Parent Information Night School Council, Administration and Staff

1. Parent Information Night School Council, Administration and Staff Tuesday, 8 September 2009

2. Agenda Introduce new staff! Role of School Council Health and safety Code of conduct Open school Canadian Parents for French Volunteering in the school Update from the principal Questions and answers • Support for school initiatives • Advocate for students and the school • Safe Drop Off Zone: Rules of the Road • Fire, Earthquake, and Emergency procedures • H1N1 • Parent volunteer program Hélène Saint Onge Keith Halliday Erik Blake Hélène Kirk Cameron Ranjit Pillai Hélène

3. School council • Role of school council: • A voice for parents and community members • Work with teachers, administration and department (school plan, financial support, advocate for school, etc.) • Our monthly meetings are open to all • First meeting is Sept 15, 6:30pm in staff room (may need to be changed) • See school web site or Journale News for schedule

4. School council • Support for school initiatives: • Discretionary funding for EWES school council from Dept. Ed. and foregone honoraria • Some current and past projects: • Climbing wall (in partnership with EWES) • Manipulative math kits for lower grades • Graded English books (with matching funding from the Dept. Ed.) • Advocate for students and the school: • Working to redress staffing inequities

5. Confidential Department of Education Data Obtained via Access to Information School council research on Yukon school staffing levels: wide disparities within each category of school Educators per 100 students: Yukon schools 2008/09 Average 18.5 Rural Schools Staffing levels at some rural schools more 50% higher than other rural schools Diff. 59% Average 13.2 • Educators per 100 students ratio varies widely between schools • 19 educators/100 students at Selkirk • 12 at Elijah Smith Elementary schools in Whitehorse Diff. 97% Note: 9.5 staff at Wood Street and ILC not included as students from all high schools use these programs. FH staff includes Teen Parent Centre. Vanier includes Riverfront. Figures include special needs programs as well. High schools in Whitehorse Diff. 129% Average 12.6 Educators (FTEs) per 100 students (1) Ecole Emilie Tremblay non-teacher (e.g., admin, librarian, etc) FTEs split between elementary and high school on basis of EET enrollment by grade Note: Educators include all teachers, administrators, counselors, librarians, First Nation/second language teachers, special education, reading recovery, educational assistants, and other staff Source: Access to Information Request to Yukon Department of Education (Teacher Allocations 2008/09; January 2009 enrollment report)

6. Safe Drop Off Zone: Rules of the Road Thanks to Minister Rouble and the department for funding this!

7. Fire, Earthquake, and Emergencies Situations: • Whitehorse is in a high-risk earthquake zone • Fire is an ever-present hazard • Emergency situations (e.g., threats, unwanted visitors) The school has an emergency plan: • Parents have been asked to give an alternate “safe haven” for their child in case they cannot be contacted • Primary cold-weather safe haven in case of evacuation is Qwanlin Theatre; backup haven is Wood St. Annex • School will have regular fire drills • Classrooms will have earthquake drills • School will be having a planned lockdown drill; unplanned lockdown drills may be done by class or school-wide

8. H1N1 Influenza • Health and Social Services has established guidelines for public schools • Promotion of hand-cleaning and “sneezing etiquette” • Hand sanitizers have been installed in the school • Parents are asked to keep children with influenza (flu) symptoms at home • “the sudden onset of respiratory symptoms with fever and/or cough and one or more of the following symptoms: sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, or weakness. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also be present.” • When you call in with a sick child, please give Madame Nadine the symptoms – Health and Social Services wishes to monitor flu-like illness. • If your child falls sick at school, you will be asked to take him/her home rather than going on the bus • See www.fightflu.ca for more information

9. School Code of Conduct Our staff worked as a team to develop the essential strategies for school procedures and expectations. We understand that, when we work as a team, the students are hearing the same message, expectations are clear and the same for everyone. We worked on our school rules, code of conduct and expectations for all of our students. Our expectations were presented to the students and we are “practicing” expected behaviors.

10. Open School • The school is open at 8:00 am • Gym or Foyer • Open School starts at 8:15 am • Library • Computer Lab • Yoga/Dance • Gym • Children left before 8:00am will not be able to enter the school and will be unsupervised outside.

11. Canadian Parents for French • Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is a national network of volunteers • values French as an integral part of Canada • an independent voice advocating for French-second-language learning opportunities • AGM Tuesday, Sept 15, 7:00pm in the library • For French Immersion in the Yukon, there is work to be done at FH: • This year, more than half of grade 8 at FH Collins are in immersion • In a few years, more than half the school will be immersion and it would be nice to see expanded programming

12. Volunteering at the school • Parent involvement helps the school succeed • Volunteer in your child’s class (trips, presentation, etc.) • Pizza lunches • Breakfast-in-the-school program • Green committee • Volunteer coordinator • Please sign up at the back

13. Whitehorse Elementary Contacts Name and Role Contact • Principal: Hélène Saint Onge • Vice Principal: Sofie Maurice • Office: Nadine and Michelle • Teachers • School Council • Erik Blake (Chair) • Kirk Cameron • Keith Halliday (Vice Chair) • Ranjit Pillai • Sarah Sage helene.saint-onge@yesnet.yk.ca (667-8083) sofie.maurice@yesnet.yk.ca (667-8083) 667-8083 via office 667-8083 erik@icefield.yk.ca (633-4403) kc_north@hotmail.com (667-7315) keith@hallidayonline.com (393-2621) rpillai@yukoncollege.yk.ca (668-7844) yukonsage@mac.com (456-2934)