What is Parent/School Council?

To avoid confusion it is important to take note that there are actually two Parent Councils.

The original Parent council was designed primarily to support school activities. They did so by raising money, arranging for classroom volunteers and even building playgrounds. 

School councils were established in 1995, to increase parent and community involvement in the education of children in Alberta. School councils are mandatory for all public schools - including charter schools. School councils may choose to become involved in decisions that set direction for the school—establishing a mission statement, a vision statement, guiding principles and objectives. The school council may develop strategies for achieving these objectives. Each school council will determine its own level of involvement, depending on local need.

Our school has both a Parent (Fundraising) Council AND a School (Guiding) Council who work closely together under the banner "Parent Council"

It is all rather confusing and to alleviate any misunderstanding we generally operate as one council. 

It is the Role of School Council to:

§                   Assist in defining the school’s mission, vision and goals rather that on the day-to-day management of the school, or the professional practices of the principal and teachers.

§                   (It is important to note that School council DOES NOT get involved in staffing or staff issues) 

§                   Consult with the principal; so he/she may ensure school performance, programs and priorities meet the school community’s expectations.  Carrying out this role requires extensive consultation with the school community and collaboration on setting priorities and performance measures. 

§                   Advise the principal, the school board, Alberta Education, parents and volunteers on any matter relating to the school, including strategies to help the school fulfil it’s mission and vision, and methods of evaluating the school’s progress towards its goals.  It may similarly wish to advise the school board, Alberta Education or other provincial organizations on broader education issues.   

§                   School council consult with the principal on issues related to student learning within the school and with other school councils and education partners on wider issues. 

§                   School councils share information with the school community, school boards, other school councils, Alberta Education and other provincial organizations. 

Who is Parent/School Council? 

ALL parents of students in the school are members of both councils and can choose whatever level of involvement they wish.  An executive is elected to provide information and guide the council, however anyone attending the meetings is eligible to participate in the discussion and vote on any issue before the council.

 We hope to see you at the meetings!