PTIS Parents (PSA)
Aims

Our Aims:

We exist to support and encourage parents, students, teachers and administrators to work together in creating the best possible educational and social environment at PTIS. It adheres closely to PTIS policies and principles.

Our main purposes are to:

Communicate information from PTIS to parents

Communicate the views of parents to PTIS

Coordinate parent volunteers activities and events

Support PTIS in the implementation of parents' suggestions

Assist PTIS in maintaining and improving academic and social standards

Raise funds for the PSA activities and events and for the development of PTIS

Invitation to all parents

In addition to special events, all parents are warmly invited to join us at meetings normally held twice a term.

One meeting focuses on a special topic or specific issue of interest, such as the school's language program or school security. Another meeting is a business meeting.

Parents are invited to submit agenda items in advance for consideration. Meeting places, dates and times will be announced in advance.

PTIS Parents (PSA)
Constitution

Introduction:
This Constitution was drafted by the Parent School Association Executive of 2006/07. It was approved at the PSA Annual General Meeting of June 7th 2007.

Article 1 - Name
1.1. The name of this association shall be PTIS International School Parent School Association, referred to herein as ‘the PSA’.

Article 2 - Status
2.1. The PSA shall be a non-profit, self-funding, voluntary association of all parents and guardians of students attending PTIS. It is steered by an executive, hereafter referred to as the PSAX.

Article 3 - Purpose
3.1. The PSA exists to support and encourage parents, students, teachers and administrators to work together in creating the best possible educational and social environment at PTIS. It will adhere closely to the PTIS policies and principles. The main purpose of the PSA is to:
3.1.1. Communicate information from PTIS to parents;
3.1.2. Communicate the views of parents to PTIS;
3.1.3. Support PTIS in the implementation of parent’s suggestions;
3.1.4. Assist PTIS in maintaining and improving academic and social standards;
3.1.5. Coordinate parent volunteer activities and events;
3.1.6. Raise funds for PSA activities and events and for the development of PTIS.

Article 4 - Membership
4.1. All parents and guardians of students attending PTIS are members of the PSA (including teacher-parents) and have the right to vote at general meetings.
4.2. Any PSA member can attend PSA meetings.
4.3. Any PSA member can be a candidate for any position with the PSAX or PSA committees.

Article 5 - Organization
5.1. The PSA is steered and represented by an elected PSA executive; the PSAX.
5.2. PSA committees, organized to implement effective actions, activities and events, are coordinated by the PSAX.
5.3. Class Representatives are coordinated by the PSAX.

Article 6 - Procedures
6.1. The PSA operation procedures are explained in a separate document; ‘PSA Procedures’.
6.2. The PSAX maintains and updates the PSA Procedures on a regular basis.

Article 7 - PSAX Officers
7.1. The PSAX includes a Chairperson, a Vice-chairperson, a Secretary, a Social Events Coordinator, a Treasurer and a Community Coordinator. These positions are voluntary.
7.2. The officers are elected for one school year, from the start of Term 1 until the end of Term 4. Should a PSAX officer not complete a full school year, the position will be first offered to the runner-up of the last PSAX election. If the runner-up declines the position, or if there is no runner-up, then the PSAX shall designate a replacement.
7.3. The Chairperson is the spokesperson for PSA. S/he chairs PSA meetings and plays a leading role in dialogue with the School concerning school policy, standards and development issues. S/he may represent the parent body at PTIS meetings.
7.4. The Vice Chairperson assumes the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in his/her absence. S/he shares the responsibilities of the Chairperson as assigned by him/her.
7.5. The Secretary arranges the PSA meetings, informs parents of PSA news, sets PSA meeting agenda; records and distributes minutes of all PSA and PSAX meetings within one week of being held. The Secretary also manages the PSA email account.
7.6. The Treasurer manages the PSA Account and regularly reports on sources and uses of funds, at PSA meetings. S/he ensures full transparency in PSA accounting practices.
7.7. The Social Events Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all PSA social activities and events.
7.8. The Parent Community Coordinator facilitates communication between the parent body and PTIS. S/he also oversees the PSA Class Representative system.

