Help Your School Take Action - Making Your School a Healthier Place

Involving Parents

• Activities for Parents
• What Parents Want
• Tips for Involving Parents

Activities for Parents

Like most people, parents lead busy lives and may find it challenging to become involved.

Although many parents may not be able to participate on school council, it's important to recognize that parental involvement includes a range of activities such as:

• Helping with homework and school projects.
• Communicating and meeting with teachers.
• Volunteering in the classroom and on school trips.
• Attending and supporting school events.

What Parents Want

According to the "Parent Voice in Education" (164 KB, 40 pages) Project (2005) parents want:

• Their opinions to be respected and taken seriously.
• A more welcoming and inclusive environment for parents.
• Effective communication between the school and parents.
• Schools to recognize and address diversity.

Tips for Involving Parents

The Ontario Ministry of Education has devised 26 tips and a checklist for involving parents.

Some of these tips include:

• Using surveys or other methods to determine parents' needs and interests before planning programs and activities.
• Developing an action plan to involve parents based on the survey responses.
• Creating a comfortable environment for new parents by having a school information package, an organized way of meeting and welcoming new families, hosting newcomer events, etc.
• Addressing barriers to parent participation such as childcare, translation and transportation.
• Developing school events to attract parents such as showcasing special school programs (e.g., science, band, drama); hosting a school fair with community partners or offering multi-cultural events with traditional food, sports and customs.
• Communicating school happenings with a prominent school bulletin board, newsletter, school website or through direct mailings.
• Promoting your school council by actively encouraging attendance, acknowledging and involving parents at meetings and sending frequent reminders.

Visit Parent Inclusion Activities in Ontario* (204 KB, 23 pages) for more information on innovative programs to help parents become more comfortable and involved in their child's education.

*A report produced by "People for Education", a group working to support public education in Ontario.