The purpose of the Parents’ Association (P.A.) is to provide a structure through which the parents/guardians of children attending St. Paul’s National School can work together to provide the best possible education and school environment for the children attending the school.
The Parents’ Association works with the principal, staff and board of management to build effective co-operation and partnership between home and school.

Structure
While all parents of children attending the school are automatically members of the P.A., an Annual General Meeting is held at the start of each school year.
At the A.G.M., elections are held to appoint committee members and officers to the association on behalf of all parents.
All parents are notified in writing of the AGM and invited to attend and put themselves forward for the committee, if they so wish.
We encourage all parents to become involved in the P.A. and to support the activities and projects that take place throughout the year.

Functions
The P.A. is a very important link between the school and the parents, and acts as a support for parents in the school.
The Parents’ Association, in conjunction with the principal and staff, organises activities and events such as:

• Annual welcome coffee morning for all parents of children starting school
• Annual Easter Egg Hunt
• Various fundraising activities, for example the Annual Christmas Fair
• First Holy Communion reception

Contact us
Parents are invited to contact any committee member with suggestions or feedback, you can contact us either directly in the school yard or via the school office or by e-mail: stpaulsratoathpa@gmail.com

Constitution of the Parents’ Association of St. Paul’s National School

Article 1. Name

1) The name of this organisation shall be St. Paul’s Parents’ Association, hereafter referred to as the ‘Parents’ Association’.

Article 2. The Purpose of the Parents’ Association

1) The parents’ association is the structure through which the parents and guardians of pupils of St. Paul’s National School can work together to provide the best possible education and school environment for the children attending the school.

2) The parents’ association works with the principal, staff and Board of Management to build effective co-operation and partnership between home and school.

3) The parents’ association will promote the interests of the pupils in cooperation with the Board of Management, principal, teachers and pupils in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.

4) To make efforts to inform the parents and/or guardians of pupils about the school and to provide opportunities for families to get to know each other. To provide a vehicle of communication among the families, teaching body and pupils of St. Paul’s.

5) To provide volunteers for needs of St. Paul’s school as required and to engage in fundraising activities, thereby assisting the goals of the school.

6) The association recognises that problems relating to individual pupils or parents and or teachers are a matter for determination between the individual pupil and or parent/guardian and the school authorities.

7) To provide parent representative nominees to the Board of Management.

Article 3. Membership

1) All parents and/or guardians of pupils enrolled in the school are deemed to be members of the parents’ association.

2) The association will remain independent but may affiliate to other bodies and associations where such affiliation will be deemed to be beneficial to the parents’ association and the school.

3) The Annual General Meeting of the Parents’ Association shall be held during the first term of the academic school year. Notice of the Annual General meeting shall be given in writing not less than 10 working days prior to the meeting.

4) Special meetings of the general membership may be called by the parent association committee or any four of the elected representatives of the committee, who shall notify the other elected representatives, prior to giving notice to the general membership. Notice of all meetings of the general membership shall be given in writing not less than 10 working days prior to the meeting. Only such matters as are stated in the notice of a special meeting of the general membership should be acted on at that special meeting.

5) Business of meetings. Any business may be transacted at a regular meeting for which proper notice has been given. A portion of time at each meeting shall be set aside to address any suggestions and concerns of the general membership.

Article 4. Parents’ Association Committee.

1) While all parents are part of the Parents’ Association, not all can or need to be involved in the day to day business of organising the work. The affairs of the association shall be conducted by the Parents’ Association Committee; consisting of such number of members as will enable there to be an effective decision making body: up to a maximum of 10 members plus 2 Board of Management Parent Representatives.

2) At a minimum the association will have at least 4 officers; chairperson, vice chairperson, treasurer and secretary.

3) Eligibility: committee members must be eligible members at all times. The definition of an eligible member is that they are a person of good character and that their child would be currently enrolled in the school.

4) Election of Committee: not less than 10 working days notice of the AGM shall be sent to each member and must be accompanied by the agenda for the meeting, plus nomination form for election to the incoming committee. The notice of the meeting should be drawn up and agreed between the Chairperson and the Secretary. In the event of there being a greater number of nominations than places on the Parents’ Association Committee, a vote shall be taken at the AGM.

