Constitution for Wazoson Public School Council
Article 1: Name
The name of the organization shall be the Wazoson Public School Council. This organization shall be constituted in accordance with directives set out in Ontario Regulation 612/00 and 613/00 issued under the Education Act and in accordance with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Policy.
Article 2: Mission Statement
Wazoson School Council is committed to fostering harmonious and effective communication between parents, teachers, and the community as a whole. Council also fundraises in order to provide the school with the resources needed for the best education possible.
Article 3: Purpose
The purpose of the Wazoson Public School Council shall be to support students, parents, and staff (including teachers, the administration, and other school staff) in fostering a caring, creative, collaborative, and community-based environment at Wazoson Public School. Our goal is to create an environment that allows students to thrive, parents to be engaged, and teachers to be supported in caring for and educating all students. To accomplish this, Wazoson Public School Council will undertake the following non-exhaustive list of activities:
∙ Act as a liaison between the parent community and staff. Wazoson Public School Council members will be open and available to parents and staff for dialogue and discussions on issues that concern the school, its staff, and its students.
∙ Providing advice and/or guidance to the school staff on a variety of topics throughout the year.
∙ Communicate with parents directly about council work and activities.
∙ Raising funds to enhance student learning, and parent participation.
∙ Running activities for the benefit of students and staff. Some examples would be social activities such as dances, workshops for students or parents, or in class presentations from external organizations.
∙ Organizing volunteers for various school or Wazoson Public School Council activities.
Article 4: Membership
Wazoson Public School Council shall be composed of parents/guardians, teachers, and school administration. Students and/or community representatives can be included as well, at the request of council or the principal. A minimum of 5 parents/guardians are required to a maximum of 30 parents/guardians
∙ No less than 5 parents/guardians to a maximum 30 parents/guardians
∙ The Principal and Vice-Principal
∙ A teacher, selected by the school's teaching staff (this duty may be divided between two teachers)
∙ An administrative staff member selected by the administrative staff at the school
∙ A student, selected by the Principal (optional)
Once the Wazoson Public School Council is formed for a year, voting members will vote on the 6 Executive positions, which are as follows:
∙ Chair
∙ Co-Chairs (maximum of 2)
∙ Treasurer
∙ Co-Treasurer(maximum of 1)
∙ Secretary
Article 5: Election / Nomination of Parent/Guardian Members:
Elections for Wazoson Public School Council will take place near the start of the school year, in accordance with Ontario Regulation 612/00.
The principal shall set up a date for elections to occur, and shall ensure the parent community is aware of that date at least 2 weeks in advance.
Parents wishing to be a candidate for a position will submit that request in writing within that period to the Wazason School Council email address.
On the date of elections, the outgoing Chair/Co-Chair shall begin the meeting. Any outstanding items from the previous year shall be concluded, and the Chair/Co-Chair shall officially dissolve the outgoing Wazoson Public School Council.
All persons present wishing to be a part of the incoming Wazoson Public School Council must be present, and state their wish. The principal or a designate shall record names and contact information. These people shall now be the Wazoson Public School Council for the new school year. The Principal or designate shall provide the names and contact information of the newly formed Wazoson Public School Council to the elected Chairs and Co-Chairs.
Once the Wazoson Public School Council is in place, voting for executive positions can take place, if necessary. Successful candidates to an executive position must win a simple majority (50%+1) of voting members. The election can be cast publicly by show of hands, or by secret ballot at the discretion of the Principal (who is a non-voting member). If the latter option is chosen, the principal or a designate will collect and count the ballots.
Each candidate shall have a brief opportunity prior to the executive positions vote to address the Wazoson Public School Council .
If there has only been one name put forward for an executive position, the Principal can mention this, and the council can vote to acclaim that person by show of hands.
Should an executive position become vacant during the year, they can be filled by vote at the next Wazoson Public School Council meeting.
Should a committee be unable to fulfill its duties during the year, the Chair/Co-Chair can request new members join that committee.
Article 6: Election of Other Members
The election of staff member(s) of the Wazoson Public School Council shall occur within the first 30 days of the school year.
Staff at the school other than the principal or vice-principal can vote for the teacher representative on Wazoson Public School Council.
Non-teaching employees at the school other than the principal or vice-principal can vote for the non-teaching representative on Wazoson Public School Council.
In the event of a vacancy that requires fulfillment after the initial election process, the Wazoson Public School Council will decide by majority consensus the course of action.
Article 7: Term of Office
All members of Wazoson Public School Council and the Executive are elected for a one-year term only.
Article 8: Meetings
A minimum of 5 meetings must occur during the year (after the elections).
Dates and times are to be proposed by the Chair/Co-Chair, and approved by members.
All dates, times, and locations of meetings are to be available to all parents in advance of the meetings.
Regular meetings shall take place at Wazoson Public School unless the Principal can provide a reason why another location should be used for a given meeting.
