HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL CONSTITUTION

Transcription

1 HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL CONSTITUTION THE COUNCIL S PURPOSE IS TO ENHANCE THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND SUPPORT ALL THE CHILDREN AT HOLY ANGELS SCHOOL. Article I: Name The name of this Catholic School Council shall be Holy Angels Catholic School Advisory Council, hereafter referred to as the Council. Article II: Definitions Definitions of bodies or terms appearing in this constitution shall be: Holy Angels Catholic School, hereafter referred to as the School. Toronto Catholic District School Board hereafter referred to as the TCDSB. Annual General Meeting hereafter referred to as the AGM. Article III: Non-Profit Status The work of this Council shall be carried out without purpose of profit or gain to its members and any profits or gains obtained by this Council shall be used in promoting the objectives of the Council. Article IV: Objectives 1. To provide advice to the principal on programs and activities of the school. Page 1 2. To establish committees as necessary, hold meetings, discussion groups, and workshops in order to encourage and foster understanding and co-operation between parents, students, staff, parish and members of the community. 3. To operate a variety of fundraising activities and encourage gifts and donations in order to purchase supplies and equipment and donate them to the school. 4. To directly fund extra-curricular activities (e.g. transportation, sports, clubs, etc.), to supplement school programs (e.g. Math/Science Fair, Young Authors Program, etc.) and to work in co-operation with the School staff and community in operating extra-curricular activities that enrich the education of the students and promote a unified Catholic School community. 5. To serve as a liaison between the School and the School community and encourage the active involvement of parents and other community groups by ensuring the flow of information to the School community. Article V: Membership The Council is a voluntary body of elected representatives and to that end no member of the Council shall receive reimbursement from the Council s funds without prior Council approval. No member of the Council shall receive remuneration. The Council shall consist of the following members: a) A maximum of 15 parents who shall constitute the majority of the Council b) The principal c) A member of the School s teaching staff d) A non-teaching staff member

2 e) A priest or pastor or delegate from Holy Angels Catholic Church f) A community representative may include but not be restricted to members of the local community support agencies, business and labour representatives g) A student from the intermediate division. Page 2 Article VI: Elections and Appointments The election of Council representatives shall be held as follows: Parent members shall be elected by the parent community within 30 days after commencement of the new school year. Each member shall serve a one-year term. The principal shall give the parent community a minimum of 14 days notice of the date of the elections. In the event that there are not enough parents to fill all Council positions, the elected Council shall have the option of holding a by-election and/or appointing parent representative(s). A teacher representative shall be elected by the teachers of the School at a meeting of the teachers OR a group of teachers may be selected by their peers to attend on a rotational basis. Member/s elected will serve a one-year term. A Non-teaching staff member(s) shall be elected by the non-teaching staff of the School at a meeting of non-teaching staff members once a year. A Community representative will be appointed by the Council and within the restrictions of Article V. A student or group of students from the intermediate division shall be designated to the Council by the principal in consultation with CSAC. If more that one student is designated, the students would attend the meetings on a rotational basis. All Council positions are to be held for a one-year term. Article VII: Roles and Responsibilities of the Council 1. The Catholic School Advisory shall: a) Promote Catholic faith and Gospel Values. b) Establish its goals, priorities and procedures, consistent with the Mission and Vision of the Board c) Hold one meeting per month during the school year, and shall be accessible and open to all members of the Catholic school community, the first meeting to be held within the first 35 days of the school year after elections on a date fixed by the principal. d) Ensure that for each meeting: i. A majority of Council members are present. ii. A majority of the members present are parent members; and iii. A majority of the members present are Roman Catholic. e) If necessary, establish committees to make recommendations to the Council; such committees to include at least one parent member of the Council, who shall chair the committee, and to be governed by the Council s by-laws.

