education

HDSB SEAC Meeting Agenda, April 7

The April meeting for the Halton District School Board is Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Board’s office, the J.W. Singleton Centre.

Remember, public is welcome to attend and there are five minutes on the agenda for questions from the public.

Here is the agenda:

  • Welcome and Call to Order
    • Approval of Agenda
  • CALL FOR NOTICES OF MOTION/REPORTS TO THE BOARD
  • Minutes of March 10, 2015 meeting – I think this should be March 24 meeting minutes?
  • QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
  • COMMUNICATION TO SEAC AND CURRENT SUCCESSES
    • Superintendent’s Report
    • Association Reports
    • Trustee Reports
  • SEAC DISCUSSION/QUESTION PERIOD
    • Core French Exemptions
    • SEAC Input on Programs and Services
  • NEXT AGENDA/ORDER PAPER
  • Motion to Adjourn

2015 – 16 Budget Priorities

SEAC was given the opportunity to prioritize the Student Services budget items. Each organization was given three dots to choose the top three items for their organization.

Before we voted, a suggestion was made that appropriate boundaries and sexual education be created specifically for students with developmental disabilities. Timing could be good with the province updating the mainstream sex. ed. curriculum.

This is the list of budget priorities that came from Student Services for us to vote on:

  • Psycho-educational Consultant – $105,000
  • Applied Behaviour Analysis Trainer – $65,000
  • West PROPS Class – $160,000
  • Mental Health Strategy support – $312,000
  • Life Skills/Centre Renovations – $300,000
  • Instructional Program Leader – $113,000
  • Relocate Student Services Lead Team to NSEC 3rd Floor – $100,000
  • Student Services Secretary – $43,000

The top three budget priorities that will be sent to the Board are:

  1. Applied Behaviour Analysis Trainer – $65,000
  2. West PROPS Class – $160,000
    Mental Health Strategy support – $312,000
  3. Instructional Program Leader – $113,000

You can give the board your input on the budget too. The HDSB has posted an online survey that will be open to the public until Friday, March 27, 2015.

March 10 (originally 3) HDSB Agenda

March’s meeting was scheduled for the 3rd but had to be postponed due to the weather. We are now meeting Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. at the Milton Staff Learning Centre in the Main Room, 215 Ontario St. (Hwy 25), Milton, Ont. Remember, the public is welcome to attend these meetings. Here are directions if you’d like to come:

Turn at the traffic lights (intersection is Donald Campbell Avenue and Ontario Street), keep left on the E.C. Drury driveway (travelling north) to the back of the building. There is plenty of parking on the northwest section of the property.

Entry E.C. Drury through entrance AI (door A27)

Here are some agenda items you may be interested in:

  • Approval of the Minutes of February 17, 2015 meeting
  • Budget – Presentation, brainstorming and priorities
  • Committees and other Reports
  • QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
  • COMMUNICATION TO SEAC AND CURRENT SUCCESS

Superintendent’s Report

Association Reports

Trustee Reports

  • SEAC DISCUSSION/QUESTION PERIOD

I know some of you are very interested in the budget, so I’ll share details of the discussion.

For more information, contact (905) 335-3663  or hdsb.ca

Feb. 17 Meeting Update, Part 1

In case you missed my agenda post for this meeting, I’ll use the agenda items as subheadings and share some meetings updates.

SELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE CHAIR

Congratulations to this year’s chair, Denise Nacev. Vice Chair is last year’s chair, Jason Bartlett.

Big Topics – Brainstorming and Priorities

We broke into three smaller groups for this exercise. Each group came up with a list of topics they would like to see HDSB staff provide information on and present to SEAC throughout the year. Some topics, such as budget, must be discussed annually, while other topics are being prioritized to help Superintendent Mark Zonneveld and the chairs set each month’s agenda. There was definitely a lot of interest in discussing inclusion and accessibility for all students as well as various reviews that are already in progress to make sure that SEAC has a chance to give input.

Committee and other Opportunities

There are a number of opportunities for each SEAC member to get involved in other initiatives to represent SEAC.

SEAC has been invited to present and share with parent what we do.

  • PI Committee
    The Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is looking for volunteers to help plan their annual conference.  A SEAC member will sit on the planning committee and SEAC will have a table at the conference again this fall to share information.
  • Accessibility Coordinating Committee
    These meetings allow SEAC members to bring updates on their work connected to the AODA requirements and to help with the annual review of the multi-year HDSB Accessibility Plan. This plan is shared with SEAC every fall of each year and posted online.

  • Equity and Inclusive Education Advisory Steering Committee
    These meetings allow HDSB staff members and community partner members to bring updates on the work they are doing connected to the promotion and advocacy for equity and inclusion. This committee also reviews plans, ,documents and resources.
  • Ministry Special Needs Strategy
    This is a large provincial review. Meeting details have not been determined yet but they are looking to make sure SEAC parent reps have a voice.

There may be other opportunities and Mark will make sure SEAC has the chance to be at the table.

In my next post, I will update you on the rest of the agenda items.

  • Coffee Chats – Ministry grant
  • COMMUNICATION TO SEAC & CURRENT SUCCESSES
    • Superintendent’s Report
    • Association Reports
    • Trustee Reports
  • SEAC MEMBERS QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
  • CALL FOR NOTICES OF MOTION/REPORTS TO THE BOARD
  • FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Feb. 17 HDSB Agenda

They do say ‘time flies’…It’s time for the February meeting of the HDSB SEAC on Tues. I have a feeling it will be a long meeting as there are many things on the agenda.

