Parental participation and support is vital in a school like ours. The Cordwalles Parents’ Association works alongside the Headmaster, staff and management to bridge the gap and build an effective partnership between home and school.
Members of the Associations elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary annually. Our Marketing and PR Department also form part of the Parents’ Association. The PA consists of volunteer parents. This body provides a wide range of volunteer services including fundraising, fostering good fellowship in the community, arranging functions as well as being a communication channel between the parents, the school and the Board of Governors.
We welcome all parents and guardians to become active parents. The success of Cordwalles is enhanced through the support and care provided by our community.
WHY WE EXIST – We aim to provide a diverse range of cultural, creative, fun activities and events that appeal to both our boys and their guardians and families and represent the values of our school. We exist to promote social inclusion, building stronger communities through understanding and mutual respect.
HOW WE EXIST – To create a safe space for members of our Parent’s Association to feel connected, creative, understood, heard and respected. In doing this we build a community that is diverse and inclusive, where all people feel they belong and can contribute.
PA Values
The Cordwalles Parents’ Association stands for the following values. In celebrating these we will create a space that builds belonging.
Respect –
We respect each other and those we work and engage with. This is expressed in what we say and how we say it.
Fun & Fair –
We are here to create events that people enjoy and want to be a part of. So as a PA we are here to enjoy ourselves, not take ourselves too seriously and remember what we’re here to do. Our own agendas need to be set aside and at all times we are to remember why we exist.
Inclusive –
We welcome and embrace all parents, guardians and members of the Cordwalles community.
Community –
We value our community and aim to strengthen and build it up to be one our boys and all of us are proud to be a part of.
COMMUNICATION
Members are at all times to treat each other, staff, boys and service providers with respect. External communication needs to be approved by the Comms Team before being shared outside of the PA. Members need to use the right channels of communication when communicating internally.
Internal comms amongst members must at all times represent the values and voice of our committee and meet our internal goals.
When joining the PA you agree to our charter. Members who do not adhere to our values will be asked to step down.
Members of Our Parents’ Association
- Mel Klute – Chairlady
- Nadia Marais – Vice-Chairlady
- Tarryn Hoatson – Secretary
- Anita van Graan – Treasurer
- Karishma Bhola
- Claudia Bloy
- Hassim Cassim
- Theresa Craig
- Sarah Cuff
- Rowan Dancer
- Chantell Desfontaines
- Brad Glasspoole
- Tanya Holley
- Samantha Hubble
- Muhammed Ziyaad Khan
- Lindiwe Khumalo-Mugabi
- Sthembile Mabaso
- Kanchaal Mahabeer
- Harshna Munglee
- Sarah Munro
- Kalvin Parsons
- Jane Stretch
- Justine Wills
- Ryan Zammit
- Lance Veenstra – Headmaster
- Kerry Koller – Marketing & PR
Join the Cordwalles Parents’ Association
To become a member of the Cordwalles Parents’ Association, please email: pa@cordwalles.co.za.
Aims and Objectives of
The Parents’ Association
- To advance and promote the interest, in general, of the school as a whole.
- To create a forum for the furtherance of the aims and objectives of the school.
- To create a forum for the exchange of views and ideas amongst parents of pupils at the school and to promote fellowship amongst such parents.
- To provide a channel of communication between parents, Headmaster and the Board of Governors, in addition to all other channels, both formal and informal, that may exist from time to time.
- To harness the energy and talents of parents for the benefit of the school.
- To function as a voice or channel representing the members’ needs and points of view to the existing management and the Board of Governors, for the sole purpose of assisting management in enhancing the development of the school.
- To create a forum for research and debate relating to a variety of topics of concern and/or interest to members of the association.
The Parents’ Association Constitution
- The committee consists of the Headmaster, the PR and Marketing Manager, the Media Manager as well as a minimum of nine members and a maximum of twelve members, of whom one shall preferably be a boarder parent.
- The committee may co-opt any number of members as it so wishes, during the year.
- The quorum for any meeting of the committee shall be six members.
- All decisions of the committee shall require a simple majority vote. In the event of an equality vote, the chairperson, or in the chairperson’s absence, the person presiding at that meeting, shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.
- The committee shall elect its own Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary as may be necessary, as well as any other office bearers it deems necessary and appropriate.
- The committee shall meet at least once every school quarter.
- Minutes shall be kept of all meetings of the committee or any meetings held by any sub-committees/working groups set up by the committee.
- The committee may hold office for a period of three years, provided they are eligible for the membership of the Association.
This constitution clearly states that the Association’s mission is to support the decisions and policies of the Board and the Executive. The Parents’ Association (PA) neither participates in policymaking by the school, nor functions as a lobbying group. It can be used as a means of communication between the parents and the school. It is appropriate that the PA advertises its activities, events and achievements. However, the PA is not a public relations arm of the school and should play no role in the school’s effort to market itself.
The finances of the Parents’ Association are supervised by the school and form part of the school’s annual audit process. Co-operation and teamwork between the Headmaster and the Parents’ Association are crucial to the health of the school community.