3 f) Develop by-laws governing the conduct of its affairs including: i. A by-law that governs election procedures and the filling of vacancies ii. A by-law that establishes rules respecting participation in proceedings in cases of conflict of interest. iii. A by-law that establishes a conflict resolution process, consistent with the Board s policy, for internal Council disputes. Page 3 g) Keep minutes and records of all meetings and financial transactions for a minimum of 4 years, and make these available at the school for examination without charge by any person from the Catholic school community. h) Not engage in fundraising activities unless: i. The activities are conducted in accordance with the Board policy S.M. 04, Fundraising in Schools; and ii. The activities are to raise funds for a purpose approved by the Board through the school principal; and iii. The funds are used in accordance with Board policy. i) Consult with parents of pupils enrolled in the school about matters under consideration by the Council and communicate regularly with parents and other members of the community to seek their views and preferences with regard to matters being addressed by the Council. j) Submit on an annual basis, a written report on its activities, including fundraising, to the principal and to the Board k) Not be incorporated. Article VIII: Meetings 1. All meetings of the Council shall be public meetings, held at once a month during the school year. Additional meetings may be held at the request of the Chair. All members of the Council will have one vote, with the exception of the principal. All parents and invited guests may be present at the monthly Council meetings and may address the Council at the discretion of the Chair. Only Council members have the right to make motions or vote on Council business. 2. Members must notify Chair or Co-chair via or phone if unable to make a meeting prior to meeting. 3. Members must attend 60% of CSAC meetings. Any member, who has missed more than 4 meetings, may be asked to withdraw. 4. Special meetings involving the whole School community may be called by the Chair. Such meetings must be held within 30 days of announcement. 5. The regular meeting in the month of October shall be designated as the AGM of the Council. 6. The Election of the parent members of the Council shall take place during an Election meeting to be held within the first 30 days of the commencement of the school year and prior to the AGM. 7. A notice will be sent home to all parents advising of the date of the elections and containing a Nomination form/ballot 14 days in advance of the election date. The nominee must be present at the election meeting and must accept the nomination. Further nominations will be taken from the floor on the day of the election. Any member running for a position on the Council shall not be involved in the counting of ballots. 8. Election of a parent representative shall take place by secret ballot unless the candidates are acclaimed.

4 9. A minimum quorum will be over 50% of parent Council members and at least one non-parent member. The Chair reserves the right to defer voting in the absence of sufficient parent Council members. Article IX: Council Executive The Council will elect from their number, officers of the Council including: a) Chair or 2 Co-Chairs b) Secretary c) Treasurer The Chair or Co-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer positions must be held by parents elected by the parent community as per Article VI. The election of the executive shall take place in camera following the Election Meeting of parent representatives and prior to the next Council meeting. Article X: Parent Council Members If a parent Council member should resign during his/her term, then the Council may appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy created for the balance of that school year. Any parent who works for the Toronto Catholic District School Board may not hold the office of Chair, Co-Chair. Article XI: Duties of the Council Officers/Members 1. The Chair or Co-Chairs shall: a) Act as the official representative of the Council and shall provide the necessary leadership in the effective operation of the Council; b) Call Council meetings. c) Prepare the Agenda for Council meetings in consultation with the school principal. d) Act as Chairperson at all meetings of the School Council. In the absence of the Chair/Co-Chair, such duty may be exercised by another parent member of the Council previously appointed by the Chair. e) Ensure that the minutes of Council meetings are recorded and maintained. f) Present an Annual Report on the activities of the Council at the AGM; g) Communicate with the School parent community at large; h) Communicate regularly with the School principal in an effort to work co-operatively to improve pupil achievement; i) Consult with senior Board staff and trustees, as required; j) Upon request, provide the local trustee with copies of the minutes of the meetings; k) Be a signing officer for the Council s bank account(s); l) Be a parent member of the Council; m) Be an ex-officio member of all subcommittees of the Council; and n) Turn over to the next Council Chair all pertinent documents. o) Participate in information and training sessions. Page 4

