Get Involved

Did you know that parent involvement positively affects student success? There are many ways for you to be involved with your child’s school, or simply as a community member. You can volunteer at your child’s school, serve as a member of your school council, and learn about the Board Parent Involvement Committee. Becoming more involved has many benefits. You’ll get to know the teachers, the principal, as well as other parents at your child(ren)’s school. You’ll also develop skills and knowledge that could help you in your own career. Read from the topics below to find out how you can get involved with your child(ren)’s school and Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB)!

School Council

Children do better in school when their parents/guardians play an active role in their education. This can be as simple as reading each evening with your child, attending school events and functions, or participating on the School Council.

Each year, a School Council is formed by an election at your child’s school. This council has the opportunity to meet regularly with the principal and to liaise between the school community and school administration.

For more information, see the School Council Procedure.

The School Council consists mainly of parents/guardians of students in the school. The principal, one teacher, one other staff member, and a community representative are also members of the School Council.

Contact your school principal to find out more information about becoming a School Council member.

Parent Reaching Out (PRO) grants program provides funding to work with parent stakeholder groups, school councils, and/or the District School Council – Parent Involvement Committee (DSC-PIC) to lead projects with a focus on the identification and removal of barriers that prevent parents/guardians and families from participating and engaging fully in their child’s learning.
The DSC-PIC will work in collaboration with school councils to determine projects and corresponding funding amounts for each project.

You can find more information through the Guide for School Councils on the Ministry of Education website.

District School Council/Parent Involvement Committee

The District School Council / Parent Involvement Committee (DSC-PIC) helps schools through School Councils to make it possible for parents/guardians to engage in their child’s education. They find ways to reduce barriers for parents who find getting involved more challenging. They also provide opportunities for parents to have a voice that will be taken into account at the Board level.

For more information, including upcoming meeting dates, visit the DSC-PIC Committee page.

Special Education Advisory Committee

Every school board in Ontario is mandated to have a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). The role of the SEAC is to make representation to the Board in respect to any matter affecting the establishment, development, and delivery of special education programs and services for exceptional students of the Board.

Learn more about the TLDSB Special Education Advisory Committee.

Volunteer

TLDSB believes and recognizes that volunteers enhance the learning experiences of our students. The Board appreciates that by engaging members of our communities, volunteers can model positive relationships and good citizenship.

Volunteer programs:

  • Foster a strong school and community partnership.
  • Enhance the quality of education.
  • Expand learning activities.
  • Provide innovative programs and enrichment activities using community skills and resources.
  • Optimize learning opportunities for students, staff, and volunteers.

There are many volunteer opportunities in our schools, these include help with:

  • Field trips
  • Breakfast programs
  • Reading programs
  • Library
  • Arts and crafts
  • Safe arrival
  • Special event days
  • Drivers
  • School council
  • Coaches
  • Career day

If you are interested in volunteering at your school, please contact your school principal. For more information, view our Policies for volunteering.

Frequently asked questions

The procedure for obtaining a police check varies depending on which geographical region of the Board in which you live. In most cases, the volunteer is responsible for taking two pieces of identification, including one photo identification to their local police station or OPP detachment. Please note, social insurance cards and health cards will not be accepted for the cost of any police check.

It is the policy of TLDSB to ensure that all individuals who come into direct contact with children have a criminal record check (CRC). The Board is in a position of trust with regards to students and must protect their intellectual, physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The well-being of students is a priority, and as such, we expect everyone who will be working with students to have completed  a CRC.

Volunteers are welcome in schools when they are available. The important thing for volunteers to remember is to follow the agreed upon schedule, and if you are unable to attend the school as agreed upon, to please contact the school and inform the staff member you were volunteering with that you will not be in attendance.

Each school has a visitor/volunteer sign out book in the main office. Volunteers are asked to sign in upon arrival and then sign out prior to leaving the building. In many schools, volunteers also have an identification tag, which allows students and staff within the building to know who the volunteers are.

A vulnerable sector check is for volunteers who will be working with a group or an individual who is identified as “vulnerable” by the police. This would be people in a position of dependence or at greater risk of being harmed by persons in a position of authority or trust. The primary volunteer sector that applies to schools is for “children under the age of 18.”

Volunteers are protected by the Board’s liability insurance against lawsuits arising out of their duties for the Board. Coverage only applies when the volunteer is carrying out duties assigned by the school authorities (ie. staff members). Volunteers are not covered by accident insurance, nor by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act through the Board. 

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