The Membership of the Parents’ Association
All parents or guardians of children attending Scoil Realt na Mara will be deemed to be members of the association.
The Purpose of the Parents’ Association
The purpose of the parents’ association is to provide a structure through which the parents/guardians of children attending Scoil Realt na Mara can work together for the best possible education for their children. The parents’ association will work with the principal, staff, pupils and board of management to build effective partnership of home and school.
The Aim of the Parents’ Association
The aim of the parents’ association is to enable parents to play their part in ensuring the best possible education for their children, through the association’s programme of activities.
The parents’ association will promote the interests of the students in co-operation with the board, principal, teachers and students, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.
The Work of the Parents’ Association
The parents’ association will undertake a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of parents in the operation of the school and which will support the pupils, parents and school staff. In planning its activities the parents’ association will consult with the principal.
The parents’ association may advise the principal and board on any matters relating to the school in accordance with the Education Act, 1998,26 2(a).
The Committee of the Parents’ Association
The members of the parents’ association will elect a minimum of 10 members who will have responsibility for managing the activities of the parents’ association. This team will serve as the committee of the parents’ association.
The Work of the Parents’ Association Committee
The committee is the team that will manage the tasks of the parents’ association on behalf of the parent body (the members).
Decisions will be reached by a majority vote of those present at a committee meeting.
The committee will draw up a plan for the activities of the association in consultation with parents and in accordance with their wishes and in line with the parents’ association (PA) constitution.
The committee will be responsible for seeing that activities are run in an efficient and effective way.
The officers of the committee will report at each committee meeting.
The committee will consult with the school principal when planning their programme of activities for a particular year.
The committee will be responsible for ensuring that it puts in place, in consultation with the principal and the board, arrangements for ongoing communications between them.
The committee will report to the parent body (the members) about the work of the committee at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The committee will manage and account for any funds collected by the parents’ association.
Membership of the Committee
The membership of the committee will be elected each year at the AGM of the parents’ association, which will be held between the 1st and 31st October, and to which all parents or guardians have been invited to in writing not less than one week before the AGM.
All eligible parents/guardians shall have one vote.
Candidates must be nominated and seconded at the meeting before they are voted into office by a show of hands.
The number of the committee will be a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20.
Each member will be elected for one year. Members may go forward for election for a further year.
If more than the required number of candidates are nominated, a secret ballot will take place at the meeting.
Parent representatives elected to the board of management are automatically members of the committee, but will not hold an officer post.
Officers as follows: Chairperson/Team leader, Secretary, Treasurers, PRO and any other positions deemed necessary shall be elected at the first meeting of the committee.
If more than the required number of candidates are nominated then a secret ballot shall take place at the meeting.
Officers of the committee shall step down after 3 years in office, but are eligible for re-election to the main body or any other officer post.
The committee shall meet at least once per school term.
Any meeting of the committee must have a quorum of 50% + 1 before it is valid.
Minutes of each meeting duly adopted and signed shall be kept.
A committee member who misses three consecutive meetings without notification to the committee shall be deemed to have resigned.
The committee shall have the right to co-opt a replacement in the event of a resignation.
Co-options and Sub-committees
The committee may co-opt people onto the committee to assist in their work. Sub-committees can be set up for particular tasks. The sub committee may also co-opt people to assist in their work. However sub-committee may not make decisions. They are accountable to the main committee.
Finance
The parents’ association will fund its activities by whatever legal means decided by the committee.
Two treasurers will be appointed from among the committee members and will be responsible for keeping the accounts of the parents’ association finances.
All expenditure shall be accounted for in detail by the presentation of a written statement of accounts, which will be given at the AGM.
The parents’ association will keep a bank account in its name. The treasurer and at least one other member of the committee must sign cheques drawn on the account.
At no time shall the account be overdrawn.
The treasurers shall make all books and documents available to be audited annually.
Fund Raising for the School
Fund raising for the school by the parents’ association will be done with the prior agreement of the principal or board. The parents’ association will agree with the principal or board as to the specific school projects for which funds are to be raised by the parents’ association.
Monies raised for/donated to the school by the parents’ association shall be accounted for by the board of management or principal, with receipts or breakdown of the use to which it is put (for the purpose of the PA annual accounts).
Changing the Constitution
Changes to the constitution can be made at the AGM or an EGM. Proposals/motions to change the constitution must be submitted in writing to the parents’ association committee in good time. The parents’ association committee will then circulate these motions to all parents before the AGM. All parents/guardians of children attending the school and at the meeting are eligible to vote on the proposals.