Participation:
Getting Involved (or Not)

Are you interested in becoming more involved in the preschool? Click here to view the Board of Directors Role Summaries!

Classroom participation

At our preschool, you can choose to be an in-class participating family. These members are referred to as classroom volunteers. Classroom volunteers help out in the classroom once a month during their child’s class time. Families who chose not to be in-class participating families do not help out in the classroom.

In-class participating families (classroom volunteers)

In-class participating families (classroom volunteers) assist with snack preparation, set up, and clean up, while also interacting with children in the class during the program. Volunteers can expect to be scheduled for classroom volunteering once a month, plus one backup volunteer day.

As part of Ministry regulations, classroom volunteers cannot bring other children to school on their volunteer day.

Committees / (Co-op Roles)

Whether you choose to be an in-class participating or not, you must serve on either a committee or the Board of Directors. Committee work or taking on a Board role are both great ways to get involved and make a difference in your child’s school!

If you have more than one child attending the preschool, you are only asked to participate in one committee or Board of Director role.

School improvement

• Keep the classroom and playground clean and safe

• Undertake building projects

• Complete minor repairs

Special events

• Help with fundraising initiatives (e.g., Scholastic orders)

• Assist in the organization of preschool family events

Snack

• Purchase snack items (fees reimbursed) (must be dropped off by Monday at 9 am)

IT and web support

• Maintain the preschool website, update and manage content

• Provide IT support for the classroom laptop and printer

Newsletter

• Create and distribute the monthly newsletter

Financial

• Ensure all fees are deposited and appropriately accounted for

• Issue tax receipts

• Prepare grant applications

Classroom admin assistant

• Photocopy documents

• Compile binders

• Type up written notes

Board of Directors

Are you interested in being more involved with the preschool? Maybe looking to supplement your resume? Consider sitting on our Board of Directors!

Board of Director positions include:

President

• Coordinates and/or oversees all activities of the Preschool

• Organizes and chairs meetings

• Ensures that all members are performing their duties adequately and reliably and in good attendance of meetings

• Digests emails from Region (e.g. funding opportunities, expansion plans, updates to licensing, Early Years Engage) and report to Board so appropriate action can be taken

• Coordinates with teachers to update Early Years Engage documents

• On Fire Safety Committee with educators

• Point of contact for complaints against the educators or Preschool

• Has bank signing authority

• Communicates with families, authorities and media in event of emergencies (lock-downs, evacuations)

• On Executive (makes decisions on urgent matters that cannot wait for full board review) and Personnel (hiring, contracts, etc) Committee along with Vice-President and Treasurer

Vice President

• Head of personnel

• Signs off on educator time sheets

• Leads contract renewals

• Leads in hiring of new staff, if required

• Composes Educator and Membership surveys and compiles the responses

• Has bank signing authority

• 2 additional Board Members will be on the personnel committee to be consulted in hiring (along with Supervisor) and contract renewals (likely, but not required, to be President and Treasurer)

• On Executive Committee (see description in President role) along with President and Treasurer

Treasurer

• Has care and custody of all funds, including management of bank and credit card access

• Corresponds with families about financial matters (late payment, NSF, etc)

• Signs off on expenses and signs cheques

• Pre-approves spending and purchases

• Coordination of renewals (insurance, AV for teachers, etc.)

• Approval of documentation for Regional funding and compliance

• Receive monthly financial statements from bookkeeper and present to BOD at meetings

• Collaborates with bookkeeper to create draft budget annually for the planning meeting

• Manages and provides guidance and assistance to the Assistant Treasurers (Deposits and Tax Receipts)

• On Executive (see description in President’s role) and Personnel (hiring, contract renewals) Committees along with President and Vice-President

Communications Officer

• Creates and maintains main Preschool accounts email lists

• Responsible for communications to Preschool membership

• Responds to (or redirects appropriately) web enquiries

• Creates the monthly newsletter and calendar with input from the educators

• Is contact for Social Media Co-op role

• Maintains squarespace account and makes any requested changes to the preschools website.  Upload new policies to website

Membership Officer

• Point of contact for families and educators regarding program transfers (ie. a child moving from Toddlers to Preschool)

• Handles inquiries/issues email from current membership

• Works with Office coordinator to provide monthly tuition to bookkeeper

• Updates registration and pre-registration forms for following year and as needed

• Works with Office coordinator to organize Open Houses (3 per year - May, Aug, Nov)

• Ensures Admin Officer has information required for class lists (in registration spreadsheet)

• Ensures Communications Officer has information required for mailing list (in registration spreadsheet)

• Assigns co-op roles

  • Ensures all members are assigned a co-op role unless opted out

  • Maintains a spreadsheet to track completion of roles and yard clean up 

  • Follows up with Bookkeeper/Treasurer if co-op role has not been completed by Dec and June; yard clean up by May

  • Ensures each co-op role/committee has a responsible Board member

Administrative Officer

• Assists the educators and other Board Members with administrative duties (classroom prep, special projects, laminating, photocopying etc) 

• Updates contact list (community members)

• Updates parent contact list

• Keep class lists up to date (attendance, birthdays)

• Edit forms and letters as requested

• Take minutes of meetings if the Secretary is unable to attend

• Assist the other Board of Director roles on an as-needed basis

• Purchases office, classroom and craft supplies.

• Assisted by two committee members (“Classroom Administrative Assistants”)

• School improvement

Secretary

• Takes minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and General Meetings

• Distributes minutes 

• Prepares, updates and distributes the classroom volunteer schedule

• Is responsible for ensuring classroom volunteers have submitted all paperwork (including immunization history) and have had their volunteer training

Operations Officer

• Liaises with church

• Manages funding/grant applications for special projects, e.g. playground improvement (with assistance of committee member)

• Special Events/Fundraising Committee reports to Operations Officer to organize school-wide events (Family Fun Night, Spring Fling) and fundraising efforts (Scholastic Books, School Photos, …)

• Is contact for Sponsorship committee

Member-at-large

• Assist with special projects or committees where help is needed

• Often filled later in the year by a current Preschool member who will be on the BoD next school year

Community Advisor

• Advises BOD on procedure (via email or at meetings)

• Informs board of any long-running projects or old projects that had to be put on hold or of previous WCP activities that were notable (success or failure)

• Draws on previous experience of WCP to recommend successful approach to challenges

• Should be a previous board member and familiar with workings of WCP 

• Not required to have child at school or be a member of the preschool (in this case does not vote at meetings)

• Expected to attend board meetings at start of school year with attendance reducing as new BOD becomes comfortable

All members of the Board of Directors are required to participate in monthly Board meetings that are typically held at the preschool.

For additional information, please see the link below to our Board of Directors Handbook:

Board of Directors Handbook

Special skills and community helpers

If you have a special skill or job that would help the preschool (e.g., painter, electrician) or might be of interest to the children (e.g., police officer, musician), we’d love to talk with you to see if we can work together. Arrangements can often be made in exchange for committee duty or fundraising.