Role of Parents/Guardians

What can parents do to help make it a great year of happy learning and play?

Inform the Program Director/ECE of any change in the home which may affect the child.
Inform the Program Director/ECE of any change of information on the registration form. ie. change of address or phone number of work/school, change of pick-up people or their phone numbers, custody situations, etc.
Ask questions and discuss the child's day with the caregivers (ECEs) and offer any suggestions to help the child and caregiver.
Sometimes children have separation anxiety at drop off. This is normal and expected, especially when a school environment is brand new. The caregivers/teachers are trained in dealing with these matters and are very willing to help you develop the strategy for leaving the playschool that will work for both you and your child. (ie. bringing a favorite toy to class, bringing child a few minutes late to miss the rush of parents and children)
Parents are always welcome to visit the classroom to see the different play centres and learn about what your child is learning! If there are separation anxiety concerns, we will work with you to determine the best strategy for you and your child so that a visit does not cause any regression in your child's progress.

Board of Director Involvement

Parent/guardian involvement in the Playschool is important in order to keep the Playschool running. The Playschool is a non-profit organization and is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Without the support and involvement of the Board of Directors the Playschool would not be able to be in operation.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to become involved in the Playschool by:

becoming a member of the Board of Directors
attending the annual meetings and any other special meetings that may be held
supporting all fundraising events as these events generate money to further develop the Playschool program
donating items to the Playschool that may be required

All parents/guardians with children currently enrolled in the program are considered to be members of the Playschool and as such have a right to contribute to how the Playschool will be run.

Parents/guardians are required to attend the annual general meeting, usually held in September. As per the Playschool by-laws, a minimum of 12 members must be present at a general membership meeting to form a legal "quorum". Without a quorum, the meeting cannot go forward and Playschool business can not legally be done. Annual general meetings are held to inform parents/guardians about budgets, program development, as well as to get a general idea from parents/guardians about what is important to them for the program their child is involved in. These meetings are your opportunity to give the Board of Directors and Early Childhood Educators an understanding of what is important to you.

The children in the program are the ones who truly benefit from all the work that parents put in!