UXBRIDGE SECONDARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL
CONSTITUTION
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ARTICLE1 |
NAME & MISSION STATEMENT |
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1.1 |
The name of this organization shall be the Uxbridge Secondary School Community Council, hereinafter called the Council |
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1.2 |
Mission Statement "Our Council’s mission is to foster the cooperative efforts of parents, staff, students and community in order to ensure that all students are provided with equal learning opportunities of the highest quality within our unique school community." |
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We believe in the development of individual potential, knowledge and life skills through co-operation, consistency and commitment. |
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ARTICLE 2 |
PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES |
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2.1 |
To support the school Mission Statement, which is as follows: Our purpose is to promote a caring and supportive environment, which fosters respect, responsibility and self-esteem. |
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2.2 |
To encourage parents, students, staff and the community to work together to share information and enhance student learning. |
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2.3 |
To communicate regularly with each of the constituent groups mentioned in 2.2 and to seek their views and to report on activities of the Council. |
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2.4 |
To establish and maintain contact with the Uxbridge Secondary School’s Parent Association and with other school councils. |
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2.5 |
To advise Board committees and the Ministry of Education on issues and policies directly affecting Uxbridge Secondary School. |
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ARTICLE 3 |
MEMBERSHIP |
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3.1 |
A majority of members of the Council shall be parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school. |
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3.2 |
Members of the Council shall include, but not be limited to (with numbers based on an example of a Council made up of 17 members). |
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3.2 |
Members of the Council shall include, but not be limited to (with numbers based on an example of a Council made up of 17 members). |
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3.3 |
The Council may appoint sub-committees as needed to perform a specified task. |
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(a) |
Non-members of the School Community Council (e.g., concerned parents, teachers, and community members) may be requested to assist sub-committees in their deliberations. |
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(b) |
Sub-committees will submit reports and/or recommendations to the Council for final approval. |
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ARTICLE 4 |
EXECUTIVE POSITIONS |
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4.1 |
The Council Chair shall be a parent elected by the Council at the first meeting after the annual election. |
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4.2 |
The Secretary will be selected on a volunteer basis. The Secretary is responsible for preparing the minutes of the meeting and submitting them to the Chair, within one week of the meeting. |
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ARTICLE 5 |
DUTIES OF MEMBERS |
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5.1 |
Members should endeavor to be present at every meeting of Council, and be prepared to resign if they miss more than three consecutive meetings without due reason. |
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5.2 |
If it is necessary to be absent from a meeting, the member is to advise the Chair with as much notice as possible. |
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5.3 |
Chair will call to warn. |
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5.4 |
Each member is responsible for consulting with, bringing forward concerns from, and reporting to the group he/she represents on a regular basis between meetings of the Council. |
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5.5 |
Discussion at Council meetings shall be limited to matters of concern to the school community as a whole. |
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5.6 |
Members shall respect the confidential nature of some school business and respect limitations this may place on the operation of the Council. A member shall not disclose confidential information. |
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5.7 |
The Council is an advisory body to the school and the board. Its activities must fall within the scope of Ministry of Education Policy Memorandum 122, Part 2. Roles and Responsibilities of the School Councils. (See Appendix A) |
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ARTICLE 6 |
MEETINGS |
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6.1 |
There will be a minimum of 6 business meetings, held on the 4th Tuesday of the following months: September (being the first) October, November, January, February, April and May.
