host this event.

Motion: Astrid motioned that if the 3 Things grant is awarded, then a committee be created to host the toy bingo and that the PSPA cover costs up to the amount of $200 from the general account to run this event. It was seconded by Niki and approved by all in attendance.

6)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Summary of action items:
·       Interested parents to form a buddy bench committee
·       Interested parents to take food handling safety course and volunteer for pizza fun lunch
·       Interested parents to form toy bingo committee if grant is awarded
·       Interested parents to volunteer to tie laces for Alien Skating residency
·       Recruit a volunteer to be the lead volunteer with Trickster

September, 2017 School Council/Parent Association Meeting Minutes:

Minutes
September 11, 2017
Pineridge School Council

Attendance: (Removed)



1)     Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m. Karen briefly explained that the purpose and role of the school council is for our principal/teachers and parents to have an opportunity to work together, share information and discuss concerns in a respectful setting, and to plan for the future. If parents have concerns regarding their individual child(ren), then they can see the principal at another time.

2)     Teacher welcome
Grade 3/4 teachers were welcomed to the meeting. They presented slides on what the Grade 3/4 classes have been working on so far. Students are working on a bumblebee inquiry project where they came up with the theme “What’s up with the bees?”. This project incorporates curriculum from all subjects including language arts (writing and poetry), art (sketching pictures of bees), science (labelling body parts and learning their functions), math (patterns), and social studies (climate/where bees live in the world).

3)     Principal’s report
The principal thanked everybody for coming and thanked volunteers for their help with preparing the welcome packages for the first week of school.

Punctuality

The principal reminded everybody about the importance of punctuality, proper bedtimes and arriving at school ready for the day.

Student numbers
The spring budget projected student numbers for Pineridge to be 257 in the fall. Pineridge currently has 232 students registered. School numbers are important because funding is based on actual enrolment numbers, not the projected numbers; schools are given a certain amount of money for each child registered. Remind your neighbours to get their kids registered in school if they haven’t already done so.

Assemblies
An assembly list for the entire year is being put together so parents will know ahead of time when all the assemblies are so they can plan to attend if they want. Assemblies will typically be held Thursday afternoons from 2:30 to 3:30. 

A welcome back assembly was held on September 7th. New teachers were introduced and school rules were reviewed:

·       Take care of yourself
·       Take care of others
·       Take care of your school/environment around you

Communication
There will be a newsletter coming out this week announcing the parent-teacher conferences on September 21st (p.m.) and September 22nd (a.m.). These conferences are important. Pineridge also has a updated website that contains a lot of information.

Staffing changes
(Removed) is new to Pineridge this year; he teaches music and phys-ed. (Removed) is replacing (Removed) while she is on maternity leave, and (Removed) will be staying the entire year.

School hours
Pineridge’s hours are unchanged from last year. However, our CSSI students were affected because they are bussed to school. CSSI students are now in class an extra 45 minutes each day over last year. The new bus times are approximately 8:30 a.m. and at 3:20 p.m. 

Learning commons
The learning commons will not be open before school this year due to staffing availability and the fact that it didn’t quite meet the intended purpose of extra learning time. Kids would arrive and just as they were getting settled into their activity, it was time to line up for class.

Fees
The Instructional Material & Supplies (ISM) fee has been eliminated for parents this year and is being covered by the provincial government.

Schools have been asked to look at what it really costs to send a child to school and any requests for extra money has to be approved by multiple levels. Schools are to report on costs for anything beyond basic instruction (such as field trips). Schools were requested to itemize field trips and what they cost and no changes are allowed this year. Basically, we are allowed to look at the activities carried out last year and at the same price (with the exception being for programs where a down payment was required and paid, then we’re allowed to go ahead with it).

