Prince Street Home and School

A meeting of the Prince Street Home and School was held at the school on November 19, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in the A+ Room. Approximately 12 parents were in attendance, along with Principal Terry MacIsaac and Vice-Principal Colleen Mullen-Doyle.

Principal's Report

There have been staff changes since the school year has started. Christa Raeburg and Jill MacNeil are both out on maternity leave. Garth McKay is in for Christa Raeburg and Denise MacDonald-Vail is in for Jill MacNeil.

On October 25th (evening) and October 26th (all day) were parent-teacher interviews. There was a good turn out for these interviews.

Susan Lee Manning is in doing the PLIP Program. There are four students that do the  program during the morning. The program helps the students with reading and writing. The program runs until December.

Novemeber 8th, there were two assemblies. The first one was for Remembrance Day. The second one dealt with Bullying. Noella Klawitter was the guest speaker. Noella is visually impaired and a paralympian. She talked about being bullied and being different.

The wireless project that has been set up near the end of last year's school year has been extended for an extra six months. Originally the project was to be six months long. Now it will be until the end of the current school year. The cost is covered by the Home School Association.

Report cards go out December 4th.

The school switched companies for the school pictures. Provincial Studios had been the previous company and has been switched to Light Touch.

On November 9th, there will be a P.D. Day. The topic that will dealt with is Literacy Marks. The literacy marks are down provincially and in the school. The teachers will be looking at ways to improve marks in transactional writing. For ex: How to make a recipe.

The next Art Blitz is Dec 6.

The Christmas Concerts dates are as follows:

•      December 10th Kindergarten to Grade 3
•      December 12th Grade 4 to Grade 6

The storm dates for the Christmas Concerts are December 11th for Kindergarten to Grade 3 and December 13th for Grades 4 to Grade 6.
There will be a bake sale table and a Basket Raffle on both nights of the concerts.

Trinity United Church will again be making Christmas Dinner for the students on December 19th. There will a full turkey dinner and juice and treats. In the evening of December 19th, Trinity United Church will be putting on Scrooge at the church. The church will be selling tickets.

The last of school before the Christmas Holidays is Friday December 21st and the first day back after the Holidays is thursday, January 3rd.

On December 7th, is the first movie night held at the school. The movie will start at 6:30 with the doors opening at 6:15p.m. Admission is by donation and there will be a canteen set up with popcorn, juice, and other snacks set up for sale during the movie.

Next Meeting

The next Home and School meeting is Wednesday, January 16th at 6:30 p.m.

Some upcoming events on the Home and School calendar:

• Friday, December 7 is Movie Night at the school. Stay tuned for details.
• Christmas Concerts at the school are December 10 (Kindergarten to Grade 3) and December 12 (Grades 4 to 6). The Home and School will be selling raffle tickets and baked goods.
• Trinity United Church will be proving a Christmas Dinner at lunch for the entire school on December 19. Our thanks to the church for this generous project.
• The next Home and School Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the school.

Treasurer Shelley Muzika presented the following financial summary at our meeting of October 4, 2012:

The first Home and School meeting for the 2012-2013 was held on October 4, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in the A+ room at the school. There were approximately 20 parents and guardians in attendance, along with Principal MacIsaac, Vice-Principal Mullen-Doyle and grade one teacher Patty Caseley.

Peter Rukavina acted as Chair; Dana Doyle was recording secretary.

Peter introduced Samuel K. Wang (Mandrin) and Tek Basnet (Nepali) as translators for the Home and School meetings for Prince Street School. Terry MacIssac then conducted a tour of the school for those who wanted a look at the layout of the school.

Principal's Report

Enrollment is down from last year. Last year there was 282 students; thie year there are 267 students. 57 children left the school last year due to either going to junior high or moving and 45 children came into the school this year.

Over the course of the year there is a 20% turnover in the student population. as the school is transitional school.

There are 41 EAL students in Prince Street, representing 11 countries and 14 languages. 54 EAL students finished the school year last year at Prince Street.

There are 15 home rooms. Three kindergarten classes and two classes of all of the other grades.

September 12th was Meet The Teacher night. Attendance was down from previous years.

School pictures were taken October first and second. Retakes will be taken later this month.

Fundraising has taken place so far this with chocolate bars and coupon books being the items sold. Coupon books took half the time and effort to sell then the chocolate bars and ot created a little bit more then half the money that came in.

The playground swings will be up and ready to us on October 8th. Also, part of the playground equipment had to be retreated. There will be retreatment bi-yearly on the equipment. There is an 8 year warranty on the equipment that has been replaced over the summer.

During the professional development days this year there will be work done on Transitional Writing, Numeracy and Concepts of Art.

The school will be equipped with Art Frames at each class room door so that during the teachers can display some of the art that the students do during the school year.

On October 19th, there will be the first Art Blitz in the afternoon.

On October 20th, Doug Currie will be hosting a Pancakr Breakfast at the Charlottewn Curling Club. The proceeds from the breakfast goes to Prince Street, Parkdale, and Birchwood's Breakfst programs. Prince Street's Breakfast Program is running in the A+ room and sees 80-90 kids every morning.

October 8th is Thanksgiving and October 11th and 12th is a Teachers Convention. These days are holidays for the students.

Parent-Teacher interviews will be on October 25th (evening) and October 26th (all day).

