Vincent Massey Parent Advisory Council
Minutes of October 19, 2004

In attendance; Leslie Loader(chair), Michelle Moffatt, Theresa VanHoof, Kathy Thornborough, Stephanie Didychuk, Darla Jory, Brenda Kerswell, Lynn McCaughey, Mathew Gustafson, Brent 

Regrets: Joyce Agar, Lily O’Driscoll, Gail Janz

1. Call to order at 7:00

2. Reviewed minutes – Next meeting is November 17, 2004

3. Principal Report – Brent
    1. Power point presentation of Student voice luncheon
            i. Included 120 students
            ii. Provided summary at meeting
    2. School dances – revisited by Student Council and are drafting a proposal
    3. School planning – parents, students and staff to be involved in long term planning
            i. Developed priorities for direction of the school
            ii. Would like a minimum of 2 parents to sit on committee with equal presentation from all partners; interested parents to call school; frequency of meetings not decided
            iii. Leslie Loader and Darla Jory agreed to sit on committee
            iv. Students to be involved in the planning process
    4. School / department plans
          i. Each department (8 major departments) are putting together a development plan
          ii. Focus on issues pertaining to each department

4. New Business
     1. Email addresses confirmed
     2. Safe grad – meeting will be held in next 3 weeks; will involve all grads; go through entire process in terms of banquet, safe grad etc
          i. Coordinators for safe grad are volunteers
          ii. Graduation at Keystone Center June 27, 2004

5. Parent Division Liaison Meeting – nothing new

6. Brandon Group Parent Council
    1. Most attendees are from elementary schools
    2. Idea for 3 high school s to meet to discuss what is going on – apparently VM is only active group

7. Student Council
    1. Room rep idea scrapped
    2. Student Council working on having an ATM in the school – various thoughts about that about the necessity of it, the cost of having one, would it be a fundraiser?
    3. Dance proposal - lots of ideas
          i. Maybe have a Super Dance at some time later– where it is more than a dance - for those who do not want to attend a dance – more of a social gathering
          ii. All tickets to be purchased in advance, need to show VM student card
          iii. To practise community presentation to staff 1st wed in November
          iv. Lots of spirit building ideas – scavenger hunt, cancer drive – November 4

8. Correspondence
    A. Note from Chase Fiegal – money request as member of rugby team to go to England
    B. Pages – October 
          i. Needs used eyeglasses – drop off at Division office
          ii. Lions recycling
          iii. Essay contest – short work on Canadian biography deadline November 10, 2004

  C. Dept of Education
          1. Develop new system for classroom based school assessment to replace standard test at 6 and S1
    D. Pages – end of October
          i. Student leadership council focus on student achievement
          ii. Interview substitute teachers from now on
          iii. Computer systems support operator – overwhelmed
          iv. Toyota scholarship 15 x $5,000 - first year post secondary
          v. Parent intervention program re; student chemicals
    E. MAPC
          i. Increase number of school days 194 – 04/05 and 05/06; 196 – 06/07 and 07/08; 197 08/09
          ii. Toronto school pilot project – open 24 hours- 7 days/week
          iii. School bus strobe lights cost Manitoba 4250,000
          iv. Advocacy project suggestions re meetings and conflict