Article 8 – Committees
8.1. Following suggestions by the parent body for specific PSA activities or events, committees are formed by the PSAX.
8.2. Committee coordinators are appointed by the PSAX.
8.3. Inactive committees are dissolved by the PSAX.

Article 9 – Meetings
9.1. PSA Meetings are held at least twice a term. All parents and guardians are invited to attend. An agenda will be distributed by the PSAX Secretary, at least 3 days in advance of the meeting. Each PSA member present will have one vote.
9.2. PSAX Meetings are called by the PSAX Chairperson, as required. Other PSA members or PTIS staff may be invited to attend, but will have no voting rights. At these meetings, each PSAX officer will have one vote. Officers may vote by proxy, following confirmation at the start of a meeting, if they are unable to attend.
9.3. Annual General Meetings (AGM) will be held once each year in the fourth term. Its main purpose is to elect a new PSAX for the following school year and to vote on proposed changes to the PSA Constitution. A quorum of 30 members is required for the AGM. 9.3.1. At the AGM, the incumbent PSAX shall present a summary of PSA activities and achievements over the school year, and the financial position to date.
9.3.2. The PSAX invites nominations for PSAX officer positions, at least 4 weeks before an AGM, with an election being held and results announced, during the AGM.
9.3.3. In the event of a quorum not being reached at an AGM, the election of the PSAX will be held with those members present. The results of that election will then be published by the PSAX. Any PSA member opposing the result shall then express their concerns in writing to the Head of School. A vote will then be held at the first PSA meeting of the following school year to either confirm the new PSAX or in the case where the new PSAX is rejected on whether to hold an extraordinary general meeting.
9.4. Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) can be called at any time, upon written request by at least 10 members of the PSA or if a PSAX cannot be formed. An EGM must be announced to the parent community, at least two weeks in advance. A quorum of 30 members is required for an EGM.

Article 10 - Finances
10.1. Full details of all financial transactions relating to PSA activities and events must be recorded in the PSA accounts. Copies of all purchase and payment receipts will be kept by the PSAX treasurer.
10.2. PSA funds cannot be used for the personal benefit of or to remunerate the voluntary PSA responsibilities of any member.
10.3. Proposals for the use of PSA funds for PTIS development are made to the PSAX by PTIS staff, students or PSA members. The allocation of these funds will be decided by PSAX.
10.4. Should any PSA or PTIS staff member wish to examine the PSA accounts, the PSAX will make all necessary documents available to them.
10.5. The outgoing PSAX will hand over the PSA account with a minimum balance of THB 50.000.
10.6. The PSA ledger and account balance shall be handed over to the Head of School at the end of the school year.

Article 11 - Amendments
11.1. This Constitution may be amended at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members present. No Article may be amended in such a manner as to impair or alter the noncommercial, nonpartisan, nature of the PSA.
11.2. Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be presented to the Chairperson of the PSAX in writing at least two weeks prior to an AGM or ten days prior to an EGM. All members shall be notified of the proposed amendments, at least one week prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken.
11.3. PSA Procedures are written or amended by the PSAX and must be approved at a PSA meeting by a majority vote of PSA members. The PSAX will review the PSA Procedures at least once, near the end of their term. Any PSA procedure produced by the PSAX shall not contradict the PSA Constitution.

Article 12 - Dissolution
12.1 In the event of termination and dissolution of the PSA, the assets of the PSA will be distributed to PTIS. In the event that PTIS is also dissolved, PSA assets will be turned over to the Board of Governors to distribute in accordance with the Articles of Association of the School.
12.2. The PSA can be dissolved at an AGM or an EGM by a simple majority of PSA members present.
12.3. If a quorum is not reached to enable the dissolution of the PSA, the Head of School has the authority to decide on further actions, including the dissolution the PSA.

