J.W. Gerth Public School – Council Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 6:30-7:30pm – Virtual

1. Welcome & Introduction
○ Trish shared a photo of Turtle Island from land acknowledgement shared in school

2. Previous meeting action items

3. Decision/Voting Items
○ None

4. Updates
○ Book Fair – deferred to February
○ Yearbook – deferred to February

○ Fun Fair – deferred to February
○ Nutrition for Learning
■ $1,880 budget per period
■ September-December – spent $1,550
■ Exploring to see if we should raise funds for JWG specifically
■ Only able to feed about 10% of school with budget we have
■ Trish will look into confirming that we can donate to Nutrition for Learning
■ Letter home to families to explain Nutrition for Learning, how we use it and what it goes towards
■ Idea to fundraise with the end of year event to have some of the funds go to Nutrition for Learning and another area

5. Principal’s Report
○ -20 degrees (with or without wind chill) and principals can modify time outside.  Bell has been ringing early before school due to cold weather.
■ Council parents thanked Trish for taking this action to keep the kids warm during the extreme cold weather

○ November highlights
■ Wednesday November 27 – Museum Trip for Grade 1 students
■ Thursday November 28 – Museum Trip for Grade 2 students
■ Friday November 29 – Decades Day Spirit Day!
■ Friday November 29 – Crawford Lake trip for Grade 3 students
○ December highlights
■ Tuesday December 3 – Thursday December 5 – Book Fair at JW Gerth
■ Wednesday December 4 – Dairy Education Presentations
■ Wednesday December 11 – Kindergarten Winter Family Celebration 2:30-3:30pm
■ Wednesday December 18 – Grade 4 trip to Homer Watson Gallery

■ Thursday December 19 – Winter Celebration Assembly
■ Friday December 20 – Spirit Day – Flannel Friday
○ January highlights
■ Tuesday January 7 – SK Vision Screening
■ Tuesday January 21 – Roland Bibeau French Concert (Grade 1-6)
○ Upcoming dates:
■ Monday January 27 – JK, SK and Grade 2 Dental Screening
■ Tuesday January 28 – Class 3/4B to Blair Outdoor Education Centre
■ Friday January 31 – 5A to Laurel Creek
■ Friday January 31 – Spirit Day – Celebration Day!
● Wear clothing that represents an important day to you or your family. It could be a favorite holiday, cultural/religious/family heritage clothing, something that reflects a celebration important to you.

■ Friday January 31 – Popcorn Day!
■ Monday February 10 – Term 1 Report Cards and Kindergarten Communications of Learning go home
■ Monday February 17 – Family Day (no school for staff or students)

6. News
○ Teacher Updates
■ Kirstan shared a thank you to all teachers for their dedication to report cards and the personalization
■ Classroom “fun money” survey was put out to see what teachers would like. Most teachers would like an ‘other’ – which includes things like classroom games, art canvases, classroom materials, hot chocolate and
treats, replacing classroom materials.

a. Trish and Holly will provide a report and share back to the council.
b. Council will review, vote and Kirstan will report back to Trish to purchase items

■ Grade 6 program on February 14 – attending Hidden Acres (winter school programs) – $27.25 per student + $10 per student for the bus

a. Board is no longer doing overnight trips – this is the same place they used to go to but is a day-trip
b. Request: Would council contribute $5 per child to attend. (70 grade 6 students) – $350 total request
c. School funds will also be used to lower cost too. Goal is to get the trip down to $30 per student
d. Hope to have this separate from the school bus money from the council.
e. Response ASAP – would want to make sure we could continue this funding year over year

○ School leadership committee reports

■ Do not want individual bins for classrooms, but like the idea of replenishing as things need to be replaced
■ Ideas:

a. “Line painting” – four-square and different activities/games painted onto ground
b.  Jumping pit for track and field – asphalt path leading up to sand pit

7. New Business
○ none
8. Discussion, Q&A
○ none
9. Parking Lot & Agenda Items for next meeting
○ January action items:
■ Trish will confirm if council can donate fundraising money to Nutrition for Learning
■ Majlinda to draft a letter to send home to parents explaining Nutrition for Learning program, how they can help and how the program helps
■ Trish and Holly to report back to council with what “other” items teachers would like prior to the February meeting for the council to review.
■ Kirstan to prepare a proposal for Grade 6 trip financing request, have Council members review and vote. Kirstan to follow up with Trish.

○ February Agenda Items:
■ Vote: Council approval of classroom fun money items
■ Discussion: Change Fun Fair to end-of-year event – funds raised go towards school buses, Nutrition for Learning and other activities in following year

○ February 19th meeting will be held virtually