Children do better in school when their parents/guardians play an active role in their education. This can be as simple as reading each evening with your child, attending school events and functions, or participating on the School Council.
Each year, a School Council is formed by an election at your child’s school. This council has the opportunity to meet regularly with the principal and to liaise between the school community and school administration.
For more information, see the School Council Procedure.
The School Council consists mainly of parents/guardians of students in the school. The principal, one teacher, one other staff member, and a community representative are also members of the School Council.
Contact your school principal to find out more information about becoming a School Council member.
Parent Reaching Out (PRO) grants program provides funding to work with parent stakeholder groups, school councils, and/or the District School Council – Parent Involvement Committee (DSC-PIC) to lead projects with a focus on the identification and removal of barriers that prevent parents/guardians and families from participating and engaging fully in their child’s learning.
The DSC-PIC will work in collaboration with school councils to determine projects and corresponding funding amounts for each project.
You can find more information through the Guide for School Councils on the Ministry of Education website.
September 26, 2026 @ 6:00pm
Meeting 1: 2026/2027: School Year
Welcome – Attendance & Regrets
a. In-person: Charlene, Jenn Curtis, Sarah Dowswell, Cheryl Nobrega, Lilliana Nobrega, Stephanie Leith
b. Virtual – Meredith Dando
c. Regrets, Allyssa Handley, Amy-Jo Teatro, Angie Bryan, Shannon Koetstra
Approval of Agenda – no agenda to start
Approval of Minutes – N/A
Treasurers Report: Charlene confirmed opening balance is $1,673.41 potentially, but will have it reconciled and confirm via email after meeting.
Elections for 2026/2027: (Chair, Co-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary)
a. Chair – Jenn Curtis returns
b. Co-Chair – Allyssa H returns, if no others
c. Treasurer – Sarah Dowswell
d. Secretary – Stephanie Leith returns- Stephanie motions, Cheryl seconds
Student Report – (Student Council – Lilliana)
Drama club has started, more clubs likely to start later. School has launched “Leadership teams” to manage school activities: Hot lunch, yearbook, recycling, breakfast, Milk
sales, Tech, Outdoor Signboard, School Council reps, Instagram, Announcements, Celebrations, Fundraising, Equipment managers and indoor/outdoor recess.
a. Harmony Movement presentation/training took place – just the leadership team (which is 30 grade 8 students)
b. Celebration team has scheduled spirit days for every Friday & winter festivities the week before break
c. Truth & Reconciliation Assembly – planning/posters
d. Halloween dance planning
e. Parent Council Support requested – they want to hold “Fun Days” for holidays etc. Something after March break/April, May when there are no holidays.
i. Unfortunately, bouncy castles have now been disallowed by the Board, per Charlene.
7. Teacher Report:
No report – no teacher volunteers, only 7 classrooms so not likely to get a volunteer but Charlene will see if we can have a rotational teacher report.
8. Principal Report: Charlene Chapman.
a. Year-book – Board is now approving the vendors to be used for them. So looking at other options to ensure fair representation in the book so no one is left out and possibly smaller grade by grade formats.
b. First BBQ was a great success. Very good event for the new kids to be introduced to the school. Will do another BBQ for Terry Fox fundraising.
c. d. Student Council had their PD mentioned above Every teacher will be doing PD this year. Indigenous, French Oral Health, Intermediate PD etc.
e. f. Franco Ontario Day – Friday Sept 25th – activities to celebrate. Flo Franco Sept 30th – inviting other schools and will be in last block, looking for CPF funding
g. Skills Ontario in October for intermediate (50-60m workshops)
h. Coffee & Connect – Mental Health, Anxiety & Attendance. Focus is creating an environment for parents to share and be supported, to engage parents in a non-judgemental way. This is hosted by Michelle Spry, the board mental health counsellor
i. Monthly Activities Coming into the School:
i. October – Wow Yoga
ii. November – Jimmy Chapman breakdancing
iii. February – Concert @ Roy Thompson Hall – Instrumental Ensemble
iv. March – Maple Syrup presentation with pulled taffy
v. June – Jungle Sport indoor high ropes activity!
j. Field excursion memo from the Board – This memo stated schools are not to book anything until further notice. This is because the Board is trying to have an equity lens on trips, especially as prices rise for families. Charlene is part of the team that is discussing this issue at the Board level to finalize the policy.
i. Camp Muskoka overnight is still going because it is heavily funded.
ii. The Grade 8 Grad trip is the biggest issue. Some boards do not allow overnights. This may change what expectations for a “grad trip” will be in the future. It will still be a goal to try and make this a French Immersion activity but this is difficult thing to achieve. We will work within the parameters that come out of the new fieldtrip policy.
iii. Action item will come out of this to fundraise more money for the trip potentially if it is allowed
iv. Because of this upcoming change, monthly activities have been arranged on site at the school as noted above.
k. Attendance Competition was launched to encourage attendance. If you have explained absences, you will still not be part of the draw. 241 pizza donates a large pizza to the family, plus others.