Adopted June 2007

PTIS Parents (PSA)
Activities & Volunteering

Below are various activities and opportunities for parent participation in the school.

Meetings and Social Events

"PTIS Topics Meetings." During the year there are a number of informational meetings focused on matters of general concern. Topics range from introduction of technology in education to school fees and finance. Parents are always welcome to suggest topics for discussion by emailing . Meetings, placed on the school calendar and announced in advance, are normally held on campus after school assemblies.

"Business Meetings." Business meetings are also scheduled during the year as needed. The agenda is developed by the PTIS Parents Committee (PSAX) and will be provided in advance. Parents are invited to suggest agenda topics. These need to be provided ten days in advance of the meeting to the chairperson at . Meetings, placed on the school calendar and announced in advance, are normally held on campus after school assemblies.

Annual General Meeting. The AGM is held once each year during the 4th term.

Social and Special Events. From time to time, PTIS Parents sponsor social events, such as "Back to School" parties at the beginning of the term. Other special occasions, such as "International Day," provide fun opportunities for parents to meet socially and to participate in school activities.

Other Activities and Opportunities to Volunteer

Parent Mentors - Parent Presentations.

Parents can be useful in mentoring students. For example, each year, vocational talks are held for students. Plans are being developed for parents to mentor students doing community service projects. Volunteer at .

Teachers can also use help from time to time at some school assemblies and in various learning activities. Volunteer at .

Parent Aides.

PTIS Parents tries to make new PTIS families in Chiang Mai welcome by arranging orientation to the school and to the city. Volunteer at .

Translation & Interpretation.

In a multilingual community, there is a special need. Volunteer at .

Fine Arts.

There are special school fine arts activities from time to time. Volunteer at

Administration.

Practical help is needed from time to time to create and maintain PTIS Parents databases, RSVP lists and the like. Volunteer at

PTIS Parents (PSA)
Information for 2009-2010

Following are selected announcements, news items and other ongoing information about PTIS Parents (PSA) to help keep you up to date and give you some historical sense of the organization and its activities. Items are arranged with the most recent first.

1. Call to the PTIS Parents (PSA) Annual General Meeting
2. Wish You Had Been There! When Will We See You?
3. 2009-2010 Meeting & Social Events Schedule
4. Call to PTIS Parents (PSA) Meeting
5. What Does Being A Parent Volunteer Mean?
6. Brave New Educational World - For Parents, Too!
7. Is It More Peaceful Around Your House?

Request for Nominations to Serve as Officers in 2010-2011

The Annual General Meeting of PTIS Parents (PSA) will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel on Friday evening, 4 June. A major purpose of the meeting is the election of officers for the coming school year. On behalf of the 2009-2010 Executive Committee (PSAX) , I hereby call for nominations.

Nominations may be sent to me, the chairman, at my email address: . As well, should any parent wish to have his or her name put forward, please contact me by email. I also welcome any telephone calls at 085.711.2705.

Following is the article from the constitution which describes the term of office, duties and responsibilities of PSAX officers:

Article 7 - PSAX Officers
7.1. The PSAX includes a Chairperson, a Vice-chairperson, a Secretary, a Social Events Coordinator, a Treasurer and a Community Coordinator. These positions are voluntary.
7.2. The officers are elected for one school year, from the start of Term 1 until the end of Term 4. Should a PSAX officer not complete a full school year, the position will be first offered to the runner-up of the last PSAX election. If the runner-up declines the position, or if there is no runner-up, then the PSAX shall designate a replacement.
7.3. The Chairperson is the spokesperson for PSA. S/he chairs PSA meetings and plays a leading role in dialogue with the School concerning school policy, standards and development issues. S/he may represent the parent body at PTIS meetings.
7.4. The Vice Chairperson assumes the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson in his/her absence. S/he shares the responsibilities of the Chairperson as assigned by him/her.
7.5. The Secretary arranges the PSA meetings, informs parents of PSA news, sets PSA meeting agenda; records and distributes minutes of all PSA and PSAX meetings within one week of being held. The Secretary also manages the PSA email account.
7.6. The Treasurer manages the PSA Account and regularly reports on sources and uses of funds, at PSA meetings. S/he ensures full transparency in PSA accounting practices.
7.7. The Social Events Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all PSA social activities and events.
7.8. The Parent Community Coordinator facilitates communication between the parent body and PTIS. S/he also oversees the PSA Class Representative system.

