LPCI Virtual School Council Meeting
Monday, January 18, 2021
MEETING MINUTESCategories

School Council Attendees: Liz Hansen, Aiman Flahat, Superintendent Andrew Howard, Kirsten
Glenister, Karen Barasch, Pamela Wilansky, Anne Marie Armstrong, Ian Aukema, Robin Conliffe, Erika Boone, Andrea Fry, John Hiddema, Greg Spiers, Jennifer Tse, Marina Chernyak, Alex Sabharwal.  61 total attendees joined.

Next Meeting: March 1, 2021
2020-21 School Year Remaining Meetings: April 19, June 7

Key Dates:
• Ward Meeting* – Thursday, January 21st, 7-9pm (register online via Trustee Shelly Laskin’s
Website)
• January 29 – Secondary Optional Attendance Forms Due
• Friday, Febuary 19 – Course Selection Submission Deadline
*Please join me, Trustee Shelly Laskin, for a conversation with Michelle Munroe, Co-ordinator Parent
and Community Engagement on Critical Parent/Caregiver Engagement Questions for a Critical
Moment.
This conversation will delve into the ways in which we could seize this period of uncertainty, and
racial reckoning to influence and challenge traditional engagement thoughts and practices, and
imagine future possibilities.
Superintendents Ron Felsen, Andrew Howard and Denise Humphreys will be part of the
conversation.
Moment of Silence for Saúl Ignacio Arias López, Nov 24, 2004 – Jan 12, 2001, Grade 11, LPCI Student.
• Potential tree memorial in the spring
• Principal Flahat has spoken with the family on numerous occasions this past week
• In lieu of flowers, donations to CAMH, specific to supporting students
• Family thanks the community for their outpouring of support
1. Student Council Report – John Williams, Alyssa D’Souza
o Loss of Saul – postpone release date of LP’s Got Talent out of respect for this loss to
Monday, February 8th (start of Quad 3)
o Kick off Quad 3 with joy through LP’s Got Talent
o LP Wear Order and stock will be coming in about a week, according to LP Wear VP; yet to
discuss distribution plan; due to lockdown, delivery will be best option and will be led by SC
– must follow protocols with respect to distribution of LP Wear
o New fun activity – “Background Fridays” (feature on Zoom to add background/design green
screen) – a fun way to ensure student cameras are ON during class; promoted via Social
Media (IG); students encouraged to turn cameras ON and change their backgrounds to lift
spirits and keep students engaged
o SC Upcoming Activities – NEW! Lunchtime Game Show will be held weekly from March
through May; similar format to ‘Family Feud’ with multiple teams consisting of teachers and
students; online registration will be open to all who want to participate; SC will arrange
tournament-style schedule with weekly tournaments and finals in May with prizes awarded
o School-wide Movie Night (in place of events that usually take place on or around
Valentine’s Day) – Google Meet/Zoom for participation with family-friendly movie that
everyone can enjoy
2. School Council Executive Report
o Last meeting minutes not yet posted on the SC website, so will be approved at next meeting
o Welcome Committee – Liz Hanson
o Not many Council portfolio updates, as not much is happening due to the current
lockdown and ongoing pandemic situation
o
UPDATES:

o Wellness Committee – Karen Barasch
o ‘Mindful Moment’ was to be a class activity and is now on Google Classroom with
access via password for all students; 5-minute activity with live meet on Wednesdays
online to talk about activities and discussion to promote a supportive community
o February – class reps will run the program when school resumes in-class
o January 28 – Bell Let’s Talk Day – stay tuned for presentation from Wellness
Committee
o Huddle Up – Bullying prevention organization – Pink Shirt Day presentation with guest
speaker in the works
o Update will be added to The Eye

