April 17, 2014
Approaching the Education System
Doors To Knock On
- Your Child's Teacher: If you want to start on a small scale,
with someone you know, this person is a good choice.
- Your Local School: Visit the principal and explain your Arbour
Week program, outlining the benefits teachers and students. You
can offer to provide resources to the library or to give an
after-school workshop on the program.
- Principal's Associations: Most boards have associations of
principals that meet regularly. It may be possible to speak at a
meeting, outlining Arbour Week opportunities. These associations
sometimes have a professional development committee that
organizes special programs for teachers.
- Teachers' Federations: Local teachers' federations often
have their own newsletters. Such a publication can be an
excellent vehicle for letting teachers know about Arbour Week
resources and opportunities
- Consultants: Most school boards have staff who are
responsible for curriculum development. A consultant may be
associated with a specific subject, such as science, or with
a grade grouping such as Primary -Junior (grades 1 -6).
Working with these consultants allows you to offer resources
and program to specific subjects and grade levels.
- Superintendents: Superintendents are responsible for
consultants and for specific subjects or specific schools
within a board. The administrative organization differs
from board to board. Superintendents ca assist you in getting
resources into the media centre or resource centre of each
school, in developing workshops or professional development
days, in duplicating materials needed to distribute to teachers,
and in informing teachers about learning opportunities for
them and teaching resources that will benefit their program.
- Directors of Education: Visit the Director and make him or
her aware of Arbour Week and the role i1 can play in assisting
teachers. Support from the director, in the form of a directive
to all schools, will assist in stimulating active participation
of schools in Arbour Week activities.
- School Board Members: Your locally elected school trustee can
be approached to bring the Arbour Week program to the attention of
other board members and the staff of the school board or to arrange
for you to make a presentation. There are often board committees
that will be interested in your proposal. I' is often very
worthwhile to approach both the elected members and the staff
of the school board. Remember there are usually two school
boards in your area: the public school board and the Roman
Catholic Separate school board.