Place the following items in a small transparent bag and tie with ribbon tagged "School Council Survival Kit".
All items should be listed on a typed sheet that indicates the idea each item represents. Great ice-breaker.
A great way to welcome parents and show your accessibility as the school council chair!
LIFESAVERS To remind you of the many times others need help and we need theirs. COTTON BALL For the rough roads. Seek the cushioned support of your School Council family and
friends within Catholic Education. RUBBER BAND A reminder to stay flexible. SWEET AND SOUR CANDY To help you appreciate the differences in others. HAPPY FACE Smiling not only increases your face value, it is contagious. CANDLE To remind you to share your light with others. BAND-AID For healing hurt feelings, yours and someone else's. ERASER To remind you that we all make mistakes, but they can always be corrected. Everyday
you can start with a clean slate. TYLENOL Thanks for volunteering on behalf of your school and for your continued
support on your School Council. We know this job can be a real headache. STICKY TAPE Thanks for "sticking" to it and holding the Council together. BATTERY To give you that extra charge to keep going & going & going. TEA BAG Take a few minutes to yourself and relax. PIECE OF ROPE For the times when you feel you have reached the end of your rope - this will keep you going a bit longer. SPOON (plastic) Sometimes you have to stir things up a bit. KLEENEX To wipe away the tears that may come on occasion. BUTTON To keep your shirt on, when you become impatient. CANDLE It is not necessary to blow out another's light in order to let your own shine. PAPER CLIP This is to help you hold it together and to remind you that you are most useful
when focused in the right direction. STAR Keep up the good work! There will be stars in your crown. MATCH To help you through the darkness of uncertainty. SANDPAPER To help you file away the rough spots of the year.
Best Practices
In our effort to facilitate the exchange of ideas on what works best in Ontario schools, this page features ideas
that (1) contribute to parent and community participation, (2) promote the effectiveness of School Councils, and (3) impact
the educational experience and academic achievement of students in the publicly funded school system. We encourage School
Councils to share their submission ideas for Reaching Out to Parents grants, for example, so that schools across
Ontario can optimize their proposals in the grant application process. Send us your ideas!
10 ways to get your school council off to a flying start!
Recruit - Get people involved! Encourage parents, the school community and
staff members to come out to school council meetings. Everyone has a contribution to make to student success. And
the experience of being a council member or attending council meetings can be very satisfying and rewarding.
Communicate - Communication is the key to success. Establish open communications
between the council and your school community. Take advantage of all the available opportunities to share information
about your events and activities. The more people hear your message, the more interested they will be in your plans.
Welcome - A warm smile and a welcoming attitude will help people feel at ease. Make
a point of greeting newcomers and introduce them to members of the council. Include some social time in every meeting,
so that people can get to know one another. Making people feel comfortable and involved is one of the best ways of
building your council membership.
Inform - Give parents the information they need to participate actively in school
council meetings. Explain the purpose of council and the role it plays in student success. Outline the responsibilities
of council members and the council executive. Let parents know how they can take part in council activities, even if
they're not elected members of the council.
Organize - Everyone appreciates meetings that are productive, efficient and
well-managed. To run an effective meeting:
prepare an agenda with time limits for each agenda item and distribute to members before the meeting
start and end the meetings on time
stay on topic and keep discussions to the timeframe indicated on the agenda
share information clearly and simply
listen carefully to each speaker and treat all viewpoints with respect
Guide - Set clear guidelines for your council meetings. Based on the board school
council policy, decide how you will make decisions and resolve conflicts. Make sure everyone knows how to express an
opinion, share ideas and arrive at a consensus. By establishing these guidelines at the beginning of the year, you will
eliminate confusion and set a positive tone for your meetings.
Share - Develop a common purpose. Discuss the best ways to support student achievement
and the school's success plan and goals. Make sure everyone is aware of the school's mission, vision and values. People form
a much stronger team when the understand the purpose and value of their efforts.
Prioritize - Establish goals and objectives for your council based on the school's
success goals and the board priorities. By setting realistic targets, you will help council members stay focused on priorities.
They will also get a real sense of accomplishment when they eventually hit their targets.
Plan - Develop action plans for your goals and objectives. Assigning specific tasks
and responsibilities, with defined timelines, will help you reach your goals - on time and on target.
Record - Keep accurate records of your council meetings, activities and events.
Distribute and publicly post minutes of each meeting as soon as possible after the meeting. You'll need them to prepare
your annual report. They also provide a clear and detailed record of your decisions and plans. These records will help
you document your successes and learn from your mistakes.
"That was Easy" ...says Birch Cliff Heights Public School Council A 2006 Reaching Out to Parents Grant Idea
By: Mary Lee Halverson, Chair, Birch Cliff Heights Public School Council
In late spring of this year, all school councils across Ontario received exciting news: they were going to be
given a present of $500 from the Ministry of Education to spend on parent involvement initiatives. There was a
catch, though. The Ministry stipulated that schools had to "use it or lose it". That is, while giving the money
with one hand, the government made clear that it would take it back with the other if it was not spent by the
end of the summer. Not much time for school councils to get their act together, especially when most councils
take a hiatus over the summer.
Just ask the folks at Birch Cliff Heights Public School, for instance. Under pressure to move quickly, this
Scarborough elementary school took the suggestion of one smart parent and ran with the idea. "Why don't we buy
a gift certificate from Staples Business Depot?" proposed school council member Deborah Ryan. The chair of the
council contacted the Board to see if this would be an allowable use of these funds. The answer was "yes",
provided the gift certificate would be used for parental involvement initiatives. Days before the government
deadline for spending the money, the gift certificate was purchased and a special project was immediately set
into action.
The first two weeks of September saw members of the council working fast to produce the third publication of
the Birch Cliff Heights School Council Calendar. Building on successes of previous years, this calendar offers
an impressive compendium of school events, special dates, extracurricular announcements, and valuable resource
listings on its pages. It includes important information about the school, facts about EQAO testing, material
explaining the Board's Parent Involvement Advisory Committee, tips for parent-teacher interviews, and much more.
Parent now know when to watch out for such events as the Folk dancing Jambouree, sign-up months for sports such
as volleyball and soccer, school spirit days, craft club, and a myriad of activities that happen at this school
over the course of the year. The calendar helps children remember to listen for announcements during particular
days of the month - a great tool for getting "little ears" to open up a little wider…. :-)
The best part of the calendar is that it is packed with pictures of the kids, staff, and parents. Every month,
students turn the page of the calendar to discover a new month of fun and excitement. So, not only is this
calendar a great organizing tool for students and parents, it is a treasured keepsake for all kids who
attend Birch Cliff Heights.
Ministry of Education – Press Release New resources to help parents become more involved in children's education
NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Oct. 19 /CNW/ - Two new grants will make it easier for more parents to become involved with their child's
education, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced today.
"We recognize that parents play a vital role in the development and education of their child and the success of our schools," said
Wynne as she released the final report of the Interim Parent Involvement Advisory Board. "That is why we are providing targeted
funding to help parents overcome any challenges they have regarding involvement - so they can better support their children's
learning." [Read more]
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