Parent council
What can you expect from the parents' council at Werenfridus?
Teachers have a limited amount of time and it is important that it is used for teaching tasks, especially at a time when staffing is tight and absenteeism is high. With support from parent(s)/carer(s), teachers can be relieved and the capacity to offer (extra) activities as a school is increased. Moreover, involving parents offers the opportunity to make use of the diverse backgrounds, knowledge and expertise present in them. This applies not only to extra activities, but also when creating internal scripts and programmes or supporting teachers on specific themes. Examples include providing input for the support of pupils by mentors, programmes for developing competences such as presentation and programming, dealing with giftedness, but also contributing ideas on very practical matters such as what technical possibilities are available and what is allowed within the AVG framework.
The parent council can offer that support by, on the one hand, taking on tasks itself, but also by delegating the request for help to other parent(s)/carer(s) and coordinating support.
Input
The involvement of parents/carers is legally regulated via the Participation Council (MR). Due to the organisation of Werenfridus as one of the schools under the joint umbrella of Tabor, this organisation is split into a Joint Participation Council (GMR) and a sub-council.
The parent council supports parent representation within the GMR and sectional council. In addition to this formal route, the parent council maintains close ties with the school leadership at Werenfridus.
Information
Parents/carers are informed by the school via the website, the school guide and the newsletter. The parent council also wants to contribute to the information provision for parents. On behalf of the parents/carers, the available information is critically reviewed and an inventory is made of what additional information is desired. This information is requested from the school management. The parent council also takes the initiative to organise (themed) meetings and other activities for information provision to parents.
Parent(s)/carer(s) support
In addition to supporting parents/carers in obtaining information and having a say, they may also need other forms of support. This could include information on managing stress, finances, addiction, depression, and so forth. Parents/carers of children with similar challenges can also be brought together. These could be, for example, parents/carers of children who practice (top) sports or require extra support.
Contact
The Werenfridus parent council currently consists of: Rienk van Beek (chair), Martien Hofland (treasurer), Muriel ten Cate, Sander Hagendoorn, Daniela Katzinski, Guenevere Vader, Aline Visser, Robert-Jan Knook, Lieve de Kock and Denise Renshoff.
If you have any questions or wish to bring anything to the attention of the parent council, you can always contact them by email: wf-ouderraad@tabor.nl.