KITSILANO SECONDARY SCHOOL PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

 

Table of Contents

 

CONSTITUTION

Section I          Name

Section II         Purposes

Section III        Dissolution

Section IV       Interpretation of Terms

 

BYLAWS

Section V         Membership in PAC

Section VI       Meetings

Section VII      Quorum and Voting

Section VIII     Election of Executive Officers, and School Planning Council representatives

Section IX       Term of Office

Section X        Executive

Section XI       Duties of Officers
Section XII      Duties of School Planning Council parent representatives

Section XIII     Code of Ethics

Section XIV     Committees

Section XV      Finances

Section XVI     Constitution & Bylaw Amendments

Section XVII   Removal of an Executive Officer

Section XVIII                                Property in Documents

 

CONSTITUTION

 

Section I         Name

 

The name of the Association shall be the KITSILANO SECONDARY SCHOOL PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL.

The Council will operate as a non-profit organization. Officers and Directors must not be paid or receive other remuneration but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses.

The business of the Council shall be unbiased towards race, religion, gender or politics.

 

Section II        Purposes of the PAC

 

The purpose of the Council is to support, encourage and improve the quality of education and the well being of students in Kitsilano Secondary School. 

 

1.     To advise administration and staff on parents’ views on any matter relating to the school – programs, policies, plans and activities;

2.     To communicate with parents and to promote cooperation between home and school in providing for the education of children;

3.     To assist parents in accessing the system and to facilitate advocacy support for individual children and their parents;

4.     To organize PAC volunteer activities and events which support the school;

5.     To contribute to the effectiveness of the school by promoting the involvement of parents and other community members;

6.     To provide input from all parents to the parent representatives on the School Planning Council, with respect to any matters within the purview of the SPC, including the School Growth Plan.

7.     To work with the administration, staff, parents and community organizations to provide a healthy, safe and supportive environment;

8.     To provide a forum for the discussion of educational programs and services; and

9.     To promote a spirit of tolerance and cooperation within the school community.

 

Section III      Dissolution

 

1.     The PAC shall be dissolved in the event that:

(i)              the school is permanently closed; or

(ii)            there are insufficient parents willing to serve as Executive Officers.

 

2.     In the event of dissolution or winding up of the Kits Parent Advisory Council, and after payment of all debts and costs of dissolution or winding up, the assets and remaining funds of the PAC shall be distributed to another parent advisory council or councils in School District No. 39 (Vancouver School District) in British Columbia having purposes and objectives similar to those of the PAC and which meet all requirements of the British Columbia Gaming Commission, as the members of the PAC may determine at the time of dissolution or winding up.  This clause shall be unalterable.

3.     In the event of dissolution of the PAC, all records of the organization shall be placed under the jurisdiction of School District No. 39 (Vancouver School District), British Columbia in the person of the Secretary-Treasurer of the school district.

 

Section IV      Interpretation of Terms

 

Parents – the parent(s) or guardian(s) of a student attending Kitsilano Secondary School.

 

Parent Advisory Council   “PAC”, the legally recognized organization consisting of  parents and guardians of Kitsilano Secondary School students.

 

School – Kitsilano Secondary School.

School Planning Council (SPC) – the five-person school planning council for Kitsilano Secondary School, that has the mandate and responsibilities as outlined in the School Amendment Act, 2002.

School Planning Council (parent) representative – any one of the three elected parents (or guardians) elected by the parent advisory council to serve on the SPC.

 

SD - School District No.  39 (Vancouver School District)

 

DPAC – the  District Parent Advisory Council of the Vancouver School District, which is recognized by the Board of Trustees of School District No. 39, to be the umbrella group of Parent Advisory Councils formed or to be formed in each local school.

DPAC representative – the parent elected by Kits PAC to the District Parent Advisory Council of Vancouver School District.

 

Community Organizations – groups which demonstrate an interest in the school and are not already included in the scope of this constitution.

 


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BYLAWS

 

Section V        Membership in PAC

 

1.     All parents and guardians of students registered at Kitsilano Secondary School are voting members of the Parent Advisory Council.

2.     Administration and staff (teaching and non-teaching) of Kitsilano Secondary School may be non-voting members of the Council.

