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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPIC 13 May Report 4 Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 1 - REPORT NO. 4 PARENT INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE TO: The Committee of the Whole (Public) DATE: 13 May 2015 A meeting of the Parent Involvement Committee was held this evening in the Trustees’ Committee Room, 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, commencing at 6:05 p.m. with Susan Fullerton in the Chair and the following in attendance: PARENT MEMBERS: Carrie Eaton, Jen Muise, Diana Mills, Ellen Dickson COMMUNITY MEMBERS: Susan Ingram and Anne Teutsch NON-VOTING MEMBERS: Erica Braunovan, Trustee, and Diane Cousineau, Principal GUESTS: Beth Doubt, Special Education Advisory Committee Vice -Chair; and Patrick McCarthy, Principal of Nepean High School. STAFF: Norah Marsh, Associate Director of Education; Michèle Giroux, Executive Officer, Corporate Services; and Kelly Sullivan, Board/Committee Coordinator 1. Call to Order Chair Fullerton called the public meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. 2. Approval of Agenda Moved by Susan Ingram, THAT the agenda be approved. - Carried – 3. Approval of Minutes Moved by Susan Ingram, THAT Report 3, dated 08 April 2015, be received. - Carried – 4. Chair’s Report Vice-Chair Carrie Eaton provided the following update from the PIC Symposium:  Lynda Colgan’s presentation explained how the math curriculum is taught to students. Dr. Colgan could be considered for a Speaker Series as there was significant interest in her presentation; Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 2 -  Other presentations included Spencer West, David Bouchard, and a student who developed a line of soaps;  There were more workshops offered in French this year;  Each district has a mental health lead position; the OCDSB mental health lead is Dr. Petra Duschner. Updated mental health information will be provided to districts by the Ministry later this year;  There was a presentation on the updated health and physical education curriculum, but there was no discussion on the sexual health component which was disappointing to the parents who attended the session;  Parents did receive the parents’ guide to human development for sexual health that will be distributed to schools this school year. Those resources are also available in the school council newsletter; and  The Ministry representative gathered the regional PIC members to discuss ideas about how to work together on regional projects. Ms. Eaton noted that many of the presentations and workshops were repeated from previous years. She suggested that another member other than the Chair or Vice- Chair could also attend next year, as many boards sent multiple PIC members. Ms. Eaton added that she suggested to the Ministry representative that they could consider updating the presentations each year to ensure continued attendance by PICs. 5. Director’s Report Associate Director Marsh provided an update to the Committee. During discussion and in response to questions the following points were noted:  The ministry has provided some training for central staff regarding the updated health and physical education curriculum using the ‘train the trainer’ concept;  Training may be provided using the Desire2Learn online platform for professional learning;  Parents will be notified about the curriculum so they can make an informed choice about their child’s participation. There is an accommodations policy for such situations;  One person per school completed the parent survey about the updated curriculum. Deepika Grover completed the survey on behalf of PIC;  The direction given to principals and chairs was to determine who would complete the survey on behalf of their school;  There are some schools that may not have completed the survey, but it is not possible to track participation;  There is a partial withdrawal of services at the elementary school and secondary teachers are in a legal strike position;  Five days advance notice is only required prior to strike action. There is no requirement to provide advance notice if strike action is revised;  There are procedures in place to close schools with short notice, if required;  Negotiations can continue over the summer, if required; Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 3 -  Synrevoice and the District website are being used to communicate any updated information to families;  Synrevoice is updated daily to ensure all registered students receive the information;  The letter that was sent to parents was helpful, as parents felt they had the required information; and  Ceremonies celebrating the work of staff, students, and volunteers, including the Volunteer Appreciation Reception and Community Recognition Awards, are happening across the District. 6. Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grant Proposal 2015-2016 Chair Fullerton advised that the PRO Grant proposal is due on 19 May 2015 and invited members’ input on the proposal. Chair Fullerton introduced Beth Doubt, Vice-Chair of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), to discuss the PRO Grant, as SEAC is considering making an application this year. Ms. Doubt reported that at the inaugural provincial SEAC conference it was suggested that SEAC’s apply for a PRO Grant; previously, the Committee was advised they were ineligible. Ms. Doubt noted that SEAC may apply for an additional grant, or suggested the Committees could work together on some joint initiatives, for example, SEAC could suggest Speaker Series topics. Ms. Doubt emphasized that SEAC does not want to compete for funding with PIC, and staff will seek clarity on the implications of two committees from the same organization applying for a grant. During discussion of the regional PRO Grant, and in response to questions, the following points were noted:  SEAC would be interested in hosting a conference that would provide information to parents who have children with special education needs;  The application includes a school council training day specific to council issues and a separate day more generally for the advisory committees and parents that could include a special education component;  Special education information for all parents would be helpful, as accommodations that are required for some students are beneficial for all students; and  Including the special education information with the parent conference would model that all students are included in the system. A discussion ensued regarding the school council PRO Grants. Ms. Eaton reported that at the PIC Symposium, PIC members had been challenged find one school council that had never applied for a grant and assist them with their application. Ms. Eaton noted that she had sent an email to the Committee requesting their assistance. During discussion and in response to questions the following points were noted:  The Ministry representative sent a list of priority schools that have not applied for a PRO Grant and requested PICs focus on those schools; Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 4 -  Completing the application is not time consuming, but some schools may require continued support in implementing the activity;  Ms. Eaton and Ms. Muise have contacted some schools but have not received any feedback;  A sample application could be created that would be applicable at multiple sites, for example a speaker or a healthy schools initiative;  The Committee could support at least one and up to four schools;  A joint application between multiple sites could be submitted. The application could be different speakers at different schools or one larger event including all the schools;  The principal should be involved in the process as they are responsible for the school council and events at their school. There may also be schools with no council and the principal would administer the PRO Grant activity;  Principal Cousineau advised she would follow up the schools identified by PIC to encourage the principals to participate;  Executive Officer Giroux will email the principals to provide them with further information about the PRO Grant and PIC’s involvement;  Engaging New Canadian families could be a focus for events;  PIC members could meet councils at the Family Reception Centre to expose them to the services offered at the Centre;  PIC could begin outreach earlier next year to be able to better support more councils;  A draft agenda for the conference will be included to differentiate from the school council training day;  The speakers included are a draft and topics can be updated; and  The proposal will be submitted on 19 May 2015. 7. Transition Guide from Elementary to Secondary: Creating a Sense of Belonging Chair Fullerton introduced Principal McCarthy to provide an overview of the Transition Guide from Elementary to Secondary: Creating a Sense of Belonging. During discussion, and in response to questions, the following points were noted:  The secondary school review identified working groups to further investigate key areas, including configurations, community hubs, International Baccalaureate Program, exit outcomes, and digital learning;  As part of the configuration working group, research review was conducted at the 9-12 and 7-12 level. Interviews were held at a number of schools throughout the process;  In the Fall of 2013 another round of interviews were conducted, and this survey of existing best practices in managing transitions informed the creation of the guide;  Information regarding the transition from elementary or middle school parent to high school parent could be included, as parents need to be aware of the verbiage of a contemporary high school; Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 5 -  There are different ideologies on how to approach contentious topics and the guide is not intended to tell parents how to parent their child;  The guide focuses on wellness rather than academics, which may leave a gap for parents who are unfamiliar with the basic academic vocabulary;  A successful way to quell anxiety is by having the students visit their new space before they transition. The welcoming and belonging aspect is critical to a good transition;  Many parents may think they do not have a voice in their child’s new school;  A key to solving that issue is developing relationships, between students and staff, and parents and staff;  The parent guide could include information to parents regarding how to reach out to their child’s classroom teacher but also recommend and explain the roles of other staff in the building, as a relationship with the whole school should be the focus and not solely a parent-teacher relationship;  Parents may find it difficult transitioning into 7-12 schools as they feel more like a high school and therefore parents may be less inclined to volunteer; and  There are other components and other transitions which are not covered in the guide, such as movement into immersion programs or specialized classes. This could be discussed further. 