Get Involved

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Family Events and activities

  • Volunteer Opportunities

     

    3 for me

    At Harriet Gifford, we are asking each parent to volunteer at least 3 hours of their time at some point during htis school year. Strong volunteer efforts help make meaningful opportunities for your child.  All volunteers hitting the 3 hour mark will be recognized at the end of the school year for meeting their 3 For Me Challenge.  There are a variety of ways to volunteer but not limited to:

    • Assist in your child's classroom (with permission of the teacher)
    • Help in the Learning Center reshelving books or setting up activities for students
    • Chaperone field trips (All chaperones must clear fingerptint background screening once)
    • Read with students 
    • Assist with the PBIS Bearzilla Store
    • Serve as a room rep on the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) (Each classroom should have at least 1 rep)
    • Attend PIC meetings
    • Help on Picture Day, Dental Survey, or any other special day
    • Help at PIC Special Events. 
    • Attend Parent Cafe
    • Serve on a school committee (School Improvement, PBIS Tier 1 or Tier 2)
    • Serve on one of the District committees listed below.

    cac

    CAC is a committee made of of volunteers from every school in the District. Like all schools we are allowed to have up to 5 parents to represent our schools interests and get to vote on issues that impact our school (like attendance boundry recommendations). All monthly meetings are held at Elgin High School in the evening. Our reps usually divide up the meetings so they do not need to attend every month. The CAC also has a few subcommitties that parents may join if the topics interest them. If you are interested in serving as a rep for our school, please contact our school secretary. 

     

    African American Parent Leadership Institute

    Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute

    Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC)

    School District U-46’s Parent Leadership Institutes provide leadership training, guiding parents to become more active participants in their child’s education and enhancing their advocacy skills. The program is comprised of the African American Parent Leadership Institute (AAPLI) and Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute (HPLI). More than 125 parents have graduated from the AAPLI and HPLI since they were established in 2010. Some, like Veronica Noland, a member of the U-46 Board of Education, and Corey Dixon, a member of the Elgin City Council, have gone on to become elected officials. Graduates have also served on the U-46 Instructional Council and state advisory boards, taken on leadership roles at their children's schools, and chaired a committee of the Citizens' Advisory Council. The program won a “Reflecting Excellence” award in the fall of 2017 from Reflejos Publications, a media company that has served the Latino market in Chicago’s suburbs for nearly 30 years.

    We ask that those interested in the program learn about it by viewing the informational video below. After watching the video, those interested in applying for the program can find the AAPLI/HPLI application here (application will open soon, please check back later). If you have questions, please contact Karla Jiménez at karlajimenez@u-46.org.