3.     Members of the school community who are not parents of students currently enrolled in the system may be invited to become non-voting members of the Council.

4.     At no time shall the Council have more non-voting than voting members.

5.     A member becomes a member not in good standing when the member ceases to be a parent of a student attending the school. 

6.     A member should:

a)     attend as many meetings as possible

b)     become knowledgeable about the educational programs and services; and

c)     support the PAC’s purposes and objectives.

 

Section VI      Meetings

 

1.     Meetings will be conducted efficiently and with fairness to the members present.

2.     There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the purpose of the election of officers held in May of each year.

3.     General Meetings shall be held not less than six times per year, one of those being the AGM.

4.     The Calendar of regular meetings for the school year shall be approved at the first regular meeting of the PAC in the school year and shall be sent to all parents and the Principal.

5.     The notice of regular meetings contained in the school newsletter shall serve as notice to all members of all regular meetings of the PAC.

6.     Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson(s) at the discretion of the executive officers.

7.     Special meetings shall be called by the Chairperson at the written request of 15 (fifteen)  members or such number as the PAC may set at a regular meeting. The written request shall contain the reasons for the meeting and consist of the item(s) that could not be dealt with at the next regular meeting.  Only that business may be dealt with at the special meeting.

8.     Notice of a special meeting shall be sent to all parents and the Principal at least 7 days prior to a special meeting, except in the case of urgency as determined by the Chairperson(s), and shall contain a statement of the general nature of the business to be dealt with at the special meeting.

9.     The inadvertent omission to give notice of a meeting or the failure to receive a notice by a parent does not invalidate proceedings at that meeting.

10.  Executive meetings may be held anytime or place as deemed necessary.  The purpose of executive meetings is to carry on business between general meetings.

11.  If procedural problems arise on an issue not covered by these bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used to resolve the issue.

12.  A PAC meeting shall not be a forum for the discussion of personal problems with individual school personnel, students, parents, or other individual members of the school community.

 

Section VII     Quorum,  Voting

 

Quorum

 

A quorum shall be 15 (fifteen) voting members in addition to a minimum of 2 (two) executive.

 

Voting

 

1.     Unless otherwise provided, questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) of the votes cast.

2.     In the event of a tie vote, the motion is defeated.

3.     Members must vote personally on all matters; voting by proxy shall not be permitted.

4.     Voting shall be done by a show of hands, with the exception of the election of officers, the election of the Kits PAC District Parent Advisory Council representative, and the three parent representatives to the School Planning Council which must be done by secret ballot (School Act, s.8(1)(6).

5.     A vote shall be taken to destroy the ballots after the election.

 

 

Section VIII    Election of Executive Officers, DPAC representative, and School Planning Council representatives.

 

1.     The Executive Officers, the DPAC representative, and School Planning Council representatives shall be elected by majority vote from the voting members at the Annual General Meeting.

2.     Call for nominations shall be made at least one meeting before the Annual General Meeting.

3.     Three parent representatives to the School Planning Council shall be elected annually from the parents of students enrolled in the school, who are not employees of any school district.  At least one of the representatives must be an elected Officer of the Parent Advisory Council. (School Act, s.8.1(3)©, 8.1(4), and 8.1(7)).

4.     One representative to the District Parent Advisory Council (Vancouver School District) shall be elected annually from parents of students enrolled in the school.

5.     Should an officer, DPAC representative or a School Planning Council representative resign, cease to be a member, or otherwise cease to hold office, a replacement shall be elected at the next regular meeting of the members.  The executive may appoint an interim replacement officer or representative, if required, until an election is held at the next regular meeting of members.

Section IX       Term of Office

1.     The term of office shall commence immediately following election at the AGM and shall continue until the next Annual General Meeting.

2.     No person may hold any one position for more than three consecutive years.

3.     The term of office for School Planning Council representatives shall be one year. (School Act, s.8.1(6)).

4.     The term of office for the District Parent Advisory Council representative shall be for one year. (School Act,  s.8(4)(3)).

5.     No person may hold more than one elected executive position at any one time, with the exception of positions for School Planning Council representative, and District Parent Advisory Council representative, where these positions may be held concurrently with a position of PAC executive officer. 