A topic you may have heard about is what time the board’s high schools should start. Some schools start as early as 8:05 a.m. and apparently, teenagers like to stay up late and sleep in, rather than get up early to go to school. The science behind the recommendation is that teenagers need their sleep so they would do better in school if they didn’t have to be at school so early. Here’s what Amy Collard, our Ward 5 Trustee told us, via email:

“Yes, it is a huge topic, and one we’ve just begun to explore. At our first meeting to discuss the idea of later bell times for secondary, I suggested that SEAC should be invited to give feedback and share ideas and concerns once we get through the preliminary stages. Right now we are still talking to the transportation consortium about feasibility and we have yet to hear from our coterminous board about their interest in pursuing this. It is all very exploratory at this stage. Rest assured, SEAC’s voice will be heard if we decide to pursue it in earnest.”


Sincerely,
Amy Collard
Vice Chair, Halton District School Board
Trustee, Burlington Ward 5

So, even though you may have heard through social media that this topic is on the agenda, we’re not there yet. If you have comments you’d like to share, we’ll hang on to them for when we do get the chance to share with SEAC.

Here are some agenda items you may be interested in:

  • SELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE CHAIR
  • Big Topics – Brainstorming and Priorities
  • Committee and other Opportunities
    • SEAC Provincial Conference
    • Transition to Kindergarten for Students with Special Need
    • PIC Committee
    • Accessibility Coordinating Committee
    • Equity & Inclusive Education Advisory Steering Committee
    • Ministry Special Needs Strategy
  • Coffee Chats – Ministry grant
  • COMMUNICATION TO SEAC & CURRENT SUCCESSES
    • Superintendent’s Report
    • Association Reports
    • Trustee Reports
  • SEAC MEMBERS QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
  • CALL FOR NOTICES OF MOTION/REPORTS TO THE BOARD
  • FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Remember, anyone can attend and observe the meetings. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Halton District School Board Office, J.W. Singleton Centre
2050 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON L7R 3Z2 ‎ 

(905) 335-3663  hdsb.ca

 

Jan. 27 HDSB Meeting

Tuesday, Jan. 27 was the first meeting of the new Special Education Advisory Committee for the 2014 – 18 term. Lots of great information was covered so I will write a number of blog posts over the next days and weeks to share all the information.

Superintendent Mark Zonneveld ran the meeting and I found him to warm, personable and approachable. He shared this inspiring video with us to start the evening and asked us to think about what kind of support Chris may have received. Think about that while you watch it and let me know what you think it the comments below.

Here’s what I will share with you in upcoming posts:

  • What does SEAC do, anyway?
  • What do I do as a parent to get my Special Education concerns heard and resolved?
  • Why does Autism Ontario – Halton and North Halton Chapters have a SEAC rep?
  • Who are my SEAC reps?
  • What do SEAC reps do?
  • Who are my SEAC Trustees?
  • What do SEAC Trustees do?
  • How are SEAC meetings run?
  • How are students supported by Special Education in Halton?
  • Who are the school board staff on SEAC?
  • What does staff do on SEAC?
  • Is there a plan?

Come back here and I will link the blogs to the list above as I write them.

Your HDSB Autism Halton Rep,
Carla

January Agendas

The next Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) meeting for both school boards is this week.

HCDSB

This is Halton Catholic District School Board’s (HCDSB) second meeting of the year, with the first being on Jan. 12. They have posted the agenda for their next meeting, which is Monday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at the HCDSB Education Centre in the Board Room. Take a look and see if you’d like to attend or ask Lisa to bring anything forward on your behalf.

HDSB

Not only is this the first meeting of the year for the Halton District School Board’s (HDSB) SEAC, but as far as I know, it’s our first meeting for this group. Nothing has been posted on their SEAC web pages, but I can give you an idea of who will be at the table and for this upcoming term and what the first meeting will cover.

It looks like the SEAC Trustees for this term are:

  • Amy Collard
  • Leah Reynolds
  • Kim Graves (alternate)
  • Richelle Papin (alternate)

They aren’t on Tuesday’s agenda to speak – actually Leah is for closing remarks –  but they are on the invite list so I’m assuming their our Trustees sitting on SEAC.

Since it’s our first meeting and Jess and I were only approved last week, I believe the focus of this meeting is training and getting us up to speed so we can represent the Autism Ontario Halton and North Halton Chapters.

Here are the items on the agenda:

  1. Welcome and greetings from the Board
  2. Welcome, Introductions, Purpose of Evening
  3. Role/Purpose of SEAC
  4. SEAC Member’s individual role
  5. Operating Procedures and Meeting Protocols
  6. A Walk through the SEAC Binder
  7. Student Support Model
  8. The Special Education Plan
  9. Closing Comments

I hope this helps and if you need me to bring anything forward, feel free to comment here or send me an email.

Check back after the meeting for an update of what I learned at the SEAC rep training.

Take care,
Carla

 

Welcome!

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This blog is to connect parents to the community Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) reps and keep you up to date on monthly SEAC meetings. We hope you will:

  • Ask questions
  • Make suggestions
  • Discuss education for youth with Autism in Halton Region

We, the SEAC reps, will take this information to the monthly meetings and share it with the  committee. After each meeting, we’ll post a blog to let you know how it went and if we were able to get you answers to your questions and concerns.