Parent involvementHOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN MY CHILD’S EDUCATION? Volunteering in schools Parent and community volunteering is encouraged but remains optional. "Parent volunteer" means a parent (or guardian) who has a child attending the school where the volunteering takes place and who agrees to perform, without compensation, a support task for an activity organized by a class, the school or the CECLFCE. The procedure is very simple. Contact your school’s principal at your earliest convenience to schedule an interview and to submit your references and proof of criminal record check. "Community volunteer" means a member of the community who does not have a child attending the school where the volunteering takes place and who agrees to perform, without compensation, a support task for an activity organized by a class, the school or the school board. In each school, tasks are assigned to volunteers by the school principal, and the assignments must comply with the restrictions and requirements set out in the policies and procedures of the Conseil scolaire fransaskois (CSF). Volunteer management is based on procedures related to screening, training, monitoring, and evaluating volunteers and recognizing their contributions. Volunteers are expected to: • provide support for school activities, at the request and under the supervision of school board staff, primarily the school principal; • never take on the role of identifying students’ learning strengths or difficulties or evaluating their progress; • respect the Francophone character of the school. Fundraising The CSF recognizes the usefulness of fundraising as a way for schools to support charities, community service organizations, and school activities and programs. In principle, therefore, the CSF is in favour of guided student participation in fundraising activities. Under no circumstances may fundraising contradict the school board’s philosophy or classroom activities.
There are a number of reasons for parents and teachers to cooperate: 1. Children’s attitudes are influenced by their parents’ 2. Parents are legally responsible for their children 3. Parents can be an important resource for teachers 4. Often, schools do not have the support they need, and parents need to be involved in efforts to change their children’s behaviour Goupil, Georgette, Communications et relations entre l’école et la famille, Chenelière/McGraw-Hill, 1997 Parents can offer their free and voluntary participation at the school in a variety of ways:
• Involvement through volunteering. Volunteering is indispensable for bringing the school and the community together. It is based on the very real role that parents and other community members can play at the school, on the desire and effort to organize and structure, and on the rewards, growth and recognition of everyone involved in the children’s education.
• Involvement in training, discussion and information groups. These meetings foster parental involvement by offering them guidance based on specific needs, and help parents save time by bringing them together in small groups, while giving them each the opportunity to express themselves. School councils The CÉF believes that school councils are an excellent way to:
* support participation by parents, students, staff, and members of the community in guiding and continually improving student performance; School councils are advisory bodies. Their primary function is to advise school principals and/or the CÉF, as applicable. For more information or to join the school councils, please call our toll free number 1-877-273-6661 or email us at regina@cefsk.ca . |
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