parents
Careers Morning
We are in the midst of course selection for all our students in Grades 8 through 11. Jane and her team have developed an excellent process that really allows students to make informed choices. One terrific part of the process is Careers Morning. We cancelled period 1 and 2 classes, and instead students attended two presentations provided by members of our parent body.
We had 38 parents participated in the event this year. The range of professions they spoke about was impressive. Students had the opportunity to hear first hand accounts about the world of advertising, internet marketing, medical research, asset management, law, social work, television production and so forth. It was great to see how much time and effort parents put into the presentation. A few even brought some corporate swag with them!
Hearing from people in the industry is a great way for students to clarify their understanding of various careers. On a number of occasions, they also learned the path to a certain profession is not always a straight line, and that skills are more important than knowledge. This is a good takeaway for students who will enter the workplace in a time of rapid change.
Parent Volunteers
I have mentioned this before in other blog entries, but it bears repeating: our parent body is fantastic! We are so fortunate to have parents who actively support the education of their children not only through attending school events, but also by giving generously of their time. Three examples of this from the past week come to mind.
Several days ago the school’s senior leadership team and our Board of Directors attended a day-long offsite retreat in which we began preparing for the development of the school’s next strategic plan. Having board members free themselves from the demands of their full-time careers for a full day is extraordinary and demonstrates the high level of commitment they exhibit towards the governance of the school.
More recently, we began preparing for this year’s Annual Giving Campaign. One important aspect of this event involves parents acting as grade captains who phone parents and encourage them to contribute to the Annual Giving Campaign. It is never easy to ask your peers for money, but throughout the years we have had numerous parents dedicate their personal time to this vital function. These parents realize that annual giving plays a key role in helping to shape the student experience here at Greenwood.
Finally, last night the school played host to our annual parent volunteer sign-up. This event is organized by the Roundtable, which is our parent auxillary. A group of parents lead the Roundtable and organize a variety of events that not only raise money for the school, but more importantly, enable parents to connect with one another and build the ethos of community that is so important at Greenwood. I can’t thank our parents enough for all they do for the school.