School Council:
All meetings are open to South Branch Elementary School families. We look forward to working together! If you have questions about how to get involved, please contact us.
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR 2023 2024 CHAIR- Steve Ibbotson
The voting membership of the council typically consists of 10 to 15 members. This year’s voting council consists of 13 members. Of those 13 there is an executive (chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer) and two committee leads (hot lunch lead and fundraising lead). Your executive includes:
- Chair – Steve Ibbotson
- Vice-chair – Laurel Cardy
- Secretary – Serena Bobbitt
- Treasurer – Ashley Beland
Additionally, we have two leads that oversee fundraising and the hot lunch program. These two leads also organize the volunteers for all of the amazing activities that take place at South Branch Elementary through the school year:
- Hot lunch lead – Jarek Anderson
- Fundraising lead – Katie O’Connor (with some help from Lisa Lockhart)
For those that were unable to attend on Tuesday, the minutes from the meeting are attached to this email. A couple of important decisions were made that will be helpful to know.
Meeting timing and pattern
Council meetings will continue in-person for the duration of the academic year and will generally take place on the second Thursday of each month. The exceptions being December (where we’ll move it forward to help set-up the Glitter and Glee event) and March (where it falls during March Break). Meetings will be one hour long and start at 1830. The schedule is below:
- Thursday, October 12
- Thursday, November 9
- Wednesday, December 6
- Thursday, January 11
- Thursday, February 8
- March meeting (TBD if required)
- Thursday, April 11
- Thursday, May 9
- Thursday, June 13
A virtual option is being considered for folks that cannot attend in-person for each meeting. We’re going to inventory what technology is available to us and see what we can come up with. The goal is to have as many people participate as possible – whether you’re a voting member or a parent interested in what’s happening at the school.
Communications
The school council and the school administration work very closely together and work to communicate upcoming events together. Communications are done via email, Facebook posts, and the monthly school newsletter. If you’re not already a member of the school’s mailing list reach out to Tanya at [email protected]. All announcements can also be found on the South Branch Elementary School Facebook page and the South Branch School Council Facebook page. These two pages are the best place to receive updates.
Reaching the school council executive, committee leads, or directing inquiries from parents is simple too. All inquiries related to school council business can be sent to [email protected]. All inquiries related to school business can be sent to Tanya or the vice-principal, Tracey Haley [email protected].
We’ll aim not to fill up your inboxes and only provide relevant information we all need in between council meetings. E-votes are sometimes required, so we may reach out to you electronically if something can’t wait until the next meeting. About a week prior to each meeting we’ll call out for agenda items and welcome someone to conduct a land acknowledgement before our meeting begins.
Council purpose
The South Branch School Council exists to support activities that engage student, staff, and parent volunteers. There are several initiatives backed entirely by fundraising, volunteering, and community outreach. The council’s role is to create a plan to ensure these events can take place with appropriate resources and forethought. The amazing bonus is that you get to meet and work with incredibly dedicated school staff that support your children every day in and out of the classroom.
This year’s council will work to be collaborative, respectful, positive, and creative.
We’re going to have a great year and we are very excited to continue programming that was re-introduced last year and bring back some fan-favourites that were paused during the pandemic. The South Branch Student Council and staff and students of South Branch Elementary School have an amazing partnership that benefits all of the kids and illustrates the dedication of both council and staff to provide the best learning environment possible.
We look forward to seeing everyone next month, and in the meantime are happy to answer any questions and bring forward any ideas, concerns, questions, etc. to the next meeting.
Thanks again everyone,
Steve
Steve Ibbotson
Please contact School Council Chair for more information at [email protected]
Edited October2023