2025-2026 School Council

2024-2025 School Council Annual Report

School Council – What Caregivers Need to Know

Ontario Regulation 612/00 outlines the process for electing parent, guardian, and caregiver members to school councils. These councils play an important role in supporting student achievement and well-being.

We extend our gratitude to the following individuals for their service on the 2025–2026 School Council: 

Your 2025–2026 School Council Members:

Name	Council Position
Jessica Edmonson	Chair
Erica Savoy	Treasurer
Brittaney Kobsar	Secretary
Jen McQueen	Fundraising Lead
James Ward	Member at Large
Miguel Lima	Member at Large
Nicole Hall	Member at Large
Crystal Busch	Member at Large
Abiodyn Abioye	Member at Large
Cherrise Pinder	Member at Large
Stephanie Sholer	Member at Large
Amanda Larwood	Member at Large
Amie Banfield	Educator Representative
Gina Brown	Educator Representative
Melissa Biederman	Principal
Mark Tweyman	Vice-Principal

We value your voice!
Parents, guardians, and caregivers play an important role in shaping our school community and supporting student success.

Have ideas to share or want to get involved?
We would love to hear from you!

📧 Email us at: [email protected]

Meetings

All parents, guardians, and caregivers are warmly invited to attend our School Council meetings—either in person in the school library or virtually from the comfort of your home.

🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
📍 Location: School Library & Virtual
📄 Details: Visit our [School Council webpage] for meeting minutes.

Previous Dates:

• Tuesday, September 30 – School Council Election & Meeting
• Tuesday, November 18 – School Council Meeting

Upcoming Dates:

• Tuesday, January 20 – School Council Meeting
• Tuesday, March 3 – School Council Meeting
• Tuesday, April 21 – School Council Meeting
• Tuesday, June 2 – School Council Meeting

 

 

School Council – Facebook Community Group

 

What is a School Council?

School Councils | Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (hwdsb.on.ca)

Purpose of School Council
Under the Education Act Regulation 612, school boards in Ontario are required to establish a School Council for each school within the board. The purpose of the School Council is “through the active participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents.”

The Role of the School Council is to:
• Advise the principal and, where appropriate, the school board.
• Place students’ interests first
• Support school success planning goals
• Encourage parent and community involvement
• Promote positive attitudes toward public education

School Councils provide input to the principal or the board on any matter. The principal is ultimately responsible for activities related to the school and therefore is responsible for school council activities.

School Council and Home and School: Both groups are represented in some schools. School Council is governed through bylaws created by the council, which are aligned with Ministry Regulation 612. Home and School Associations are strong partners in the education of children; they are accountable to the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations and are not mandatory in schools.

Regulations
School councils are governed by Ontario Regulation 612 (http://bit.ly/32mhsnm) which sets out the purpose, membership and election requirements for school councils. Under section 2(1).

 

Community Engagement

Our School Council is committed to building strong connections with families and the wider community. Here are some of the ways we engage:

• • Introduction to School Council & Coffee Chat
    A welcoming opportunity for parents/guardians to meet the School Council, learn about its role, and share ideas over coffee.
  • Hat and Mitten Drive
    Collecting warm winter accessories to support families in need within our community.
  • City of Hamilton – Road Safety Requests
    • Request for additional road safety measures near the school.
    • Request for temporary roadway closure during entry and dismissal to enhance student safety.
  • Open House Events
    Held in Fall and Spring, these events invite families to explore classrooms, meet staff, and celebrate student learning.

 

Fundraising

Purpose: All fundraising efforts directly support student achievement, engagement, and well-being.

During the 2024–2025 school year, School Council fundraising contributed to:

• Playground equipment
• Class trips
• Grade 8 commencement celebrations
• Kindergarten learning materials
• Mathematics resources
• Extracurricular activities
• Technology enhancements

Thank you to our families and community for making these opportunities possible!

Support Our School with Pizza Days!

The Pauline Johnson Elementary School Council is excited to offer Pizza Day every Wednesday during the second nutrition break.

How to Order:

• Parent(s)/Guardian(s) can place orders through School Cash Online only.
• If you have not signed up yet, please visit: https://hwdsb.schoolcashonline.com/.
• No cash will be accepted.
• Orders are due the Friday before Pizza Day. Late orders cannot be accepted.

Pizza Details:

• We are ordering from Gino’s Pizza, prepared with nut-free ingredients and halal options.
• Each slice of pizza costs $2.50.

Important Notes:

• If your child is absent on Pizza Day, the payment will be considered a donation to School Council fundraising.
• We cannot provide refunds or hold food for absent students. Thank you for your understanding.

For questions, please contact the School Council at [email protected].

Support Our School with Mabel’s Labels!

Order personalized labels online, and 20% of every purchase goes back to our School Council to support student programs and initiatives.

Click the link below to start shopping and help us raise funds for our students:
Fundraising Support | Mabel’s Labels | Raise Funds With Kids Labels

Thank you for supporting our school community!

Support Our School with Factory Shoe!

For every pair of shoes purchased (any shoe purchase over $35), our School Council will earn $5.00 to support student programs and initiatives.

Shop in-store or online and help us raise money for our students!
Store Locations or Shop Online

Thank you for supporting our school community!

 

 

Grants

Our School Council benefits from HWDSB grant programs that support parent engagement and student success:

• HWDSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC)
  Provides funding to strengthen parent involvement in school communities and enhance communication between families and schools.
• HWDSB Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grant
  Supports initiatives that help parents become more involved in their child’s learning and well-being, fostering strong home-school partnerships.