Parent Engagement

Quality parent and guardian engagement helps improve the relationship between families and schools, which supports students' education and well-being.

School Advisory Council

We would like to take this opportunity to invite parents and guardians who are interested in being a part of making Southwood a great place for our students, to join the school council.  New members are always welcome! 

Southwood School Council members for 2022-2023:

• Dan Topp - Chair
• Shana Holmes - Vice Chair
• Elita Laios - Secretary
• Lisa Dewhurst - Treasurer
• Laurie Landry - Teacher Representative
• Quan Martin - Member
• Albin Wang - Member
• Anitha Shashank - Member
• Andreas Maniatis - Member
• Pavithra Arvind - Member
• Amy Ni - Member
• Angela An - Member
• Jason Morris - Member
• Denise Taylor - Member

Meetings

Our School Advisory Council typically meets once a month at 6:00pm in the school library.

Southwood School Advisory Council Meeting Minutes 

Wednesday, March 22^nd, 2023

Present: Katie DeHetre, TuLe Dugan, Daniel Topp, Lisa Dewhurst, Shana Holmes, Jay Morris, Andreas Maniatis, Albin Wang

Absent: Michelle Lowes, Anitha Prahladachar, Quan Martin, Elita Laios, Laurie Landry, Pavithra Arvind

1.      Welcome/Introductions: Daniel Topp

• Start: 18:01
• Welcome

 2.      Adoption of February Minutes

• Motion to Adopt made by: Daniel Topp; Seconded by: Jay Morris;
  • Vote: Carried

 3.      Principal’s Report:

• Monthly newsletter circulated:
  • Staff changes: Miss Thompson at Kindergarten, others too;
  • Teacher candidates are at school;
  • Finished testing, without problems;
  • Safe welcome policy;
  • Display for Black History Month;
  • Kindergarten registration night very successful;
  • Parking and safety around the school; Need to persist on the use of Kiss and Ride, need to remind to parents;
  • Good start after March break;
  • Graduation pictures for tomorrow;

 4.      General Business:

• SAC Fundraiser: Readathon (prizes, guest readers, trivia questions)
  • Whole school “pajama party” / Favorite character;
  • Final date: Thursday, March 30^th
  • Windsor Expresses secured!
  • Other guest speaker(s);
  • Retired teachers;
  • Local parents;
  • More gifts to be gathered (Canadian Tire, find prizes ourselves, 30 T-shirts, movie tickets, etc.);
  • Board contribution:             1,000.00 CAD, authorized to be spent on Readathon (prizes, etc.) (motioned by Dan Topp, seconded by Andreas Maniatis);
  • Trivia questions;
  • Caught you Being Kind;
  • Harvest Fresh – progress report;
  • Creating a Culturally responsive School Environment:
    • Land acknowledgement (how we all got on Turtle Island);
    • Ramadan;
    • Irish heritage;

 5.      Financial Report

• SAC Account:                 3,650.03 CAD;
• Bingo Account:            10,194.72 CAD;

 6.      New Business

• Graduation Pictures and Trip Information:
  • Graduation pictures ready on March 23^rd;
  • Trip to Niagara Falls (June 15^th);
  • Extracurriculars:
    • Floor hockey;
    • Dodge ball (?);
    • Badminton;
    • Multicultural event on May;

 7.      Meeting adjourned at 7:44 pm

• Motion: Daniel Topp
• Seconded: Lisa

Next meeting: April 19^th, 18:00 @ SPS library

Wednesday, February 15^th, 2023

Present: Katie DeHetre, TuLe Dugan, Laurie Landry, Daniel Topp, Lisa Dewhurst, Shana Holmes, Quan Martin, Jay Morris, Andreas Maniatis, Pavithra Arvind, Albin Wang

Absent: Michelle Lowes, Anitha Prahladachar

1.      Welcome/Introductions: Daniel Topp

• Welcome

2.      Adoption of December Minutes

• Motion to Adopt made by: Daniel Topp; Seconded by: Andreas Maniatis
  • Vote: Carried

 3.      Principal’s Report:

• Monthly newsletter circulated
• Update about food
• Reduce use of plastic
• Climate actions
  • Kiss & Ride runs smoothly
  • Update about Sabres’ basketball games (boys and girls)
  • Black History Month
  • Reminder about paper copy (Tule)

 4.      General Business:

• SAC Fundraiser: Readathon
  • Readers:
  • Express BB players
  • Parents (?)
  • Guest speakers
    • Candidate dates: Thursday, March 30^th / Friday, March 31^st
    • Vote: Carried
    • Collect donations for gifts
    • Opening assembly: Need to be present by 10:45
    • Daily money counting
    • 10,000.00 CAD for the pie …

 5.      Financial Report

• SAC Account:                 3,650.03 CAD
• Bingo Account:            10,193.72 CAD
• Board contribution:           774.53 CAD, to be spent by June (up to 10% for food & refreshments)

 6.      New Business

• Resiliency strategies and education for students and staff
• Anti-bullying strategies and education for students and:
  • Pink shirt day
  • Decorations
  • Volunteers needed to help in the library (barcodes, etc.)

