School Council Chair and Trustee General Meeting November 2, 2010 Bishop Carroll High School

1. School Council Chair and Trustee General Meeting November 2, 2010Bishop Carroll High School Thank you School Council Chairs for all the work you do for our students!

2. Opening Prayer Trustee Scarpino: Lord God, the saving work of your Son, Jesus, brings us into the light of your glory. Help us to put you first in our lives and to follow wherever you lead. Continue the work of transformation you have begun in us that we may serve others with joy and love and bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We pray for all the faithful departed who have found life and light in Christ and ask that they may share in the fulfillment of their faith at the banquet of life. We pray, too, for the bereaved members of our community. May they find consolation and strength in our shared faith in the resurrection of Christ. All: Bless our discussion and activities this evening. May the light of Christ guide and direct us as we share in the work of Catholic Education and may the students and families we serve experience the abundance of your love and presence through our words and deeds. We ask this through the Lord Jesus, the resurrection and the life, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

3. Thank you! • For taking on the very important role of School Council Chair.

4. Your Board of Trustees

5. Senior Admin

6. Actions Taken • World Café public participation/ consultation process • All voices heard and recorded • All input and feedback shared with all stakeholders • Input and feedback reviewed to determine what actions need to be taken • Closing the loop: sharing of actions taken

7. Fundraising Feedback • Develop a central repository of fundraising information • Base “Calgary Catholic Education Foundation” fund distribution on needs and socio-economic areas of school • Distribute funds on a per student, per level need of that division

8. Fundraising - Action • Criteria for accessing money from the Foundation has been developed and disseminated to all schools • Principals are in the process of applying for grants • The deadline for applications is November 15, 2010

9. Budget Feedback • Budget Priorities: Suggestions/Best Ideas: • Class size • Technology • ESL • Safe learning environment (infrastructure)

10. Budget - Action • Actions taken: • The district identified items that were a high priority and expended additional funds on 12.6 FTE contingency teaching positions to address class size or composition issues that were not addressed by our staffing allocation. In addition, the district expended an additional $1.0 million in Information Technology infrastructure. • The district also opened three new P3 schools in September 2010, which addressed the need for schools in the SE, SW and NE. The district continued to enhance its Reception Centre to meet the needs of our ESL students.

11. Budget Feedback - continued • Budget Meeting (March) Suggestions/Best Ideas: • The Calgary Catholic School District has a province-wide reputation for being financially responsible and excellent stewards of public funds. • Because of funding cuts, the district’s reserves will be depleted and the district is anticipating having to run an unfunded deficit in 2010-2011.

12. Budget Feedback - continued • Budget Meeting (March) Suggestions/Best Ideas – continued: • The two major factors that are driving the district towards an unfunded deficit are: • A change in Class Size Funding that results in a $6.0 million dollar reduction in funding; and, • A 0% grant rate increase and a 3% salary increase in 2010-2011, which will cost the district $9.3 million.

13. Budget Feedback - continued • Budget Meeting (March) Suggestions/Best Ideas – continued: • All Calgary Catholic School District stakeholders need to assist the Minister of Education in moving forward with a long-term plan for education. • Parents should request that all MLA’s support the Minister in his efforts to improve educational funding especially in the areas identified as priorities by parents. • Priorities identified by parents were small class size and provincial funding of provincially negotiated salary increases.

14. Budget - Action • Actions taken: • In July 2010, In July 2010, the Minister provided school districts with an additional 2.92% increase in per student grants to cover the provincially bargained increase awarded to teachers. This allowed the district to pass the 2010-2011 Budget with a deficit that was funded from Accumulated Operating Surplus (AOS). The 2010-2011 Budget projects that the district will have approximately $3.0 million in AOS at August 31, 2011. • Though the district lost $6.0 million in Class Size Funding due to a change in methodology, the district is budgeting to have the third lowest Pupil-Teacher ratio that it has had in the past 15 years. Through the district staffing process, every effort was made to ensure that class sizes remained as low as possible, with particular attention on Kindergarten through Grade 3.

15. Board Mission, Value and Vision Statements • Mission Statement: Living and Learning in our Catholic Faith. • Value Statement:All members of our community are sacred and must be treated with dignity and respect.  We value excellence in Catholic education, guided by shared responsibility and the moral authority of the Church.

16. Statements - continued • Vision Statements:FaithOur Catholic schools demonstrate their fundamental constitutional right to provide and support the development and permeation of our faith.FamilyOur Catholic schools recognize parents as the primary educators of their children and promote a close relationship among families, parishes and our schools.

17. Statements - continued • Vision Statements: continued…Stewardship Our Catholic School District embraces fiscal responsibility, transparency and shared personal responsibility for the success of the students in our care.Contributors to SocietyOur Catholic schools develop students who are faithful contributors to a global society and reflect the image of God.

