THE WORK Oy A PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION By Mrs, W.A.Murchie, A^ n^s? ^ C Xl "S 2 Book- At n ^ / ^i State of Maine EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT The Work OF A Parent-Teacher Association Prapared by Mrs. W. A. Murchie, Member of Superintending School Committee, Calais, Maine. 0. Of v.. MAY B '^^' >" u PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS. The Parent-Teacher Associations will be found of special value in villages and cities where teachers and parents inter- ested in a particular group of schools desire to organize for mutual helpfulness and for a study of local educational prob- lems. The following account of the Calais Parent-Teacher Associa- tion gives the necessary information relative to the work and purposes of the organization together with many practical suggestions that are applicable wherever teachers and parents may desire to unite in promoting the interests of the public schools. THE CALAIS PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION. Mrs. W. A. Murchie. The Parent-Teacher Association of the city of Calais is now in the third year of its existence. It was formed with the purpose, as stated in its constitution, of bringing about a closer union between the home and the school, that parent and teacher may cooperate intelligently in the education of the child. From October to May inclusive, monthly evening meetings are held at the high school building, one meeting of each term being a social meeting when light refreshments are served after the literary program. Notices of these meetings, with a cordial invitation to all parents, are inserted in the local papers and on the day of the meeting invitations are also sent to the parents through the school children. The program consists at each meeting of exercises by the school children, of reports of the standing committees, of the question box and of a short address on some educational topic of live interest to the commu- nity. The exercises by the children occupy about twenty minutes or half an hour. They consist of music and recitations, some- times of debates. The different schools, from the high school to the primary, are called upon at the successive meetings to furnish these exercises. The teachers and pupils have always responded heartily and this part of the program is an interesting one. It also helps to reach parents in all parts of the city and to bring them to the meetings of the association, when the chil- dren take part in the entertainment. The standing committees are as follows : The Press Committee whose duty it is to insert notices of the meetings in the local papers and sometimes to print papers of especial interest given before the association. The Social Committee whose duty is to have charge of the social meetings and the refreshments. This committee serves on an average of one hundred and fifty people at each social meeting. They solicit the refreshments as a rule from the members, bring their own dishes and leave the rooms in good condition. There are three social meetings. The committee consists of twelve or fifteen members. The Legislative Committee, . whose members keep in touch with existing school laws and all changes which occur in these lav/s in the legislative years — and who are often called upon to explain some school law to the association and at times to furnish a program for an evening meeting. The Educational Committee, whose members recommend good articles on educational subjects to the association and also good books for school children, and for mothers, v/ho try to keep themselves and the association in touch with new educa- tional movements and who make an especial point of visiting the schools and encouraging others to do so. At each meeting they are called upon to give a report and never fail to tell of some schools visited by the parents during the month. In this visit- ing, they notice, not only the teaching and the work being done by the pupils, but also the condition of the buildings, the venti- lation, lighting, state of repair, etc. The School Improvement Committee, whose members last year bought a piano for our high school through soliciting sub- scriptions from the townspeople. At our first meeting this year, they reported that the piano had been entirely paid for. They were able also, through petitioning the city council, to have electric lights placed in one of our grammar schools which was greatly in need of them. This year they are making plans to raise money for the equipment of manual training which they hope to see introduced into our city schools. The question box has been a means of presenting many interesting subjects to the association for discussion and explan- ation. Slips of paper are distributed at the beginning of each meeting. The members are asked to write any question which they would like to hear discussed at the following meeting. At the close of the program these questions are collected and before the next meeting handed to those best fitted to answer them. The following are a few of the questions which have been passed in — "How may the dull pupil be helped?" "Name some good games for high school girls." "What is the state law in regard to selling cigarettes to boys?" "Are the teachers doing all they can to ventilate the schoolrooms?" "Should not the schools be closed on days when there are severe storms?" For the address, we plan to have at least two talks given by physicians upon some topic connected with public health. Last year our topics were "Tuberculosis" and "Hygiene in the School and Home." This year we have had one address given by a physician upon the subject "Soundness of Mind Depends upon Soundness of Body" and plan to have another upon the subject "The Eyes and Their Care." Some of the other topics pre- sented have been — "Manual Training;" "Holding Our Pupils in School ;" School Playgrounds ;" "Proper Food for School Children ;" "The Schoolroom — Ventilation, Lighting and Inte- rior Decorations;" "The Brownlee System;" "Our Wild Flowers." The address on Wild Flowers was given in May of last year by a gentleman in our locality who is an authority upon the subject and the address was followed