Ballantrae School Council – Meeting Minutes
Date: September 11, 2025
1. Welcome & Introductions
- Parents, staff, and new members introduced themselves.
- Strong turnout for the first meeting of the year.
2. Approval of Minutes
- June 2025 minutes approved.
3. Principal's Report
- Land acknowledgement read; Orange Shirt Day (Sept 30) to be recognized and resources will be shared.
- Staffing updates: several new staff members introduced (including French teacher Ellie Namazi; Regan James – prep coverage; Haley Powless – JK/SK; Kevin Pasquino – Gr. 5–6; Selena Chan – Gr. 4–5 & instrumental music; Farida Hassan Ali – community class). Courtney is temporarily covering as custodian; one custodian (Mitch) was redeployed to Sutton.
- Lunch assistant recruitment: positions available (paid hourly). Vulnerable sector screening (VSS) is required and currently cannot be funded by Council.
- Startup forms: online, PDF, or paper copies available; Family Dashboard recommended. $25 gift card incentive for timely completion.
- Curriculum Night (Sept 25): Council plans pizza presales via School Cash Online; volunteers needed for setup and distribution. 5:30 set up. 6pm start time. Volunteers for the evening – Aoife, Kristy, Nadia, Indu, Eila, Amanda, Haley, Shayna
- Movie licence: current provider uses IP-restricted logins which causes technical issues; licence renewal (~$700–$900) may be required. Principal exploring alternatives (municipal partners, library) and sponsorship options. Indu to check who the town uses. AFC was mentioned as a possible option.
- Healthy Hunger: program to continue with vendors (examples: Tuesday - shawarma; Wednesday - burrito; Friday - Pizza Pizza); aim to add another weekday vendor if possible.
- Playground: inspection scheduled for Sept 30. May 2025 inspection showed only Tier 4 (non-urgent) items. Council has $5,000 reserved toward playground; repair vs. replacement decision pending quotes (replacement could be a six-figure expense). Beam and Stock was suggested by Eila – they are board approved and give grants to different schools each year. They do not do much out in this area so may be eager to if we reach out.
- School Improvement Plan (SIP): continuing focus on early literacy and relationship-building; use of screeners/diagnostics to guide targeted interventions.
- Extracurriculars: Terry Fox Run on Oct 3; Cross-country area meet around Oct 14 (confirmation pending). Staff leads for teams are being confirmed; grade-level participation rules vary by area.
- Communications: parent engagement via social media; a distribution group (VPSC 2025–2026) will be created for Council emails.
4. Executive Elections
- Chair: Indu Bains (approved)
- Co-Chair: Kristy Karkanas (approved)
- Secretary: Maggie (approved), with Olivia as Co-Secretary (approved)
- Treasurer: Jessica (approved), with Aoife as Co-Treasurer (approved)
- Social Media Officer: Amanda (approved), with Aoife as Co-Treasurer (approved)
- Voting members reminded of attendance expectations.
- New social media officer position discussed; volunteer(s) to support communications.
Parent Representatives in attendance – in person and online:
Chair: Indu Bains; indu@bainsco.ca
Co-Chair: Kristy Karkanas; kristykarkanas@gmail.com
Secretary: Maggie Kobold; maggie.kobold@gmail.com
Co-Secretary: Olivia Boylen; liv.dawnmary@gmail.com
Treasurer: Jessica Hackert; jjhakonson@gmail.com
Co-Treasurer: Aoife McDermott; mcdermott.aoife@gmail.com
Social Media Officer: Amanda Williams; awilliams@rogers.com
Voting Member: Ashley Hooke; ashley.hooke@gmail.com
Voting Member: Nadia Parpit Jackson; nadia@routed.ca
Voting Member: Nav Binepal; navneetbinepal@gmail.com
Voting Member: Eila Alopaeus; funnellfamily1@gmail.com
Voting Member: Shayna Safarian; safari.shayna@gmail.com
Member: Haley Martiniello; haleyksmith92@gmail.com
Member: Parneet Malhi; malhi.parneet@gmail.com
Member: Adil Gandhi; adilgandhi@gmail.com
School Representatives in attendance – in person and online:
Principal: Craig Barton; craig.barton@yrdsb.ca
Teacher: Sue McKnight; susan.mcknight@yrdsb.ca
5. Financial Report
- Opening balance: approx. $1,049.79
- Expenses included outdoor equipment (soccer and basketball nets) and BBQ food truck.
- Funds are lower than in past years; need for early fundraising.
- Possible costs ahead: movie licence, curriculum night pizza, etc.
6. Fundraising & Events
- Curriculum Night Pizza: online presales planned. Kristy to reach out to Crupi’s .
- Movie Night: considered; sponsorships may be sought, but advertising restrictions apply.
- Other family/community events (games night, dance, market) brainstormed if movie night cannot be arranged.
- Other possible fundraisers discussed – Flipgive (Olivia to set up), first aid kits (Amanda), Mabels Labels (ongoing), school art calendar, Christmas cards, waldorf school does it, community night
7. Healthy Hunger Lunch Program
- Plan to continue using Healthy Hunger for hot lunches (pizza, subs, etc.).
- Parents find it easier to manage; goal to add a Monday/Thursday vendor if possible.
8. Playground Update
- Inspection scheduled for September 30.
- May 2025 inspection found 2 Tier 4 issues (non-urgent but noted).
- Council has $5,000 set aside from past fundraising.
- Decision pending on whether to repair or replace; replacement likely six-figure cost.
- Communication with parents to follow once inspection report received.
- Beam and Stock was suggested by Eila – they are board approved and give grants to different schools each year. They do not do much out in this area so may be eager to if we reach out.
9. School Improvement Plan (SIP)
- Focus areas: early literacy and relationship building.
- Use of screeners/diagnostics to support student learning.
10. Sports & Extracurriculars
- Parents expressed concern about programs with staff changes.
- Cross-country scheduled for October 14 (areas), regionals to follow.
- Terry Fox Run: October 3.
- Awaiting confirmation of staff leads for sports teams.
12. Other Business
- Brainstorming for community engagement activities beyond fundraising.
- Reviewed constitution – voting required and passed. All voting members agreed.
- Principal profile - voting required and passed. All voting members agreed.
- PEAC October 29th at Denison Secondary School. 5-8. Good for a couple of us to go.
- Fill A Purse Campaign – September 1 to November 30. School will end donations on November 20th to allow for time to deliver items.
13. Events Confirmed
- Curriculum Night – September 25th
- Paul Davis – March 5th
- End of year BBQ – June 11th
- Grad – June 22nd
14. Council Dates 2025/26
October 16, 2025
November 20, 2025
December 4, 2025
January 15, 2026
February 12, 2026
April 9, 2026
May 7, 2026
June 4, 2026
15. Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned before 9:00 pm.