WANTED: QSP Campaign Manager for 2008-2009 School Year!

Greetings everyone,

As you know, QSP is one of the school's biggest fundraising initiatives. Traditionally, we raise between $3000-$4000/year; these funds are distributed equally to all classrooms, with the individual teachers determining how they would like to spend the money for their classes. The campaign usually takes place during the first few weeks of October and lasts 2-3 weeks. Although October seems far away, we have to make a decision NOW as to whether we want to run the campaign again in the upcoming school year.

For the past 4 years, Laura Sandwell has been managing the QSP campaign, along with her crew of wonderful volunteers. This year, Laura is unable to continue in this role, and consequently, we are seeking someone to take her place. Responsibilities include:

- preparing all correspondence (kickoff letter, teacher letter, weekly reminders, wrap-up letter)
- assembling the take-home packages - assembling the teacher information package
- coordinating in-school promotion (display case, assembly, announcements, posters, mascot, special events, etc.)
- collecting and processing paper order forms and payments- tracking sales - submitting order forms to QSP
- checking and distributing prizes
- checking QSP reports for accuracy and following up on any discrepencies versus sales records
- following up on any rejected orders (e.g. credit card failure, etc.)
- coordinating with EBSAC Treasurer for deposit of cash and cheques, final cheque to QSP, etc.

QSP provides a rep who is the campaign coordinator's key contact. The rep provides a set of suggested best practices to maximize sales and also conducts the kickoff assembly. The rep is also the first point of contact for any questions or issues that may arise.

Laura has kindly agreed to mentor her successor and to be available for any questions, so you won't be on your own. Additionally, others usually help to assemble the take-home packages and coordinate the in-school promotional activities.

In general, you would need to dedicate 6-8 weeks of your time to this worthwhile project. Soooo, if this is the call you've been waiting for to get more involved in your school community, we would LOVE to hear from you. Please think about it and let us know ASAP, either by contacting us at ebsc_info@yahoo.ca or by leaving a message at the school. It is a lot of work, but the return on investment is definitely worth the effort!

Thanks,
Hema Murdock
Chair, Earl Beatty SAC

LET'S MAKE WAVES AND SAVE OUR POOLS!

Save Toronto Pools Rally - May 1st 4:15-6:15 pm at Queen's Park (front lawn)

If you can swim, or you ever want to learn to swim, this rally is for you! YOUR help is needed to save Toronto pools for all the citizens of this city. Keep them open so all children can learn to swim and stay safe, youth can train and compete, and adults can stay fit and healthy. Come out to show our elected officials that this is an important issue for the people of Toronto! We want the Province, City, and TDSB to work together to find a sustainablelong-term solution.

Make the rally a fun event with friends and family. Make signs. Wear your swim suit, bathing cap, and goggles. Bring your life jacket and waterwings. Wear your swim team track suit!!! Please do what you can to attend and make a difference. Come after school, leave work a bit early, bring the kids, grandparents, everyone and anyone.The more of us there are, the more we'll make a difference.

Be sure to bring your signed petition, or sign one when you are there:petition@letsmakewaves.ca. If you plan on attending, let the organizers know the numbers by e-mailing events@letsmakewaves.ca. Visit www.letsmakewaves.ca.

Some things to remember...

*This is a peaceful, family-friendly demonstration, so please respect the rules for demonstrating at Queen's Park.
*Please stay on the front lawn of Queen's Park. Do not demonstrate on driveways or the steps of Queen's Park.
*Please do not enter Queen's Park.
*Please hold signs. Do not post them on monuments or pierce the lawn with signs on stakes.· *Please do not enter Queen's Park to use washrooms. Instead go to neighbouring buildings.
*Please take the TTC to the Queen's Park stop, as parking is limited in the area.

Don't Miss Honest Earl's Bargain Basement! - Friday, April 25th - from 3:45 to 7:00pm

Coming soon, to a lunch room near you... the first re-used children's clothing and sporting goods sale at Earl Beatty. Don't miss your chance to score some amazing deals, while raising money to support the Eco Team's schoolyard greening initiatives.

Fair Trade Organic tea, coffee, hot chocolate and yummy baked goods will also be for sale - while quantities last!

Help us reduce waste by BYOM (mug) & BYOB (bags). See you there!

Principal/Vice-Principal Selection Process

Children's Mental Health Forum

Safety Forum at East York Civic Centre

Visit the Eco Team's Litterless Lunch Display

The Eco Team worked hard tonight to create a Litterless Lunch display outside the lunchroom.
Thanks to all the parents, Martha, and the many kids who coloured, stamped, cut out, stapled, taped, and drew examples of what goes into our lunches:

• "Litterless Lunches" using reusable containers, cloth napkins, and cutlery
• "Not-so-good Lunches" using recyclable containers, paper and plastic: it still takes energy and resources to gather, transport and recycle old items into new ones -- and the resources degrade with each cycle, so recycling isn't quite as eco-friendly as reusing
  
• "Landfill Lunches" using single-use items that go directly into the garbage like foil, plastic cutlery, styrofoam, and plastic baggies

Eco Team's "Save the Oak Tree" Bake Sale a Big Success!

Wow! the Eco Team kids raised $175.45 in their campaign to help the majestic oak tree that shades the Woodington playground. Congratulations to the kids and thanks to Ms Hale and all the fabulous bakers!

Liza Ordubegian,the Garden Mum, says, "the tree in question is under stress, as it loses small branches frequently, leaves look a bit droopy and fall before times.This stress is likely due to the following:

1. being surrounded by mostly asphalt;
2. when the playground was reconstructed, the box was built around the tree - and likely the soil was built up around the trunk - not good for the tree;
3. the little kids like to walk around and around the trunk, thereby compacting what little soil is there - great for the kids, not so good for the tree;
4. the dense canopy of the tree also does not allow much rain to reach this small area of soil - also not good.

