Parents’ Association Policy

Baltydaniel N.S.

Parents’ Association Policy

Name of the Association

The name of this organisation shall be Baltydaniel N.S. Parents’ Association, hereafter referred to as ‘Parents’ Association’.


The Purpose of the Parent Association

• The parents’ association is the structure through which the parents and /or guardians of pupils of Baltydaniel N.S. can work together to provide the best possible education and school environment for the children attending the school.
• The parents’ association will work with the Principal, staff and Board of Management to build effective co-operation and partnership between home and school.
• The parents’ association will promote the interests of the pupils in co-operation

with the Board of Management, Principal, teachers and pupils in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.

• To make efforts to inform the parents and/or guardians of pupils about the school and to provide opportunities for families to get to know each other. To provide a vehicle of communication among families, teaching body and pupils of Baltydaniel.
• To provide volunteers for needs of Baltydaniel School as required and to engage in fundraising activities, thereby assisting the goals of the school.
• The association recognises that problems relating to individual pupils or parents and or teachers are a matter for determination between the individual pupil and or parent/guardian and the school authorities.
• To provide parent nominees to the Board of Management.

The Aim of the Parent Association

The aim of the Parents’ Association shall be to enable parents to play their part in ensuring

the best possible education for their children, through the Parents’ Association programme of activities.

The Parent’s Association shall promote the interests of the pupils with the Board of Management, Principal, teachers and students, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.



The Work of the Parent Association

The Parent Association committee will be responsible for ensuring that all parents are consulted on issues which are pertinent to the entire body. The Parent Association committee may advise the Principal and Board of Management on any matters relating to the school in accordance with the Education ACT, 1998, 26. – (2)(a)

The committee is the team that will manage the tasks of the association on behalf of the parent body (the members).

The committee will draw up a plan for the activities of the association, in consultation with parents and in accordance with their wishes.

The committee will be responsible for seeing that activities are run in an effective way.

The committee will consult with the Principal and Board of Management when planning the programme of activities for any particular year.

The committee will arrange with the Principal and Board of Management a system for on-going communication.

At the annual general meeting (AGM) the committee will report to the parent body (the members) about the work.

The committee will manage and account for any funds collected or expended by the Parents’ Association.



The Membership of the Parent Association

All parents or guardians of children attending Baltydaniel N.S. will be deemed to be members of the Paren’st Association.


The Committee of the Parent Association

• While all parents are part of the Parents’ Association, not all can or need be involved in the day to day business of organising the work. The affairs of the association shall be conducted by the Parents’ Association Committee; consisting of such number of members as will enable there to be effective decision making body: up to a maximum of 10 members plus 2 Board of Management Parent Nominees.
• At a minimum the association will have at least 4 officers; chairperson, treasurer, secretary and PRO (Principal will act in a position until the position is filled)
• Eligibility; committee members must be eligible members at all times. The definition of an eligible member is that they are a person of good character and that their child would be currently enrolled in the school.
• Election of Committee: not less than 10 working days notice of the AGM shall be sent

to each member and must be accompanied by the agenda for the meeting. The notice of the meeting should be drawn up and agreed between the Chairperson and the Secretary.

• The committee shall hold office from AGM to AGM. The AGM will be held in the first term of each academic year, usually in the month of September. Each member will be elected for a year. Members may go forward for election for a further year, providing they have a child in the school.
• Parent nominees elected to the Board of Management are automatically members of the committee, but may not hold an officer post so as to avoid any conflict of interest with their role as board members. Parent nominees to the board of management are invited to attend committee meetings. They hold their position on the Board of Management for a period of four years.
• Immediately following the election of the committee at the AGM the first business of the committee shall be to elect the officers of the committee as follows; Chairperson, treasurer, secretary and PRO. Persons putting their names forward for officer positions must be proposed and seconded. Where two or more persons are going forward for a position, a vote is held in the form of a paper ballot. The new officers must have served on the committee in the past or been an active member of the volunteer list prior to taking the role of officer where possible. It is not recommended that officers remain in the same office for more than two successive years.
• Committee meeting shall be chaired by the chairperson, or in his/her absence the secretary. In the absence of both the chairperson and secretary, those members present shall elect a chairperson for the meeting.
• Committee resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority of those members present. The Chairperson has the casting vote.
• The quorum for a committee meeting is; half of the committee, plus one.
• The committee shall meet on a fixed schedule basis during the school year following the Annual General Meeting. Regular meetings shall be held on a date mutually agreed by parent association committee members. The agreed schedule of all members shall be sent via e-mail to all members at start of year and to the school principal.
• Additional reminder of meetings will be sent via text/e-mail to all committee members in advance of meeting.
• The secretary shall keep minutes of all discussions and decisions agreed at the committee meetings and maintains a file of all correspondence of the association and retaining all necessary books and records of the assoc.(except finance documents which would be remit of treasurer). In addition the secretary is responsible for issuing notices, taking minutes and sending correspondence etc.
• The principal is invited to attend meetings, notification is sent by e-mail direct to the school e-mail address. The parents are notified of each meeting by text-a-parent from the P.A. The agenda is sent by email prior to the meeting and an agreed report is emailed directly after the meeting.
• Removal – should a member of the parents’ association be declared, by three quarters majority of the association, to be guilty of conduct, which is prejudicial to the interest of the association of the school or be incapable of discharging his/her duty as a member of the association, he/she may be discharged from the parents’ association.
• If a member does not attend 3 consecutive meetings they will be contacted by the chairperson in writing, to clarify their future commitments to the committee.
• Delegation – if a vacancy arises during the period of the office of the committee, such vacancy may be filled by co-option at the discretion of the committee.

Subcommittees

• Subcommittees can be set up for particular tasks that arise throughout the year.
• They may also co-opt parents from volunteer lists and from the general parent’s body to assist in their work.
• Such sub-committees may at the discretion of the committee, include persons other than a parent or a guardian.
• They are accountable to and must report to the main committee.
• Such sub-committees shall be regarded as ceased once they have reported back to the committee unless otherwise decided by the committee.

Finance

• The Parent Association committee will finance its activities through fundraising.
• Fund raising for the school by the parent association will be done with prior knowledge of the principal of the school with the approval of the Board of Management.
• A treasurer will be nominated from among the committee members and will be responsible for keeping the accounts of the parents’ association finances.
• A financial report containing a written statement of income and expenditure is submitted to the AGM by the treasurer, upon presentation, these accounts will be proposed and seconded. The same annual statement of accounts will be given to the principal to submit at the following B.O.M. meeting. This is done just once a year usually in the month of June.
• The treasurer will provide a financial statement at each committee meeting for consideration by the committee members.
• The treasurer will be accountable to the School Management and the members for all monies to which the association and its activities give rise.
• Money fundraised by the Parents’ Association for the benefit of the school is lodged into the ‘Fund Account’ which is one of the school bank accounts.

• On occasion the PA will make a donation towards needy cases in the community. This will be discussed by the committee and in consultation with the school principal.

Membership of National Parents Council Primary

The Parent’s Association will maintain membership of National Parents Council Primary by annual subscription.

 

Changes to the Policy

• Proposed changes to the policy must be submitted in writing to the Chairperson at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
• Parts of the parents’ association policy may be changed at the AGM.
• These changes shall require a two thirds majority of those present at the meeting.

Confidentiality

The committee communicates openly with the parents in the school. Occasionally matters may arise that must be kept confidential. In such cases, confidentiality shall be respected.


Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of the parents association, all of its assets shall pass to the school.


Policy Review

This policy was reviewed in November 2021 and is due to be reviewed again in November 2023 or sooner if the need arises.