o Ward 8 News – Erika Boone
o Ward Meeting this week with Shelly Laskin – this Thursday, January 21st
, 7-9pm with
Cheryl Munroe – Parent and Community Engagement – register online to attend via
Shelly’s website
o Thank you for outpouring of support and recognition for teachers at the holidays –
tremendous support, more than we usually receive
3. Principal’s Report – Principal Aiman Flahat
o Course Selections – coming up!
o Guidance Department is creating virtual course selection and promotion assemblies;
showcasing programs and courses, dates as follows:
o Gr. 9 – Tues, Jan 26
o Gr. 10 – Wed. Jan 27
o Gr. 11 – Thurs, Jan 28
o See The Eye and My School Day App for more info
o Course selection will be done at lunch and after school
o Submission Deadline – Friday, February 19th
o Submissions are what drives staffing and courses offered for the following year
o Cameras and Background Fridays – increase engagement; Grade 12s – almost all students are
engaging; other grades not as engaged; engagement creates a motivating environment for the
educator but teachers cannot force students to turn cameras on (nor are teachers allowed to
ask students to turn on their camera); background available in Google Meets – teachers would
appreciate the support from the students – this is a personal family decision, but if it is a
possibility, it would be greatly appreciated
o Equity – is a major focus across the school system – in order to align with that, our school has
a very active Equity Committee, Black History Month theme of Ally-ship coming up in February;
student engagement activities and ideas being planned; Black-owned businesses to be
highlighted and how we can support them; virtual conference with speaker, engagement, etc.;
LPCI is focused on equity issues, Anti-Black Racism, imbed this in the curriculum so that it
becomes part of who we are, not just ticking the box that we’ve covered the issues.
PARENT QUESTION: Can virtual assemblies be recorded and available online or via
The Eye?
Answer – Principal Flahat to look into it; shouldn’t be an issue.
PARENT QUESTION: Suggestions on how to get students to participate online in class?
Answer – Principal Flahat – not all classes are refusing to participate; it’s hard to share
your space online
4. Guest – Superintendent Andrew Howard
• Happy New Year to all attendees this evening
• It has been a very difficult week due to the tragedy of loss experience by an LPCI family and our
school community
• Board Updates:
o Covid-19 Protocols / Remote Learning – impacts to Board, students, staff and families
o Next transition date – Feb 16 for Elementary – Quad 3 for Secondary
o TPH (Toronto Public Health) – initial concerns were about mixing cohorts; January numbers
reflect transfer from in-school to virtual and vice versa; Board looking at requests and
considering the impacts of increasing numbers in classrooms; simultaneous learning
worked well for start of Quad 2; Quad 3 numbers are being reviewed right now, currently no
option to join virtual school at this time, as virtual school is shut down while in-person
learning is not available; no more movement of teachers into virtual school at this time
o LPCI was one of only 12 schools that had school-wide testing; LP results were all negative;
intake number wasn’t as large as some of the other schools but negative results were
encouraging
o All directions taken from TPH (Toronto Public Health) and Gov’t (Ministries of Health and
Education) as to whether schools open or not
o Remote Learning – refers to Local LPCI online learning (vs. Virtual School)
o School Closure Extension – no answers at this time as to when in-person school will
resume
o Optional Attendance – only impacts those secondary students who want to switch to
another secondary school (vs. home school), Grade 8 parents – email completed form to
current school principal (any format PDF, photo, screen shot), current principal approves,
sends from their TDSB email to the school they are wishing to attend (this acts as a
signature); from virtual school wishing to apply to another school – send form to home
school for approval, same process from here; if you’ve already completed a form PRIOR to
school closures, you do NOT need to resubmit
? January 29 – secondary optional attendance forms due
? Feb 12 – deadline for parents to be informed of status update
? Feb 26 – course selection sheets due
