PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Membership
All currently enrolled parents are members of the School. Membership as a currently enrolled parent entitles all parents to participate at some level in the School. There are various ways to be involved at Woodside, including volunteering to be on the Parent Group, representing your child’s class as a Class Parent, serving on the Woodside Board as a board member, participating in fundraising activities or simply volunteering for a class event. Please consider volunteering for other activities such as helping with our lovely gardens or doing various projects around the building.
Class Parents
Each classroom has one or more volunteer parents designated as the Class Parent(s). The role of the Class Parent is to help the teachers organize special events for the class, such as invite special visitors, organize a special event in the class and communicate with other parents about class room activities.
Parent Group
The Parent Group is a vital component of the Woodside community. All parents are encouraged to participate in the Parent Group, which is chaired by a volunteer parent. Class Parents (described above) are expected to participate in the Parent Group. A major role of the Parent Group is to organize and host various school-wide events throughout the school year and can include:
· Family/School Picnic (held in the middle of September)
· Cookie Walk (beginning of December)
· Valentine’s Party (February)
· Art Show (April)
· Pride Day (May)
· Teacher Appreciation Week (May)
The Parent Group meets monthly at Woodside School. A schedule of Parent Group meetings will be available at the start of the school year. Check your child’s mailbox regularly for notices of upcoming events. The Parent Group also would like to use email as a primary mode of communication.
The Parent Group Chair attends Woodside School Board meetings as an ex-officio member to represent parent interests and to share board information back to parents. The Parent Group can also assist the Woodside Board with fundraising activities throughout the year. It’s a fun group and a great way to meet other Woodside parents!
Fundraising
Woodside School is a non-profit organization, which means that it operates like a business but does not seek financial gain. It was created with a specific purpose; namely, to provide quality, developmentally appropriate early care and education for young children. In order to accomplish this goal to its fullest, it is necessary for Woodside to conduct fundraising activities to supplement the funds that are obtained through tuition. The school cannot operate on tuition income alone.
Without fundraising efforts, Woodside would be a very different place than it is today. The school would be unable to ensure a diverse population of students because it would be unable to provide tuition assistance to families in need. The school’s Artist in Residence program would not be offered. Large capital improvements, such as the exterior staircase and the new roof, would not have been made. The list is endless, but the bottom line is this – successful fundraising is a must if Woodside is to maintain its high level of programming.
The involvement of parents in fundraising efforts is critical. Without parent involvement, it is virtually impossible for fundraising campaigns to be successful. Fortunately, parents can support fundraising efforts in a number of ways:
- Annual Auction – Become a member of the auction committee, solicit donations for the annual auction, ask your employers to be auction sponsors, simply attend the event and make bids;
- Annual Appeal -- Encourage former Woodside parents and friends to keep Woodside on their giving lists during our annual appeal;
- Pride Day and Special Project Days -- Provide your time to help build a donated loft or plant donated flowers;
- Cookie Walk -- Bake cookies for the annual cookie walk;
- Special Fundraising Events – Donate your time to work at the races in Loudon.
Parent resources, time availability, and skills differ, but there are ample ways for parents to be involved in fundraising for the school. With your involvement in fundraising, we can continue to improve our programming and facilities.