Parent Council

Join the School/Parent Council!

All parents are welcome. This is an excellent way to be involved and to learn about what is happening at the school. We meet virtually 4 – 5 times a year – on Mondays at 6:30pm. We discuss, for example, school events, academics, current issues, and initiatives. The School/Parent Council often facilitates fundraising initiatives and parent engagement activities.

Please email [email protected] if you are interested in joining the council.

Minutes from April meeting

April 17, 2023 6:30pm
Present: Kelly P, Sara B, Vanessa T, Aaron B, Leslie S, Ann Marie T, Rada N
Regrets: Christine T
Welcome – Kelly and Sara

HHS Updates- Vanessa

● Lots of great activities happening at the school-teachers are stepping up to bring back old clubs and starting new clubs
● Some of these clubs are Anime, chess, Dungeons and Dragons, improv, eco-club
● There have been more field trips as well taking place which has been great to see.
● Our sports and athletics teams are doing well – a new ultimate frisbee team is in the process of being created. Steve Spiers and his culinary students are offering lunch to staff and students out of the cafeteria. The goal is for it to be offered 2x/week. Lunch is $5 and can be paid by cash/tap.
● HLC is running a year end Amazing Race at the school-many different clubs are becoming involved by running different stations.
● There have been different assemblies presented to students this term. An information session on vaping was presented by Simcoe Muskoka Mental Health. Information on working in the Trades Industry was presented virtually for parents/students. A presentation from MADD will be presented soon.
● A “Spring Fever” dance will be held this spring.
● Car Wash will be held on April 28.

Updates from Sara
● Report from TLDSB Parent Involvement Council Meeting on March 23, 2023. Minutes of the meeting are on the TLDSB website.
Information regarding Math and Language proficiency and ways that the board is addressing these subjects are highlighted.
● Paul Davis will be coming to the school on Friday, June 2 in the evening for parent education on social media safety and use. We will be inviting our grade 8 parents as well. Sara will get some promo information to Kelly so she can pass it onto the other schools. It will be held in the gymnasium.
● Sara has been in contact with MindAid Muskoka which is a resource for youth who have mental health issues. They can come on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 pm. Everyone seemed to think it would be a good event even though it is close to the Paul Davis evening. Sara will confirm this event. It will be held in the library and we will have coffee/tea/cookies.
● These events can be paid for by using the Parent Engagement money allotted from TLDSB.

Q & A – Question regarding how to keep students on task while they are supposed to be working on their schoolwork on their computers but they may be surfing the internet or doing other things. This is definitely a challenge for teachers to monitor. Students also need to learn how to manage their time with these distractions.
A suggestion was made about creating a Facebook page for the High School parent committee. It might be a good way to help generate interest and involvement.
There will be an introduction to Grade 9 evening for parents. It was suggested that the grade 10 parents could also be invited since there wasn’t one last year.

Next Meeting: Last meeting for the year. Will resume in the fall. Dates to be determined.

Minutes from February meeting

February 13, 2022 6:30pm
Kelly P. Sara B, Christine T, Andrea S, Ann Marie T
Welcome – Sara Berry

HHS Updates from principal Kelly Picken
● The Addams Family wrapped up on the weekend – very successful run at Algonquin Theatre.
● We had 2 Art shows in the Partner’s Hall and Cedar Books downtown during the last week of January. 
● Our sports teams are doing well – basketball for boys, volleyball for girls, curling, nordic and alpine skiing, hockey for boys and girls. Leagues are wrapping up – MPS and GBSSA finals coming up this month. We have a few skiers and swimmers heading to OFSAA before March Break. 
● The Robotics Team is gearing up for their competitions with the first one at the beginning of March. 
● With the end of the play, the Improv team is starting – this year it will be a club and hopefully they will get back into events with other schools. In the past, the Improv team went to nationals a few times. 
● We have a Math Circle at lunch once a week – these students are also gearing up for some math competitions.
● Our Eco-club is meeting once a week and they are looking at taking on the recycling issue at the school. 
● The Mental Health Committee is meeting on Thursdays. 
● The Hoya Leadership Committee meets on Mondays and they run different events throughout the year.  
● SAGA meets on Wednesdays – they help advise the staff and HLC if there are issues that come up for them. 
● We had our first round of exams since before COVID at the end of January. There was a higher level of stress than previously – we are thinking this was due to the unknown and anticipate less stress in June. 
● We had a great Course Information Night in January. Standing room only in the gym for grade 8s.  And grade
9 – 11 had meetings in the cafeteria and the library. 