? March 6 – course selection sheets due via My Blueprint course selections
o Letter sent out by Alexander Brown, TDSB Board Chair, re: US rioting – critical reminders
we need to stay committed to keep our schools safe and make a difference in the lives of
our TDSB community members; resources have been made available to staff and
administrators to work with students and have conversations and engage in lessons re:
insurrection, Washington events; Board ensured this info was shared with staff and engage
in age-appropriate conversations with students
o PPM 164 – Public Document available on Ministry of Education website – Grades 9-12, 225
minutes per day for full course schedule, plus asynchronous learning time; Mental Health
initiatives are critical, health and well-being trump PPM 164 Guidelines; communicate with
the teacher if your student is struggling to meet the requirements for attendance; staff have
been informed that they need to be flexible during this pandemic; Exemption forms can be
filled out and approved by Superintendent – various levels of exemption are offered
Principal Flahat: Clarification – 2 Covid-19 test sites were made available for families to
have their student tested – from both sites, LPCI had 170+ students tested and 11 staff
tested (see Shelly Laskin’s Report for details)
PARENT QUESTION: Update on Graduation?
Answer – Super. Howard is still waiting; lots of inconsistencies across TDSB schools; why
have some schools had recognition events and some have not? Super. Howard does not
know why those schools have done these things; June 2020 grads – Super. Howard
pushing for an answer which will be forthcoming (diplomas, yearbooks, awards, etc.);
students regularly emailing the school to ask about their certificates, etc., and “why them
and not us?” questions – Super. H will get back to us as soon as an answer is determined
• Monetary awards have been mailed out and received by LPCI students – confirmed
by Principal Flahat; cheque received in the mail with no accompanying letter of
recognition – Principal Flahat will ensure plaques or other form of recognition will be
arranged for these students – plans are on hold and cannot be executed until Board
approval is received
2021 Grads – no discussion YET – more info will be available as the year progresses
PARENT QUESTION: MOH info on teacher / student vaccination?
Answer – Not yet. Hopefully educators will be lumped into “essential workers” and can
receive the vaccine sooner so that kids can get back into school; no directions yet; Super. H
will relay updates ASAP.
PARENT QUESTION: Sherry Levy – Gr. 10 student – Regarding next year, assuming a
return to school in Sept, are there plans/thoughts to make LP a semestered school?
Answer – S. Howard – bottom line the answer is NO; it’s an 18-month process; revisit when
we are allowed due to current stoppage due to lockdown; process to go to public, parent,
staff that may be revisited once we can safely engage; entire process has been shelved due
to Secondary Program Review; at this time, there is no indication. P. Flahat has been asking
since it impacts LPCI planning; lots of uncertainty at this time due to the pandemic
PARENT QUESTION: Grade 10s have not had any exams this year so far – will there be
any changes to this for Quads 3 & 4?
Answer – S. Howard – currently no plans for Quad 3 & 4 exams
PARENT QUESTION: OSSLT – where are we at for this year?
Answer – S. Howard – TBD for Quads 3 & 4 (Grade 10 literacy test that must be passed for
Grade 12 graduation); Options: OSSLC (Course) or test can be conducted virtually; Ministry
plans to conduct OSSLT in the Spring; adjudication process also available; update
forthcoming. (Grade 11s who didn’t write it last year, and current Gr. 10 students)
PARENT QUESTION: Concerned about amount of pressure on Grade 12s and many of the
usual Grad class events are not happening; can we give them something to look forward to?
Answer – S. Howard – Guidance from TPH and the Board is pending; cannot make
commitments at this time, as things are changing continuously; holding pattern at the current
time; A. Flahat – yearbook will be published but it will be thinner and LPCI is covering the
cost; student committee is handling the yearbook along with one of the teachers – will
inquire about student quotes, sibling quotes, etc.
MOTION TO END MEETING
Jennifer Wilmer – Approved
John Hiddema – Seconded
MEETING ADJOURNED