5) The committee shall hold office from AGM to AGM. The AGM will be held in the first term of each academic year. Each member will be elected for a year. Members may go forward for election for a further year, providing they have a child in the school.

6) Parent representatives elected to the Board of Management are automatically members of the committee, but may not hold an officer post so as to avoid any conflict of interest with their role as board members. Parent representatives to the board of management are invited to attend committee meetings. They hold their position on the Board of Management for a period of four years.

7) Immediately following the election of the committee at the AGM the first business of the committee shall be to elect the officers of the committee as follows; Chairperson, vice-chairperson, treasurer and secretary. Persons putting their names forward for officer positions must be proposed and seconded. Where two or more persons are going forward for a position, a vote is held in the form of a paper ballot. The new officers must have served on the committee in the past or been an active member of the volunteer list prior to taking the role of officer where possible. The officers may not remain in the same office for more than two successive years.

8) Committee meetings shall be chaired by the chairperson, or in his/her absence the vice chairperson. In absence of both the chairperson and vice-chairperson, those members present shall elect a chairperson for the meeting.

9) Committee resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority of those members present. The Chairperson has the casting vote.

10) The quorum for a committee meeting is; half of the committee, plus one.

11) The committee shall meet on a fixed schedule basis during the school year following the Annual General Meeting. Regular meetings shall be held on a date mutually agreed by parent association committee members. The agreed schedule of all meetings shall be sent via e-mail to all members at start of year and to the school principal.

12) Additional reminder of meetings will be sent via text/e-mail to all committee members in advance of meeting.

13) The secretary shall keep minutes of all discussions and decisions agreed at the committee meetings and maintains a file of all correspondence of the association and retaining all necessary books and records of the assoc. (except finance documents which would be remit of treasurer) In addition the secretary is responsible for issuing notices, taking minutes and sending correspondence etc.

14) The principal is invited to attend meetings, notification is sent by e-mail direct to the school e-mail address.

15) Removal – should a member of the parents’ association be declared, by three quarters majority of the association, to be guilty of conduct, which is prejudicial to the interest of the association or the school or be incapable of discharging his/her duty as a member of the association, he/she may be discharged from the parents’ association.

16) If a member does not attend 3 consecutive committee meetings they will be contacted by the chairperson in writing, to clarify their future commitments to the committee.

17) Delegation – if a vacancy arises during the period of the office of the committee, such vacancy may be filled by co-option at the discretion of the committee.

Article 5. Finance

1) The parents’ association will finance its activities through fund-raising.

2) Fund raising for the school by the parent association will be done with prior knowledge of the principal of the school with the approval of the Board of Management.

3) A treasurer will be nominated from among the committee members and will be responsible for keeping the accounts of the parents’ association finances.

4) A financial report containing a written statement of income and expenditure is submitted to the AGM by the treasurer, upon presentation, these accounts will be proposed and seconded..

5) The parents’ association will keep a bank account in its name. The treasurer and at least one other member of the committee must sign cheques drawn on the account.

6) The treasurer will provide a financial statement at each committee meeting for consideration by the committee members.

7) The treasurer will be accountable to the School Management and the members for all monies to which the association and its activities give rise.

8) Funds raised by the Parents’ Association for the benefit of the school are transferred from the Parents’ Association account to the school account.

Article 6. Sub-Committees

1) Sub-committees can be set up to handle particular tasks that arise throughout the year.

2) They may also co-opt parents from the volunteer list and from the general parent’s body to assist in their work.

3) Such sub-committees may at the discretion of the committee, include persons other than a parent or a guardian.

4) They are accountable to and must report to the main committee.

5) Such sub-committees shall be regarded as ceased once they have reported back to the committee unless otherwise decided by the committee.

Article 7. Changes to the Constitution

1) Proposed changes to the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Chairperson at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

2) Articles of the parents’ association may be changed at the AGM.

3) Changes to articles of the parents’ association shall require a two thirds majority of those present at the meeting.

Article 8. Confidentiality

1) The committee communicates openly with the parents in the school. Occasionally matters may arise that must be kept confidential. In such cases, confidentiality shall be respected.

Article 9. Dissolution

1) In the event of dissolution of the parents’ association, all of its assets shall pass to the school.