8. Report 15-070, School as a Community Hub: Draft Policy P.119.CON and Consultation Plan Your committee had before it Report 15-070 to provide feedback on the draft policy P.119.CON, School as a Community Hub. Associate Director Marsh reported that a working group has been created to investigate the concept of school as a community hub. The intent of the draft policy is to guide the District’s work around engaging community members in a transparent way that encourages the use of schools to provide community services. She added that the Ministry of Education will be providing school districts with further direction with respect to using schools as community hubs next year and the policy will support that work. During discussion of the schools as a community hub draft policy, and in response to questions, the following points were noted:  People 4 Education support the use of schools as community hubs;  John McCrae Secondary School is attached to a community centr e and is well connected with the community;  The policy is to encourage a wide range of community partnerships, including education related activities, private businesses, public recreation leagues, and health services, among others; Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 6 -  The international language programs offered on the weekends are offered by the District. While not technically a partnership, these programs reflect the intent of the policy;  The use of outdoor space is included in this policy. If groups want to use the bathrooms or other facilities indoors there are different costs due to staffing requirements;  Non-profit organizations have a lowered fee rate than for-profit organizations;  In some instances, the OCDSB may cover part of the cost for the use of the school as a community hub as sufficient funding is not provided by the Ministry. More funding may be allocated when the Ministry provides their direction to districts next year;  Wi-fi would be made available to community groups, as supported by the bring your own device initiative;  The term ‘hub’ encourages parents that they can feel connected to their child’s school and be comfortable visiting;  Previous focus on security may have made parents feel they were not allowed to be onsite and were unwelcome at their child’s school; and  The safety of all staff and students is considered when school facilities are used. Associate Director Marsh advised that the policy will be considered by the Board in June and any feedback should be submitted by 28 May 2015 via the District’s website. 9. Parent Involvement Committee 2014-2015 Annual Report Executive Officer Giroux noted that the annual report follows a similar format to last year and highlights the meeting at the Family Reception Centre and the idea of further collaboration with other advisory committees next year. Chair Fullerton suggested that the PIC work plan could be updated and a further discussion will be scheduled for the June meeting. 10. Member information a. OCASC Report Ms. Dickson noted that Superintendent Buffone attended OCASC and provided information regarding the health and physical education curriculum and French Immersion programming. She added that the Annual General Meeting is scheduled in May and a new executive may be appointed. b. Advisory Committee for Extended Day and Child Care Ms. Eaton advised that the results of a satisfaction survey report that families are satisfied with the services they receive, but reported only being somewhat satisfied with the snacks served to students. Ms. Eaton also reported Parent Involvement Committee 13 May 2015 Report 4 - 7 - that the Committee had quorum at its last meeting and appointed a c hair, Holly Grenier. 11. New business, Update on Recent Initiatives/News, Innovations Ms. Eaton noted that it was reported at the PIC Symposium that less than 50 percent of students graduate with grade 11 science and grade 12 math courses. During discussion, and in response to questions, the following points were noted:  This figure is likely a cohort analysis and may vary across districts;  If students enrol in an arts based program in post-secondary they may not require math and science courses;  Many students may be unaware that their post-secondary programs may require math and sciences;  One of the complexities of the course structure is taking math or science courses precludes students from taking other courses; and  Some students may choose to complete a fifth year of high school or attend summer school in order to take additional courses. Executive Officer Giroux noted that PIC has been included as part of the consultation of the strategic plan and a discussion is scheduled for the June meeting. Executive Officer Giroux noted that there have been questions regarding whether parents from the extended day program (EDP) should be represented on school councils. She noted that the policy P.014.SCO School Councils does not require or preclude membership and councils and OCASC are encouraged to consider whether the EDP should be represented on councils. Executive Officer Giroux noted that concussion management resources are available on the District’s website. 12. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Susan Fullerton Chair Parent Involvement Committee