A Parents Committee (PC) representative is elected by parents at the beginning of the school year. Ideally, there are two reps for each pre-school class and grade level.
As of September 2011:
PC President – Roger Sollie
Vice president – Idar Petersen
Secretary – Delilah Bermudez Brataas
Treasurer – Mathilde Barriet
PC repr. in School board – Anne Hegle Kvalvik
Auditor – Hilde Aunvåg
A PC representative’s main tasks
Some of the tasks for a representative are formally decided in bylaws and other laws. Some are taken on by the PC informally each year. Formally, a PC member is the link between the parents in the class and the PC. The PC is the link between the parents and the school. A PC member will have duties towards the class and the parents they represent, and duties towards the PC which have to do with the day-to-day activities of the PC. The PC has meetings approximately once a month where they discuss current matters and plan PC activities. PC members should be present in these meetings.
PC member’s duties regarding the class and the parents
The main task is to assist the class teachers with planning and coordination of activities involving parents. Some examples of these activities include:
- Parents meetings: Sending invitations etc.
- Planning events for the school year.
- Planning and coordination of longer trips.
- Making sure communication with parents functions well and parents get the information they need.Other important tasks that should be handled by PC reps include the following:
- Keep continuous contact with the parents in the class and bring their concerns and ideas to the right channels.
- Make sure that the interests of the students and the parents are protected and promoted to the right channels.
- Together with the teachers evaluate what the parents can do to create a good environment in the class.
- Evaluate continuously whether the students should participate in parents meetings.
- Communicate to the parents any decisions taken by the PC, and important discussions from PC meetings.
- Assist the teachers in welcoming new parents to the class.
- Make sure that replacement PC members are elected before leaving, and that new members are informed about their tasks.
PC member’s duties within the PC
The PC, as the collection of PC members, has a number of important duties. Most importantly, the PC functions as a two-way link between the parents and the school. The PC is responsible for protecting and promoting the interests of the parents towards the school boards, school administration and teaching staff. By representing the class in the PC meetings and discussions, they make sure that the interests of the parents in the class are represented in the school’s daily operation. It is therefore important that they report back and forth between the class and the PC!
The PC is also responsible for coordinating a number of important activities at the school. These activities are grouped into the following areas:
- Coordination of social activities such as winter party, talent show, international day.
- Coordination of fundraising and developing guidelines for spending of PC funds.
- Improving communication channels between the school and the parents, e.g. the production of our newsletter This&That, and work on new web pages.
- Coordination of operational and maintenance activities such as “dugnads” (voluntary school work), helping at the library etc.
- Assisting the school in evaluating and improving the quality of education when possible. Additionally, the PC is often asked by the school to step in and help in one-time jobs.
Annual events organised by the PC
The PC has agreed that school events will be organised by the following classes each year (this means that parents of the class are in charge of the event):
- Halloween Party organised by years 6, 9.
- Winter Concert organised by years 1, 3, 7.
- Talent Show organised by years 4, 8.
- 17th May National Day organised by years 2, 5.
- Year 10 has their annual Flee market, but should be flexible to help out for special upcoming events!
Relevant documents:
