Horizon School Advisory Council

Next meeting date: Ongoing

Tentative dates of meetings: 

• Horizon SAC executive !  

Most Recent Horizon SAC Meeting minutes

Horizon School Advisory Council

Meeting 4

Jan. 10, 2024

6 p.m. on Zoom

Attendees: Vanessa Shrimpton, Claire Lemieux, Martha Stiegman (co-chair), Gary Miedema (co-chair), Mark Bury (treasurer), Nancy Sarnoff (co-secretary), Jill Mahoney (co-secretary), Kendell Duthie

School update: Vanessa

• Staffing: Stacie, the special education resource teacher, has taken a leave, likely until the end of March Break. Looking to get someone to replace her and provide continuity. Mr. W., the band teacher, retired after a lovely send off. A new band instructor is starting on Friday. 

• Town: Launched Town, with the first prep week. Kids are abuzz talking about their roles 

School Statement of Needs: Martha 

• The SSON is a document of the parent/guardian community’s main priorities which must be completed by the school council each year in case a new principal is required 

• Question is whether the 2019 SSON is sufficient, especially since there are no indications Horizon will need a new principal soon 

• Gary suggests the equity/inclusion and parental involvement sections could be tweaked  

• Plan: Gary and Martha will propose edits to the 2019 document and share it with SAC in advance of the next meeting 

Fundraising auction: Vanessa 

• The auction is Horizon’s main parent fundraising event of the year, with a target of raising $7,000 to $10,000. Families are asked to donate goods and/or services. Parent volunteers also ask businesses to donate items

• The event features student hosts and musical performances. Last year’s silent auction was held at the Tranzac Club and raised over $7,000. Incoming Grade 7 students/families were also invited.

• There are lots of planning documents created by previous parent volunteers 

• Gary says we need about two parent volunteers to take charge of organizing the event, with help from lots of others. Key priority is ensuring we have enough items to auction. 

• Vanessa suggests putting out a parent call-out to ask if organizing such an event is in anyone’s wheelhouse

• Discussion about organizing a separate in-person meeting dedicated to discussing/planning the auction 

• Plan: Martha, Gary and Nancy will organize a social event at a bar/other venue, with information about the auction and sign-up sheets. 

• Plan: Kendell offers to contact the Tranzac Club to ask about booking it for the event on a Wednesday in May. Mark says the fee to rent the club last year was $750.
  
  

Horizon open house: Vanessa

• Open house is Wednesday, Jan. 17. Vanessa requests a SAC table and a couple of parent volunteers to speak with parents

• Plan: Gary and Kendell will attend; Gary will say a few words about SAC

Horizon swag sale: Vanessa

• Families can order Horizon-branded clothing, including hoodies and t-shirts featuring a student-designed school logo, directly from a supplier

• Looking for a parent volunteer to organize the sale, including sending out a letter to parents and deal with any issues

• Plan: Vanessa will ask the parent community if anyone is interested in taking this on. If not, Mark says he will.

Finance update: Mark 

• High-level summary of SAC funds: Balance was about $7,300 at the end of November. 

• After the $1,500 Camp Wahanowin deposit cheque clears, that leaves about $5,800

• After other budgeted expenses (pets $400, graduation $1,500, book club $250), the expected balance for the year is $3,650

• Claire says the book club fee will be less than expected

Changing the SAC meeting day: Martha

• Martha asks if other days of the week would work, given Elinor has a conflict on Wednesdays 

• There isn’t a day where everyone is available. Martha will ask Elinor if Wednesdays at 7 or 7:30 p.m. would be an option. If not, we could alternate meetings between Wednesdays and Tuesdays.  

Meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.

Horizon School Advisory Council

Meeting 2

Wed., Nov. 8, 2023

6 p.m. on Zoom

Attendees: Claire Lemieux, Gary Miedema (co-chair), Nancy Sarnoff (co-treasurer), Martha Steigman (co-chair), Mark Bury, Jill (co-secretary), Elinor Bray-Collins (co-secretary), John Fernandes, Helena

Teacher update (Claire):

• Volleyball tournament on Dec. 13 during the school day

  • Kids organize and the equity club runs it as a fundraiser with a bake sale

  • Proceeds are split 50/50 with a local charity and Kiva microloans

  • Ask: Bake sale items and a couple parent volunteers

  • Martha will volunteer for the afternoon and Elinor in the morning

• Budget items

  • Mark needs signing authority to reimburse teachers for items they’ve acquired for the school

  • New request: A drum kit for the house band as early as possible and before Winter feast if feasible. Estimate: $700-$900.

  • New request: Funding for Forest of Reading — approx. $250

  • Camp Wahanowin will need a deposit soon for the end-of-the-year school trip

• Winter Feast

  • Wednesday, Dec. 20

  • We’ll ask families to bring their own plates and cutlery

  • Supplies available at school from last year

  • Ask: Three or four parent volunteers to help set up and clean up.

  • Martha, Helena and Elinor will volunteer

  • Nancy and Gary will work an SAC table to provide info

Treasurer report

• Mark is going to Scotia Bank this week to get signing authority

• We have approx. $9K in the bank

• Last year SAC funds went to graduation, teacher requests, auction and school trip to Montreal

• Annual fundraiser at year end meant to replenish the account for the following year

Motions

• Spend up to $1k for a drum kit. Unanimously approved

• $250 for Forest of Reading. Unanimously approved 

Meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Horizon School Advisory Council

Meeting 1

Wed., Oct. 4, 2023

6 p.m. on Zoom

Attendees: Vanessa Shrimpton, Claire Lemieux, Tracy Jewitt, , Lesley Wallace, Gary Miedema (co-chair), Nancy Sarnoff (co-treasurer,), Jill Mahoney, Mark Bury and Sandra J, Jenna King, Elinor Bray-Collins, John Fernandes, Sarah Armenia, Yukimi, Martha Stiegman, anonymous attendees

Welcome and Introductions

• Vanessa, language, social studies, gym and health teacher, introduces new principal, Claire and Tracy. Vanessa is also the Grade 8 guidance counselor.

• Claire, the music, math and French teacher, discusses curriculum and approaches to learning — all of which is in the child's Google classroom.

• Tuesdays and Thursdays kids can come in for math help.

• Tracy teaches science and dance at Horizon and Delta and drama and art at Horizon. Science is largely project based and everything will be in the Google classroom.

• Horizon has itinerant teachers too and other supports.

Later this year…

• A Wellness Day will be planned to help kids get back into their routines, learning again how to learn and be more accountable.

• This year is a “Town” year and prepping starts in November.

• The big trip for this year is Camp Wahanowin in June. Next year will be a trip to an urban center.

• A lot is already happening at school: book club, math supports, committees are running with teacher advisors. This year each committee will find an outreach connection with a similar mission to create a partnership.

• Progress reports start in November (15).

• All events, sports, etc. should be on the Horizon calendar on the Horizon website. https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/horizonalternative/home?authuser=0

Student Advisory Council (SAC)

• The purpose of the SAC is for parents to be able to meet monthly, support the teachers, the program, work on annual fundraising goals and support some of the different aspects of the program.

• The group includes roles for people in both grades for

  • Chair (sets dates, run meetings, main point person)

  • Secretary (take minutes, generally support)

  • Treasurer (track fundraising, finances and pay bills) This role needs banking signing authority.

• Big events/fundraisers:

  • Volleyball tournament with fundraising component

  • Winter Feast, a celebratory night in December with a potluck and student performances

  • Silent auction

  • Graduation

Call out for volunteers

Elinor and Martha volunteer to co-chair for Grade 7 chair role

Jill offers to help with secretary role

Mark Bury volunteers as treasurer. (Gary will put him in touch with Marie, last year’s Grade 8 treasurer.)

