Parent Participation

Parent Advisory Council

All parents are welcome to attend the monthly PAC meeting held in the school staff room on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. If you want to be involved in the life of the school, but you are unable to help out during the day please attend. This is a great opportunity to get to know other parents, find out more about what's going on at school and be involved with a terrific group of parents who support our school in a variety of ways. It has been through the work of this group that our playground equipment, computer hardware, gymnastics equipment and much more was purchased.

In addition, our PAC has played a key role in supporting and sponsoring special activities through the year such as the Terry Fox Day, Jump Rope for Heart, Fun Day, skating, swimming, and more. We look forward to seeing you at meetings this year!

School Based Teams

Purpose:

The school-based team provides a support network to teachers and parents of students with special needs and/or those at risk.

(The team's goal is to enable all students to achieve their individual potential.)

The Core Team usually consists of the following members:

• An Administrator
• The School Counsellor
• The Student Support Services Teacher
• The parents or guardians
• The child's classroom teacher
• A designated classroom teacher (optional)

Others members (if required) are as follows:

• The school-district psychologist
• The speech and language therapist
• Other relevant district staff and various community agency representatives

Responsibilities:

• Identifying 'at-risk' students in the school.
• Sharing ideas regarding possible teaching strategies and materials.
• Determining appropriate in-school educational programs for students with special needs.
• Tracking progress of students with varying needs.
• Designating a case manager to follow through with implementation strategies and/or evaluating program objectives for students requiring an individual plan.
• Making referrals to district staff.
• Ensuring communication and coordination of efforts between teachers and support staff involved with the student.
• Ensuring parent involvement.

The School-Based Team meets weekly, usually on Wednesday afternoons. Parents of students receiving assistance are notified, and encouraged to attend these meetings.

Parent Volunteers

At Henderson we work to provide the best education for all students in the school and, at the same time, we welcome parents with a similar aim to support teachers in the classrooms.

Each child is a unique individual, so you can expect to see differences in the way children are taught. Some students receive learning assistance, some have individual programs, and some receive counselling and so on. Fairness and consistency are very important to us, but individual strategies are necessary to help each child reach his/her potential.

You can expect to see different teaching styles and strengths. We expect and value these differences for children through the years as well. During their years in school, children experience a variety of strengths and expertise as they move from teacher to teacher.

Teachers' styles dictate the way that you are able to fit in as a helper. The kind of work that supports one teacher best may not always be that which you prefer the most. This may range from working directly with children in or out of the room to helping with displays to providing rides for events. Your help is valued, but it is the teacher who must decide what will be most beneficial to them.

Confidentiality is a most important issue for all personnel - paid or volunteer - working in a school. The needs, history and even strengths of each student are the business of the school and the child's parents only. As you work in classrooms, drive to the Complex or enjoy coffee in the staff room, it is likely that you will become more aware of the characteristics of some students than you would otherwise. Innocent as it may seem, this information should not be passed along to friends, neighbors or anyone outside the school. (No parent would like to hear how their child is doing at school from the cashier at the local store, especially if the report is negative.)

Finally, the teachers and principal are ultimately responsible for the educational program of each student. As a parent, you have every right to discuss the progress and program of your child with the teacher, but please, don't volunteer in the classroom in order to be a critic. If you have concerns about your child's program, raise them with the teacher and principal privately.