I would like to close by encouraging parents to become actively involved in school affairs, a rewarding personal experience that is important in making PTIS a better school. The school is eager to have more parents actively involved. Please join in !

Best wishes,

Jack Giles
Chairperson

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9 October	Business Meeting
26 October	Welcome Back Coffee at The Club [after Term 1 Break]
20 November	Topics Meeting: "Professional Development and Evaluation of Teachers"
11 January	Welcome Back Coffee at The Club [after Term 2 Winter Break]
15 January	Topics Meeting: "Sex, Drugs, and Reproductive Health."
5 February	Topics Meeting: "School Fees and Finances "
6 March	"Spring Ball" with a 60s - 70s theme at the Shangri-La Hotel
2 April	Topics Meeting: "Planning for, Financing and Applying for University"
19 April	Welcome Back Coffee at The Club [after Term 3 Songkran Break]
14 May	Topics Meeting: "Academic Standards"
4 June	Annual General Meeting

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Prem Post (2.12.2009)

I have recently enjoyed two very effective staff presentations for parents. The first was a "Topics" meeting sponsored by PTIS Parents (PSA). The second was an exceptionally good presentation for Thai-speaking parents on the PYP programme at PTIS.

Some twenty parents attended the PSA meeting at which Maxine Driscoll spoke comprehensively about Teacher Professional Development and Evaluation. PTIS has a very thorough and elaborate process to develop the most effective teaching staff. Representing PTIS Parents, I personally have been to three of the staff professional development sessions, all of which were relevant and effective.

One professional development session, in particular, focused on better communications with parents about their children’s activities and progress in class. The school is now in the process of incorporating "Moodle" to help both students and parents. Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Teachers use it to create effective online learning sites. All PTIS teachers will be on board with Moodle next year. Curious? Check out www.moodle.org. Cool stuff!

More than thirty parents showed up for the PYP presentation by the Thai language teachers. It was by far the largest crowd I’ve ever seen at such a meeting! It wasn’t just effective; it was exceptionally good. If you missed these meetings, I wish you had been there! When will we see you? The next time to chat together will be at the "Welcome Back" coffee on 11 January. On 15 January, there will be a staff presentation on educating our children about "Sex, Drugs, and Reproductive Health."

Jack Giles Chairman, PTIS Parents PSA

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(Posted 18.09.2009)

All parents are welcome to the next PTIS Parents (PSA) business meeting. It will be held on Friday, 9 October, immediately after the School Assembly at approximately 08:45 in the Activities Room on the 2d Floor of the library. Light refreshments will be served.

This year, a new format is being used for meetings so that they can be brief and focused. Some meetings will focus on topics of interest. Others will focus on reports and business.

An agenda will be sent out ahead of the meeting. Should a parent wish to submit an item to the committee to consider for the agenda, we ask that it be submitted ten days ahead of the date of the meeting and include a summary of the item plus any relevant background material. Please send this to , our email address.

If you plan to come, it would be helpful to let us know by email. At

Looking forward to seeing you there!

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Prem Post (10.09.2009)

My child is six years old. At that age, she still wants to cling to me. I know that in order to help her grow that I need to help her learn to stand on her own with her teachers and with her classmates, so I leave her at the classroom door after a big hug. But I still volunteer at the school. She knows that I am helping. Sometimes, she sees me around. She gets excited and we wave, and I move on. I am not in her classroom, but she still understands that I think that what she is doing is important and that school is important.

