St Mary's Primary School, Lochee - Parent Teacher Association

- Parent Teacher Association -

About St Mary's Parent Teacher Association

Parents, carers and families are by far the most important influences on children's lives and when parents and schools work together, children do better. With that common belief, St Mary's Parent Teacher Association has been running for a number of years and continues to enjoy supporting the school in a wide variety of ways.

Fundraising, for example, is just one of the areas where we can be most effective, by organising events like the annual Bingo Night and the Summer Fun Day we can help raise funds that help make special occasions at the school, like the Pupils Christmas Parties, extra special.
We understand that not everybody can spare the time to become actively involved or attend our regular meetings, however the families, carers, and friends of our pupils always generously support the events organised by the PTA. The Head Teacher and other staff members regularly attend our meetings and if as a parent/carer you would like to come along to one of our meetings you would be most welcome. Please check the Events page for details of our next meeting.

We have included a photograph of our new Parent Council which will continue to be known as St Mary's Parent Teacher Association. The Committee consists of a number of parents with children at various stages of the school.
St Mary's PTA

The parents are as follows:

Mr Jim Low - Chair

Mr Bryceland - Vice Chair

Mrs Urquhart - Treasurer

Mrs Wade - Secretary
Mrs Fitzpatrick, Mrs Houghton, Mrs Robertson, Mr Thomson, Mrs McKeague, Mrs Sharp, Mrs Galligan, Mrs Mclaughlin & Mrs Murray.
Alongside the parents we also we have PC MacColl, Cannon Aldo and a number of staff including Mrs Gowans, Mrs Munro, Miss McCann, Miss Angus, Mr Lowden as well as the Head Teacher, Mr Marra.

All parents/carers of children attending St Mary's are automatically members of the Parents Forum, and as a member you have certain rights under the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006. A copy of this document can be downloaded by clicking here. Under the terms of this legislation, St Mary's PTA is referred to as a Parent Council and has certain obligations, one of which was to draft a new constitution, a copy of which can be viewed below.

ST MARY’S PARENT–TEACHER ASSOCIATION
DRAFT REVISED CONSTITUTION –JUNE 2007

1) This is the Constitution for St Mary’s Parent-Teacher Association.

2) Aims and Purposes:

· To support the school in its work with pupils.

· To represent the views of parents.

· To promote contact between school, parents and pupils.

· To support teachers.

· To report to the Parents’ Forum.

3) The membership of the Association

· Will be a minimum of 6 parents of children attending St Mary’s School

· The Head Teacher who has the right to attend.

· 5 members of the teaching staff.

· St Mary’s Church has the right to nominate a representative to the Association.

· The Association will co-opt other members as necessary.

· The number of parent members on the Association must always be greater than co-opted members.

4) The Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the Association will be agreed by the Parent –Teacher Association members immediately following the formation.

Office Bearers will be reselected by the Parent-Teacher Association on an annual basis (at the annual meeting of the Parent Forum).

The Parent-Teacher Association will be chaired by a parent of a child attending St Mary’s School. If the child ceases to be a pupil, a new Chair will be agreed at the next meeting.

5) The Parent-Teacher Association is accountable to the Parent Forum for school and will make a report to it at least once each year on its activities on behalf of all the parents.

If 15 members of the Parent Forum request a special general meeting to discuss issues falling within the Association’s remit, the Parent-Teacher Association shall arrange this. The Parent-Teacher Association shall give all members of the Forum at least 2 weeks notice of the meeting and, at the same time, circulate notice of the matter, or matters, to be discussed at the meeting.

6) The Annual Meeting will be held in September of each year. A notice of the meeting including date, time and place will be sent to all members of the Parent Forum at least 2 weeks in advance. The meeting will include:

· A report on the work of the Parent-Teacher Association and its committee (s).

· Selection of the new Parent-Teacher Association.

· Discussion of the issues that members of the Parent Forum may wish to raise.

· Approval of the accounts and appointment of the auditor.

7) The Parent-teacher Association will meet at least once in every school term.

Should a vote be necessary to make a decision, each member at the meeting will have one vote, with the Chair having a casting vote in the event of a tie.

Any 2 members of the Parent-teacher Association can request that an additional meeting be held, and all members of the Parent-Teacher Association will be given at least 1 week’s notice of date, time and place of the meeting.

If a Parent-Teacher Association member acts in a way that is considered by other members to undermine the objectives of the Parent-Teacher Association, their membership of the Parent-Teacher Association shall be terminated if the majority of parent members agree. Termination of membership would be confirmed in writing to the member.

8) Copies of the minutes of all meetings will be available to all parents of children at St Mary’s School and to all teachers at the school. Copies will be available from the Secretary of the Parent-Teacher Association/Clerk to the Parent-Teacher Association and from the school Office.

9) Meetings of the Parent-Teacher Association shall be open to the Forum, unless the Parent-Teacher Association is discussing an issue which it considers should be dealt with on a confidential basis. In such circumstances, only members of the Parent-Teacher Association and the Head Teacher, or his or her representative, can attend.

10) The Treasurer will open a bank or building society account in the name of the Parent-Teacher Association for all Parent-Teacher Association funds. Withdrawals will require the signature of the Treasurer and 1 other Parent-Teacher Association member.

The Treasurer will keep an accurate record of all income and expenditure, and will provide a summary of this for each Parent-Teacher Association meeting and a full account for the Annual Meeting. The Parent-Teacher Association accounts will be audited by the auditor appointed at the previous Annual Meeting.

The Parent-Teacher Association shall be responsible for ensuring that all monies are used in accordance with the objectives of the Parent-Teacher Association.

11) The Parent-Teacher Association may change its Constitution after obtaining consent from members of the Parent Forum. Members of the Parent Forum will be sent a copy of any proposed amendment and given reasonable time to respond to the proposal.

12) Should the Parent-Teacher Association cease to exist, any remaining funds will be passed to the education Authority to be used for the benefit of the school (or schools), where this continues.

4 June 2007