LPCI Virtual School Council Meeting
Monday, December 14th, 2020
MEETING MINUTESCategories

Attendees: Liz Hanson (Chair), Aiman Flahat (Principal), Executive team members: Kristen, Marina, Anne Marie, Ian, John, Lori, Karen, Alex, Erika, Robin, Andrea, Greg, Other Zoom participants (50).

1. Student Council Update – John W, Alyssa D
– LP Wear – ordering is closed. The students were impressed with the results, there were 200 sales. Will be distributed after winter break.
– LP Got Talent – Promo video was shared (which was excellent)
o January 4th deadline to submit.
o Jan 11-15 – LPTV will be used to put the acts together
o All students can do friendly vote for winners. Prizes are lp wear / gift cards.
o Anyone can submit act sticking with covid rules (3 outside with social distance), if zoom, unlimited.
o LP’s got talent is separate from United Artists
– Next Event – 14 days of wellness challenge for the holidays.
– Follow Wellness Instagram account
– Daily Food Bank – Goal to raise $3000. (Link is in the School Council Eye)
– Comments were shared with the fabulous student leader participation in the Grade 8 virtual open house.
Motion to approve October 19th minutes: Marina Chernyak, Seconded – John Hiddema

2. Executive team updates:
Anne-Marie (Fundraising): currently quiet on fundraising as there was a moratorium in November. Will wait for direction in the new year.
Ian (Treasurer): very little activity, sub-committee to review School Cash On-line to collect donations has been put on hold for the time being.
Marina (Communications): please re-subscribe to the Lawrence Park School Council email sign-up when your eldest child graduates. Parents should sign up with each child in the event a grade specific email is sent.
Lori (Marketing): currently working with Aiman and Liz to create some teacher and staff profiles
Karen (Wellness): School wide mindful moments are hard to implement in the current environment. There has been election within classes to have a class wellness rep to increase engagement and buy-in. Reps will be re-elected for each quad which hopefully increases involvement. Reminder to subscribe to LP Instagram accounts! Looking forward to having LP parent Nicole Cairns will be speaking in a Zoom Wellness seminar in the new year (date TBD). Check out “Wellness Window” in the weekly EYE.
Erika (Ward Rep): In lieu of our annual Staff Appreciation Breakfast (traditionally held in the library twice a year as a thank you to our staff), we have asked for on-line parent donations to be able to present each of the 81 current staff members with a gift card as a token of our appreciation. TDSB rules do not allow for Parent Councils to collect money for staff appreciation therefore this has to be done outside of our council account. Over 90 families have generously donated to this request – overwhelming support!
Robin (Community member): Has 4 children from middle school to university…currently has full scope perspective!
Andrea (Safe & Caring): Will be working with Stephen Bibla (VP) to deliver materials to students (ie anti-bullying).
Greg (Facilities): currently all activity on hold due to covid.
Liz (Chair):

3. Principal’s Report – Aiman Flahat:
-With regard to Toronto Public Health (TPH) recommendation for Covid-19 testing letter sent to our school community on December 2nd, he was surprised LP had been chosen given the low number of cases and positive feedback from TPH after reviewing strict protocols in place at the school. No information has been received by the school as to number of students who went for testing at Sunnybrook. Waiting for a report from TPH.
-School is going well. No issues raised with regard to safety or students no following procedure.
-Staff have been supporting each other with technology
-LP has purchased 40 document cameras to assist with on-line teaching
-Where teacher is quarantined at home, a supply teacher is in the classroom with students to set up the technology and facilitate synchronous learning.
-At this time (quad 2), 70 LP students have chosen option to learn on-line from home (this is different from Virtual School)
-School Photos: still negotiating with the board – no decision has been made.
-Thank you to parents for their patience.
Question asked re cohorts sharing stairwells?
Aiman: Some stairwells are designated up, others down – working fairly well. Morning entry is the challenge as they do not have dedicated staff monitoring the stairwells (staff are fully engaged in classrooms and managing entry). Challenge in the morning with students all arriving as the bell rings (they get piled up).
Question asked re grade 10 french immersion math in english – future options?
Some students grade 10 math was switched to English – this impacts ability to get enough French credits as not many options offered in grade 11 & 12.
Aiman: School is looking at expanding FI offerings. Can only run classes if enough students enroll. Waiting for timetabling update for next year. Secondary School Review could lead to full semester system across the board.
Question asked re students having to have their video on during class?
Aiman: This is an equity issue. Teachers can only encourage, not demand that screens be on. Things can be going on at home behind the scenes that students do not want others to see. This is frustrating for the teachers. Aiman pointed out that only 6/45 participants on this call currently have their videos on.
Additional Comments:
Please use/check: MySchoolDay app
LPTV is live!