Most of our field trips were paid for by someone else or in-part by somebody else and bussing was paid for by the PSPA. For example:

·       We Day – free last year
·       Young writers conference - $50/student, but scholarships paid for some, parents drove and the school picked up the rest so the cost ended up being $5/student
·       Outdoor school - $250/student, but was subsidized by the YMCA Strong Kids program
·       Swim lessons were covered by the YMCA Strong Kids program and PSPA paid for bussing

Traffic
Patrols are back and working this year. It was discussed placing patrols on the 61st Street/Rundlehorn Drive, but it is an L-shaped crosswalk, which would require eight student patrols to monitor so we can’t accommodate that requirement. Instead staff are out twice a day getting students across safely. The flashing light has now been repaired. 

September 30 deadline
September 30th is the funding deadline for the school.

School Development Plan
Part of the School Development Plant focus is a literacy-rich environment. Staff will be participating in 120 hours of additional professional development outside of school attending workshops/courses on such things as:

·       Literacy
·       Nature in Learning
·       Math
·       Indigenous Studies
·       Autism Spectrum Disorder

Trickster update
The funding for the Trickster residency has been approved and the first invoice paid (reimbursement is required from the PSPA as decided last year). Parent volunteers will be needed for this residency.

Breakfast program
Work is ongoing to bring a breakfast program to Pineridge. Big issue is finding money for renovations, including a commercial-grade kitchen extraction fan. We have a snack program in place.

4)     Old business
a.     “Pokey” fence by kindergarten doors
The pointy tops of the fence by the kindergarten doors have been removed. Painting has not been started yet.

b.     Vaccines
Parents requested the school do a better job of notifying parents of vaccination and fluoride treatment dates this year. Grade 5 vaccines will be on September 25th. The school will talk to the nurse and send out notification.

c.     Exam snacks
Karen explained that in June 2017, the PSPA voted not to cover the cost of snacks for kids getting vaccines or writing exams as has typically been done for the past several years. This is due to PSPA finances. The school has been informed of this change and the PSPA suggested that the school encourage students to bring an extra snack that day, but that the PSPA would be willing to donate some snack items, with advance notice, to accommodate those who forget or are unable to send an additional snack.

d.     Left over ice cream from Family Fitness Fun Fair
Leftover ice cream from our Family Fitness Fun Fair in June was donated to the Boys & Girls Club across the street since all school appliances had to be unplugged for the summer. We will be unable to use the leftovers for our fall event this year.

e.     Swimming program
Parents have requested a return to the levelled swim lessons this year. As mentioned previously, due to restrictions, all field trips, including swimming lessons, must be provided at the same cost as last year (swimming was no cost for parents last year). The swimming program at the Genesis Centre may be able to be part of the phys-ed program and offered again if the PSPA agrees to pay for the bussing to make it free for families. In addition, the levelled swimming lessons at city pools are usually booked at least a year in advance and it is unlikely that we could reserve at spot at another pool at this point. The PSPA noted that it would continue to support swimming Genesis Centre as long as it is advertised as something other than swim lessons.

f.      Staff privacy

The principal explained that teachers have a right to their privacy, including the use of their name, etc. and noted a past incident involving one of the teachers and the school blogs last year. A request was made to have teachers’ pictures and bios posted in the school. This request will not be granted. There are reasons behind it and ultimately and nobody wants to end up in a bad spot given this day and age with social media/internet, etc. It was clarified that school blogs will be used this year and that the blogs are an item to be discussed at a future staff meeting, but likely blogs will be updated every two weeks and it’ll be a group posting.  

5)     New business
a.     Approval for PSPA to run events
i.      Two fundraisers
The PSPA plan to conduct two fundraisers this year has been approved by the school. One fundraiser will be in October (around Thanksgiving) and one will be in April (around Easter).

ii.     Three fun lunches
Fun lunches will be held this year: in October, February and May. The PSPA must run these lunches smoothly themselves without asking staff for assistance so parent volunteers are required for these events.

iii.   Two social events (such as a dance, toy bingo, movie night)
The PSPA requested one event in the fall and one in the spring. These are on hold given that the school currently does not have an evening janitor to assist with these events. The principal will look into and see if this issue can be worked around.

b.     Request for teachers pictures/bios to be posted in the school
         Discussed in Section 4f. above.

c.     Portable skirting repairs
The repairs to the skirting on the portables and the having the steps repainted has been started, but is not complete.

d.     Terry Fox run
September 18 – Terry Fox run in the morning

e.     Social media/online safety presentation
Paul Davis did a presentation last year at our school for the kids and then parents were invited to a workshop in the evening at a junior high school in the area. He is in Calgary again this year and the principal asked if we would like to have him come back to our school. While only a few parents attended the evening seminar, those that did expressed how well he conveyed the message and it was our desire to have him back.  

