École Whitehorse Elementary Parent Information Night School Council, Administration and Staff Tuesday, 8 September 2009.

École Whitehorse Elementary

Parent Information Night

School Council, Administration and Staff

Tuesday, 8 September 2009

2École Whitehorse Elementary

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

HélèneSaint Onge

KeithHalliday

ErikBlake

Hélène

KirkCameron

Ranjit Pillai

Hélène


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


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


School council research on Yukon school staffing levels: wide disparities within each category of school

(1) Ecole Emilie Tremblay non-teacher (e.g., admin, librarian, etc) FTEs split between elementary and high school on basis of EET enrollment by gradeNote: 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)

0 5 10 15 20 25

Teslin

Chief Zzeh Gittlit

Nelnah Bessie J ohn

Ross River

Ghuch Tla

J V Clark

J ohnson

Del Van Gorder

Kluane Lake

Eliza Van Bibber

Tantalus

Watson Lake High

Robert Service

St Elias

Selkirk

Takhini

J ack Hulland

Hidden Valley

Golden Horn

Grey Mountain

Ecole Emilie Tremblay

Elijah Smith

Holy Family

Christ the King

Whitehorse Elementary

Ecole Emilie Tremblay

FH Collins

Porter Creek

Vanier Catholic

Educators (FTEs)per 100 students

Educators per 100 students: Yukon schools 2008/09

RuralSchools

Confidential Department of Education DataObtained via Access to Information

Elementaryschools inWhitehorse

Highschools inWhitehorse

Diff.129%

Diff.97%

Diff.59%

Average18.5

Average13.2

Average12.6

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.

Staffing levels at some rural schools more 50% higher than other rural schools

Educators per 100 students ratio varies widely between schools

• 19 educators/100 students at Selkirk• 12 at Elijah Smith


Safe Drop Off Zone: Rules of the Road

Thanks to Minister Rouble and the department for funding this!


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


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


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.


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.


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


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


Whitehorse Elementary Contacts

Name and Role

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

Contact

[email protected] (667-8083)

[email protected] (667-8083)

667-8083

via office 667-8083

[email protected] (633-4403)[email protected] (667-7315)[email protected] (393-2621)[email protected] (668-7844)[email protected] (456-2934)

École Whitehorse Elementary Parent Information Night School Council, Administration and Staff Tuesday, 8 September 2009.

Documents

school parents

school rules

school procedures

category of school

annex school

school update

schoolwide slide

ewes school council