For any votes to take place, quorum must be achieved at the meeting, as defined in By-Law #2. The agenda, as set by the Chair/Co-Chair, shall be available to all members and parents in advance of each meeting through the school newsletter, and through Wazoson Public School Council communications channels.
All meetings are open to the entire parent community.
The minutes from the previous meeting must be voted and approved.
Major agenda items that will require a vote should be emphasized in the agenda, such that members, and parents, can have their positions determined in advance. This will help limit the length of time a discussion is held before a vote.
If an issue is too large to discuss at a regular meeting, a special meeting can be requested. If a 2/3rds majority of council members agree, a date and time for the special meeting can be set.
Article 9: Committees/Sub-Committees
Further to the Executive committee, other positions or committees can be formed by members on an ad hoc basis. Some examples of this are communications representative, Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC) representative, fundraising committee, parent involvement committee, fundraising committee and lunch program committee. These committees can choose to elect a Chair to speak for them at general council meetings.
Committees have ownership and the responsibility to act within their mandate with the exception of needing to request funds from Wazoson Public School Council as required. All planning, discussion, and work towards executing their mandate must take place within the working sessions of the committees. Only high level updates shall be brought forward to Wazoson Public School Council meetings. Any input from the larger membership shall be gathered external to Council meetings. The exception to this rule is requests for and decisions on funding requirements.
Article 10: Voting
Votes should always take place in person at a scheduled meeting. Quorum must be achieved, as outlined in By-Law #2, for a vote to be considered valid. The Chair/Co-Chair shall conduct votes, but do not have to be the proposing member, or the seconder. A vote must have one member propose and a second member “second” it before the Wazoson Public School Council can vote. Votes should be by show of hands. Results of votes must be recorded in the meeting minutes.
Article 11: Financial Records
The Fiscal year shall be from September 1 to August 31 of the following calendar year.
All cheques issued require two signatures. One from the Treasurer, and a second from another authorized signee. In the case of the Treasurer’s absence, two other authorized signatures can be used. Under no circumstances can relatives or partners be granted signing authority at the same time.
Should a member have reason to see the financial statements at other times, a request will be made to the Treasurer and Co-Chairs so a vote can be held. Should council vote 75, the financial statements will need to be made available to two non-executive members of council within a reasonable amount of time. The purpose of this clause is to ensure that the Treasurer is not frequently being asked to provide the statements to many members at different times.
Article 12: Amending Process
This constitution shall be enacted to govern the affairs of Wazoson School Council. Once enacted, proposals to amend this constitution shall only be accepted at the first meeting in the new calendar year. For an amendment to be considered, it must be provided to Wazoson School Council members for review no later than 15 days prior to the next meeting where amendment proposals are allowed. Amendments to this constitution shall require a 75 percent majority of voting members’ approval when quorum is met.
Amendments, once approved, will take effect immediately.
WAZOSON PUBLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL BY-LAWS
1. Meetings
Wazoson Public School Council will establish its meeting schedule at its first meeting of the year in September. Meeting duration shall normally be no longer than 2 hours. The next meeting date is confirmed and adjusted if required each month.
2. Quorum
For Quorum to be reached, the following must hold:
* A majority of the current members of Wazoson Public School Council must be present
* A majority of the members present shall be parents/guardians
* At least one of the executive’s are present
If for a period of three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings a quorum fails to exist, a membership review committee shall be struck to make recommendations on how to proceed.
3. Officers & Responsibilities
In addition to the mandated chair or co-chair the council’s parent/guardian members will also nominate and acclaim or elect a Secretary and a Treasurer at the meeting where other elections are taking place.
The following lists duties or responsibilities of the officers.
Chair/Co-Chair:
* Arranges for meetings, prepares agendas, and chairs meetings
* Ensures that meeting minutes are recorded and kept in a safe place for a minimum of two years
* Participates as ex-officio member on council committees
* Communicates with the school principal on behalf of council
* Maintains the constitution and ensures an annual review by the council
* Communicates with the school community on a regular basis and ensures that parents/guardians of all students are consulted on matters under consideration
* Facilitates the resolution of conflicts
* Consults with senior board staff and trustees (as required)
Vice-Chair:
* Assists the Chair in performing their duties
* Run meetings when the Chair is unavailable
* Acts as a third signing authority, along with the Chair and Treasurer
Treasurer:
* Maintain financial and bank records for Wazoson School Council
* Deposit all incoming funds without delay into the Wazoson Public School Council bank account
* Provide a current account of the Wazoson Public School Council financial position at all scheduled meetings
* Be the primary signatory on all outgoing whenever possible (always requiring a second signature from the Chair/Co-Chair/Vice-Chair, Secretary)
* Provide a written financial report to be included in the annual report, as required by Ontario regulation 612/00 section 24.
