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School Council

West Oak Public School Council Meeting Minutes

Monday February 2, 2026, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

_________________________________________________________________________

 

Instructions to School Council: Please review and bold your name if you approve these minutes

Attendees (3 staff, 7 members, 0 guests)

Maria Solomon-Dias (Principal)

David Valentine (Vice-Principal)

Lindsay Clarke (Teacher Rep)

Vivek Kansal (Chair)

Sarah Reid (Treasurer)

Inderpreet Parmar (PIC)

Kate Kuok

Bethy Brink

Sarah Teal

Hayah Sangay



Regrets

TBD

_________________________________________________________________________

 

Action items are highlighted in yellow below. Approved items are in red.

 

  1. Welcome - Vivek

    • Meeting started at 6:31 PM. 

 

  1. Treasurer Report – Sarah Reid

    • Hero Burger raised roughly $3700 for term one and is expected to raise $3600 for term two (both terms are 10 week programs)

    • Move-a-thon raised $3666.50, which is roughly $1000 less than the previous year and over $2000 less than the year before that.  

    • $750 PRO money has been approved but has not shown up in our accounts

    • Council has roughly $10,000 in available funds. 

    • Link to Treasurer Report

  2. School Updates 

    • Introduction to our Vice Principal David Valentine

    • EQAO Results: West Oak is slightly behind the HDSB averages for Grade 3 Reading and Grade 6 Reading and Writing 

 

HDSB

Math 

Reading

Writing

Grade 3

71%

80%

71%

Grade 6

62%

92%

91%

WOPS

Math 

Reading

Writing

Grade 3

72%

77%

77%

Grade 6

67%

90%

86%

Province

Math 

Reading

Writing

Grade 3

64%

74%

65%

Grade 6

51%

86%

85%

 

  • Leadership teams are reviewing the results and have developed the following goals:

    • Primary Literacy Goal: 

By the end of the school year, K–8 educators will analyze diagnostic literacy data to inform instruction and intervention, and will implement common literacy resources and practices across the school to ensure coherent, responsive programming for all learners.

  • Junior/Intermediate Goal: 

By June, students will demonstrate improved flexible thinking and problem-solving skills by applying the Achievement Chart categories (Knowledge, Thinking, Communication, and Application) across learning tasks and assessments.

  • Mental Health & Well-being Goal:

By June, 100% of classrooms will implement at least two structures that elevate student voice (e.g., class meetings, choice boards, student goal-setting conferences, or leadership roles), and students will report increased feelings of belonging and agency on school climate surveys.

 

  • Funding Request:

    1. Council has roughly $10,000 to spend and discussed funding the following items:

Item

Cost

Kindergarten team has requested new tricycles. 

$800 per tricycle

Buses for Sporting Events 

Track and Field requires $1400

Year End Activity Day

$500 - $1000

Monitor for Front Foyer

TBD

Digital cameras for students to document the outdoors, shared across multiple grades

$300 per camera

 

  1. Council also discussed dividing the money up equally between all the classes and allowing teachers to decide how to spend. Concerns were raised about the logistics of many different little purchases. 

  2. Decision was made that money should be spent on larger, long lasting purchases for the school. 

  3. Council members in attendance approved the following:

    • $3000 for digital cameras

    • $2000 for tricycles

    • TBD – for Monitor for Foyer

  4. Remaining funds will be distributed in May meeting. 

 

  • Teacher Update – Lindsay 

    1. Extra Curriculars currently running include:

      • Debate Club – Senior Grades

      • Social Change 

      • Friendship Club – primary grades

      • Halton Skills – VEX teams have been selected, competition in March

      • Band will be attending the Golden Horseshoe Festival on Feb 17

      • STEM Explorers

    2. Sports:

      • Badminton – Senior Grades

      • Senior Boys and Girls Basketball

      • Junior Boys and Girls Volleyball

      • Dance Pack

 

  1. Council Discussion

    • Big Box of Cards Fundraiser 

      1. Fundraiser has started, no information on orders yet.

      2. Thank you to Sarah Teal for taking on the organization of this fundraiser.

      3. Fundraiser closes on the 13th

    • PIC Event

      1. Event is being run next Thursday February 12th at Garth Webb in collaboration with Forest Trail

      2. Items for craft stations has been purchased

      3. Unfortunately Garth Webb double booked the event with their student Semi Formal

      4. Paid Adult supervisors will there, number of supervisors being verified

      5. There are 4 stations, would like 8 volunteer students to lead each station

        • Bethy to arrange for 3 students from White Oaks

        • Maria to arrange for 5 additional students

      6. Maria will bring games from school on the night of the event. 

      7. Snacks will be purchased from Costco, any left overs will be donated to the school. Acceptable snacks include any made good product, or other healthy packaged snacks. Goldfish crackers should be avoided. 

      8. Council Volunteers are asked to arrive 30 min prior to event (6:00 arrival) to help set up the activity rooms. 

 

  1. New Business/Parent Questions

    • The Golden Horseshoe Music Festival occurs during Lunar New Year, question was asked if Halton has days that they are not allowed to schedule events 

      1. Halton does have days that they are not allowed to schedule, which include Ontario Recognized Holiday Guidelines. We try to be thoughtful when activities are booked.

      2. The Golden Horseshoe festival is not a Halton run event, it is a provincial event presented by the Ontario Band Association. It is not something we can change.

    • There is a sign at the exit of the parking lot that has recently been turned around to face the wrong direction. Maria and David to investigate and make sure parking lot signage is suitable.   



  1. Meeting adjourned – 7:29 PM

 

School Council Meeting Dates:

Monday May 4, 2026 – In Person and Virtual

Resources of Interest

⮚ For any council related matters please feel free to reach out to us at WestOakChair@hdsb.ca

⮚ Halton District School Board www.hdsb.ca. Click on the Parents & Community tab to go to School Council

information.

⮚ Parent Involvement Advisory Board (Province) www.edu.gov.on.ca/