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Parent
Council
The school council at GMS is made up of both
parents and staff. We meet on the 4th Tuesday of
each month, as well as daily contributions by individuals in
support of various school programs and activities. The council
provides an excellent way of making a meaningful contribution
to the life of the students of GMS.
The following are the major areas that the
GMS council focuses on:
Consultation between Parents and the School
Staff
Throughout the year there are many issues that
benefit from a dialog between parents and the school principal
and other staff members. This can be information about things
going on at school that parents should know about, as well as
concerns or other issues that parents want to bring to the attention
of the school.
The GMS council is set up to have a co-operative
dialog with the school staff. In many decisions affecting the
students, the parents are consulted early for feedback and suggestions
before a new program is implemented. We are not simply told
what will happen after the decision is made, but rather the
council is an active part of making decisions that affect the
students.
Issues or concerns that parents have that affect
many students can also be raised and discussed with staff. This
is again a co-operative environment where both parents and students
work to resolve the issue and understand the potential options
for a resolution.
Concerns of individual students or a specific
situation are always discussed in private, and the confidentiality
of any individual situation is always respected.
Learning Support
The students of GMS are here to learn, and
parent support is a critical component to create a successful
learning environment. The parents of GMS have many skills and
interests that can help both in the classroom, as well as extracurricular
activities.
Time
– It is our time and experience that can make a difference.
We all have an interest or expertise, and it is often of interest
to some students as well.
Reading – Math – Music - Chess
– Woodworking – Robotics - Astronomy – Journalism
– Photography – Space - and more.
All of these things, and more can be used to
help make the learning at GMS second to none.
Healthbar
Healthbar
provides milk, pizzas, subs, and hamburgers as a welcome
break from bagged lunches. Both kids and parents look forward
to the variety in the lunch menu.
Healthbar also generates funds that go towards
the school's needs list.
Fundraising and the Needs List
The school has created a prioritized list of
books, equipment and other items, known as the needs list,
that would benefit the learning environment at the school. This
is a master list that teachers and staff use to identify resources
that they could use in the classroom, or in support of an extra-curricular
activity. By prioritizing the items on the list, it is possible
to do planning such that the resources with the most impact
are purchased first, as well as ensuring that the resources
are spread evenly for all students.
The GMS council has a number of fundraisers
that are run in support of the needs list, or occasionally
in support of a specific item, such as library chairs
or sports equipment.
Administration
"Administrivia" is the necessary
evil to keep all of the other important activities running.
The GMS council is following the regulations as set out by the
Ministry of Education (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Regs/English/000612_e.htm),
Major decisions of council, including the disbursements
of money and any motions
The GMS council is made up of the following
executive positions, which all have voting rights on council.
Chair
Chair all meetings and oversee the running of council
Vice-Chair
Chair meetings when the chair is not present and help
run council
Secretary
Take minutes of all meetings and track any paperwork
Treasurer
Manage all finances of council
Voting Positions
Member at Large
Has voting
rights
Coordinator Positions
Healthbar Coordinator
Fundraising Coordinator
OCASC
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