William Berczy School Council Minutes

• Meeting called to order at 6:30pm by the chair
• Greetings exchanged, participants were welcomed
• Meeting attendees were happy about the online meeting format due to cold weather
  
   

Student Achievements & Co-Curricular Activities

• Administration shared recent student achievements, including participation and success in Reach for the Top, with students preparing for upcoming regional competitions.
• The Junior Girls Volleyball team has also advanced to regional-level play.
• Intramurals Sports are currently underway, providing increased participation opportunities for Primary students, supported by leadership from junior and intermediate students.
  
   

Safe & Caring Schools Presentations

• Safe and Caring Schools presentations have been delivered across all grades.
• Primary and junior students participated through gym-based assemblies, while intermediate students received classroom-based presentations led by school administration.
• Topics included the School and Board Code of Conduct, progressive discipline and restorative approaches, cyberbullying and online behaviour, social media use and associated risks, prohibited items at school, and seasonal safety topics such as snow safety.
  
  
   

Winter Weather & Outdoor Recess Procedures

• Administration reiterated outdoor recess decisions are made in accordance with Board policy.
• Weather conditions, including windchill, are monitored throughout the school day to determine whether outdoor activity is safe for students.
• Differences clarified between snow days and inclement weather days
  
  
   

Community Engagement – Chai & Chat

• An update was provided on the recent Chai & Chat session.
• Community partners in attendance included settlement services and representatives from Markham Public Library.
• Board representatives also shared information about community resources and programs.
• Feedback is being collected via a QR code and will be used to inform future sessions and topic selection. The feedback link will be re-shared in an upcoming family communication.
  
   

Grade 8 Information Updates

• Graduation photos for Grade 8 students are scheduled for early February.
• Grade 9 transition session is planned to support families with course selection.
• Clarifications were provided regarding timelines and the structure of mandatory versus elective courses.
• Grade 8 field trip details will be shared shortly.
• Parents expressed appreciation for transparency and communication, a preference for earlier decision-making to allow families to plan ahead, and support for the school’s inclusive and safety-focused approach.
• Administration acknowledged the feedback and confirmed that updates will be shared as decisions are finalized.
  
   

Parent Engagement & Community Feedback

• The School Council emphasized the importance of gathering parent feedback before confirming new initiatives or engaging external partners.
• The intent is to better understand parent priorities and preferred formats for engagement, ensuring that future activities align with community needs.
• Parents were encouraged to share feedback through upcoming surveys and informal channels.
• Parent Council will discuss potential topics and gatherings with School Admin Team so as to not duplicate effort and bring most viable concerns to the fore.

• The participants at the meeting agreed unequivocally transparency and inclusivity is our mandate to be applied to the best of our abilities and the benefit of the decision making processes.

   

Upcoming Events*

(*Subject to changes in schedules, policies, circumstances and school community requirements.)

Lunar New Year Event – Planning Discussion

• Overview:
  • When: Thursday, February 19, 2026, from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • Where: William Berczy Public School.
  • Expected attendance – 450.
• The purpose of the event is community celebration and engagement, not fundraising. The financial goal is to break even. If snack sales do not fully cover costs, remaining expenses will be covered by School Council funds.
• Lunar New Year Planning sub-committee is in place already and are actively planning.
• Activities Discussed: Lion Dance performance with eye-dotting and photo opportunities; arts and crafts such as red envelope decorating, paper cutting and folding dragons, and calligraphy (maybe); cultural learning activities including the story of the Great Race (video and discussion), a zodiac wheel activity, and zodiac animal mask colouring; and games such as the Chopstick Challenge, card games (Big 2 and 21), and Yut Nori (to be confirmed).
• Logistics & Constraints: Volunteer requirements per room were reviewed. Hallway patrol was identified as a safety role rather than an activity. Parents were asked to volunteer for approximately two hours on the day of the event, attend a short preparation meeting, and lend decorations if available. Snack options were discussed with attention to allergies and logistics. Parking and winter safety considerations were also noted.
• Cash Sales: For this event WBPS will allow cash sales, since it’s not feasible to include all invitees in the festivities in an equitable fashion if the online payment constraint is applied.
• Budget Process: Room owners will submit shopping lists by the end of the week. Due to timing constraints, budget approvals will occur outside of the meeting.
• Planning thus far (Please note the details here are subject to change based on the finalizations of the event plan.) 

• We need to further discuss if more fundraising events are necessary. Also, need to determine the type and timeline of fundraising required.
• School Cash Online remains the preferred payment method. Cash may still be required for select activities, such as snack sales or Fun Fair vendors. Any cash-based exceptions will be clearly communicated in advance.
  