4. Next Meeting: January 18th, 7pm
Superintendent Andrew Howard guest

Motion to close the meeting: John Hiddema, second, Robin Conliffe.
Meeting adjourned.

LPCI School Virtual Council Meeting

Monday, October 19, 2020

MEETING MINUTES

Attendees:  Aiman Flahat, Roland Straatsma (Head of Guidance, Liz Hanson, Kelly Green, Marie Armstrong, Erika Boone, Greg Spiers, Andrea Fry, Robin Conliffe, Karen Barasch, Pamela Wilansky, Ian Aukema, Jennifer Tse, John Hiddema, Kirsten Gleistener & 50 others via virtual zoom

Student Liaison Reps
• John W. & Alyssa D.
• Difficult to plan events while meeting protocols
• Main Objective – to spread school spirit via safe events
• First event – Terry Fox Event (Sept 29, 30) – went well, safely, students permitted to walk LP
field track and everyone was socially distanced with masks
• Primary Fundraiser – LP Wear available via physical forms handed out by student council;
forms can be returned to SC reps, catalogue and ordering available online via school website
and social media outlets, NEW this year are LP water bottles; prices have been lowered for this
year so it’s affordable to be able to spread school spirit
• Halloween – planned events include candy bar distribution by SC to students who come to
school in costume during the week of Halloween; pumpkin-carving competition via Instagram
with prize for winners
• STC Cards – student discount cards
• LP’s Got Talent will be the big event of the year run by SC; Daily Break Food Bank will be the
charity – end of Jan/start of Feb; $10 registration fee to go to charity
• SC Heads invited to submit ideas for virtual event ideas, and students will vote on Top 3

Election Rules – Liz Hanson (Chair)
• Anyone whose students are in virtual or in-school environments can come forward to fill Parent Council roles
• Parent Engagement Subcommittee Chair – position available
• Parent Reps to be elected
• Electronic Poll presented to all online attendees – Are you in agreement with the proposed
Parent Council representatives? (Some attendees cannot see the poll so email will be sent to
those who cannot see the poll / or members can vote via Zoom Chat directly to Liz) – results
are 100% in agreement
• Existing Council Members from 2019-20 remain in effect until new election is complete
• Existing Council Members to provide any updates on portfolios
• Treasury – Currently $6,400 bank balance; co-chairing special committee with Ian Aukema –
ways for parents to receive tax receipts; review underway at TDSB re: parent engagement and
fundraising (fundraising on hold due to Covid); hope to move initiatives forward later this year
• Ward 8 Trustee – Shelly Laskin check out her website and subscribe to her newsletters for up to-date information
• Welcome Committee Update – last year event for Grade 9 parents in library; this year the
event went virtual and about 50 parents attended (Hints & Tips document was created last
year by the committee and can be found on the website); Twitter Feed, Instagram Feed
• Certificates available upon graduation – see Hints & Tips for more info on certificates students
may be eligible to receive upon graduation
• Oct 15 Communication from TDSB – Course Withdrawal deadlines, Graduation requirements
• Parents As Partners (visit www.parentsaspartners.ca for more info) virtual conference taking
place this coming weekend

