About
Welcome to Dewson School Council
Who We Are
At the Dewson School Council, we believe that a strong school community begins with dedicated parent and caregiver volunteers. Our mission is to provide our children with an exceptional educational experience that nurtures their curiosity, ignites their creativity, and supports their personal growth.
About Dewson School Council
Dewson School Council is composed of four or five executive officers and two representatives per class. A parent/caregiver member is an elected member of Dewson School Council, and must be a parent/guardian of a child enrolled in the school. Elected members are eligible both to vote on council, and to run as executive candidates.
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Class Representatives
Class representatives have two primary jobs:
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Communicate to parents of your class to help teachers organize parent volunteers, and assist in finding volunteers for various class and school events.
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Participate in School Council related activities: attend five Dewson School Council meetings, participate/volunteer in various School Council events, and assist in communicating to class parents about events or information from school council.
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Elections
Election of the School Council Executive occurs within the first thirty days of the start of each school year. All are welcome to attend School Council Meetings. Child minding is provided at meetings.
Dewson School Statement of Needs
What is the School Statement of Needs (SSON)?
• This is the form completed by the school council/parent representative of every school each fall.
• It outlines the parent/community priorities for the school that the superintendent will use to identify a principal if one needs to be appointed. It is a record of the main priorities of the parent community and the school board for that specific school.
To read the current Dewson SSON, please click here for a document.
Dewson School Council By-Laws
Committees
Dewson School Council features a number of committtees that provide specialized programming for students and the community. Please click here for more information.
2023–2024 Coordinating Committee
Treasurer
Chair
Amanda DeVogel
Treasurer
Andrew Waters
Communications Officer
Laura Sultan
Administrative Officer
Maria Judas
Equity Officer
VACANT​
Meet the 2023–2024 Council
Debra Randall
Amanda DeVogel
Andrew Waters
Anabela Piersol
Angela Molina
Basmah Akash
Maya Berinzon
Dirk Bernhardt-Walther
Deirdre Byrne
Megan Callaghan
Haley Cohen
Sam Finkleman
Jennifer Freudenthal
Joanna Furse
Gigi Lau
Ruzica Vrdojak Licienta
Maddie McCabe-Lokos
Erin Morris
Jennifer Newman
Elysha Phillips
Kaushiki Rao
Safia (Sophie) Shanir
Savannah Shears
Samara van der Smissen
Where Does the Money Go?
Curious about where the fundraising money goes? At each budget meeting, our committees submit a budget for approval so the funds are allocated towards programs that best serve our students. We value collaboration and transparency in all our endeavors, and we understand how important it is to have a diverse selection of programs.
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2023–2024 fundraising will support the following:
Enrichment
The arts committee provides Dewson students with hands-on workshops with professional artists in the community, with a focus on working with traditionally underrepresented groups of artists. This is a Dewson tradition going on 25 years strong! We have hosted workshops for dance, drumming, pottery, theatre, and more.
We also provide students with a number of subscriptions to learning resources, including RazKids.
Outdoor Education
We have offered after-school programs, such as sports clubs, that allow our students to stay active and healthy while having fun with their friends. We also supply garden and outdoor art supplies to encourage our students to explore their creativity. A goal of Council for 2023–2024 is schoolyard improvement: identifying which areas require updating and repair, and creating a plan of action to improve the Dewson schoolyard for years to come.
Other
Our council works to fundraise and allocate resources to various areas such as community events (movie nights, swaps), enhancing classrooms, providing graduation celebrations and workshops for both students and parents.
Our aim is to create a supportive and welcoming community that works together to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student at Dewson.