Secretary:
* Act as the official record keeper for the Wazoson Public School Council
* Take minutes of all council meetings held, including incorporating reports provided by members
* Take attendance at meetings
* Record the outcomes of votes (identify if motion was passed (voted in) or not)
* Provide minutes to council members during the period between meetings
* Once minutes are approved, they are to be made publicly available to the parent community
Committee Chairs:
* Should a committee elect a Chair, that person will be responsible for speaking on that committee’s activities at each meeting
* Facilitating that committee’s work by assisting in scheduling meetings
Members at Large:
* Contribute to school and school council discussions
* Solicit views of other parents/guardians and community members to share with the council
* Participate on council committees
* Observe the council’s code of ethics and constitution
* Encourage parents/guardians and community members to participate in events and programs
Student representative (when applicable):
* Contribute to school and school council discussions
* Solicit views of students to share with the council
* Participate on council committees
* Observe the council’s code of ethics and constitution
* Communicate with students on behalf of the council
School Staff:
* Contribute to school and school council discussions
* Solicit views from staff to share with the council
* Participate on council committees
* Observe the council’s code of ethics and constitution
* Communications with staff on behalf of the council
School Principal:
* Seeks the input of the school council on school improvement planning, school budgets, and community partnerships
* Distributes and posts council communications to parents/guardians (including the annual report) * Facilitates annual school council elections
* Attends all school council meetings or appoints a vice-principal delegate when required
* Participate on council committees
* Supports and promotes the council’s activities and acts as a resource on by-laws, regulations, and policies. Forwards relevant information from the OCDSB and the Ministry to the council
* Considers each recommendation made by the school council and advises the council of the action taken in response to the recommendation
* Solicits views of the school council on important educational issues such as: the development of school policies and guidelines regarding student achievement; the accountability of the education system to parents (school code of conduct, dress code); school action plans for improvement and the communication of those plans to the public; and Board policies (as directed)
* Communicates with the council chair and co chairs
* Observes the council’s code of ethics and established bylaws
* Encourages parents/guardians and community members to participate in events and programs
4. Selection of Officers and Filling Vacancies
The method selection and filling vacancies is specified in Article 5 of the Constitution.
5. Duties of Members
Members of the Council should strive to attend as many meetings as possible and are encouraged to participate in all meets and activities of the Council.
Standard of conduct.
∙ Be Respectful of all individuals
∙ One person shall speak at a time
∙ No abusive language or derogatory remarks.
∙ Confidential issues shall not be discussed.
∙ Speakers shall limit comments to a reasonable time.
∙ Speakers shall limit comments to the topic under discussion.
∙ Use appropriate communications channels when questions arise.
∙ Accept accountability for decisions.
∙ Declare any conflict of interest.
A member of Wazoson Public School Council may be removed for:
∙ behavior that regularly prevents the Wazoson Public School Council from carrying out its responsibilities;
∙ habitually failing in performing the duties of a member;
∙ failing to uphold the Constitution or comply with the By-laws of the Wazoson Public School Council;
∙ engaging in activities deemed to be detrimental to the interests, or contrary to the purposes, of the Wazoson Public School Council and or Ottawa- Carleton District School Board.
∙ Based on the recommendation of the Principal for unethical behaviour
The permanent removal of a member from Wazoson Public School Council requires 75 of the votes cast by voting members of the Wazoson Public School Council at a Wazoson Public School Council meeting when quorum is achieved and approval of the Principal or designate as a non-voting member.
6. Decision Making Process
Members of Wazoson Public School Council will attempt to make decisions by consensus. If a consensus is not possible, voting using ballots or a show of hands, with a majority win, will make the decision.
There may be times where decisions are required to be made outside of the regular meeting. In these cases, only the Chair or Co- Chairs shall obtain members’ input and schedule a Wazoson Public School Council vote via electronic survey, telephone, or electronic mail. A report of any decisions made outside of the regular council meeting will be communicated to all members of Council and reported on at the next available meeting.
7. Conflict of Interest
It is expected that any individual with a conflict of interest with respect to any issue shall immediately notify the Chair and or Co-Chairs, who will then decide on that individual’s further participation on the issue.
Individuals employed at Wazoson Public School wishing to serve as parent/guardian member must inform people qualified to vote in the election of parent/guardian members and or Wazoson Public School Council, of that employment.
Employees of the OCDSB wishing to serve as parent/guardian member must inform people qualified to vote in the election of parent/guardian members and the Wazoson Public School Council, of that employment.
OCDSB employees cannot serve as Chair or Co-Chairs.
8. Amending Process:
The proposals to amend the bylaws shall only be accepted at the first meeting in the new calendar year. For an amendment to be considered, it must be provided to Wazoson Council members for review no later than 15 days prior to the next meeting where amendment proposals are allowed. Amendments shall require a 75 percent majority of voting members’ approval when quorum is met.
Amendments, once approved, will take effect immediately.