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6.2 |
Extra meetings may occur at the call of the Chair. |
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6.3 |
Meetings will begin at 7:15 p.m. and adjourn no later than 9:15 p.m. All Council meetings are open to the public. |
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6.4 |
At the discretion of the chair, a vote will be taken to extend the meeting up to 30 minutes. |
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6.5 |
A quorum will consist of 50% of the membership with the majority being parent representatives. If a quorum is not met the meeting will be cancelled, or rescheduled at the call of Chair. |
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ARTICLE 7 |
DECISION-MAKING PROCESS |
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7.1 |
The purpose of this section is to ensure that informed decisions are made with the support of a majority of the members present. |
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7.2 |
Decision-making involves the following steps: |
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(a) |
Proposal of the matter to be considered. This proposal is most useful when it clearly outlines the terms and considerations of the decision. |
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(b) |
Another individual should support the proposal or it should be considered withdrawn. |
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( c) |
Description of the matter by the individual proposing the matter for consideration. |
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(d) |
Open discussion and clarification, with the final point reserved for the presenter. |
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(e) |
Reading of the actual wording of the decision. |
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(f) |
Closure and actual decision of the merits of the proposal. |
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7.3 |
Two methods of decision making will be used: |
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(a) |
Consensus – this will be the basic process and merely requires that all members agree to the statement. |
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(b) |
Majority Vote – this method may be declared desirable by the chair or requested by any member present at the meeting. A simple majority of those voting is required to approve the proposal. In the event of a tie the chair of the meeting will cast the deciding vote |
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7.4 |
Formal decisions are considered to be binding on the operation of the council from the time of the decision. Defeated proposals should only be reconsidered once it has been established that the situation merits revisiting the issue. |
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7.5 |
At the discretion of the Chair or a majority of the members of the council, the "Rules of Order" (School Community Council Handbook, Durham Board of Education, p. 43-44) will be used when a decision through consensus is not feasible. |
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ARTICLE 8 |
DECLARATION & ELECTIONS |
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8.1 |
Term of Office: Parent Members will be elected for a 2-year term. Community representatives will be appointed for a 2-year term. |
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8.2 |
Election of Parent Representatives: |
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(a) |
The election of the parent representatives shall be conducted by secret ballot at a general meeting, held in September or October each year, and to which all parents/guardians have been invited. |
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(b) |
All parents or guardians of students in the school are eligible both to vote for and to run for the position of parent representative. |
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(c) |
Nominations for parent representatives must be received by the Principal two weeks after parents are notified so that the names of candidates may be published in advance. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the general meeting. |
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(d) |
The Principal shall conduct the election. |
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(e) |
No school resources or personnel may be used to support particular candidates or groups of candidates. No individual campaign literature may be distributed or posted in the school. |
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(f) |
Each eligible voter shall be entitled to vote for as many candidates as there are positions to be filled (e.g., 6 parents reps means each voter can vote for up to 6 people). |
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(g) |
If there is a tie for the final position, the winner shall be determined by lot. |
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(h) |
If all elected positions have not been filled at the end of the election process, the newly constituted Council shall, at its next meeting, appoint the necessary number of eligible persons to serve for the balance of the term of office. |
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8.3 |
Election of Teacher Representatives: The election of teacher representatives will be held at a general meeting of the teaching staff in May or June of each year. |
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8.4 |
Election of Support Staff: The election of the support staff representatives shall be conducted at a general meeting of the non-teaching staff, held in May or June of each year. |
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8.5 |
Election of Student Representatives: the SAC will appoint the student representative at the same time as the normal elections are held for the Student Council each year. |
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8.6 |
Appointment of Community Representatives: the newly elected Council will appoint the community representative in October of each year. The community representative may be chosen from any of the following: |
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8.7 |
8.7 Vacancies: If any vacancies on the Council occur in mid-term, the Council may hold an election at its next meeting, or appoint a replacement to complete the term. |
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8.8 |
Introduction of nominees and time frame: Nominees are introduced at the General Meeting and given the opportunity to briefly introduce themselves. |
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ARTICLE 9 |
ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING |
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9.1 |
Council funds shall be kept in a school account and are the responsibility of the Principal. |
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9.2 |
These funds are to be used for meeting costs, communication, support services, and training for the council members. |
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9.3 |
Expenditures of over $50.00 require approval of the SCC. |
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9.4 |
Two members of the council not on the executive will audit the financial records of the council once a year prior to the May meeting and a report presented to the SCC at the May meeting. |
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ARTICLE 10 |
AMENDMENT PROCEDURES |
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10.1 |
The purpose of this section is to ensure that the Constitution can be changed. |
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10.2 |
A specific request, in writing, must be received by the chair of the council a minimum of 30 days prior to the meeting at which the amendment will be considered. |
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10.3 |
All members of the council must receive written notification of the specific amendment being considered at least 20 days prior to the meeting at which the amendment will be considered. |
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10.4 |
The amending motion requires at least 70% of the vote be cast to be considered accepted. |