Saxon Hill School

As a Parent-Cooperative, Saxon Hill School relies on active parent participation in all facets of the school, including 1) regular and frequent classroom participation, 2) school management and operation, and 3) school community involvement.

1) Classroom Participation
Every class session includes a parent who assists the teachers and the children for the day. Parents rotate through a schedule for the year, approximately once every 6 to 8 weeks (depends on program frequency). Parent-helping time enables parents to spend time with their child in the classroom situation, to get to know their childs teachers and classmates very well, and to see the program curriculum in action, on a regular basis. Parents can easily link home activities with school activities, and can have more extensive understanding of their childs school experience.

2) School Management and Operation
Serving on and/or participating in the activities of the following committees is an important part of the SHS parent cooperative. The activities of each committee contribute to the efficient operation of the school. The board assigns committees as the school needs and the number of participating families allow (SHS by-laws, Article XIII, Section 2). Committee chairpersons are responsible for maintaining communication with the staff and the board via the parent-at-large and for making recommendations to the board and/or membership as necessary. All chairpersons complete a yearly report of the committee activities and future needs or suggestions. This report is used for planning by the board and distributed to the incoming chairpersons of each committee to help provide continuity from year to year.

School Board
The Board consists of the Director of Education, President, Vice President, Registrar, Treasurer, Secretary, Jericho Historical Society Liaison (since we share facilities), and a Program Liaison for each program (called a PAL Parent At Large). Parents are elected to Board positions (except for the Director of Education, which is a full-time paid staff position) for a one-year term. The Board is responsible to manage the budget, and provide leadership to families and teachers. The President and Director are responsible to hire, manage, and evaluate staff.

Buildings and Grounds
Responsible for overseeing the repair and maintenance of all SHS exterior and interior components. Exterior components include: play yard, fences, gates, shed, outdoor lighting, screen door, outdoor play structures, and other outdoor equipment. Includes raking the play yard, shoveling snow, and repairing outdoor equipment. Interior components include: walls, ceilings, floors, appliances, furniture, electrical, plumbing, and other school property. Also includes interior painting, arranging for the annual fire extinguisher inspection, tracking all SHS keys, and maintaining all other interior equipment. Also responsible for overseeing the construction or installation of exterior equipment (i.e. new sand box, gate latches, etc.), and interior equipment (i.e. bookshelves, mailboxes, etc.), as school needs dictate.

Scrounge
Responsible for communicating with the staff to determine what disposable supplies need to be purchased, shopping for best buys (SHS covers the expenses, committee members simply do the shopping!), and soliciting various donations (i.e. scrap paper, wood, wallpaper books, and art/craft materials) from area businesses to recycle in the school.

Cleaning
Responsible for determining special cleaning needs, coordinating an in-depth cleaning in August prior to the school opening, and in May at the end of the school year. Generate a schedule of weekend/vacation cleaning assignments to distribute to member families. Place weekly reminder calls to families scheduled for cleaning.

Treasurer's Assistant
Collect, track, and deposit all money received from tuition, registration, and fundraising.

Book Orders
Coordinate book and software orders by distributing order forms to member families, collecting orders and payments, placing orders with the clubs, and distributing books & software to member families. Collect and track accumulated club bonus points. Consult with the staff to determine what bonus products to obtain for the school.

Publicity
Coordinate supply and sale of T-shirts and sweatshirts to member families and at special events. Update current shirts as needed and seek ways to create a new market. Handle publicity for SHS Open House, registration, Barn Sale, Artisan's Auction, and other special events. Research advertising costs in local publications and consult with the board to determine desired placement. Maintain SHS web page on the internet.

Health Officer
Responsible for reviewing the immunization certificates to determine if each child has received the required immunizations and for providing the data to the Vermont Department of Health. Assist staff in ensuring the SHS health policy is enforced by consulting with families and explaining our policy relating to any issue of medical concern. Consult with staff to determine the way in which the membership and/or class will be notified of any contagious conditions that occur while striving to maintain individual confidentiality (i.e. sign posted by staff, notices in cubbies, mail). Provide information on health issues that arise during the year (i.e. contagious disease fact sheets, preventative measures, state health pamphlets). Be available to respond to questions/concerns of staff or families relating to health issues. Update the SHS Emergency Response Plan and supplies as needed.

Barn Sale Committee
Manage the Barn Sale, held in September at the annual Underhill Harvest Market. The Barn Sale is a major fundraiser for the school. Families and community members donate items for the sale. The committee coordinates SHS member involvement for set-up, pricing, selling, and clean up. Solicits applicable donations from the community.

Artisans Auction Committee
Responsible for overseeing the Artisan's Auction typically held each year in March. The auction is a major fundraiser for the school. The committee solicits donations from the membership, community artists, and businesses, sells tickets to the auction, and handles the set-up, and clean up at the event.

3) Saxon Hill Community Participation
Member families are responsible to support our childrens education, by helping the Saxon Hill Community to flourish. Community participation includes support for the 3 major annual fund-raising events in capacities that meet each familys schedule, budget and interests, while at the same time meet school requirements. Community participation also can mean joining an impromptu sledding party on the school hill, spending time with other families and children, or celebrating a childs new sibling!

Barn Sale
Held annually, the SHS Barn Sale takes place during the busy Underhill Harvest Market the last weekedn in September. Items sold are donated by SHS families and outside community. Harvest Market regulars, especially those with young children, make certain not to miss the Saxon Hill sale, which is always chock-a-block full of useful items at bargain prices. All proceeds go to Saxon Hill School.

Artisan's Auction
This fun-filled auction brings talents and services of local artists and vendors to a hungry, fun-loving audience of Saxon Hill supporters. Auction participants sip wine (it's BYOB) and munch on gourmet hors d'ouevres in between bids. Proceeds from sales of the donated items and services go to Saxon Hill School.

Valentine's Day Letters
Sometimes all it takes to raise money for the school is to ask loved ones to pitch in. On Valentine's Day, Saxon Hill parents write to family and friends to ask for donations.