Council creates new Committee to advise T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School and Administration

‘Namgis Council has decided to create a new Advisory Committee to support the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw school principal and ‘Namgis administration on a wide range of issues with recommendations relevant to the school management and band administration.

The members of the Committee will be appointed by the Council for a term of two years with three candidates from ‘Namgis and one from Whe-La-La-u being identified to join the monthly meetings of the Committee. One Councillor will be another permanent member of the Committee while school principal/vice principal will also attend meetings without voting power. The candidates from among the parents, grandparents or guardians of the students at the school will need to nominate themselves to join the Committee. The recommendations of the Committee will be based on consensus. The Terms of Reference for the Advisory Committee is as follows:

The Terms of Reference for the Advisory Committee is as follows:

T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee Terms of Reference

Revised March 17, 2022

a. Purpose
The purpose of the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee is to provide advice to the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw principal/administration and ‘Na̱mgis Council on: communications with community and parents; student attendance; cultural curriculum; parental involvement; extracurricular activities; and transitions to public schools with the intent of fostering school learning success for T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw students.

b. Goals
The goals of the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee are to provide support and advice in the following areas:

  1. Student learning success
  2. Parental involvement
  3. Cultural and language learning
  4. Recreation and sports
  5. Facilities and equipment
  6. Issues identified by the Council or Administration

c. Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee include:

  1. Attendance at Committee meetings
  2. Reading of relevant reports
  3. Participation in Committee discussions
  4. Participation in training related to Committee member roles
  5. Advocating for the school
  6. Upholding ethical behavior of Committee members
  7. Keeping confidential information confidential
  8. Respecting conflict of interest policies
  9. Maintaining ethical behavior

d. Authority Level
The Committee will provide advice and support and will not have any authority to direct staff or any school operations. School staff, including the principal, report through administration the same as other departments and are subject to ‘Na̱mgis human resource and financial policies.

e. Committee Composition
1 – ‘Na̱mgis Councillor, with an alternate
1 – Cultural committee representative
4 – Parent, grandparent or guardian representatives who have children enrolled in the school (Three (3) ‘Na̱mgis, One (1) Whe-La-La-U).

The principal and/or vice-principal will attend meetings as ex-officio members with no decisionmaking roles. Other individuals may be invited to participate in meetings to provide information on specific issues (parents, teachers, professional and cultural experts).

f. Selection of Committee members
The Committee will be appointed by the ‘Na̱mgis Council initially from a list of candidates who have expressed interest in serving on the Committee. Individuals putting their name forward will be required to agree to respect the terms of reference for the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee.

g. Qualifications
Qualifications for membership on the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw Advisory Committee include:

  1. Having an interest in the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School
  2. Having the time available to attend Committee meetings
  3. The willingness to advocate for the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School
  4. Being a parent/grandparent/guardian of a student enrolled in the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School
  5. Having a clean criminal records check

h. Term of Office
The term of office for Committee members will be for two years, with an opportunity for a two- year extension

i. Meetings
The Committee will meet once per month when the school is in session with the exception of December and June.

  1. Normally the meetings will be held at 3:00 p.m.
  2. The Committee will choose a Chairperson. In the absence of the Chairperson to a meeting, the quorum present will choose a temporary chair.
  3. An agenda will be circulated at least one week prior to the meeting.
  4. Recommendations will be made by consensus.
  5. Meeting notes will be taken at each meeting and stored at a secure location at the school.
  6. A record of action items will be kept for each meeting and reviewed at each subsequent meeting.
  7. The quorum for a meeting will be three.

j. Reporting
The Council representative on the Committee will be responsible for reporting Committee activities to the Council.

k. Confidentiality
Committee members will abide by the confidentiality policy of the ‘Na̱mgis Council.

l. Conflict of Interest
Committee members will abide by the Conflict-of-Interest policy of the ‘Na̱mgis Council.

m. Code of Conduct
T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee members will be required to sign a Code of Conduct statement prior to assuming their positions on the Committee.

n. T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee Terms of Reference amendments
The terms of reference of the T̓łisa̱lagi’lakw School Advisory Committee can be amended by Council at any time.