WAPS School Council Constitution

School Council Constitution


Table of Contents

  • Terms of reference
  • Objectives
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Membership
  • Executive committee
  • Executive committee meetings
  • Fiscal year
  • Subcommittees
  • School Council meetings
  • General meetings
  • Elections
  • Appointments
  • Resignations and vacancies
  • Constitutional amendments
  • Effective date


Terms of reference

The School Council may discuss and make recommendations on all school matters, except those related to salary and personnel, and may engage in activities associated with its objectives. Concerns involving individual students are handled by the staff and the administration, not by the School Council.

Objectives

The objectives of the School Council are to:

  1. Establish and maintain liaison between the school and its community.
  2. Work together to provide a positive school environment in which children may grow.
  3. Provide a forum in which the school and its community may discuss issues and solve problems of common concern.
  4. Provide a forum where parents, school staff and community representatives can meet to discuss interests and concerns relating to the children’s school experiences.
  5. Provide a forum in which educational issues, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board policies and operating procedures, and school practices may be discussed.
  6. Identify, study and respond to school, area or system-wide matters which require community input.
  7. Identify needs of the Woodroffe school community and address them in the best interest of Woodroffe students.
  8. Be carried on without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other accretion to the organization shall be used in promoting its objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

The School Council shall provide advice to the Principal and, where appropriate, to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on such school matters as:

  • local school year calendar
  • school code of behaviour
  • school program goals and priorities
  • school budget priorities
  • criteria for selection of a Principal
  • methods of reporting to parents and to the community
  • extracurricular activities in the school
  • community use of school facilities
  • development of a school profile
  • development, implementation and review of Board policies at the local level
  • other such issues as deemed appropriate by the School Council.

Membership

The School Council shall include as members all parents/legal guardians of students, all staff at Woodroffe Public School and community representatives as appointed by the School Council. Parents shall form the majority of the School Council.

Persons from the community at large are welcome to participate in the School Council meetings, receive notices of meetings, submit topics for the agenda and participate in subcommittees, but these persons do not hold voting positions on the School Council.

Executive committee

The Executive Committee acts on behalf of the School Council when necessary between School Council meetings. It consists of a Chairperson or alternatively two Co-Chairs, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Fundraising Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Special Events Coordinator, Past Chairperson, up to three Directors and either the Principal or the Vice Principal. Their duties are:

Chairperson

  • presides over School Council and Executive Committee meetings
  • prepares the agenda for School Council and Executive Committee meetings
  • reports regularly on School Council activities to the school community
  • represents the School Council to outside bodies and authorities
  • in an emergency, acts for the Executive between Executive meetings subject to approval at the next Executive meeting
  • acts as a signing officer
  • ex-officio member of all subcommittees
  • constitution and bylaws ownership
  • generally exercises such authority as is usually associated with the office.

Vice Chairperson

  • acts in the place of, and assumes the responsibilities of the Chairperson when the Chairperson is absent or unable to act
  • assists the Chairperson in carrying out his/her duties.

Treasurer

  • receives moneys and pays bills
  • acts as a signing officer
  • files annual tax return with Revenue Canada to maintain the School Councilís charitable organization status
  • gives a complete and verified accounting of all receipts and disbursements for the fiscal year.

Secretary

  • prepares and distributes documents necessary for meetings
  • prepares and distributes minutes of School Council and Executive Committee meetings
  • drafts correspondence resulting from specific decisions made by the School Council and the Executive Committee
  • keeps a file of official documents.

Communications coordinator

  • Send out ongoing communications to parents families (via email) regarding School Council activities
  • Maintains School Council parent distribution list
  • Monitors School Council email account
  • Submits (as required) School Council update for the school newsletter
  • Website updates

OCASC representative

  • Represents our School Council at monthly OCASC meetings
  • Reports back to School Council updates and information from OCASC

Fundraising coordinator

  • manages and coordinates fundraising activities
  • presides over meetings of Fundraising Subcommittee.

Volunteer coordinator

  • manages volunteer recruitment process
  • coordinates volunteer activities.