Guidance Update – Roland Straatsma
• Quad 2 starting in about a month – Quad 2 is uncertain re: virtual school, student movement, class sizes
• E-learning registration opened on Thursday – communicated via The EYE
• Night school has started (registration has passed) – Tues/Thurs nights; next session in Feb
• Peer tutor program – 25 peers who are willing to help; working through teachers to pair up students with seniors who can help
• Grade 12s – Upcoming college/university application cycle – links will be shared with Gr. 12s via Google Classroom
• OUAC – Ontario University Application Centre – PINS will be mailed out so that students can begin application process; deadline to apply is January 15 (not on a first-come, first-served basis)
• Virtual Visits – universities – check Google Classroom for upcoming dates; campus virtual tours taking place this week

• Parent Question: Can university fair info be communicated to Grade 11s? – Roland will put out a form/survey to determine who is interested and will be included on communications

• Parent Question: If there will be further schedule/course changes, when will we be informed? Aiman: TDSB has to inform LP before we can inform parents of any upcoming changes; changes will be shares as soon as possible to reduce parent/student frustration and to ensure there are no students held back due to missing requirements (ie. ensure core courses are completed and electives are secondary)

• Parent Question: Help for FI students who may want to attend French university (ie. scholarships, etc.)?
A. (Roland S.) yes, Guidance Counsellor can assist

Principal’s Report – Aiman Flahat
• Excited to communicate and collaborate with parents and put students first in everything we do; staff supported and served to ensure students have best instruction and learning environment
• Excited to share that we’ve launched our mission: inspiring students to identify and practice their gifts in a community that embraces curiosity, creativity and empathy.
• Help students identify those things they may not know about themselves; opportunities to take risks in a safe, inclusive environment
• Building STEM program; maker space lab almost ready in basement; robotics, computer engineering program, innovation hub being led by a new teacher with background in Engineering – focus on Women in STEM
• Science Department – working to partner with outside organizations for new and exciting programs
• LPTV – mobile studio being built within LP Film program – interviewing, editing film, lighting, video, building virtual Grade 8 Info night with skills of LP students; finding new ways to communicate in a challenging time; student announcements / morning broadcasts, student podcasts, Student YouTube channel
• Housekeeping Item – Marks for Quad 1? Marks will be distributed to students this week from teachers via printout, Google Classroom or Brightspace. Deadline for teachers to provide marks is this FRIDAY (Nov. 2 deadline to drop course without penalty)
• Issue with bicycles – 2 messages sent out in The EYE; student bicycles not being locked outside the school; 5-6 bikes were stolen from school property last year; parents encouraged to purchase effective bike locks to deter thefts, DO NOT leave bikes unlocked
• Graduation 2021? Everything is on hold for 2020 Graduation acknowledgements – all school in TDSB in same situation; no planning can be done yet ie. photos; must ensure safe COVID protocols are met prior to having a photo day – pending with TDSB
• Grad photos are generally later in the school year
• 2020 Grads – diplomas and yearbooks will be distributed – dates TBD, as per TDSB
• Some monetary awards / scholarships – plaques to be ordered and presented to students
• LP Pins have been ordered for all Grads – represents connection to LP

Parent Question: where can we find teacher emails?
A. School website find it under parent info, otherwise, call the main office line or email one of the VPs or Principal Flahat to request the missing email address (website currently being updated with all up-todate info)

Parent Question: are there online clubs running? Is there a list somewhere?
A. Yes, lots of clubs running (i.e. dance show), clubs can run as long as they’re done safely – list of all clubs will be shared via The Eye shortly

Parent Question:  Lock and secure incident at a schools to the west of Allenby today. Did LP hear from Police Services?
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/man-posts-in-online-chat-that-he-s-going-to-carry-out-shooting-at-toronto-schoolpolice-1.5151050
A. No, we were not contact by TPS.

Current Numbers:
1150 students at LP
Virtual school – 127 LP students
Some students left for private / Catholic schools
Motion to approve last minutes
Motion to approve: John Hiddema
Second: Erika Boone
Motion to adjourn meeting: Jen Tse
Second: Kelly Green

 MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:36PM