Belfast School Council Bylaws - Finalized

Note: The title of Officer / Executive to be used interchangeably. Adopted September 24^th, 2012 AGM. 

Name

1.         The name of the School Council shall be “Belfast School Council”.

Mission 

2.         To support the students and staff in a safe and nurturing learning environment

Vision

3.         A welcoming and positive learning environment with involved parents supporting the academic and social achievement of all children.

Objectives

4.         The objectives of the School Council, in keeping with the School Act and the School Councils Regulation, are to:

a.              provide advice (i.e., input) to the staff and principal on issues of importance, such as the school philosophy, mission and vision, school discipline policies programs and directions and budget allocations to meet student needs

b.              stimulate continuous improvement in meaningful involvement by all members of the school community

c.              facilitate collaboration among concerned participants of the school community

d.              support an approach to schooling in which decisions are made collaboratively and, wherever possible, at the school and classroom level

e.              facilitate the development of a common vision for our school

f.               facilitate a formal performance evaluation of our school council and to communicate the results of this evaluation to the school board and the school community

g.              keep the school board informed – in cooperation with the principal – of the needs of the school

h.              support the school in its efforts to focus teachers’ time and school resources on the essential tasks of teaching and learning

i.               facilitate communication with educational stakeholders and the community

Membership

Officers – Representative Model

5A       The officers of the school council consist of a Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, Key Communicator(s), and Lead Volunteer. 

1. every member of the school community is eligible to be elected as an officer of the school council
2. the officers will be elected for a one-year term at the first regular meeting of the school council in the school year
3. the terms of the office run from annual meeting to annual meeting

Duties of the Executive

6A       The Chair

            The Chair is responsible for planning the agenda for meetings, facilitating the meetings, acting as spokesperson for the school council and generally supervising the school council.  The chair serves as Alberta Home and Schools Councils’ representative and attends area meetings.  The chair will present the annual report to the school board.  The five executive, along with the principal, will serve as the executive committee of school council.

6B       The Vice-Chair

            The vice-chair assists the chair with duties, as assigned, and, in the absence of the chair, assumes the duties of the chair.

6C       The Secretary

            The secretary is responsible for keeping accurate minutes and records of the meetings, taking care of all correspondence and communication, chairing the communication committee and keeping an accurate list of names and addresses of school council members.

6D       Key Communicator

            To build and enhance a connection between parents/school communities and Calgary’s public education system.

6E        Lead Volunteer

To recruit and orient volunteers and to match volunteers to volunteer opportunities.

Vacancies

7.         If a vacancy occurs during the year or is not filled during the AGM, the vacancy can be appointed by the school council during the year until the next AGM.

Committees

8.         The school council may appoint committees that consist of school council members.  The committees will report on their activities at school council meetings.

Meetings 

9.        

a)     The school council meets at least seven times during the school year

b)    Regular meetings will be held on a date agreed to by members of the council

c)     Meetings will take place at the school and be advertized

d)    Meetings of the school council may be called by the executive or at the written request of 10 parents of the school community and all meetings have to be advertized prior to being held.

e)     Quorum consists of three (3) members of the Council Executive

Voting Procedures

10.

1. Decisions at School Council meetings will be made by consensus as much as possible.  The decision made by consensus must be stated clearly and recorded as such in the minutes of the meeting.
2. If a vote is taken, the motion must be moved and seconded and pass by a 51% majority 
3. In the event that a decision is required by the School Council that cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting, a vote may be conducted by telephone.  The results of the vote will be recorded and presented and the next regularly scheduled meeting of the council.  All decisions made by telephone voting require a minimum of 48 hours.

Annual General Meeting

12.

1. The annual general meeting of the school council will be held not later than 60 days after the first instructional day of the school year
2. The meeting will be advertised throughout the school and the community at least 21 days in advance
3. Election for the representatives of the parent community will take place at the annual general meeting.  All stakeholders of the school are eligible for election.
4. The business of the annual meeting shall include:

§  Election of representatives

§  Proposed by-law amendments

§  Discussion of any major issues in which parents should have input, such as:

-     Changes to the vision or mission statement of the school

-     Evaluation or discipline policy or other major changes in the school program or focus

-     Any formal evaluation of the school council

§  A celebration of the previous year’s accomplishments and a focus on welcoming new families

Annual Report

13.

1. In accordance with School Councils Regulation, the school council, through the chair, prepares and provides the school board with an annual report that includes:

§  Summary of school council’s activities for the year

§  Copies of the minutes of each meeting

2. The school council will make the report available to all concerned members of the school community.  For example, the annual report could be posted on the Web site. 

Amendments To The By-Laws

14.

1. The by-laws remain in force from year to year, unless amended at the annual meeting
2. The by-laws of the school council may be amended by a two-thirds majority at an annual meeting of the school council
3. Notice of proposed by-law amendments must be circulated with the notice of meeting at least 21 days in advance of the meeting 
4. Proposed changes will be decided upon before the end of June

Conflict Resolution Procedures

The school council will abide by the conflict resolution procedures outlined by the Calgary Board of Education.  Every effort shall be made to resolve issues at the school council level.  Should an unresolved source of conflict remain, it may be taken to the next highest level for consideration, i.e. the School Board, and, if necessary, Alberta Education.