Family Council

Family Council

The purpose of the Family Council is to develop community and facilitate parental involvement in the school life and culture. The Family Council includes and is available to all parents and family members of students who attend Juniper Ridge Community School.

Rather than one standing monthly meeting, Family Council now operates through a committee-based structure. Committees form around specific festivals, fundraisers, staff appreciation efforts, new family support, and other activities as needed, giving more families a chance to contribute in a way that fits their gifts and season of life. Each committee is led by 1-2 chairs from our family community, and committees meet approximately six weeks before their upcoming event, or as needed leading up to it.

PURPOSE:
Parent support is essential to the success of Juniper Ridge Community School (JRCS), and your participation is expected and embraced. Our community thrives on family involvement. Through our Family Council (FC), mothers, fathers, and even grandparents are offered many opportunities to share their skills and talents with the community. This all-volunteer, parent-run organization's mission is to foster the well-being of the school community by facilitating communication among the bodies of the school, inspiring parent participation in school life, enlivening our social culture, and organizing our efforts.

ROLE WITHIN THE SCHOOL:
Family Council is a way for parents to actively participate in, serve, and contribute to the functioning and organization of the school. The Family Council is the third organizational body of the school (the other two being the Instructional Leadership and Building Leadership teams, and the Governing Board/Board of Trustees). The Family Council's main sphere of influence is in the social realm, while the school's main sphere is the pedagogical realm, and the Board is mainly responsible for financial and legal matters.

STRUCTURE:
All parents and guardians of children currently enrolled at Juniper Ridge Community School are automatically considered members of the Family Council. Each member is welcomed as a valuable contributor to the mission and goals of the council. The success of Family Council rests on the commitment and contributions of our parent body.

The JRCS Family Council organizes committees to serve the school in areas such as fundraising, volunteer coordination, facility development and maintenance, festivals, and teacher and office support, and any other area of need. Each committee is chaired by 1-2 family members and convenes roughly six weeks ahead of its event, meeting as often as needed until the event is complete. This rhythm allows more families to step into leadership, spreads the work across the year, and keeps involvement tied closely to the events themselves.

All JRCS parents and guardians are welcome to participate by joining a committee that speaks to their interests. This work is facilitated by our school's Community Development Director, Alice Dussart.

COMMITTEES:

• Potlucks and Casual Gatherings
• Fundraising
• Community Winter Spiral
• Teacher Appreciation/Staff Support
• New Family Welcome Committee/Adult Education
• Mayfaire
• Field Day
• Community Improvement/Family Supports

Committees will only meet when your event is coming up or there is a need to be filled.

For more information, please contact our Community Development Director, Alice Dussart, at [email protected] or by calling the JRCS Office at (970) 986-8219, extension 105.

Please email [email protected] to sign up!