   

• The next School Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026. An in-person format is preferred, and refreshments will be provided.
• Administration thanked Council members and volunteers for their continued efforts. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:30 pm.

Date

11-12-2025

Meeting #

2

Virtual/In-Person

In-Person

Time

6:00pm-7:30pm

Participants

Parent Council reps, Parents, Principal and VP

Principal & Vice-Principal Update

Academic & Instructional Focus

• Professional Development for Teachers
  • One day per cycle allocated to release staff for professional learning. Teacher-Voice is driven, informed by Teachers input and school needs.
  • Priorities: Mental health (Grades 7–8), AI in education, MathUp platform, Community Circles (restorative practices).
• MathUp - Board-provided platform supporting math instruction and professional learning for staff.
• Community Circles - Focus on building and repairing relationships (student-centric) rather than punitive discipline. Consequences without positive learning do not correct behaviour.
• 2024/25 EQAO
• EQAO Results
• Grade3:
• Grade6:
• Clear drop in Grade3 Literacy scores Year over Year.
• 100% participation for Grade 3 and Grade 6 cohorts.
• The percentage decline is not an accurate measure of student academic performance at school
• Factors That May Impact EQAO Scores
• Small cohorts (e.g., ~39 students in Grade 3/59 in Grade 6) can affect reported percentages
• Technological Shift – EQAO is now administered digitally. This format was significantly shortened as compared to the previous format (e.g. 1/3rd of the length, offering students a single attempt to demonstrate proficiency on a given concept / question.
• New Digital format does not provide School visibility into responses (e.g. text from free form answers) typically used for insights to base future analysis of the scores and results which prevents teachers from gaining insight into areas for growth, improvement, and modifying pedagogy accordingly.
• Challenges include younger students sitting through the assessment, their technical know-how, thinking the assessment may be more of a game.
• EQAO Practice – the current repository of the online format assessments isn’t as exhaustive as the written format. It will require curating over a period of time. Our focus is primarily on instructional quality and not just test taking benefitting students in the long run.
• Learning outcomes of the current  grades 3^rd and 6^th cohorts have definitely been impacted by COVID-19 since these students were  very young during that break.

• Literacy Program Strategy & Interventions
• Staff will invest Professional Development time to further explore and strategize regarding (but not limited to):
• The Reading Recovery Program has shown only about 50% effectiveness over the years.
• Teachers have been looking for different, more effective tools to enrich learning.
• Empower™ Reading and Learning Group – tool developed by SickKids has been known to higher learning outcomes efficacy
• Science of Reading – return to a more phonics- based instruction
• Acadience - Literacy screener used in SK–Grade 2 to identify early reading needs.
• More targeted instruction programs are also available at our school led by in-house staff.
• Family sessions could be planned to provide more information and allay anxiety around the EQAO assessment in the parent community. 
  
   
• Student Experiences & Enrichment:
• Our students have exposure to a wide variety of events, experiences and trips.
• School prioritizes subsidizing experiences so all students can participate regardless of financial circumstances.
• Sewing Activity – opened to the wider audience for a vote. Most parents present wanted it to be a younger grades activity which could potentially break the “gender-task” stereotypes in the minds of young students.
• Safe and Caring assemblies will be undertaken to reiterate School Code of Conduct in order for students to gain better understanding of expected behavioural standards. Relevant information may also be relayed to parents to support the initiative as allies. 

• Grade 8 Graduation & Field Trip Planning
• Graduation Details:
• Angus Glen; June 22nd, 2026
• Ceremony: 5:00pm-9:30pm
• Volunteers will be invited once details are finalized
• There is no Principal’s Award this year
• Field Trip:
• Trip will take place in May or June
• Gr8 Graduation & Trip planning will resume in January with participation of participating Teachers.  Details will be publicized once plans are finalized.
• Student safety is top priority for the team
• Inclusive trip – all students must be able to participate. Cost constraints are taken into consideration.
• Behavioural Expectations – Students and parents will sign a letter of understanding for the trip. Misbehaviour will not be tolerated by the staff and trip facilitators.
• School code of conduct guides the behavioural parameters put in place for such trips and activities.
• Opportunities for Fundraising and Parent support can be discussed in future Council meeting

Parent Council Update

Operations & Continuity

Next Steps

• Further communication between various teams regarding upcoming events, volunteer needs, etc.
• Reiterate admin messages to the larger parent community
• Earlier planning routines for the Council and outcomes to be communicated to the admin teams
• Feedback on Chai and Chat session engagement
• Process initiation for Lunar New Year, Eid, Easter. We are going to be forming sub-committees and delegating responsibilities for the events. 

Meeting #

Date

Virtual/In-person

Time

Attendees