Parent Information Evening Community Vote on School Uniforms

1. St. Peter Catholic Elementary School Parent Information EveningCommunity Vote on School Uniforms Thursday, Feb. 13th, 2014

2. Our Purpose Tonight…… • To review recent changes to the Board’s Policy II-41, School Uniform Dress Code/School Dress Code. • To offer an overview of the benefits of a school uniform. • To provide you with information related to the community voting process. • To answer any questions you may have with respect to the school uniform.

3. Policy II-41, School Uniform Dress Code/ School Dress Code

4. Background • School Uniform Pilot • Guardian Angels Catholic Elementary School, Milton;and St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School, Burlington • Policy II-41, School Uniform Dress Code/ School Dress Code • Approved by the Board of Trustees in April, 2009 • Subsequently, 4 elementary schools adopted a school uniform. • School Uniform Ad Hoc Committee • Established by the Board of Trustees in February, 2012 • Amendment to Policy II-41 • Approved by the Board of Trustees on February 19, 2013

5. Basic Principles of the Amended School Uniform Policy • The Board is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is safeand respectful of the needs and well-being of all individuals, and believes that a school uniform dress code supports such environments. • The Board endorses and encourages the adoption of a school uniform dress code in our elementary schools, consistent with the values, traditions and distinctiveness of Catholic schools as an effective strategy to build inclusive Catholic communities and encourage a sense of belonging for all students. • The Board affirms a role for parents to determine, through democratic vote conducted in accordance with this policy, whether or not to adopt and implement a school uniform dress code for elementary school communities.

6. Procedural Requirements to Comply with the Policy • A simple majority vote (50% + 1) is required for a community to adopt a school uniform. • Community votes are scheduled later in the school year.Every family with children confirmed as pre-registered for the next school year is eligible to vote. • If the youngest child in the family is in grade 7 or 8, a family would not be eligible to participate in the vote. • In the first year of implementation, grade 8 students will not be required to wear the uniform. • Each school community must vote on school uniforms at least once. The uniform vote may be revisited on a three year cycle. Schools that have never held a school uniform vote, must hold a vote this year.

7. Benefits of a School Uniform

8. Why a School Uniform? • Safe Schools • Equitable & Inclusive Learning Environments • Distinctive Identity as Catholic Schools

9. Safe Schools • Students wearing a school uniform are easily identified as belonging in the school; conversely, those not in a uniform are more easily noticed or detected. • A school uniform creates an environment conducive to a safer school. • Anecdotally, schools that have implemented a uniform report a positive impact on the overall tone and climate of the school.

10. Equitable & Inclusive Learning Environments • A school uniform encourages a sense of pride and belonging for all students. • A school uniform fosters equality, minimizes peer pressure, and has a leveling effect on socio-economic status within school communities. • A school uniform simplifies the morning routine and alleviates child/parent conflicts or differences of opinion around dress.

11. Distinctive Identity as Catholic Schools • A school uniform conveys a distinctiveness that is often associated with Catholic schools around the world. • A school uniform would distinguish our students from students in the public school system. • The implementation of a school uniform dress code in elementary schools is consistent with the school uniform dress code already in place in each of the Board’s secondary schools, and would offer a sense of identity across all schools in the Board.

12. Why are we here tonight?

13. Required to Vote • Each school community must vote on school uniforms at least once. • Schools that have never held a school uniform vote, are expected to hold a vote this year. Schools that have held a school uniform vote cannot conduct another vote until three years later, making St. Peter School community eligible to vote this academic school year, 2013-2014. • Our school community held a community vote on school uniforms in the Fall of 2010. At that time, 92% of eligible families participated in the vote. Results were 55.7% in favour of adopting a school uniform and 44.3% opposed.

