Opportunities for parents to get involved in school life

As the new school year begins, parent/ caregivers should be thinking how they can best be involved with their student’s education.

One way would be to become actively part of each school’s parent liaison council that usually meets once a month to discuss issues and make plans to help in school activities.

I would encourage parents to come to these meetings.

It is the best way to meet with other parents, staff members, and the school administration, to ask questions about what is happening in your school and how you can help make this building a great place for your child to achieve daily.

You could also have the opportunity to join a larger group of parents throughout the board by being a member of PIC or the Parent Involvement Committee.

This active committee in the District School Board of Niagara also meets monthly in different school locations to discuss issues that parents from many schools bring to the table.

It is a great way to see what is happening in various schools and their school councils and share these “best practices” with your school council.

PIC also holds a highly successful and provincially recognized conference each year at Eden Secondary School in St. Catharines during the first week in November.

In the past, 500 or more parents have gathered that evening to attend workshops that provide a spectrum of information regarding pertinent issues in your child’s life both in elementary and secondary school.

The Ministry of Education calls this one evening conference the best in Ontario, and, with the DSBN, provides funding to help cover costs.

The DSBN PIC Conference is free to those that attend and provides child care and a light supper at no cost.

Ask your school’s principal for information.

Alex Bradnam,

St. Catharines