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Scoil Mhuire, An Edmund Rice School, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9

Parents' Association

The aims of the Parents' Association are:  

  • To enable parents to play a meaningful role in supporting the aims and objectives of the school.
  • To ensure parents are meaningfully consulted in the development of relevant school policies.  
  • To ensure that parents, the Board of Management, the Principal and staff work together to ensure the smooth operations of the school by adhering to agreed policies and procedures.  
  • To enable parents to contribute to an enhanced learning environment for pupils.  
  • To ensure that the work of the whole school community is at all times focussed on the collective needs of all the children in the school.  
  • To identify and make available the skills and talents of individual parents that may be valuable to the school.

 Our main objectives currently are:  

  • To identify and organise a range of activities to raise additional funds for the school.  
  • Funds raised are allocated in accordance with a wish list as set out by the Board of Management and in consultation with the Parents' Association.  
  • Fundraising activities should primarily take place in and around the school and should where possible, promote the involvement of the whole school community and are as much about working together and fun as they are about raising money.  
  • To support and organise an after school activities programme where children have the opportunity to both further their educational interests and receive the necessary educational support if needed.  
  • To work alongside the Principal and staff to support key events such as the school walk, Holy Communion & Confirmation refreshments and the school concert.
  • Feed into any relevant policy discussions and lend support if required. Current policy input includes healthy eating, keeping our school green and environmentally friendly, Anti Bullying and the school Code of Behaviour.  

How do we operate and how can you get involved?  
The Parents' Association ordinarily meets in the school hall on the second Monday of the month, from 20:00 until approximately 21:00. A formal meeting is conducted with all of the members and is also attended by the Principal and Deputy Principal. 

The Chairperson issues an agenda in advance of the meeting and formal minutes are taken by the Secretary and circulated in advance of the next meeting. Anyone may put an item on the agenda by notifying the Chairperson in advance or by raising a topic at the meeting for inclusion at the next meeting. It is generally a very informative meeting mainly consisting of updates from the Principal, updates on fundraising activities and discussion around any topic that is put forward - such as policy input from parents, parental support needed or any issue the parents feel are important to the children in the school.  

Our approach is very much inclusive of all parents and collaborative with the Principal, teachers and Board of Management. Every parent in the school is automatically a member of the Parents' Association. If you wish to be involved you can contact the school or alternatively come along to any of our monthly meetings. You can become an active member of the Parents' Association if you wish and attend monthly meetings and get involved directly with fundraising. You may also choose to be on our helpers list where you help out when available for key events such as the school concert when we require a lot of support.  

Each year in September there is an election to appoint officers of the Parents' Association to facilitate the running and organisation of the Council. Nominations are put forward at the AGM, usually held in September and a vote if necessary takes place through a “show of hands” system. Every parent is entitled to put themselves forward for the roles of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary of the Parents' Association. Appointments are officially ratified at the first Parents' Association meeting following the AGM. We look forward to seeing you all throughout the year.