2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 1 of 8 Hiroshima International School. Parent Teacher Association Handbook (updated December 2007)

Transcription

1 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 1 of 8 Parent Teacher Association Handbook (updated December 2007)

2 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 2 of 8 Parent Teacher Association Handbook Contents Contents...2 Welcome to the Parent Teacher Association...3 Board Members School Calendar...4 PTA Committees...5 Bell Mark Points...5 Book Orders...5 Costco...5 Family Events...5 Festive Eve...5 Foreign Buyers Club...5 International Festival...6 Library...6 Getting to...7

3 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 3 of 8 Welcome to the Parent Teacher Association A warm welcome to those parents of children just starting at the, and a big thank you to those parents returning to the school for all your support and encouragement over the previous terms. I would like to use this welcome to explain why the school has a Parent Teacher Association, and to encourage everyone to get involved in any way that allows the school to carry on in its great tradition of open, informal and enthusiastic support of the children. Firstly, membership to the Parent Teacher Association (HIS PTA) is automatic, without charge for all parents and guardians who have a child enrolled at the school. So we are all members. The reason the HIS PTA exists is simply to provide an avenue for parents to get involved with the school. The administrators, the teachers, the staff all work daily, very, very hard to provide a high quality, enriching experience for the children, but parent involvement is critical to ensuring the best experience for each child at HIS. HIS PTA gets involved in the school on many levels and in many ways. The most valuable asset that parents offer to HIS is their manpower, and when parents take on a project, or arrange an activity with the teachers and staff at HIS, it allows us all to focus energy and attention on the children who attend the school. We help to make HIS a more enjoyable place for the children, sponsoring such activities as the Halloween trick-or-treat night. These organised events provide ways for parents to get to know each other and build the sense of community through family-oriented activities including bowling evenings and ice skating outings, and in addition, encourage cultural exchange through becoming involved in larger community events in Hiroshima like the Annual International Festival held every spring. The PTA also provides a list of parents who are willing to be contacted by new families interested in attending the school. We use some events to fundraise on behalf of the school for special projects and to support ongoing needs such as provision of books to the library. The major fundraisers are the International Festival and parents orders consolidated and placed with companies such as Foreign Buyers Club (FBC), Costco, and Scholastic Books that all help to generate income to be applied for the children s benefit. Towards early summer each year, the HIS PTA elects officers and selects areas to spend PTA funds for the following year. The PTA Board meets monthly and prior to the general meetings, sets up an annual plan and agrees to normal running actions. The monthly meeting is open to all members of the PTA and everyone is welcome to come and have a say in the association. There are always bilingual Japanese/English speakers present at the meetings, so help is available with translation. The minutes of the General PTA meetings are posted on the HIS web site, as are the PTA Constitution and Bylaws. Please see and select PTA for this and latest information. Finally, I would like to welcome you to the PTA and encourage your active involvement in whatever way you can. Sarah Rice President

4 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 4 of 8 Board Members President Vice President Treasurer English Secretary Japanese Secretary Board Members at Large Sarah Rice Pieternel Kroes Kaoru Ishimaru Amy Ducklow Rie Takenaga Yukio Kotani Carol Darwick School Calendar The HIS Principal publishes a summary of the school calendar at the beginning of the year. As far as possible, PTA activities are shown on this calendar. You will be kept informed of all PTA events either as they are due to happen either through the weekly Crane or via a PTA Newsletter. The very latest school calendar can also be found on the HIS web site under the About and then Calendar menu selections. Major events held last year included Peace Marathon A Festive Eve Celebration of Earth Day IB Art Exhibition Sports Day Graduation Ceremony

5 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 5 of 8 PTA Committees Bell Mark Points (currently inactive) Parents collect Bell Marks from product labels and send them into school. The Chairperson collects and counts the Bell Marks. When Active: Throughout the school year Book Orders (Amy Duklow/Teresa Kuo) The committee distributes book order brochures from Scholastic and Red House Book Orders. The committee collects orders and money from parents and places orders with Scholastic and Red House. When books arrive, the committee distributes the book to the children. When Active: twice or three times a year Costco (Mari Morris) The Costco Committee distributes order forms, collects order forms and money, places order with Costco, receives deliveries from Costco, distributes orders to parents. Orders are placed four times per year. This is a major fundraiser for HIS PTA. When Active: twice or three times a year Family Events (Various) Family events are coordinated through out the school year. Committee collects money, purchases tickets, distributes maps, etc. Examples include mikan picking, sweet potato digging, bowling, ice skating, sweet heart dance, sporting events, Halloween, etc. When active: September, October, November, January, February, March, May Festive Eve (Whole committee) Committee puts up holiday decorations in late November. Committee organizes pot luck dinner for Festive night. Committee also puts up chairs and tables for Festive Eve activities. Committee takes down holiday decorations on the last day of school before the winter break. When active: Late November, December (depending on when term ends) Foreign Buyers Club (Nicky Biwaki) The Foreign Buyers Club, or FBC, awards HIS PTA with 5% of orders placed in the name of HIS during two one week periods per year. The first week usually occurs during September, the second week during March.

6 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 6 of 8 The FBC Committee distributes catalogues to each family of HIS and to all members of the Hiroshima International Women s Club. When active: September, March International Festival (Nicky Biwaki and team) The International Festival committee plans and runs the International Festival that is held on the third Saturday of April every year. The International Festival has games, presentations by the children, a rummage sale, art and craft activities and food and drink sales. This is a major fundraiser for the PTA and every family gets a job that day to help run booths. When Active: January April Library (Rota coordinator Jinhee Ko) Parents come in on Library days on a rota system to assist children to select books, to check books in and out, to reshelf books, and to clean and tidy the Library. Parents also select and order books, CDs etc for the Library, in conjunction with the teachers, and catalogue the new books. The Library Committee raises funds for the Library, as required, and organizes events such as book plate sales at PTA events. When active: Currently Wednesdays and Thursdays

7 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 7 of 8 Getting to HIS is on a hillside in Koyo, Asakita-ku, which is a quiet northern suburb of Hiroshima. The school has a wooded mountain on one side, and views over the neighbourhood on the other. By Bus (45 mins) Take the Koyo C bus from Hiroshima Station or Sogo Bus Centre Lane B, Stop 8 Gate 11. By Train (30-50 mins) Take the Geibi line from platform 9 of Hiroshima station (but don't take the Miyoshi Express). Get off at Kumura if you will take a taxi, at Shimo Fukawa if someone from school will meet you, or at Naka Fukawa if you are going to walk (20 minutes uphill!). By Taxi (30 mins) Just give the school address, but add that it is in Koyo. By Car (30 mins) Take route 54 and then 37 North from the city.

8 2007/2008 PTA Handbook Page 8 of 8 Larger scale map