The school has a particularly active Parents’ Association which promotes and supports partnership between parents and the school in a number of ways:

• It runs a programme of activities and events throughout the year that encourages the involvement of parents
• It raises much needed funds for the school
• It keeps parents informed about what is happening in the school through meetings, a section in our school newsletter and a Parents notice board.
• It provides a channel for parents’ views and opinions on aspects of school policy and procedure. The Parent Representatives on the school’s Board of Management are also members of the Parents Association committee.
• It provides opportunities for parents to meet and network with one another.
• It organises talks for parents on child development, learning and related topics that are of interest to parents.

Each year the Parents’ Association committee arranges a small number of fund raising ventures.  In recent years these have included an Aqua night, a race night, a fashion show, a wine tasting night, and a casino night.  Each year the parents also organise a Golf Classic and a cake sale.

Apart from arranging fundraising, the P.A. organises activities and events for the children.  Poster, cake and recycling competitions are always hotly contested and special occasions such as Halloween and Christmas are usually marked by an event for the children.

While subcommittees organise these events, lots of help is sought and freely given by non-committee parents who volunteer for library work, yard duty, help with sports, and other activities that improve the overall school experience for the children.

Parents also use the Association to progress issues in the school of concern to them. Issues are channelled through the parent representatives on the Board of Management. In recent times, for instance, this has resulted in the development, by the Board, of policies on healthy eating, video usage in the school, uniform policy and getting the school involved with the Green Flag project. (European Environmental Award for Schools).

Parents who have become actively involved in the Parents Association have found it a very useful way of making a contribution to their children’s development, while also becoming far more informed about what is happening in the school.  It also provides an excellent way of getting to know other parents.

 If you can spare the time for a meeting once a month and for involvement in one or more of the fundraising activities during the year, why not put your name forward as a committee member at the AGM in September?  If you would prefer a less active involvement, the committee needs help to get several activities off the ground during the year – you might like to help on a stall at a sale or sell tickets for example.

Parents can also get involved in library work, yard duty, sports etc. Parents who cannot give time can contribute through sponsorship of fundraisers or provision of services or goods.

Keep a look out for our Parents Association noticeboard and the PA section in the monthly school newsletter.