Family engagement activities linked to learning lead to student achievement

According to Dr. Karen Mapp, family engagement activities linked to learning have the greatest impact on student achievement... seems obvious, doesn't it? Think about the activities you run as a school or council. Are they linked to learning?

Share some examples!

Thanks,
Alison

Webinar with Dr. Karen Mapp, author of Beyond the Bake Sale

I had the opportunity to attend a presentation last year hosted by the Ministry of Education featuring Dr. Karen Mapp, Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-author of ‘Beyond the Bake Sale’.

Her presentation really broadened my understanding of family engagement. I’d love to create an opportunity in the future for our school council members, principals and other school staff to hear from her. In the meantime, I’ve come across a webinar hosted by the Halton Catholic Parent Involvement Committee featuring Dr. Mapp. If you can find the time, I'm sure you'll find it's an hour well spent.

(http://youtu.be/xmp8M4qMjsc)

Feel free to post your thoughts here. I'd love to start a discussion on this.

Happy Friday everyone!  
Alison

Parent Involvement Committee meeting, plus People for Education survey

I just posted the agenda for next Monday's (Jan. 28) Parent Involvement Committee meeting. The meeting is starts at 5 p.m. in the Trustees' Area of the HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario Street in Mississauga. Agenda items include:

Co-chair election
Discussion about 2012-13 budget
Update on Peel region projects

Remember, these meetings are open to the public.

Also, we received this message from People For Education to our Parent Involvement Committee email account:

Dear Network Members,

The school council surveys have now been posted, so people can complete them online.  Please forward these links to all of your school contacts:

School Council Survey – English :  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PK3ZHFQ

Sondage auprès des conseils d’école – Français :  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P8MYHKG

This is the only survey that looks at the roles and activities of school councils, so it is important that we hear from as many schools as possible.  The deadline to complete the survey is March 28, 2013. Please share this information widely.

Thanks,

Jacqui

Jacqui Strachan

Director of Outreach and Parent Support

People for Education

416-534-0100 or 1-888-534-3944

Jacqui@peopleforeducation.ca

Follow me on Twitter: @jacquistrachan

Join the P4E Online Community: http://discuss.peopleforeducation.ca/

They're asking that only one survey be submitted per school council. Please make sure your chair is aware of this. I will forward the link to our 'all school council chairs' distribution list as well.

Thanks,

Alison

Have you made your bylaws yet?

If you don't already have them, one of the things your council should do this year is create bylaws. The Ministry of Education requires every school council to have bylaws covering election procedures, conflict of interest, resolving conflict and filling vacancies.

Bylaws governing other areas of operation may also be developed. Bylaws created by the school council must not conflict with any provisions of Ontario Regulation 612/00 or the Peel board’s School Council Policy.

For tips on how to create bylaws, watch our webinar:

(http://youtu.be/lic53qdawxs)


Use our templates as a starting point.

Once you have your bylaws approved, make sure to have them posted to the school council section of your school website. Check out how they're posted at Plum Tree Park. Website posting needs to be done by an employee at the school with access to update the website. There's help available through the Communications Department. If you want to fix up your school council section and the school team with access needs a refresher, they can always contact me (Alison) at alison.farbar@peelsb.com or Kayla at kayla.tishcoff@peelsb.com.

Thanks,
Alison