9. Open Items/New Items – Jenn
a. Parent Council Goal Setting – how to spend the “Parent Engagement” funding in the best way possible and raise money for school needs
i. Prior year we had the inflatables day, Kona slushy truck without inflatables this day will not take place but the slushy truck can be co-ordinated with the Jungle Sport in June
instead.
ii. Family Electives night – big success, better than previous year, no cost to families and pizza by donation as well as the basket raffle (done by each class)
1. This was a successful event to raise money for New Jersies for sports so we plan to do it again this year.
iii. Tuck shop was successful also, tried for 1 Friday a month but ended up somewhat sporadic, but made a few hundred dollars each time.
1. This is an easy fundraiser, but we do need Parent Council Volunteers to run this tuck shop. Sarah Dowsdell will assist Jenn C and an email will be circulated to tuck
shop volunteers.
2. Need to make sure that you use the purchased items within their useful life. Must store them properly.
iv. Scholastic Bookfair – November 2025 this raised $600 and was done by the Library tech. This was tied into a family night last year and council wants to tie into parent teacher interviews this year if possible. Charlene will discuss with new Library Tech.
v. Parent engagement funding consists of
1. Pro Grant – not announced yet, $500PY from District Council
2. Other funding $583PY Stephanie mentioned bussing issues – arriving late – Charlene will follow-up.
10. District Council meeting: nothing to report until first meeting takes place
CSS Meetings: November 25, 2026 next meeting.
Proposed future meetings:
February 24th – for parent night planning. March 24 to plan rest of year, finalize
the parent engagement elective night. Potentially May 26 to wrap up the year if
required.
TLDSB believes and recognizes that volunteers enhance the learning experiences of our students. The Board appreciates that by engaging members of our communities, volunteers can model positive relationships and good citizenship.
Volunteer programs:
There are many volunteer opportunities in our schools, these include help with:
If you are interested in volunteering at your school, please contact your school principal. For more information, view our Policies for volunteering.
The procedure for obtaining a police check varies depending on which geographical region of the Board in which you live. In most cases, the volunteer is responsible for taking two pieces of identification, including one photo identification to their local police station or OPP detachment. Please note, social insurance cards and health cards will not be accepted for the cost of any police check.
It is the policy of TLDSB to ensure that all individuals who come into direct contact with children have a criminal record check (CRC). The Board is in a position of trust with regards to students and must protect their intellectual, physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The well-being of students is a priority, and as such, we expect everyone who will be working with students to have completed a CRC.
Volunteers are welcome in schools when they are available. The important thing for volunteers to remember is to follow the agreed upon schedule, and if you are unable to attend the school as agreed upon, to please contact the school and inform the staff member you were volunteering with that you will not be in attendance.
Each school has a visitor/volunteer sign out book in the main office. Volunteers are asked to sign in upon arrival and then sign out prior to leaving the building. In many schools, volunteers also have an identification tag, which allows students and staff within the building to know who the volunteers are.
A vulnerable sector check is for volunteers who will be working with a group or an individual who is identified as “vulnerable” by the police. This would be people in a position of dependence or at greater risk of being harmed by persons in a position of authority or trust. The primary volunteer sector that applies to schools is for “children under the age of 18.”
Volunteers are protected by the Board’s liability insurance against lawsuits arising out of their duties for the Board. Coverage only applies when the volunteer is carrying out duties assigned by the school authorities (ie. staff members). Volunteers are not covered by accident insurance, nor by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act through the Board.
School calendar
Report form
School registration
Online
Transportation info.
| School Schedule | |
|---|---|
|
First bell |
8:45 a.m. |
|
Block 1 |
8:45 – 10:45 a.m. |
|
Nutrition |
10:45 – 11:05 a.m. |
|
Recess |
11:05 – 11:25 a.m. |
|
Block 2 |
11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. |
|
Recess |
12:25 – 12:45 p.m. |
|
Nutrition |
12:45 – 1:05 p.m. |
|
Block 3 |
1:05 – 3:05 p.m. |
|
Dismissal |
3:05 p.m. |