President's Report

Peter Rukavina presented a brief update on our ongoing projects:

• Principal MacIsaac, Vice-Principal Mullen-Doyle and all of the teachers and staff at the school deserve our thanks for their tremendous effort in getting the playground repaired last year.
• The wireless network the home and school installed for educators -- TeacherNet -- is still in its "pilot project" phase until the end of December. There's complete information about the project on the home and school website.
• The SHAPES report on the health of students at the school was released and Principal MacIsaac has provided us with school-level data which Peter will summarize and post to the website.
• If there are parents who don't speak or read English that we should be providing translations services for in languages other than Chinese and Nepali, please let Peter know and we can make arrangements.

Elections to Home and School Executive

The Home and School Executive elections were held and the following people were voted in as the executive members for Prince Street:

• President: Peter Rukavina
• Treasurer: Shelley Muzika
• Secretary: Dana Doyle
• Directors: Jane Ledwell, Joni MacKenzie, Heather MacEwen

Ramona Doyle made the motion, seconded by Joanne Brown, and it was voted on and approved on by those in attendence at the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

The first Home and School parent meeting of 2012-2013 will be held on Thursday, October 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the school. All parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Provincial Home and School Tool Kit

Binders are available in school library and have been translated into Chinese, French and Farsi; also on website, and can be photocopied if needed

Provincial Home and School Federation Meeting, April 15th

New executive elected. All resolutions were passed with the exception of one that was sent back for clarification; accessible use policy for computers resolution was altered, primarily adding more detailed information

Principal’s Report

• Last movie night had good attendance.  Terry MacIssac reminded us that animated movies tend to hold the audiences’ attention better; movies should be between 90 and 95 minutes.
• International Potluck dinner was another success with 150 people in attendance
• Skate –a-thon fundraiser is going ahead, despite a lot of fundraisers this year.  Teachers felt it was worthwhile as money raised goes into classroom and to pay for year-end trips.  Concern that not enough money would be raised to send whole school to the play at the Confed Centre, and that money may be needed from Home and School to cover some children for year-end trips.  Executive of Home and School has offered to try and raise funds/make up the shortfall for these two events.
• Wireless Internet pilot project is coming very soon.  It will be a closed network, accessible by educators and will have filters.  Peter Rukavina and Ken Williams are loaning and installing the small boxes, and Bell Aliant has offered six months of internet connection.  Suggestion made that six months not be continuous, as school not active in July and August.  Approved request for approximately $200 from Home and School to cover cost of wires and cables for the installation.
• LCD projectors or Smart Boards will soon be every classroom, save one of the kindergarten rooms.
• Ms. Kiley’s Grade 5 class will be premiering their science videos at a Media Launch in May, further to their project funding through ArtSmarts.  On the same day, after school, their will be a Talent Show for Matuto.  Date TBA in the first week of May
• April 25, 10:15 am, Easter Seals Ambassador visit
• Dental Clinic coming on May 14th for 3 weeks this year.  Treatment plus initial examination.  Discussion on whether parents know what is available to them through provincial dental program.  Comment made that if Dental Clinic finds an issue, they contact the parents.  Newcomers Association may need to be involved to assist with translation and getting parental consent.
• Provincial assessments for Grade 3 & 6 Reading and Writing are underway
• May 15 is Young Author’s Night
• May/June will see kindergarden parents and incoming kindergarden students will be visiting the school; registration for K is currently at 41 students, 3 classes
• Ms. Rehberg has written a musical that the students have been busy rehearsing.  Will be at the Carrefour theatre on May 31st at 7pm; ticket price still to be set.  Dress Rehearsal will take place at the school for the students

Spring Fling Discussion postponed to an Executive Meeting next week.

No further meetings scheduled for this school year.

The PEI Home and School Federation's 59th Annual Meeting and Convention will be held Saturday, April 14th, 2012 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. Among the items on the agenda will be the consideration of resolutions presented by local home and schools and by the provincial board. 

Approved resolutions become Federation policy, which is used by the President and other board members when speaking on behalf of the Federation. All resolutions are mailed to the appropriate destinations (e.g. Minister of Education, Health, Transportation) and follow-up meetings arranged with officials, if applicable. Follow-up information is provided to the membership at subsequent Semi-Annual and Annual Meetings of the Federation and on our website.

Resolutions are one of the most powerful tools in the home and school movement has to affect change and offer feedback.

This year there are 8 resolutions being presented:

• REQUEST THE GOVERNMENT OF PEI TO INVESTIGATE AND IMPLEMENT SCHOOL EFFICIENCIES
• RENAME THE CAPITAL BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• RESTORE CAPITAL FUNDING FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• SIMPLIFICATION OF THE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
• ENHANCE AND AFFIRM THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MINISTER’S IT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON COMPUTER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES IN THE HOME
• CLASS SIZE / COMPOSITION

You can review the complete text of all the resolutions in this document.

At Prince Street School we will review and vote on these resolutions at our meeting of March 13, 2012, and then our delegates to the meeting will vote accordingly at the 2012 Annual General Meeting.

As part of a coalition of five downtown Charlottetown elementary schools – West Kent, St. Jean, Prince Street, Spring Park and Parkdale – the Prince Street Home and School has received a grant of $4,400 under the PEI Home and School Federation's Parent Leadership Grant program.

The project we're conducting is formally called "Engaging Parents, Students and Staff though Informal Recreational Opportunities." You can read the entire application here, but the heart of the project's idea is: let's get parents, students, teachers and staff together over the winter and spring to have fun together.

To understand better what kind of activities the families at Prince Street might be interested in, we sent out an activity survey (download it here as a PDF) in early February; so far we've received 69 responses, which represents about about one quarter of the families in the school (the survey also went home to families in the other four project partner schools).

Here's a summary of the results of the survey (you can download this as a PDF too):

Our next step is to meet with the home and schools of our partners and plan activities based on the results of everyone's surveys combined.  Stay tuned!