Volunteering at school might mean helping in a classroom. It might mean doing other things. I believe that the teacher should invite me into a classroom and that before I go into the classroom that I should do my homework! After all, I am there to help.

Parents can help at school sometimes in very important ways. It is not every day or even very often that parents need to show up, but they should. It might just be for a special project, like International Day at PTIS, when you work directly with the children, or you might help the fine arts teacher with an art or music project.

So, Senior School parents, you think this a message just for Junior School students? Are you escaping into your room and slamming the door on the idea of getting involved?! I hope not! Well, you might have to play stealth parent!

"Mom, Dad, I will be totally - I mean totally - humiliated if you are there! My friends will think I am a baby!"

Your child might claim to be totally embarrassed by you if you are anywhere in the neighborhood of the school! Okay, you are expected to change your tactics as you move through the grades! Not that you will fool them, but try! They’ll love it even if they never tell you that they do!

Unlike years ago, there is a huge amount of useful information on the internet, but here is what I think is a useful link. Every once in a while, I come across articles on www.greatschools.net that I think are quite useful. See what you think! Look now for the article, "Selfish secrets of parental involvement."

So, we all thought we were finished with school?! Hope not. See you around campus!

Jack Giles, Chairman PTIS Parents (PSA)

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Prem Post (30.09.2009)

PTIS’s website was the focus of the first "PTIS Topics" meeting for 2009-2010. Webmaster Ben and Information Technology Director Michael guided some twenty parents through the information portal.

Of particular significance was an introduction to Moodle, a "Learning Management System (LMS)" or a "Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)" for students, teachers AND PARENTS! Find it on the home page menu on the left of the PTIS home page, "Moodle @ PTIS."

For a more detailed description of Moodle and a demonstration, go to http://moodle.org/about/.

There will be much more information forthcoming from the school. While PTIS is moving rapidly to use Moodle, it will take some time to reach its full capacity. The school’s technology leaders are working hard to train other teachers. We parents are part of the learning community, too.

Plans are being discussed to assist parents, as well. Upcoming "PTIS Topics" this year include information on planning for university, academic standards, and school fees and finances. Do you have any suggestions for topics? If so, please send them to me at .

Jack Giles

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Prem Post (19.08.2009)

Welcome back to school! I hope you were able to attend one of the opening meetings at the school with teachers and other parents!

This year, the PSAX (executive committee) of the PTIS PSA (PTIS School’s Parent School Association is going to focus on helping to improve communications and the learning experience at the school. May I start by referring to PTIS PSA and PSAX (rather mysterious lumps of alphabet soup) as PTIS Parents, instead? After all, that’s who we are.

The PTIS Parents committee is thinking about several things. Among them is developing a program to help parents new to Chiang Mai become more familiar with their new school and city. Another is improving communications between parents of boarding students and those who are uncomfortable understanding or expressing themselves in English.

We also want to assist the teaching faculty as mentors in the learning of our students. In that way we can truly be partners in the education process. What would you like us to discuss? How can you help?

Please email us at: .

It is going to be a lot more peaceful around the house, now, isn’t it! My wife and I are sending our six-yearold back to school. The family cats are particularly relieved. Parents dealing with moody adolescents moping around the house being "bored" may also enjoy a break from the long school break!

Children can be hard to communicate with! No greater truth! Regardless of the diversity of our backgrounds and experience, perhaps you’ll find the following web site and topic interesting and useful. The web site is www.greatschools.net.

Just this week they shared three helpful articles on "the top mistakes parents make when talking to kids of pre-school, primary and middle school". Start with Talking to your preschooler: The top-three mistakes parents make. It will lead you to the other articles as well.

See you around the campus!

Jack Giles
Chairman, PTIS Parents (PSA)

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