Awasis Advisory Council

 November 10 Minutes

Awasis Parent Advisory Society 2009 

Getting Involved

Supporting Your Child

Parents are key partners in their child’s teaching and learning. Through encouragement and support, parents emphasize learning appropriate social behavior and are knowledgeable about their child’s participation and progress at school. You can support your child by:

• encouraging, supporting and modeling positive attitudes about education;
• talking with your child about school, interests and friends;
• knowing school rules, program expectations, discipline policies and grading practices;
• working collaboratively with your child’s teacher to support your child’s learning;
• participating in parent-student-teacher conferences;
• reading information such as newsletters and teacher’s notes;
• attending special events.

School Councils

School councils play an important advisory role. School councils are collective associations of parents, teachers, principals, staff, students and community representatives who seek to work together to promote the well being and effectiveness of the entire school community and thereby to enhance student learning. A school council is a means to facilitate cooperation among all the concerned participants in the local school. (Alberta Education) Involvement on these councils includes:

• collaborating and working together to promote student learning;
• focusing on educational matters; and
• providing advice and/or consultation to the school principal on such matters as planning, budget, communications, community relations and school programming.

Volunteering

A gift of time ... that’s what volunteers give our students.

• Volunteers are valuable resources. In schools, they offer support in a variety of areas, working closely with staff to ensure that students receive the best possible education. Volunteers are not meant to replace staff members; they should augment and support the work of these valued employees.
• Volunteers are people from all walks of life, whose talents and experience add an extra dimension to our schools. They are the senior citizens, homemakers and business people in our community who have an interest in our youth, and in helping to shape the future.
• Edmonton Public Schools believes students are best served through a cooperative effort between the school and the community.
• To learn more about volunteer opportunities in the local school, contact your principal.

District Involvement

Information gathered from parents and members of the community assists the board of trustees in making decisions that ensure students are provided with the best possible educational opportunities. Involvement at the district level can include:

• participation in the Parents as Partners program;
• attending public board meetings;
• completing public opinion polls and surveys;
• contacting trustees with ideas and concerns; and
• providing input and supporting board priorities.

Parents as Partners Program

Parents as Partners is a program for parents and school council members who share a commitment to public education and are interested in our district’s priorities and initiatives. They serve as liaisons that bring information back to other parents and their school community. Also, they are able to share their school’s successes, challenges and opportunities with the district. The program gives everyone a great opportunity to hear from and listen to one another. All parents, principals and staff are invited to attend the Parents as Partners meetings.

For additional information, please visit the Partners in Education website at http://partners.epsb.ca or contact Communications by e-mail at parentsaspartners@epsb.ca or by phone 780-429-8040.
 
APAS
 
President/Chairperson     Amanda L'Hirondelle

                                      harley-03@hotmail.com

Vice President                 Darlene Reid

Secretary/Treasurer         TBA