Parent Circle Terms of Reference

The Parent Circle (PC), a community building committee, serves as the vehicle for full parent involvement in the life and development of the school community.

The Parent Circle will have the following responsibilities:

• To act as a collective voice for TWS parents
• To assist in promotion and support of volunteerism within TWS
• To assist in the support and promotion of fund raising activities
• To enhance communications between TWS parents and all other members of the TWS Community

Members:

• One representative from each class - Kindergarten to Grade 12 - forms the Parent Circle along with the chair(s).
• Notes: In the case of absence the class representative may ask another parent to act on their behalf.

Chairs(s):

The chair(s) can come from the wider parent community according to the skill base required. The chair(s) will be a full member of the TWS Board. The chair(s) alternate their membership terms for succession, so that an experienced chair is available each year. Chairs are selected by members.

Associate Members:

• The Development officer will serve in an advisory role
• Any TWS Parent

Class Representatives will normally be selected by the parents of the class they are from by a consensus process by the end of school year.

Class Representative Criteria:

• Excellent listening and communication (written/verbal) skills
• Ability to direct parent issues to the right individuals/organizations versus trying to solve problems
• Desire to volunteer, and to make a difference in the TWS community

• 1 Year for PC Members
• 2 Years for Chairs

An annual process would occur to ensure membership and the nomination of chairs. Should a member or chair wish to continue past the term above, then a consensus process or if need be an election would need to take place in order to re-elect the member. This would involve the participation of the PC members for the position of Chair or the body of classes’ parents in the case of a regular PC member.

The appropriate transfer of roles would take place to allow for strong continuity or succession by alternating terms of the chair(s).

Approximately monthly or as needed. Meetings will normally be held on weekday evenings.

Items that involve decisions will be made by a consensus process. This process includes at the discretion of the chair the option to initiate a voting process on items where a consensus is not achievable.. In this case each PC member will have one vote. Associate members and guests do not have voting rights. Quorum is 60%.

• The TWS PC Chair(s) report to the Board on a regular basis
• The TWS PC Chair(s) or delegate acts in a reciprocal communication relationship to the Circle of Chairs
• Each PC member has a responsibility to both invite input from the parents of his or her class and also to circulate a summary to respective parents of what was discussed at PC meetings in a timely manner.

• PC representatives are primarily accountable to the parents in their respective classes.
• Chairs are accountable to the community of TWS parents and the TWS Board in terms of accurately representing the TWS PC and to prepare an annual review of the activities of the PC.