6.     The Past Chairperson shall hold that office for one year.

7.     Transition:  in the first year of the establishment of School Planning Councils and elected DPAC representatives (2002-2003), representatives may be elected for the number of months remaining in the PAC year until the regular AGM (May 2003), and will then be eligible to run at that first AGM for a one year term.

Section X        Executive

1.     The affairs of the PAC shall be managed by the elected Executive Officers.

2.     The Executive Officers will be as follows:
a) Chairperson or Co-Chairpersons
b) Vice-Chairperson(s) – optional if two co-chairs
c) Treasurer
d) Secretary
e) District Parent Advisory Council representative
e) Past Chairperson  (not elected)

 

3.     The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee consists of the Executive Officers, the parent School Planning Council representatives and PAC committee chairpersons.  The PAC Chairperson(s) may establish committees and appoint members to serve on committees and delegate tasks to those committees.  Committee chairpersons will be invited to participate as members of the Executive Committee to further the projects and activities of PAC between regular meetings.  The PAC shall have a standing Academic Committee.  


Section XI       Duties of Officers

1. The Chairperson(s) shall:
a) convene and preside at membership, special, and executive meetings
b) ensure that an agenda is prepared and presented
c) know the constitution and bylaws and meeting rules
d) know where to find resources to assist members
e) appoint committees as required in consultation with the Executive.
f) consult PAC members regularly
g) ensure that the PAC is represented in school and school district activities
h) ensure that PAC activities are aimed at achieving the objectives and purposes of the organization
i) be the official spokesperson for the organization
j) be a signing officer
k) submit an annual report

2.The Vice-Chairperson shall:
a) assume the responsibilities of the Chairperson in the Chairperson's absence or upon request.
b) assist the Chairperson in the performance of his/her duties
c) accept extra duties as required
d) be a signing officer
 

3. The Secretary shall:
a) ensure that members are notified of meetings
b) record the minutes of general, special, and executive meetings
c) keep an accurate and up-to-date copy of the Constitution and Bylaws and have copies available for members upon request.
d) issue and receive correspondence on behalf of the organization
g) may be a signing officer
h) safely keep all records of the Council
i) ensure official notice is given to the school and Vancouver School Board of all Executive Officer elections or changes, and register the Constitution and Bylaws and any amendments with VSB and school.

4 The Treasurer shall:
a) be one of the signing officers of the executive
b) receive all funds for the Council
c) disburse funds authorized by the executive or members
d) maintain an accurate record of all expenditures of the Council
e) give a report of all receipts and expenditures at all general meetings
f) deposit all funds collected on behalf of the Council in an account at a recognized financial institution approved by the PAC
g) make books available for viewing by members upon request
h) have the books ready for inspection or audit annually
i) with the assistance of the executive, draft a budget and tentative plan of expenditures as per Section XIV
j) ensure that another signing officer has access to the books in the event of his/her absence
k) establish and maintain a separate ‘PAC gaming account’ for receipt and disbursement of all gaming funds, in accordance with BC regulatory requirements.
l) submit annual gaming summary or other reports as required to regulatory authorities
m) submit an annual PAC financial statement at the Annual General Meeting of the Council

5)                                   5) The District Parent Advisory Council representative shall:
a) represent the views and positions of Kits PAC to the District Parent Advisory Council for Vancouver School District.
b) act as a liaison between the DPAC and PAC, and provide PAC with information about District events, policies and developments.
c) vote at DPAC as a representative of Kits PAC.
d) provide liaison with provincial parent bodies, including BCCPAC, in the absence of any other specifically designated representative from PAC.

6. The Past Chairperson shall:
a) help smooth the transition between the old and new Executive
b) assist, advise and support the PAC
c) provide information about resources, contacts, and other essential information to the PAC
d) act as a consultant for the Chairperson

Section XII – DUTIES OF SCHOOL PLANNING COUNCIL – parent representatives.

1.     The three elected parent representatives to the Kitsilano Secondary School planning council will seek to represent the interests of the full parent body on all matters within the mandate and responsibilities of the School Planning Council as set out in the School Act. 