18. Statements - continued • Vision Statements: continued…Excellence in Teaching and LearningOur Catholic schools develop the full potential of our students to excel in the challenges they face in life.Treatment of PersonsOur Catholic schools value the sacredness of each individual.

19. Board Missions and Vision and Value Statements • Action: • Incorporated all feedback from parents. • Visible in all schools. • Used as the foundation for the development of the District Three Year Education Plan.

20. Homework Regulation Feedback • Clear communication • Complement rather than supplement to classroom studies • Relevant, specific, enhance learning • No homework on holidays and long weekends • Time limits per grade level

21. Homework Regulation - Action • The homework regulation is in the last stages of development • Incorporated parent, staff and administration feedback • Will be posted on district Internet site at www.cssd.ab.ca

22. District Electronic Networking Capabilities for School Council Chairs • Request from District Advisory Planning Committee (DAC) in spring of 2007 • School council chairs wished to communicate and network with other school council chairs about their work on school councils • Requested information be sent to them directly

23. District Electronic Networking - Action • School Council Chairs Electronic Mailing List with networking capability is in place. (Thank you IT!) • CCSD School Council Chairs E-mail List Application and Code of Conduct • Leave today, or send through the school pony to Luba Diduch at Central Office

24. School Council Year-End Reports • Local school issues – 100% • District updates, information sharing and feedback – 90% • Social activities for parents and students – 90% • Local parish liaison and participation – 50% • Social justice outreach activities – 38% • Achievement test results – 38% • Homework regulation – 19% • Trustee attendance at school council meetings – 13%

25. World Café Topic • Public participation/consultation on topics important to all stakeholders • At the beginning of the process, we make a promise to parents that we will take all their input and feedback under consideration • Decisions will be made after all consultation is completed • We promise to share all information we have available on the topics so that parents are well informed during discussion and conversation and when giving their feedback and input • This process is collaborative and transparent and all input and feedback is posted on the District internet site

26. French Immersion Programs • The timeline for public participation that was included in your background information for meetings in all city quadrants was to begin this month and continue in January. • These dates have been changed. • All public participation meetings on this topic will take place in January 2011 in each city quadrant. • NW Jan. 11, NE Jan. 13, SW Jan. 17, SE Jan. 18 • This will give all parents sufficient notice of meetings so that as many parents as possible will be able to attend and give their input.

27. Sharing of Gems • Please introduce yourself and let us know what school you are from. • The best ideas/gems in my group were…………….… • Thank you for representing the participants in your room!!!

28. Feedback Sheet • Important to have information on what worked well and areas that need improvement. • Questions: If you would like a direct response, please provide contact information on your feedback sheet. • All questions and responses will be posted on the District internet site at www.cssd.ab.ca→ Parent Centre → School Councils. • Feedback for Trustees – please fill out the back of your feedback sheet in response to the question posed by your Board of Trustees.

29. Additional Information • CCSD School Council Chairs E-Mail List Application • Fill out, sign and leave at door, or • Fill out and send through district pony service • A box for all feedback/recorder sheets/email applications is situated at each door

30. Additional information - continued • School Council Handbook – revised Sept. 2009 is the most current. • Some information in the handbook will be changed to reflect the current elections. • This information and all information related to school councils is posted on the district Internet site www.cssd.ab.ca /Parent Centre / School Councils. • French Immersion re-imagining feedback will have a dedicated spot on the district Internet site. • Luba Diduch or Vicki Fauville at 403-500-2431 luba.diduch@cssd.ab.ca; vicki.fauville@cssd.ab.ca

31. Thank you! • Mr. Daniel Danis, the principal of Bishop Carroll High School for hosting this meeting. • Thank you to Bishop Carroll High School staff, especially: • Mr. Cam Wong – head caretaker, and • Caretakers: Mr. Claro Pasamanero, Mr. Julito Galeion, Mr. Edgar Casarrubias, and Mr. Orville Blanco, Romeo Castro

32. Thank you! • Administrative Assistants Vicki Fauville, Carole Baldwin and Jan McRae for all their help in the set-up and preparation of materials to make this a successful evening of participation and engagement. • Thank you to all the facilitators, recorders and timekeepers. • Most of all, thank you to all participants for coming out tonight to give your input on this very important topic.

33. Closing Prayer Trustee Vice Chair – Mary Martin: We pray as one… All: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord God of all creation, as we conclude our meeting, we once again lift our hearts and voices to you in prayer. We thank you for the gifts you have placed in our care and for the honour of serving you and one another through our gifts. Bless our departure and our journey homeward. Continue to lead and direct our activities that we may remain steadfast in our endeavour to uphold the dignity of each child in our district. Continue to shine the light of your love and goodness upon us; may it go before us and behind us; may it be above us and beside us, and may it shine ever more strongly within us that we may faithfully reflect your glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.