 7.      Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm

• Motion: Daniel Topp
• Seconded: Andreas Maniatis

 Next meeting: March 22^nd, 18:00 @ SPS library

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Present: Michelle Lowes, TuLe Dugan, Katie DeHetre, Lisa Dewhurst, Quan Martin, Andreas Maniatis, Anitha Prahladachar, Jay Morris, Shana Holmes, Daniel Topp, Elita Laios, Albin Wang, Pavithra Arvind

Absent:  Laurie Landry, Monsif Shineeb

 1.      Welcome/Introductions: Daniel Topp

• Welcome Katie as Acting Principal!

 2.      Adoption of January Minutes

• Motion to Adopt: Daniel Topp: Seconded: Jay Morris: Vote: Carried

 3.      Principal’s Report:

• Kindergarten registration starts Feb 21^st to March 3^rd, Kindergarten Open House is February 23^rd from 5:00pm-7:00pm.  TALK TO TEN campaign: in community staff and families tell 10 friends what is great about SPS
• Loonie for License: $1,200 CAD raised for one of our GAINS students
• Mrs. Landry’s class fundraiser for food to support St. Mary’s Food Cupboard
• TuLe and daughter took leftovers from SPS snack program to downtown Mission before Winter Break
• Character Education focus is on resilience
• Attendance is being worked on (late students)
• Kiss-and-Ride directions are not being followed so SPS is working on this
• Mr. Renaud and Mr. Trudell are coaching floor hockey
• Mr. Chisholm, Mrs. Landry, Mrs. MacDonald, Mrs. Camlis-Leroux, Mr. Dugan and Mrs. Dugan are coaching the basketball teams
• Mr. Cichon is coaching the Chess team
• Encourage kids to dress appropriately for winter
• Grade 9 out-of-district applications & open houses for high schools
• Report cards go home Feb 13th & Parent-Teacher interviews are Feb 16^th, 4:00-7:00pm
• Assembly Jan 31st (8:30 a.m.) with singing performances (Grades 1-3) and a Lion Dance performance for Lunar New Year.
• Surveys: resilience and belonging to help students know that SPS cares
• Michelle and TuLe made packages with greetings for Lunar New Year
• Jan 31^st, Mr. Lucier our Gr 7 teacher is retiring.  We thank him for all he has done throughout his 28 year career😊
• Decodable books (with funding from SAC): a request has been put in for quote

4.      General Business:

Topic #1 Lunches from Harvest Fresh

• Guest from Harvest fresh company talks about:
  • Paper or electronic menu with info how to order/ pay/ deal with issues
  • Bins (insulated); forks wrapped
  • The helpers organize the lunch (lunches are labeled: name and special requests; have condiments)
  • Parent volunteers not needed; company puts bins in front of teachers’ rooms and stays for most of the lunch period. Teachers get list.
  • Bins sanitized and put away at school location; stacked
  • Online options for vegetarian, organic, gluten-free
  • Responding to parents’ questions within 24 hrs
  • Menu changes every 6-7 weeks
  • Guest shows portions of soups and meals
  • Guest addresses:
    • Concerns about cash option for families, parents will direct cash requests to company. Company has no issue with that.
    • Next cycle starts Feb 28 (every Tuesday). Orders for 6 weeks or for a week in advance.

 Topic #2 Pro-Grant (Ministry offers parent engagement grant for up to $1000 CAD): Dan submitted

 Topic #3 Readathon: we have to set a date; check the week of March 20^th

 Topic #4 Flipgive: we informed parents and some have used it

 5.      Financial Report

• SAC Account: 3650 CAD
• Parent engagement: 500 CAD
• Bingo Account: 8955 CAD

 6.      Meeting adjourned at 7:12 pm

• Next meeting: Wednesday, February 15^th, 2023 @ 6pm

Southwood School Advisory Council Meeting Minutes 

Get involved

Call the school at 519-969-3470 for more information on how to join our School Advisory Council.

GEC Parent Involvement Committee

The Greater Essex County District School Board's Greater Essex County Parent Involvement Committee (GECPIC) [link to new Board site: GEC Parent Involvement Committee] seeks opportunities to improve communication between the school board and parents and guardians. The committee helps break down barriers to parent/guardian engagement and aims to improve the relationship between families and schools to support students' education and well-being.