Parent Participation

Photo Gallery EPF Dinner Dance 2011

Elkanah House values the partnership of parents in helping to enrich learning opportunities for our pupils.

Parents and community members are encouraged to play an active role in the education of their children. Parent participation is key in helping deliver critical needs for the school as well as building our sense of community.

Family and school represent the primary environments in which young children grow and develop. Today, this relationship is taking on added significance as concern mounts over the challenges that schools face in building or maintaining strong parent participation.

The Board of Directors is the body that is charged by the Founding Statement of Elkanah House to ensure that best practice prevails in respect of good governance at the school.   Part of this good practice is to develop the partnership between the school and parents that should have, as its primary goal, the best interests of the pupils.

Parents are always welcome in our school. There are many ways to get involved:

Sub committees of the Board:

  • The Finance Advisory Committee
  • The Grounds and Facilities Committee
  • The Bursary Committee

Other committees:

Elkanah Parents Forum:

Elkanah Parent Forum Objectives:

  • To provide advice to the management and the Board of Directors on matters to which they require a sample of parent opinion;
  • To provide moral, logistical and vocal support for the school and the people who work there to encourage them to contribute to maximizing the educational opportunities on offer to the pupils
  • To assist in raising the funds to provide amenities and facilities that cannot be funded from the operational income budget;
  • To bring to the attention of the Executive Principal or in his absence one of the other Principals of Elkanah House ("the Principal")  issues upon which a number of parents feel strongly about and which they would like to have addressed;
  • To assist in the school the running of various aspects of the school’s programme where they are invited to do so.

Click here to see the EPF
 

Grade Representatives:

  • Parent volunteers are partnered with each teacher to facilitate the smooth running of the school.   The role of the grade representative includes:
  • Welcome new parents in the class and school to the ‘Elkanah Community’;
  • Send an email to parents introducing themselves with contact details and information with regards to the first get-together;
  • Organise at least one class get-together (preferably during the first term);
  • Create opportunities for parents to become involved in fundraisers, Schoolyard Market, etc;
  • Provide feedback to class teacher/tutors and principal on parent issues/concerns;
  • Assist teacher with class/grade initiatives;
  • Assist Principal with campus initiatives;
  • Assist with general campus functions;
  • Attend class representative meetings;
  • Attend any other meeting that may require their presence;
  • Delegate some tasks to others, but ensure deadlines are met;
  • Encourage parents to attend school functions;
  • Assist with class outings;
  • Assist with the marketing of school initiatives/events;
  • Be a source of encouragement and support to teachers and parents;
  • Be ‘au fait’ with EH policies and procedures, especially in dealing with complaints by parents

 

Prayer Groups:

Fathers prayer group

A small group of committed dads gather at the Senior Primary Campus every second Wednesday at 06h15 for a prayer and praise session. Following a convivial chat and cup of coffee, the needs of our school community are raised in prayer and words of praise are shared. Gareth Allman extends an invitation to all dads to join them between 06h15 and 06h45!

Praying Grannies and grandpas

For the past four years we have been blessed to have a dedicated group of 32 praying residents from Wentworth Village.  Each class in the high school is adopted by two grandparents, a granny and /or grandpa and they pray throughout the year.

Moms who care

A group of moms meet at the Sunningdale Preparatory staff room every Wednesday morning  to pray for the school and parents. Each junior primary class has a prayer box and there is a box in mini preprimary foyers where pupils, staff or parents can add their prayer requests.  These same praying parents do a tea for the staff once a month.

Blouberg mothers prayer group

A weekly prayer meeting is hosted by a parent to pray for the school.

 

 

 

 


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