The month of March signals the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is the time for school councils to spring forward and make those important plans to prepare for the next school year.
I know the initial reaction of many will be, “what already, we are still focused on this year”. That is true, however, most councils do not have a June meeting. It is usually fun fair/community event time leaving only two meetings, April and May to plan for the next school year.
There are a few important items to put on your next two meeting agendas:
- Officer transition planning:
There may be executive council members who will be moving on, either because their child is graduating or they are moving. Now is the time to discuss who would be interested in running for executive positions next year. To ensure that the long range goals of the council will remain strong, it is beneficial to hold a couple of special meetings concentrating on reviewing the roles and responsibilities of the various officer positions. It is the opportunity to discuss how the chair has found success this year, for instance how meetings were planned by the Principal, and the challenges they faced. For instance how to get input from the parent community on items included on the monthly agendas. - Recruiting parents for next year:
Since school council elections take place very early in the new school year, this is the time to look at strategies for recruiting new parents to the council.- To begin, look at the strategies you have tried in the past. What were the results of those efforts?
- Think about the parents who have attended meetings throughout the year who were not elected members, but showed an interest in the council. Try to meet with them and encourage them to get involved. Have certain parents raised questions or comments about the work of the council? This is a good time to encourage them to run as voting members in the new school year.
- Consider whether the existing council represents the diversity of the school community. If not, work with your Principal or community leaders to develop plans to engage parents from all ethnic, economic and learning (special education) communities. The council can only be effective for all students in the school if all groups are represented and have a voice on the council. Here are some tips on building a multicultural school council.
- Team Building Exercise:
Spring is the perfect time for the parent leaders in the school, in cooperation with the school Principal to organize a community clean up. The warmer fresh air is a great opportunity to round up students, parents and teachers to clean up the school grounds. Making the clean up a scavenger hunt will make the job fun and create an environment of team building for the whole school community. - Review by-laws for update:
School councils normally change their membership to some degree each year so it is beneficial to review the by-laws to be sure that they continue to adequately support the process and work of the council. It is important that all members understand the by-laws as they stand before making any proposals for amending them. For more information on school council by-laws, please read our blog, Is there a Need for School Council By-laws?
Use this time wisely
Spring is the perfect planning time for moving into the new school year. It is also a good time to look at what you have accomplished and what goals can still be met before the end of the year.
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Still have questions?
After reading this article, do you still have some questions regarding Spring school council planning? Not to worry, be sure to check out our parent engagement forum and reach out to other parents and parent council members.