14. School Dress Code Committee • Our Catholic Dress Code Committee was established on January 15th, 2014 and met on Wednesday, January 29thto discuss particulars of the Board’s Operating Policy II-41. • The St. Peter School Dress Code Committee consists of: • Mr. Starr, Principal • Mrs. Riesberry, Vice Principal • Mrs. Downes, Co-chair, St. Peter CSC • Mrs. Protacio, Co-chair, St. Peter CSC • Mrs. Falcioni, Parent representative, St. Peter CSC • Mrs. Grisoni, Parent representative, St. Peter CSC • Mr. Protacio, Parent representative, St. Peter CSC • Mrs. Flattery, Teacher-in-charge, St. Peter School • Mrs. Scannell, teacher representative, St. Peter CSC • Mrs. Johnston, teacher representative, St. Peter CSC • Abbey Downes, Student representative, St. Peter School

15. School Uniform Action Plan • In accordance with the policy, our School Uniform Dress Code Committee developed a School Uniform Action Plan, which outlines the following: • A Parent Information Evening (tonight’s meeting) – to provide parents with the details related to the amended policy, and the community vote. • Notice of Voting Period – ballots will be sent home on Monday, February 24th, 2014 and runs until Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 • Results of the Vote – will be communicated to parents on Thursday, March 6th, 2014..

16. Community Voting Process

17. Voting Eligibility • In accordance with the policy, • Every registered family with children in JK-6 of the current school year is eligible to vote, and receives one (1) ballot. • Every family with children confirmed as pre-registered for the next school year in the JK, SK, Early Learning, or French Immersion programs, is eligible to vote, and receives one (1) ballot. • Families whose youngest child is in Grade 7 or 8 in the current year are not eligible to vote.

18. School Uniform Voting Ballot • On February 24th, 2014each family will receive one (1) paper ballot, in accordance with the eligibility requirements noted earlier. • Each ballot will be numbered. • The parent/guardian must indicate their choice on the ballot by marking the appropriate box with an “X”. • The ballot must be signed, and returned to your child’s teacher.

19. Informing Your Decision

20. What does the uniform look like? • All elementary school uniforms must consist of a combination of navy blue and white. • Individual schools may choose to add one additional colour to reflect the school’s colour/logo (St. Peter additional colour is red) • Individual schools may wish to add their school logo. • While the advice would be to keep it simple, especially during the first year of implementation, individual schools may supplement the base uniform with additional items of apparel (e.g. sweater, vest, etc.)

21. Who is the uniform provider? • The selection of the uniform provider is determined through an RFP Process, on the basis of a number of factors, including: • affordability • quality • manufactured in accordance with Board Policy I-31, Apparel Purchases and Fair Labour Practices • accessible and convenient for families • The Board’s current provider is: • R. J. McCarthy School Uniforms • Carlos Rios, Senior Account Executive • 531 North Service Rd E. • Oakville, ON L6H 1A5 • 416-593-6900 • 1-800-668-8261 • www.rjmccarthy.com

22. Elementary School Uniform - Proposed Pricing $124* $155 $215 $172* $105 $84*

23. Uniform Assistance Program • No student will be denied access to school as a result of financial limitations that may inhibit a family’s ability to purchase the uniform. • As a component of the school’s arrangement with McCarthy’s, we will fully subsidize the cost of a uniform for families where the cost of the school uniform would put a financial strain on the family household. • Arrangements for assistance are made through the Principal, and are kept confidential and discreet.

24. Next Steps…

25. Next Steps • Monday, February 24th, 2014: • The vote will take place between February 24th and March 5th, 2014. • Parents will be advised of the outcome of the vote on Thursday, March 6th, 2014via a letter home as well as sent via our “synermail” system (email system) • Should the decision of our school community be to adopt a uniform for next year – next steps for the School Uniform/Dress Code Commitee include: • Determine items for the uniform and communicate options to the school community • Determine an appropriate school logo for the uniform • Uniforms will be available for ordering (online ordering, in store, mobile store options). Information will be clearly communicated to our parent community with all details.

26. Questions?