New body calls for parent reps
Schools
Catholic school parents and caregivers are being offered a unique opportunity to support an organisation that provides them a voice in their child’s education.
Formed last year, Catholic School Parents of South Australia is currently calling on each of the 103 Catholic schools across the State to nominate a parent or caregiver who will act as a point of contact for the organisation.
As executive officer Trish Jarvis explained, the representative will be a point of contact and, in conjunction with principals, responsible for distributing information to parents in their school community about CSPSA events or resources being offered.
“CSPSA aims to promote and support parents and families by providing a voice for the education and issues which affect their children – but we need help on the ground in order to do that,” Mrs Jarvis said.
“During COVID, many parents have told me that they have really missed being able to volunteer at their schools, or enter the school grounds. What I’m hearing now, as restrictions ease, is that they want to get back to rebuilding the strong relationship between the parent and school communities.
“Through CSPSA and our representatives at each school we look forward to supporting that partnership and listening to the needs of parents.”
With school visits now back on the table, Mrs Jarvis said she was enjoying being able to meet with parents at both city and regional schools to discuss the role of CSPSA.
“Every school community is different and has different needs, and when I go out to schools I gain a better understanding of their particular circumstances,” she said.
In late 2020 the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) announced that CSPSA would be the new representative body for Catholic school parents. Since joining the team last year, Mrs Jarvis has been busy helping to establish the organisation’s identity.
A new logo – representing a parent and a child, or the teacher/child relationship, in a stained glass window – has been developed, and the organisation now has its own website and Facebook page.
The website includes a range of resources for parents and helpful information on ways to engage with their school.
Mrs Jarvis has been appointed as a commissioner of SACCS from March 2022 with CSPSA now represented on a number of committees and organisations including CESA’s Catholic Identity Standing Committee, Political Strategy Committee, Awards panel and Regional and Remote Working Party, as well as the Catholic School Parents Australia National Council.
For more information about Catholic School Parents SA go to www.cspsa.catholic.edu.au/
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