School Improvement Plan
● We launched our HHS Climate Survey last week – this is a survey to try to get a feel for how students are feeling about being at HHS – part of our equity and inclusion goal for our School Improvement plan. Once we have the results we will make plans as to how to address some of the issues. 
● We had our OSSLT results – 77% of the grade 10 students passed the test. We will be working with the 23% over the next few months as they will get a chance to write again in April.
● Math teachers are working on creating assessments based on our new reporting system. 

Updates from Sara
● Report from TLDSB Parent Involvement Council Meeting on Feb 2
● Minutes of the meeting are on TLDSB website. A few interesting things came up – still in a “Covid Hangover”; the board is trying to address. Student absenteeism; climate survey going out to students; literacy and math achievement; Pathways presentation about post-high school options (apprenticeship, college, university, workplace, etc).
● Q&A – HHS has 6 high skills majors: wellness, construction, welding, transportation, hospitality and art & culture. This program is advertised to students in grade 10 and at Parent teacher interview night.
● Sara is looking to build a fundraising committee for the fall.
● We want to use our Parent Engagement money for a night for parents about mental health and we are in the planning process right now.
Q & A – There is a program called PLAR for students who are intensely pursuing a hobby or skill (e.g. competitive sport) – student should talk with guidance for info. Volunteer hours are now submitted online – no paper record anymore. Access through HHS website. Due in May of grade 12. Principal reviews all hours submitted and follows up as necessary.

Next Meeting: May 15, 2023

Minutes from November Meeting

November 14, 2022 6:30pm

Welcome & thank you – Sara Berry
● Principal welcome – Kelly Picken. Next meeting, Kelly will open the meeting at 6:00 pm to make sure to iron out the
technical kinks.
● Approval of Oct. minutes
● Approval of Nov. agenda
● Update of School Happenings – Vanessa Taylor
Another busy month! Sports – successful teams. Treaty Week this week. Land Acknowledgments each week. Daily thought and daily laugh well received. Virtual Remembrance Day ceremony, because the gym floor is not ready yet for the whole school. Parent- teacher interviews. Fall Awards night Nov. 30. – recognition of classwork done last year. Field Trips. Hosting Boys OFFSA Volleyball. SAGA heading to Gravenhurst for coffee night. Anti-racism assembly coming up. Photo retakes and Grad photos coming up. MBRP – welcoming employees from the world and subsequently to HHS. Pizza Sales beginning at end of month. Semi-formal Dec. 8, 7-10 $30 at Deerhurst – all grades welcome. One-to-one device training workshops for Chromebooks for all students. Caf Jam coming up.
● School Improvement and Equity Plan – to be finalized by November 30 – Kelly
○ Equity Goal – looking at micro-moves to be more inclusive and welcoming on a daily basis
○ Literacy Goal – using the results of our OSSLT results to move those that struggled forward – first one at end of Nov. Repeated in Spring for those who need it.
○ Math Goal – still in progress – based on EQAO
○ Overall – Looking at Assessment – using varied assessments to improve student motivation to learn and succeed.

● Clubs and Teams: https://hhs.tldsb.on.ca/clubs-and-teams/ – school website has been recently updated.
● Questions? Any fundraising ideas for the spring? Send ideas to Sara or Christine. Any suggestions for parent information evening? Send ideas to Sara or Christine. Variety of activities planned for Holiday Spirit week including a food drive. Band is selling pies through Windmill Bakery as a fundraiser.

Meetings:
February 13, 2023
April 17, 2023 ???
May 15, 2023