Attendance at the parent session was low last year and ideas were discussed on ways to increase participation. It wasn’t advertised that well, so we would increase notification/advertising and maybe Pineridge could open either the gym or learning commons with volunteers supervising kids while the parents attended the workshop. The principal is waiting to hear back from another principal about the possibility of joining up with them for this like last year.

Action: Principal will get back to Karen about this.  

6)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.

Summary of action items:
·       Principal to get back to Karen regarding other school’s response on the Paul Davis online safety workshop.
·       Principal to investigate caretaking situation so we can have evening events.

Minutes
September 11, 2017
Pineridge School Parent Fundraising Association (PSPA)

Attendance: Karen MacKinnon (chair), Meghan Pittman, (treasurer), Crystal Carstens (secretary), Astrid Ritz, Alli Dyck, Melissa Molberg, April Unger, Nikki Cook, Naomi Balfour, Niki Miller, and Ashley Fernandes

Absent: Dominica Witt (vice-chair)

1)     Welcome
Meeting was called to order at 6:52 p.m.

2)     Secretary’s report
Crystal provided a brief recap of the minutes from the June meeting.

Motion: Astrid motioned to approve the minutes from the June 5, 2017 meeting. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance.

3)     Treasurer’s report
General account balance: (Removed)
Casino account balance:  (Removed) (this includes approximately (Removed) from the old casino funds and will be used to pay for Trickster and the new printer/photocopier). There is $(Removed) from the “new” casino to be spent by February 13, 2019.

4)     New business
a.     Gift limits/budgeting
It was explained that the PSPA typically buys gifts in the following instances:

·       gifts for the secretaries on Administrative Professionals Day
·       flowers for music teachers at the concerts (twice per year)
·       staff retirements
·       staff leaving at the end of the year
·       appreciation and acknowledgement when staff go above and beyond
·       condolences for staff or families at the school
·       host a staff appreciation lunch at the end of the year

A cap of $25 per gift is being proposed and a discussion on whether or not the PSPA needs to support all of these scenarios was discussed. It was noted that these gifts come out of the general account that is only filled by our catalog fundraisers, which typically do not raise a lot of money. It was discussed that some of these events could be covered by a smaller gesture such as a thank you card.

Motion: Alli motioned that the PSPA spend $25/gift for the secretaries on Administrative Professionals Day. It was seconded by Astrid and approved by all in attendance.

Motion: Melissa motioned that the PSPA does not purchase flowers for the music teachers at the two concerts this year. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance. 

Motion: Alli motioned that the PSPA spend $25/gift for staff retirement gifts. It was seconded by Melissa and approved by all in attendance.

Motion: Astrid motioned that we leave the option open on whether to purchase gifts for appreciation/acknowledgement. It was seconded by Nikki and approved by all in attendance.  

Motion: Nikki motioned that we leave the option open on whether to purchase gifts for condolences. In the event we decide to purchase a gift then it will be capped at $25/gift. It was seconded by Naomi and approved by all in attendance.

Motion: Niki motioned that the PSPA do not purchase gifts for teachers leaving at the end of the year. It was seconded by Ashley and approved by all in attendance.

