Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week chance to recognize many people in field of education
“A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching.” A. Bartlett Giamatti
Parents across Canada will be remembering these words as they join in celebrating and recognizing teachers and staff members during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, Feb. 10-16.
Home and School Associations in elementary, intermediate and senior high schools are organizing a week of activities to thank great people who inspire, encourage, and care for our children. The federation expresses its gratitude to school administrators, teachers, educational assistants, guidance counsellors, secretaries, custodians and bus drivers for their commitment to the educational development and total well-being of Island children. Contact a local home and school association to see how to get involved!
The Prince Edward Island Home and School Federation has announced that an Evening of Celebration Concert will be held to celebrate “60 Years of Home and School on Prince Edward Island 1953 – 2013” on Saturday, March 2.at 7:00 p.m. Featuring past and present Prince Edward Island students, it will be in the Homburg Theatre of the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
Concert tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Confederation Centre box office at www.charlottetownfestival.com, by calling 566-1267 or 1-800-565-0278. Come and enjoy the extensive talents of Island students.
Parents play a large role in their child’s education and are asked to respond to a Parents as Partners in Education online survey, to indicate how they are supported by partners in P.E.I.’s system. This survey of families within the English public school system asks questions about bullying and harassment among students, instructional time, parent-teacher interviews, volunteering, and involvement of the Home and School Federation in various issues.
Participants completing the survey are being offered an opportunity to enter to win one of five weekly cash prize draws. The first winner is Bernadette Forrester.
Results will be publicly reported and used by PEIHSF to develop new initiatives in support of improved parent involvement in education. The online survey can be accessed at: https://peihsf.ca/survey. Paper copies of the survey are available upon request. For more information, contact the federation office at 620-3186 or 1-800-916-0664.
Presidents are asked to submit annual reports to the provincial office by March 1 for inclusion in the federation’s annual book of reports. Reports ensure that local association’s successes, challenges, events and milestones are recorded for other members to review and for historical purposes. If this seems like a daunting task we have a template on the federation’s website to help facilitate the process at: https://peihsf.ca/content/template-presidents-annual-reports
The federation’s annual Volunteer Award and Life Membership Award recognize individuals who have given exceptional contributions to the total well being of children and youth on P.E.I. through service at the local Home and School Association and for outstanding service in the Provincial Federation. Awards are presented at the annual general meeting in April. Review criteria on-line at: https://peihsf.ca/content/awards. Submit nominations to the federation by March 15, 2013.
The deadline to apply for parent leadership grants is February 28. These grants, with a maximum value of $1000, are available to enhance parental involvement in education at your schools. Project guidelines are outlined in the parent leadership grant kits which can be found at https://peihsf.ca/content/parent-leadership-grants. Anyone looking for project ideas should contact our parent engagement coordinator. Jean Davis by email at email@example.com or call 620-3186 or 1-800-916-0664.
On April 13 the federation will host and celebrate our 60th Annual General Meeting at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel on Kent Street in Charlottetown. Member associations are encouraged to register five official voting delegates. Make sure you save the date on your calendar. An action packed agenda is planned this year!
In closing I would like to say thank you to all the members of the P.E.I. home and school federation and local home and school associations for all the hard work they do advocating for the best possible education for our students. With 60 solid years of experience in putting children first, we can be confidant in saying “when it comes to education, parents matter”.
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Home and School and You – February 2013
Written by Pam Montgomery, President
PEI Home and School Federation