5 p) The Council shall appoint subcommittees as may be considered necessary. Page 5 2. The Secretary shall: a) Prepare and distribute the minutes of the meetings to the School community and Council; b) Maintain records, including minutes, correspondence, list of Council members; c) Collect and distribute all incoming mail as appropriate; d) Be a parent member of the Council; and e) Turn over to the next Council all pertinent documents. The Treasurer shall: a) Receive and safely keep all money of the Council and pay out such money as the Council may direct; b) Keep books, records and accounts of the financial affairs of the Council and make recommendations in respect thereof; c) Prepare a draft budget for consideration by the Council; d) Be a signing officer for the Council s bank account; e) Prepare financial statements at the end of each fiscal year and present them for review and approval at the AGM; f) Prepare the necessary income tax reports to Revenue Canada; g) Prepare financial statements to the Council at regular intervals during the year; and h) Be a parent member of the Council. 3. Parent Members shall: a) Participate in all Council decisions; b) Participate in information and training sessions; c) Act as a link between the Council and the community in support of school programs to improve pupil achievement; d) Make recommendations to the principal and, where necessary, to the Board to improve student achievement and enhance the accountability of the education system; e) Make every effort to be as representative of the school community as possible; f) Conduct their meetings in an invitational, harmonious manner in the context of Gospel Values. g) Be entitled to one vote, in votes taken by the Council, should the Council make recommendations to the principal and/or Board through a voting process. h) Receive reimbursement for expenses incurred in the normal course of their duties as Council members in accordance with Board policy, but shall not receive any remuneration for serving as a Council member. i) Members must participate in fundraising by joining or leading a sub-committee. j) A member may fulfill the duties of another officer on an interim basis who resigns or cannot perform his/her duties.

6 Page 6 4. The Principal shall: a) Provide information and seek input on program and academic matters as well as provide information on budget and finances of the school. b) Solicit the views of the Council with respect to the following: The establishment or amendment of school policies and guidelines and the development of implementation plans that relate to pupil achievement or to the accountability of the education system to parents, including: A local code of conduct or of the Act governing the behaviour of all persons in the school, and School policies or guidelines related to appropriate dress for pupils. School action plans for improvement, based on EQAO reports on the results of tests of pupils, and the communication of those plans to the Catholic community. c) Facilitate the establishment of the Catholic School Advisory Council and assist in its operation. d) Support and promote the Council s activities. e) Provide for the prompt distribution to each member of the Council of any materials received from the Ministry that are identified by the Ministry as being for distribution to Council members. f) Post any materials distributed to members of the Council in a location that is accessible to all parents. g) Give written notice of the dates, times and locations of Council meetings to every parent and attend every meeting of the Council, unless he or she is unable to do so by reason of illness or other cause beyond his or her control. h) Act as a resource person to the Council and assist the Council in obtaining information relevant to the functions of the Council, including information relating to relevant legislation, regulations and policies i) Consider each recommendation made by the Council and advise the Council of the action taken in response to the recommendation. j) Report the composition of the Council to the local supervisory officer before November 1, of each year. k) Be a signing officer for the Council bank account(s). 5. The Teacher member shall: a) Act as the liaison between the Council and the School teaching staff. 6. The Community Representative shall: a) act as a liaison between the community and the Council and advise on matters affecting the general community and the School community. 7. The Priest/Pastor/Delegate shall: a) act as a liaison between the Council and the parish and advise on matters affecting the parish and the School community.

7 Article XII: Fiscal Year The fiscal year shall end August 31 of each calendar year. There shall only be an audit of the financial records and statements of the Council if such a motion is passed by the Council or upon a written request by members of the School community. Council shall appoint an auditor for such purpose to produce an audit no later than 90 days of such a request. Notwithstanding the preceding requirement, no audit will be countenanced earlier than 365 days of the last audit. Article XIII: Expenditure a) The Council and its signing officers shall have the power to make expenditures on behalf of the School community provided the expenditures have been approved by the Council. Cheques must be signed by one of the authorized parent officers of the Council and the principal. b) Two members of the Council, one of which must be the Chair/Co-Chair or Treasurer, shall have the authority to approve expenditure of funds under $ for unforeseen non-budgeted items related to school activities or materials. Article XIV: Amendments This constitution may be amended at the AGM or at a special meeting of the School community of which notice of ten days of the proposed amendment shall have been given. This Constitution was approved by the School Community at a CSAC meeting held on June 21, 2011, and further amended and approved at general meetings of this Council on April 14, 1998, June 17, 1998, and October 18, This Constitution is in full force and effect as amended. Maria Borreca, Chair Christina Medeiros, Co-Chair Colette Kay-Paglia, Secretary Tracy Maccarone, Treasurer