School Council

The School Council at Fern Avenue Public School is a volunteer advisory body, formed by the parents and guardians of Fern students. Our purpose is to work alongside the staff at Fern to enhance our children’s educational experience and to strengthen their sense of community, both within the school and around our neighbourhood.

We encourage parents to attend School Council meetings so that they can have a voice in the decisions being made about their children’s experience at Fern. Council mostly meets once each month during the school year, except December . . . so keep checking the calendar and message board for updates and details.

EXECUTIVE
2023-24 

Co-Chairs 
Alison McLean, alisonkathleenmclean@gmail.com
Katie Needs, katie.needs@gmail.com 

Treasurer
Madeleine Cruickshank, madeleine.cruickshank@gmail.com

Secretary
Aurora Ratcliffe, aurora.ratcliffe@gmail.com

Ward 7 Reps
Amanda Drinkwalter, amanda.drinkwalter@gmail.com
Sarah Almond, sarahtalmond@gmail.com

Events Chair
Bliss Edwards, edwards.bliss@gmail.com

English Rep
Looking for volunteers!

Middle Immersion Rep 
Sarah Johnston, sarahj.hnston@gmail.com

Volunteer Coordinator


BY-LAWS AND LEGISLATION
School councils in Ontario are governed by the Ontario Education Act and are further required to have their own by-laws in place to address such things as election procedures, the filling of vacancies, conflict of interest guidelines, and conflict resolution.

Below is a link to the latest version of the by-laws governing Fern Avenue Public School Council, together with related information on School Councils from the Ministry of Education’s website:

MEETING MINUTES
The minutes of our School Council meetings, dating back to 2009, are now stored on Google Drive.

Note: A small number of people have reported problems accessing and reading these files. If you are reading this blog at work, be aware than some companies restrict access to Google Drive and won’t allow you to download certain types of files. Our School Council documents are saved as PDF files. If you have an older computer system, you may have trouble reading this format. If so, download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is a free application. After all that, if you’re still having problems, please send us a message at fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com.

 
COMMITTEES
There are a number of committees that operate under the School Council, and each has its own team leader and a set of goals for the year. The following descriptions have been supplied by committee members.

We are actively looking for new members to help support these committees. If you are interested in learning more about a specific committee or have any questions, please e-mail the contact(s) listed below.
  • Arts Collective | Restore, inspire, and sustain quality arts education; provide local artistic talent to Fern classrooms, organize evening performances.
  • Communications | Manage the school council blog and weekly newsletter to provide timely updates and information to, encourage participation within, and seek input from the Fern Ave. PS community. 
  • Community Engagement | Foster strong connections and collaboration between our school, families, and our vibrant community by creating meaningful and enriching opportunities to get involved and make a positive difference; e.g. Kits for a Cause, Fern Staff Appreciation Breakfast
  • Events | Plan and execute events to bring the Fern Ave community together and foster a strong sense of school spirit, such a Spring Fling, Fernapalooza/Fun Fair, etc.
  • Equity & Inclusion Committee | Ensure that equity and inclusion are essential principles at Fern and are integrated into all policies, programs, operations and practices.
  • Grad | Organize and celebrate the milestone achievements of our graduating students by creating a memorable and meaningful graduation experiences that reflect their hard work, dedication, and accomplishments throughout their journey at Fern. 
  • Wellness | Promote and support the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our school community, and ensure that our students have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and balanced lives.
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GET INVOLVED!
If you have questions about any of the committees, or have a program or project you’d like to run, please reach out to fernaveschoolcouncil@gmail.com.  Everything we do here is run by parents, so if you think there’s something that we’re missing, and you have a plan, then let us help you get started.

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