Meetings usually take place virtually on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Next time we’ll discuss the volleyball tournament.

Meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm

Horizon School Advisory Council

Meeting Agenda

December  6, 2023

6:00-6:40 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71440759618?pwd=77oRffRmoHgx1uDKHBlmmH61eUBGGD.1

Meeting ID: 714 4075 9618

Passcode: Horizon

1. Welcome and Introductions

2. Horizon Events/Activities with SAC Volunteers

   1. Volleyball Tournament – Dec. 13

      1. Vaness and students to manage bake sale, including call out.

      2. Parent volunteers

2. Winter Feast, Wednesday December 20,  6-10 pm.   

   1. Volunteers:   5:00 pm  

   2. Potluck 

   3. Communications

3. Camp Wahatawin

   1. June 10-June 14

   2. Budget Planning

3. Budget 

   1. Budget Update

   2. New Teacher Requests:

      1. Camp Wahatawin:  Deposit: $1500

4. SAC Updates

   1. School Statement of Needs (SSON)

5. New items

6. Next Meeting:  January 17, 2023

7. Adjourn

Minutes: 

1. Next meeting is set for Jan 10, wed at 6p.m.

2. Volleyball Tournament

   • Vanessa explains the volleyball tournament event which is happening on Dec 13th. The event is geared towards bringing alternative schools together: Delta, Spectrum, Wandering Spirit, Equinox, Quest, ___East, and Horizon. 

   • It is also a committee based fund raiser for the Equity committee. They are seeking to raise funds in order to provide micro loans to women and kids through the NGO ____ in the global south to support anti-poverty, sustainability project. 

   • Funds raised through bake sale. 

   • The profits of the bake sale are split between micro loans and the charity that the kids vote on. 

   • Last year was Red Door Shelter - Horizon donated 500$

   • It is a fun day - the students love it. More than half the school is on the volleyball team. 

   • All the schools are bringing two teams (except one). 

   • The Tournament is fun - not too competitive.

3. Winter Feast - Dec 20, 6-10 p.m. 

   • Winter feast opens with a potluck 6-7 p.m. in the hallway in front of the auditorium. 

   • 7-9 p.m. is the student performances in the auditorium

   • Parents are responsible for the potluck - we need food, volunteers, everything needed to throw the potluck

   • Horizon needs to purchase a few items. Vanessa will see if there are table cloths and paper plates, etc. 

   • Volunteers to help with set up can arrive at 5:00 p.m. 

4. Camp Wahanowin - TDSB summer camp. 

• Activities include: Arts and crafts, canoeing, swimming, etc. 

• Cost of this trip is cheap(er) and a good “bang for the buck” = 5 days for about 400$ plus tax. 

• Students love it. 

• SAC fundraising will hope to cover a good portion of the total cost per kid

• Request is for 1500.00$ for the deposit for this camp. 

• Mark reviewed the financial update and indicated where we can review the transactions.

• Balance is approximately 7300$ with approximately 2K in expenses coming up. With this budget, and by the end of the year, after various spending we would have about 3500$ remaining. 

5. School statement of needs:

• The SSON needs to be submitted annually. Ideally this should have been done at the beginning of the year. This is supposed to be completed by the school council. This is in case a new principal is appointed, this document is to inform the type of principal the Horizon community needs. Vanessa has sent the old document. Vanessa suggests that not too much needs to change unless SAC members feel they need to change. 

• Gary agrees the vast majority of the document is good, but some areas (equity, parental involvement) could be updated. 

• Gary suggests taking January to create a survey and solicit feedback for this document, including parents from previous years. 

• SAC will reach out to info@torontopiac.com to see if there is a hard due date for this document. 

6. Open House Horizon:

• Vanessa discussed the open house for Horizon this year. There are concerns regarding the management of the waitlist by the TDSB. It is important that the word is spread about the Horizon program.

• It is always useful to have a few parents there to answer questions.