2.     The parent SPC representatives will work with the Parent Advisory Council to ensure input from the full parent body for all areas in their mandate, including:
(a) development and review of the annual School Growth Plan;
(b) the consultations by the School Board with the SPC on:
         (i)the allocation of staff and resources in the school:
         (ii) matters contained in the board’s accountability contract relating to the school;
          (iii)educational services and educational programs in the school.

3.     The parent SPC representatives will report to PAC meetings.

4.     The parent SPC representatives will submit a written report to PAC for the AGM.

 



Section XIII    Code of Ethics

 

A parent who accepts a position as a PAC Executive Officer, or parent representative to the School Planning Council:
1. Upholds the constitution and bylaws, policies and procedures of the electing body.
2. Performs her/his duties with honesty and integrity.
3. Works to ensure that the well being of students is the primary focus of all decisions.
4. Respects the rights of all individuals.
5. Takes direction from the members, ensuring representation processes are in place.
6. Encourages and supports parents and students with individual concerns to act on their own behalf and provides information on the process for taking forward concerns.
7. Works to ensure those issues are resolved through due process.
8. Strives to be informed and only passes on information that is reliable.
9. Respects all confidential information.
10. Supports public education.

 

 

Statement of Understanding

I, the undersigned, in accepting the position of __________________________ on the Kitsilano Secondary School Parent Advisory Council Executive / School Planning Council, have read, understood, and agreed to abide by the Code of Ethics set out in this document. I also agree to participate in a dispute resolution process that has been agreed to by the electing body, should there be any concerns about my work.

Name of Executive/School Planning Council Member: ____________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________________

Date: ____________________ Phone number: _____________________



Note: This page could be photocopied and used yearly for the new officers/school planning council representatives to sign.



Section XIIV Committees

1.     Standing and ad hoc committees shall be formed when necessary.

2.     Committees are responsible to the executive officers and members.

3.     The PAC executive officers may appoint members to committees annually.


Section XV     Finances


1.
A budget and tentative plan of expenditures will be drawn up by the Executive Officers and presented for approval to the members on an annual basis.
2. The fiscal year of the Kits Parent Advisory Council ends on June 30th of each year.
3. The executive will present, for approval at a general meeting, all proposed expenditures which are above $200 (two hundred dollars) or which deviate in any significant way from the approved budget.
4. All funds of the organization will be kept on deposit in a bank or financial institution registered under the Bank Act.
5. If the PAC pursues gaming funds, a separate PAC gaming account shall be established for the receipt and disbursement of these funds, in conformance with regulatory requirements.
6. The executive shall name at least three signing officers for banking and legal documents. Two signatures will be required on all of these documents.
7. A Treasurer's Report shall be presented at each general meeting.
8. Members at a general meeting may appoint an auditor.
9.The PAC must not borrow money without authorization of a special resolution.


Section XVI    Constitution & Bylaw Amendments

1.     Except as provided in the constitution, PAC members may, by a majority of not less than 75% (seventy-five per cent)  of the votes cast, amend the constitution and bylaws of the PAC.

2.     Any proposed amendment to the constitution and bylaws must be submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting of the PAC.

3.     A constitution or bylaw amendment shall be dated, signed, and forwarded to the School Board Office for safekeeping only.


Section XVII  Removal of an Executive Officer

1.     Should an officer, SPC  parent representative fail to attend to the duties of the office, the officer/ SPC parent representative may be removed by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members who are present at a meeting and vote on the resolution

2.     Written notice specifying the intention to make a motion to remove the executive member/ SPC parent representative shall be given to the members not less than 14 days before the meeting.

3.     The executive may appoint an interim officer/  SPC parent representative and a replacement shall be elected by the members at the next regular meeting.

Section XVIII Property in Documents

All documents, records, minutes, correspondence or other papers kept by a member, executive member, or committee member in connection with the organization shall be deemed to be property of the organization, and shall be turned over to the Chairperson when the members, executive member or committee member ceases to perform the task to which the papers relate.


Adopted by Kitsilano Secondary School Parent Advisory Council at Vancouver, British Columbia, on November 26, 2002


___________________________                  ____________________________
Johanna den Hertog, Co-Chairperson           Sara Brusse, Secretary

___________________________                  ____________________________
Nicki-Lea Keenlyside, Co-Chairperson          Charlotte Edwards, Treasurer