Community Service Information for FJR Parents ___ __ download CSAC nomination form here (PDF format)

A Message from your Parent Council

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope that this past year has been a successful year for all in our community, as it has been for your Parent Council (CSAC - Catholic School Advisory Committee). Many thanks to everyone who supported this important part of school life at Father Redmond. As this school year comes to a close, we are preparing for 2012/2013 and invite you to join us in enriching the lives of our children. Please take note of what is coming up for the next school year:

CSAC meetings:

Meetings are held at 7:00pm in the school Library on the second floor.

CSAC (Catholic School Advisory Council) is the advisory committee made up of volunteer parents/guardians. Our meetings are open to the entire community and provide an opportunity for input and comment on school life at Redmond. Meetings for the year will be set at the Annual Meeting on October 5th.

RAP SC (Regional Arts Program Standing Committee) is a standing committee of CSAC to address the particular issues/needs that pertain to our regional arts program.

CAP SC (Congregated Advanced Placement Program Standing Committee) is a standing committee of CSAC to address the particular issues/needs that pertain to our congregated advanced placement program.

From Learning Point Associates: Increased involvement of parents and families often is cited as one of the most important ways to improve public schools. A variety of studies (Henderson & Berla, 1994) confirms that parent involvement makes an enormous impact on students' attitude, attendance, and academic achievement.

Traditionally, parent involvement in education has included home-based activities (such as helping with homework, encouraging children to read, and promoting school attendance) and school-based activities (such as attending Parent Council meetings, parent-teacher conferences, concerts, and other school events; helping to raise money for various school-improvement projects; and volunteering at school during the day).

Joyce L. Epstein has expanded upon these traditional kinds of involvement by identifying six types of parent involvement in schools: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Each type of involvement is valuable, and each has an impact on students, teachers, and the parents themselves.

We are very excited to begin a new program, Three for Me, which will encourage all parents/guardians to involve themselves in our children's education. Briefly, each of us is challenged to give three hours to enhance the learning of your student - take your son/daughter to a play, attend an event at the school, participate in CSAC, etc. Watch for further details in the fall.

Please send us an email at fjrcsac@hotmail.com so we can keep in touch with any important news over the summer. We wish you all a safe and happy summer and look forward to welcoming you back in September.

Sincerely,

Father John Redmond Catholic School Advisory Council

Why Should Parents Be Involved In our CSAC? (Catholic School Advisory Counci)

Why should you get involved?

     You will be aware of what is happening in your child’s school

     You have a chance to give your opinion and support to the issues that impact on your child’s learning

     If you think something is an important issue  - you can make sure other parents are aware of it

     You can help make the school a better learning experience for your child and others

     By putting your voice with other parents, you are able to get the attention of our trustee, school board and municipal government to get the programs and changes we need for our school

     It does not have to be a large time commitment. It can be as simple as coming to some of the meetings and making sure you are on the CSAC email list

What are the benefits?

     When parents are involved in their children’s education, the level of student achievement increases, they attend school more regularly, they complete more homework in a consistent manner, and demonstrate more positive attitudes towards school. They are also more likely to complete high school

     Being an important partner in the education system, whose views are valued

     Contributing to the shared goal of improving student achievement

     Having a vehicle through which to express opinions

     Being able to keep informed about what is happening at the school and the board, and at the provincial level of education

Participating on the school council will be a rewarding experience for all those who value the opportunity to make a difference in their children’s education.

How can you get involved?

Father John Redmond’s CSAC meetings will be set in October.  The CSAC welcomes all parents of Father John Redmond students.  Copies of the monthly meeting minutes are distributed in English but may be made available in the language of your choice by contacting the CSAC.   

Volunteers! - no matter how much time available - are welcomed to assist with the CSAC events throughout the year. 

Some of the areas we have received assistance in and would look forward to you participating are:

     Baking

     Artistry

     Donations – for the silent auctions or raffles etc

     Event assistance.  (Available for a specific occasion for a couple of hours?)

     Committee help (helping the CSAC reach their goals for the year)

     New ideas or better ways of accomplishing our goals are always welcomed

.Please contact one of the CSAC parent members with your ideas, input or to volunteer some
time to help make Father John Redmond the best possible place for our children or contact us at csac.fatherjohnredmond@tcdsb.org 

All Secondary Students are required to earn a minimum of 40 hours of Community Service before graduating. The 40 hours are easier to achieve if this is started in Grade 9.

· A completed and signed Christian Community Outreach Form or authorized form from a Community Service location is required for any Community Service hours earned.

· Christian Community Outreach Forms can be picked up in the Guidance office at FJR and kept at home for when they are needed. A pdf of the form is attached to this email to be printed off.

· Some locations of Community Service may have their own form but when going to do Community Service, your student should always take the FJR form with them in case it is needed.

· When completing any Community Service – the student should have the form signed by someone in authority at that location before leaving. The form should be completely filled out with all the details written clearly on the form.

· If the Community Service is done repeatedly at one location over a long period of time, consider filling the form out on a monthly basis to be signed and handed in. Example – being an altar server every week. A monthly form makes it much simpler to track and hand in.

· As the forms are completed please have your student take them to the Guidance office. The forms do not have to be saved until the 40 hours are completed. Please hand the forms in as you go. Submitting on a regular basis makes the process much simpler.

· For your personal records, please keep a copy of each form submitted and keep track of the hours earned by your student. As you receive report cards please check the numbers of hours shown against your records to ensure the hours are correct. With maintaining your own records you have a way of proving the number of hours earned by your student, if there are any problems.

· Some examples of suitable Community Service are: Walk-a-thons, Altar Server, Lector at Church, volunteering at the Foodbank…. Please check the Activities for Christian Community Outreach Form for more choices or contact the Guidance Office.