by an ofTer by the association of prizes for the best collections of wild flowers made by the school children during the summer. This ofi^er was accepted and many fine collections were passed in at the October meeting. In connection with the subject "Holding Our Pupils in School," the superintendent presented a report giving the number of pupils who had dropped out of the high school during the year and assigned reason in each case. The business of the association is conducted by the Execu- tive Committee which is composed of the officers of the asso- ciation together with the chairmen of the standing committees. An annual fee of twenty-five cents is charged. This has been used sometimes to help defra)^ the cost of the refreshments for the social meetings and sometimes for the expenses of speakers who have come^ to us from near by towns. The fee is kept at a low figure in order that no one may feel debarred from th6 association on account of it. Our aim is to reach all the parents of school children, not the few. Although the larger part of our audience is composed of women, the meetings have proved in- teresting to the men also and have drawn a goodly number. Our teachers have shown a great deal of interest and have been willing to exert themselves in every possible way for the suc- cess of our meetings. The results, as so far shown, seem to justify the existence of the association. There has been a marked increase in the visit- ing of the schools, greater interest is shown by the parents in school work, a more reasonable attitude towards it exists and much higher intelligence in regard to the aims and purposes of our schools is evident. There is also a growing willingness to investigate when trouble arises, before passing judgment. In order to gain the best results in the education of our chil- dren it is imperative that the home and the school walk hand in hand. To bring this about is the great object of our asso- ciation. Our experience in Calais has proved that cooperation between parent and teacher is possible and practicable and that both the home and the school may receive benefit from such cooperation. The plan is capable of much greater development and we hope not only to make progress ourselves, but to see the work adopted and carried on much more generally throughout the state. 5 ii PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION. Consfitiition. Article I. This organization shall be called the Parent-Teacher Association of the city of Calais. Article II. Its object shall be to bring into closer relations the home and the school, that parent and teacher may cooperate intelligently in the education of the child. Article III. All parents, teachers and caretakers of children are qualified for membership. Article IV. The officers shall be a President, Vice-president, Secre- tary and Treasurer and an Executive Committee which shall be com- posed of these officers and the Chairman of the standing committees. Article V. Regular meetings of the Association shall be held at 7.30 P. M. on the second Tuesday of each month from October to May, one meeting of each term being a social meeting. Special meetings may be called by order of the President. Nine members shall constitute a quorum to do business. Article VI. This constitution may be amended at any annual meet- ing and at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote, when previous notice has been given. Article VII. The expenses of the Association shall be met by an annual fee of twenty-five cents. By-Lazi's. ■vv^ArTiclE I. At the last regular meeting of the year the President 'shall appoint a nominating committee of three to nominate officers for the ensuing year. Article II. Election of officers shall take place at the first regular meeting of the year and shall be by ballot. Article III. Duties of officers. The President shall preside at all regular meetings and at the meetings of the Executive board and shall perform the other duties pertaining to the office. The Vice-president shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President and shall be ready to assist the President in any way. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings and shall have the custody of all books and papers belonging to the Association. The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds and shall pay the bills of the Association. The Executive Committee shall prepare the programs of the monthly meetings and attend to all other mat- ters which usually belong to such a committee. Article IV. Honorary members may be elected at the discretion of the Association. AkticlE V. The following standing committees shall be maintained: 1. Educational Committee whose duties shall be to become acquainted with existing school conditions in our city through visiting the schools, to be informed upon new educational movements and to recommend to the Association articles and books which would be helpful to parents and teachers and also good books to place in the hands of children. 2. The School Improvement Committee whose duties shall be to promote in all possible ways the improve- ment of school conditions both hygienic and aesthetic. 3. The Social Committee whose duty shall be to have charge of the social meetings. 4. The Legislative Committee whose duty shall be to make themselves intelligent in regard to all laws pertaining to our schools and school children. 5. The Press Committee whose duty shall be to insert a notice of each meeting in our weekly papers the Wednesday before the meeting and an accoimt of the meeting in the issues of the papers immediately following. Article VI. The chairman of the committees shall be nominated by the nominating committee; the members of the committees shall be chosen by the Executive Committee. Article VII. Officers of the Association, including the chairman of the standing committees, shall not hold office for more than two con- secutive years. Article VIII. The chairmen of the standing committees shall present written reports at the annual meeting. Article IX. These by-laws may be amended at the annual meeting, or at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote, provided that previous notice has been given.