New Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) Representative needed for Ward 3

Hello fellow Ward 3 parents. Request from Felicia Seto-Lau , one of the your Ward 3 PIAC (Parent Involvement Advisory Committee) reps.  Dear parents,  We wish to thank Trevor Burnett for representing Ward 3 as PIAC rep for the past two years! Trevor’s term is coming to an end and we need another parent voice advising, advocating for and sharing the importance of parent and community engagement and involvement in our schools to the Board of Education and the TDSB.  What is PIAC?  My description of PIAC is: A group of diverse and caring parents who: (a) are engaged in their community and child(ren)’s school and; (b) want to learn and work together with other TDSB parents and community groups to improve student achievement and well being. The official terms and mandate of PIAC (Parent Involvement Advisory Committee) is found below as well as a quick FAQ.  It is enriching and enjoyable to interact with other members of PIAC! Making connections with other parents throughout the city and learning how they are engaging and involving parents and the community in our schools to improve achievement and student well being is very rewarding.  Please consider joining me in representing our Ward. As always, I welcome your questions regarding parent involvement that you wish for me to bring to PIAC.  Reach me at mamafaves@hotmail.com  Thanks,  Felicia Seto-Lau  From the PIAC by-laws:  The mandate of PIAC is prescribed by the Education Act, Ontario Regulation 612/00 School Councils and Parent Involvement Committees, Last Amendment O. Reg. 330/10.  The purpose of a parent involvement committee is to support, encourage and enhance parent engagement at the board level in order to improve student achievement and well- being. O. Reg. 330/10, s. 6.  Role and Responsibilities of PIAC  PIAC shall achieve its purpose by:  (a) providing information and advice on parent engagement to the board;  (b) communicating with and supporting school councils of schools of the board; and (c) undertaking activities to help parents of pupils of the board support their children’s  learning at home and at school. O. Reg. 330/10, s. 6  Any rules to being a PIAC rep?  The PIAC bylaws state that a member shall be a parent of a pupil who is enrolled in a school of the TDSB, and includes a guardian as defined in section 1 of the Education Act. A member may be an employee of the TDSB but must declare that at each meeting and excuse yourself in case of any conflicts of interest.  What is the time commitment?  Well it depends on your availability and interests. Committee Meetings are monthly at the TDSB head office at 5050 Yonge St on the third Tuesday. Dinner is provided if you RSVP for the meeting. One Ward 3 rep needs to attend and vote each month on agenda items. There are sub-committees which meet depending on what concerns are close at hand or have deadlines. PIAC reps also provide a paragraph report to the Trustee for Ward Meetings.

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Making the PRO Grant Work for Your School - Patricia Bulley and Lisa MacDonald

Making the PRO Grant Work for Your School - Patricia Bulley and Lisa MacDonald

We have participated in the process of applying for PRO (Parents Reaching Out) GRANTS since 2011.  This Ministry grant is a fantastic initiative that helps school councils to reach out and engage their parent community. 

Receiving a PRO Grant offers schools the financial support to provide resources and gives the parent council the opportunity to address critical issues within their community.  It's great how each school can apply for what is essential and relevant to that individual school community. 

These grants help to bring parents together and assists in addressing extremely important topics such as: mental health, healthy living, internet safety, understanding money, dealing with bullying and more. 

It has been our experience that the best way to engage parents is by including the children. 

Inviting parents and children to the same event or having something for the children in the day to get the children talking about the topic, and then hosting something for the parents in the evening are options to consider.  

We decide on what to apply for based on community needs. Each year we discuss our school need at our council meetings, realizing that not everyone can make it to the meetings, we reach out to the greater community by sending out a survey.  Once the data is collected we decide on what to apply for.

There are a number of service-based organizations that provide excellent programming that can be funded using the PRO Grant.  In the past we have assisted in organizing successful outreach using: 

• Cent$ible Students http://www.centsiblestudents.ca/contact.html

• Arts Express http://www.artsexpress.ca

• SCREENAGERS  https://www.screenagersmovie.com/find-a-screening/

Toronto District School Board partners can be found at https://pims.tdsb.on.ca/Home.aspx/OurPartners. Some of these organizations may be appropriate for a PRO Grant submission.

The PRO Grant is also fairly flexible. A school council can “build” their own PRO Grant event ie. for wellness events that feature nutrition, cooking, yoga or even a family game night.

Many councils may be intimidated by the idea of writing a PRO Grant submission.  The format is very simple and user-friendly. At the time of submission you need to know the basic WHAT, HOW and WHY, but they only require one or two sentences for each category. Any school who has successfully completed a PRO Grant would likely be willing to share their template of the application – we certainly would!

The Dad Workshop by Trevor Burnett

The Dad Workshop

Norseman JMS PRO Grant by Valerie Light

LOVE PRO GRANTS!

This December from 630-830, Norseman Junior Middle School hosted a successful screening of the documentary film entitled SCREENAGERS. The evening was a success in part due to the informative and realistic movie content and to the structure of the evening. The evening itself was made possible due to the PRO GRANT funding we received, which clearly outlined how and where the funds could be used. We wanted to make attending this event, as easy as possible for parents.  It was simple: register online and attend for free!  Pizza, clementines and baby-sitting (for students too young to view the film) were available and free for all.  

This event was visibly publicized by displaying posters throughout the school and in local community centers and shops. Additionally, as the students viewed this film at school, parents could easily discuss it and empower their children to make positive online choices.

After viewing the film, parents had a chance to discuss the content and suggested solutions contained in the film with other parents. As Delaney presented her experiences in a raw and vulnerable way, it facilitated an ease of discussion amongst parents. It connected our school community further, as concerted parents and also provided a hopeful way forward.  Parents were able to share their comments with the larger group, if they desired and they received a door prize for voicing their views.

Obtaining a PRO GRANT was a simple process of filling out an online form. When a question arose, I there was a number to call, with a live person at the other end who found the answer I required!

We are grateful this funding exists! Looking forward to the next PRO GRANT event!