Arts Program coordinator

  • Meeting teachers to discuss priorities for total year
  • Liaises with school to organize events
  • Art fund letter/update and send out hard copies for mail by distribution
  • Budget and manage expectations and money available
  • Communicate and book presentations
  • Follow up with teacher, school and presenters

Multicultural coordinator

  • Follow up with teachers, school and presenters
  • Coordinates multicultural presentations in the classroom
  • Liaises with school to coordinate presentations at school
  • Communicates with and book presenters
  • Budget and manage expectations and money
  • Find presenters
  • Book room at school

Play-yard Renewal Coordinator

  • Calls for meetings of play yard renewal committee and sets the agenda
  • Acts as liaison with the school Council, administration and OCDSB maintenance department
  • Oversees design, tender for services and grant-writing activities in the renewal process
  • Serves as school council rep on grant applications

Plant and Tree Advocate

  • Updating and making sure the grounds maintenance plan (weeding, watering, mulching, pruning) is carried out in cooperation with the school staff
  • Providing a copy of the maintenance plan to the Principal as amended
  • Organizing school yard gardening/cleaning up days throughout the school year
  • Notifying the school board maintenance department of damage to trees from lawnmowers, etc.

Past Chair

  • acts as a resource person and provides advice.

Directors

  • manage activities outside the scope of other executive officer roles
  • plan and coordinate projects on an ad-hoc basis
  • act as members for external committees
  • act as resource persons

Teacher Representative

  • Represents the teachers at School Council meetings

Principal / Vice Principal

  • informs and advises the School Council on matters of school and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board policy
  • represent staff members at Executive meetings
  • act as resource persons.

Executive committee meetings

A quorum for an Executive Committee meeting is 5, one of which must be the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson, and one the Principal or the Vice Principal. Any decision or action taken as a result of the Executive Committee meeting must be reported at the next School Council meeting.

Fiscal year

The fiscal year of the School Council is July 1 to June 30.

Subcommittees

The School Council may set up subcommittees made up of interested persons and at least one School Council member to investigate or deal with specific matters. Each subcommittee would have terms of reference established by the School Council and each Chairperson would report to the School Council.

School Council meetings

The School Council meets at least four times per year. All meetings of the School Council are open to the public. Notice is given at least one week in advance and an agenda is available at least three days before the meeting. Any person may place an item on the agenda for consideration by notifying the Chairperson and supplying the relevant information.

A quorum for School Council meetings shall consist of 15 members. These 15 members shall include at least 4 elected members of the Executive Committee and 1 staff member.

A formal vote may be requested by a School Council member on any issue, and the vote is decided by a simple majority of the School Council members present. Each member of the School Council has the right to vote. The Chairperson may cast a vote in the event of a tie.

General meetings

At least one General Meeting is held every year. Normally this will be the June meeting. If a General Meeting is to be held at any other time of year, this intention must be communicated to the school community at least two weeks before the meeting.

Elections

Parent members of the Executive Committee are elected at an Annual General Meeting. Nominations from the parent body are sought at least one month before the meeting by a Nominations Subcommittee formed for that purpose. The new members assume office immediately upon election.

Appointments

The School Council shall appoint community representatives who will best serve the needs of the school. Appointments are normally for a term of one year, however appointed members may seek additional terms of office.

Community representatives may be appointed from business and/or labour groups, community support groups, neighbourhood associations, senior citizen, religious or ethnocultural organizations. Parents of students may be appointed to the School Council as community representatives.

Resignations and vacancies

A member of the School Council ceases to be a member on submission of a written resignation or failure to attend, without just cause, two consecutive meetings of the School Council.

If a School Council position is not filled or becomes vacant during the year, the School Council may appoint a person to that position, provide there is a quorum in office.

Constitutional amendments

This Constitution may be amended at a General Meeting if the proposed amendments have been included in the notice for the meeting and if a 2/3 majority of the vote cast at the meeting are in favour of the amendments.

Effective date

This Constitution takes effect on the date on which it is adopted by the School Council.

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