What needs to be done is likely removing the box and providing open ground around it so that the tree can access water, a good pruning of dead and weak branches, possibly cabling if there are splits between the trunk and the main branches, and a good feeding."

Bruce Day from the TDSB will be coming to check on the tree and LEAF's arborist will be including a visit to our tree as part of their "Tree Tour" on May 25th.

EBSAC April, 2008 Minutes

Read the minutes from the April EBSAC Meeting here.

Welcome:

• Review & acceptance of last meeting’s minutes including Action Items

• Follow up on outstanding action items

  • Parent wish list

Treasurer’s report

New Items

• Final decision on paint of doors

• Follow up on spending of Fun Fair funds and fans

• By-law amendments

• Principal and Vice principal Criteria

• Change of policy for Grade 7 and 8 use of school yard

Principals Report:

• Laurie Reid to provide a succinct overview of recent school activities and issues

• Safe school update from Neil

Presentation from 54 Divison

Open Items/Group Discussion/New Business

• Report from Eco-Team

• Parent committee

• Community Center

• Funfair

• New Business

Wrap up & outstanding issues

• Receipt of items for next council meeting

My School Review Central Quadrant Meeting: 7 pm Monday, April 14th at Earl Beatty Public School, 55 Woodington Avenue

Please plan on attending the MSR Central Quadrant Meeting on Monday, April 14th at 7 pm at Earl Beatty Public School, 55 Woodington Avenue. Central schools include: Crescent Town, D. A. Morrison, Earl Beatty, Earl Haig, Gledhill, Parkside and Secord. The meeting will be led by our Trustee, Sheila Carey-Meagher.
Agenda:

Update on My School Review -Sheila

Develop tasks for each of the following strategy groups:
• Food & Nutrition
• Parent & Community Engagement
• Transition Issues
• After School/After Hours Programs
• Eco Ideas
• Enhanced School Programs - Everyone

Designate a chair from each strategy group to report on progress at next quadrant meeting – May 12th

Resources available

Next Steps

Other business

Next Central Quadrant Meeting May 12th

Regular meetings will be held on the 2nd Monday of every Month

Action urgently needed to Save Our Pools!

Please circulate to your community:

1. Decide which people in your group/area are doing a deputation on April 10th TDSB meeting and get in by or before Monday morning April 7th. All you need to do to submit the deputation request with title of your deputation and address it to Board Communications and Call David Tomczak at 416 3973288 or email david.tomczak@tdsb.on.ca or fax: 416 393-9969. To ensure we get as many people heard as possible, please ensure your speech is brief and to the point (I’d try and limit it to 1 minute – time yourself).
2. Please come at 6 pm to 5050 Yonge Street on Thursday April 10th to rally outside and to ensure we are all inside the meeting before 6:30 pm when it starts.
3. Every school needs to be involved where you have a pool at risk or not because its about a bigger funding issue - FUNDING FORMULA MUST ADDRESS UNIQUE EDUCATION CONDITIONS OF THE GTA. Every school is affected. All students and all parents, please please please come!!! Rally your school to come now! As well, all other special groups like TSC and the Masters program need to come out so we can demonstrate the health and fitness and sport issues demonstrating the fact that the pools are being used by the community outside of the school.
4. Please come out to the Mock Funeral at Malvern Collegiate on Tuesday April 8that 4 pm. We will have CTV there. The kids are getting the drama department involved and I think it will be out of this world amazing. The more people we have there from other communities the better. It is so important to show that this is a City issue and that we all support each other because we careabout our education system and physical activity and sports. The address is 55 Malvern Avenue (416 393 1480 – ask for Molly or Cori and say its re Mock Funeral). Malvern runs north from Kingston Road just east of Main (west of Victoria Park). There is lots of parking in the lot and around on thestreets. If you are coming on TTC, go to Main Subway Station on the East Line, take the bus south to Kingston Road and then either walk east toMalvern or take the street car (I’d recommend walking as its not that far). Its really easy to get to and if you are not from the beach area, please make an evening of it and go for a walk on the Boardwalk after and perhaps have a bite to eat. If it’s a nice day, it’s a nice getaway in the city.
5. Please keep on sending emails and calls and visits to your Liberal MPPs (constantly). Please continue to get media involved. Please keep getting the message out there. AS A UNITED TEAM OF CONCERNED CITIZENS WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

Jessica Monk

EAST LYNN FARMER'S MARKET: Information session Monday, 21 April at 7:00 p.m. at Earl Haig PS Library

The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) has been organizing a Farmer's Market in East Lynn park that will run every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., June 5th to Oct. 30th. Our community, local businesses, Councillor Sandra Bussin and the parks supervisor have offered support. DECA has been working with an established group that organizes markets all over Ontario.

While waiting for final approval from the city, DECA would like to plan events and co-ordinate volunteers so that all is ready to go once that final hurdle is crossed.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS and plan on attending the East Lynn farmers' market information session and volunteer sign-up on MONDAY, 21 APRIL at 7:00 p.m. at EARL HAIG PUBLIC SCHOOL library (just south of Danforth on Coxwell).

PLEASE encourage your friends and neighbours to attend and find out more about how we can all be a part of making this market happen. If you cannot attend but would like to be a part of the market committee, email DECA or visit http://www.eastlynnpark.com/

or email eastlynnpark (at)rogers.com.

Thanks!

EBSAC