Amanda joined the school council at Mount Hope Elementary in September 2013 and became Chair in September 2015 until present day.  As part of this role, Amanda joined the HWDSB Rural School Committee, a committee dedicated by HWDSB to hearing from the parents of students in the schools outlined by the Ministry of Education as rural schools. 

 

In 2015,  Amanda joined the HWDSB Parent Involvement Committee. This committee is a Ministry of Education legislated committee to ensure the voice of parents across the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board are consulted on important education matters, as well as providing a more in depth view into the workings of a school board.  Amanda became Vice-Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee in 2017 and then was elected as Chair in the 2018-19 school year, a role that she held for the maximum term.  Her successful leadership of this committee will end with start of the 2022-23 school year.​

 

During her time as the Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee, she helped create the HWDSB School Council Manual along with school board principals and staff.  This manual has helped to standardize processes and involvement across all HWDSB School  Councils for parents volunteering in leadership roles.  An opportunity to engage parents and principals together through an annual School Council training night arose from this, Amanda was one of the key presenters on School Council training, helping to bring an understanding on how a successful School Council can work .

 

One of the biggest initiatives Amanda undertook while involved with the Parent Involvement Committee was relationship building between school council members and principals.  Amanda supported meetings at the request of the school council members or principal.  Building strong healthy relationships between parents and principals is key to ensuring students are given every opportunity in their journey to becoming successful individuals.

 

In the 2019-20 school year, Amanda began the process of applying for a Parent Reaching Out Grant, provided by the Ministry of Education to engage parents in meaningful ways, to hold a board-wide parent engagement evening on Resiliency in Children.  Unfortunately, as plans were being finalized for an in-person event to be held in a High School auditorium the COVID-19 pandemic hit us and put a pause to this event.  

 

Through the 2020-21 school year, Amanda worked closely with school board staff and PIC members to move on with this event virtually.   In June of 2021, PIC held a very successful "Virtual Evening with Karl Subban" who was the guest speaker. He delivered a powerful presentation about how everyone has a part in raising resilient children.

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In the 2021-22 school year, Amanda worked closely with school board staff to create Parent Engagement information evenings that were open to any parent or caregiver in HWDSB.  Safe schools review was among the many topics presented.