The Parents Association at a Glance
What is the PA? - A volunteer group of parents/guardians who organize to establish a community focused on supporting our children and SSCPS faculty to achieve the school's mission to inspire every student to excel in academics, service, and life. Additionally the PA represents the interests of the parent community by organizing to make formal recommendations on behalf of all parents to school Administration and the Board of Trustees (BOT.)
Who is the PA? - All parents/guardians of SSCPS students are members of the PA. There are no membership requirements (i.e. fees or volunteer hours) to be a member. Every spring parents elect 5 leaders of the PA and the student body elects 1-2 representatives for the following school year.
Why does the PA exist? Parents are an essential stakeholder group of our school community as defined in the schools Charter with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE.) It serves as the formal group that organizes parents/guardians to contribute to the schools mission and channel their ideas and concerns to administration and the Board of Trustees.
How does the PA achieve its mission? - The PA has formal meetings on the second Tuesday of every month and plans and executes its goals for the year through the work of Committees (Outreach, Events, and Fundraising.) Additionally there are three Co-Chairs of the PA (one for levels I (grades K-2) & II (grades 3-4), one for levels III (grades 5-6) & IV (grades 7-8) and one for level V (grades 9-12)). The three Co-Chairs then vote for a main Chair of the PA who serves as a voting member on the Board of Trustees and meets regularly with school administration to make formal recommendations on behalf of all parents.
Who is the PA? - All parents/guardians of SSCPS students are members of the PA. There are no membership requirements (i.e. fees or volunteer hours) to be a member. Every spring parents elect 5 leaders of the PA and the student body elects 1-2 representatives for the following school year.
Why does the PA exist? Parents are an essential stakeholder group of our school community as defined in the schools Charter with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE.) It serves as the formal group that organizes parents/guardians to contribute to the schools mission and channel their ideas and concerns to administration and the Board of Trustees.
How does the PA achieve its mission? - The PA has formal meetings on the second Tuesday of every month and plans and executes its goals for the year through the work of Committees (Outreach, Events, and Fundraising.) Additionally there are three Co-Chairs of the PA (one for levels I (grades K-2) & II (grades 3-4), one for levels III (grades 5-6) & IV (grades 7-8) and one for level V (grades 9-12)). The three Co-Chairs then vote for a main Chair of the PA who serves as a voting member on the Board of Trustees and meets regularly with school administration to make formal recommendations on behalf of all parents.
More Details of the PA as Defined in the PA ByLaws
MISSION OF THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION (PA)
To serve the school community and participate in the governance and growth of SSCPS. The PA advocates for all parents and students, and the school itself. It strives to create and maintain an environment wherein students, parents, faculty, administrators, trustees, and other stakeholders work together to pursue these common goals.
PARENTS ASSOCIATION (PA) GUIDING PRINCIPLES
In pursuit of its mission, the PA has identified the following guiding principles for its work:
PARENTS ASSOCIATION (PA) GOALS
The guiding principles of the PA are realized through the following goals:
Governance
Service
Community-Building
To serve the school community and participate in the governance and growth of SSCPS. The PA advocates for all parents and students, and the school itself. It strives to create and maintain an environment wherein students, parents, faculty, administrators, trustees, and other stakeholders work together to pursue these common goals.
PARENTS ASSOCIATION (PA) GUIDING PRINCIPLES
In pursuit of its mission, the PA has identified the following guiding principles for its work:
- Governance: Ensure that the opinions of the parent community are incorporated in policy and strategy discussions within the school.
- Communication: Facilitate communication between the school and parents and provide communication vehicles for inter-parent dialogue and support.
- Service: Support the goals of the school in serving others and help to fill the service needs of the school.
- Community-Building: Foster a culture of inclusion, involvement, and mutual respect among all the constituencies of the SSCPS community (students, parents, faculty, administrators, trustees, and other stakeholders, as appropriate.)
PARENTS ASSOCIATION (PA) GOALS
The guiding principles of the PA are realized through the following goals:
Governance
- Represent the interests of the parent community and make formal recommendations on behalf of all parents to the SSCPS Administration and SSCPS Board of Trustees (BOT).
- Provide a forum for consultation and discussion between parents and the Executive Director prior to a meaningful change in the school.
- Recommend, appoint, or elect parent representatives to serve on SSCPS standing and ad hoc committees or other governance groups, as necessary (e.g., Education Committee, Charter Renewal, Strategic Planning, etc.)
- Provide information to parents about school and PA events.
- Facilitate communication between parents and faculty/administrators.
- Provide opportunities for parent networking.
- Provide a forum for parental concerns about school-wide issues or policies.
- Provide a forum to discuss the use of PA funds.
- Keep select PA media outlets regularly updated with important school and PA information.
Service
- Identify service opportunities within SSCPS and in the community at large to encourage parents, students, and teachers to pursue regular service to others.
- Support the school’s fundraising efforts.
- Assist the school in educating parents on parenting and education issues.
- Identify SSCPS volunteer needs and recruit parents to fulfill those needs.
- Expend PA funds for the benefit of the school community.
- Plan and execute fundraising events to support the PA’s and the schools’ initiatives.
Community-Building
- Welcome new families into the SSCPS community.
- Encourage greater parent involvement in the school by providing a wide array of parent engagement and participation opportunities.
- Aid in providing social opportunities for students, and support students' social committees.
- Assist the school in providing extracurricular and educational enrichment opportunities for students.
- Coordinate at least one (1) annual event.