The staff appreciation lunch will be left open as to whether or not the PSPA can provide a full lunch or do a smaller scale option depending on what the budget looks like towards the end of the year.

b.     PSPA gifting books to students at the book fairs
Last year the PSPA gifted books to all students from the Scholastic book fairs. A discussion was held on whether this is something we want to do this year. The money comes out of the general account and it is expensive at around $1,500; however, about half of that amount is returned to the school through Scholastic. It was discussed that books can be purchased for the school library from the casino fund, but that the school has criteria to meet when purchasing books so we would need to seek out their assistance if we choose this option. It was also discussed looking into whether or not a Scholastic account could be set up for us donating money and that way the school would still get a kick back from it.

Motion: Nikki motioned that the PSPA does not gift books this year but instead stocks up the library with books up to the amount of $1,500 from the casino account. It was seconded by Melissa and approved by all in attendance.

Action: We will ask the school to contact Scholastic and investigate other options in which the school would get a kick back from the PSPA purchasing books.

c.     Fall fundraiser
Ideas for the fall fundraiser include:

·       SUTP coupon books
·       Wounded Warriors coupon book
·       Frozen cookies/cookie dough (from either Otis, Coco Brooks, or Indigo)
·       Coco Brooks (frozen pizzas and cookies)
·       Kernels popcorn (mini bags of popcorn)
·       Bacon
·       Cash enrichment option (asking for cash donations rather than getting families to try to sell stuff)

The pros and cons of each were discussed, including:

§  profit made per unit sold of each product
§  fundraisers that were successful at the school in previous years
§  minimum order requirements
§  extra costs that would come out of our profit (such as having to print material out ourselves)
§  frozen cookie dough has proven to be successful in prior years and so it was discussed the pros and cons of each company offering cookie dough including taste, variety and money we get back per container sold

Motion: Ashley motioned that the PSPA sell Otis frozen cookies for the fall fundraiser along with having a cash enrichment option. It was seconded by Niki and approved by all in attendance. 

d.     Fun lunches
Last year we only used Subway for our fun lunches. A discussion was held about trying other places such as pizza. It was suggested that we see if AB King pizza within the Pineridge Community could be used for this and then if not, look at other pizza places.

Motion: Ashley motioned that the PSPA orders pizza for at least one fun lunch this year. It was seconded by Astrid and approved by all in attendance.

e.     Volunteer coordinator position
The volunteer coordinator position for the PSPA is vacant. Astrid explained the role and that a lot of work was done last year on creating the handbook and volunteer program so less work is required this year since this groundwork has been completed. Astrid explained that the majority of the responsibility has been handed back to staff/teachers and this position is mainly administrative and supportive in nature. Astrid is available to train the new coordinator until January. It was suggested that this role could easily be carried out by a group of two or three people. A lot of it is using the volunteer list and phoning parents to see if they are able to volunteer. If anybody is interested, please approach Astrid.

f.      Budget for bulletin board
Karen inquired if we would like to set a budget for the display of the PSPA bulletin board by the front doors. Money for this would come from the casino account. It was suggested that a poster/sign be printed in our PSPA logo and colours to include on the bulletin board and maybe have brochures available explaining the PSPA.

Motion: Crystal motioned that the PSPA budget up to $150 for printing of the poster and maintenance of the bulletin board display. It was seconded by Ashley and approved by all in attendance.

g.     PSPA newsletter
The PSPA has been informed that the school will no longer be printing the PSPA newsletter on the back of its monthly calendars; therefore, the PSPA will no longer be creating and distributing a newsletter. The PSPA will instead use our blog and facebook page, and the school website as forums to communicate information.

h.     Social media/online safety presentation
An opportunity to have Paul Davis speak to students and parents about online safety is available again this year. It was discussed that this is an important topic and we would like to bring him back to the school.

Motion: Crystal motioned to spend up to $2,000 to bring Paul Davis to the school to speak to parents and students on online safety and to cover the cost of babysitters, if necessary. It was seconded by Naomi and approved by all in attendance.

5)     Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:51 p.m. The next meeting will be on October 2, 2017, at 6 p.m.
Summary of action items:
·       Karen will ask the school to check with Scholastic to see about other options in which the school would get a kick back.




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