All parents, guardians and teachers at St. Croix Catholic School (SCCS) are considered to be members of the Home and School Association! The Home and School Board is a smaller group of parents that meets monthly to coordinate various volunteer, social and fundraising activities of the Home and School Association. The committee consists of parents, the Principal of SCCS and a teacher representative, and strives to fulfill the objectives of the Association.

Our Objectives:

• To promote a clearer understanding of the mutual educational responsibilities of parents and teachers.
• To bring "home" and "school" into a closer relationship so that parents and teachers may cooperate in teaching children.
• To foster communications between parents, teachers, and the SCCS administration.
• To support fundraising activities that will enhance the educational needs of the school.
• To promote family education and unity through speakers and social events.
• To support SCCS families in need (i.e., due to natural disasters, death or terminal illness).

Committee Membership

All SCCS parents are eligible to be members of the Home & School Board. Parents are invited to join the Home & School Board to become more directly involved in the functions of the Home & School Association. New members are inducted in the spring. Look for information in the FYI or contact a Home & School Board member if you are interested in more information or in becoming a member. The term of office for each member of the Committee is two years.

From the Board, a chair or co-chairs, a secretary and a treasurer are elected each year. The chair (or co-chairs) is responsible for presiding over all meetings. The secretary is charged with recording and distributing minutes of all Home & School Board roster, and conducting all formal correspondence of the committee. The treasurer is responsible for receiving and keeping accurate record of all receipts and expenditures of the Association, providing the SCCS bookkeeper with that information and reporting it on a monthly balance sheet and the annual financial statement.

Meeting Agenda

• Home and School Board meetings generally consist of the following:
• Call to Order by Chair/Co-Chairs
• Welcome & Prayer
• Review and call for approval of the meeting minutes provided by the secretary
• Review and call for approval of the treasurer's report, provided by the treasurer
• Principal's update
• Teacher's report
• Review of Old Business
• Current activities review
• New Business/Future planning
• School Advisory/Endowment updates (if any)
• Teacher funding requests (if any)
• Adjourn

EVENTS AND INVOLVEMENT

The Home and School Association is involved in many important activities throughout the year, including events for our students, teachers, and SCCS families, as well as various fundraising events. The fundraising events help to keep tuition costs down and provide our students with a safe, enriching environment. The money raised by the fundraisers goes toward the operating budget of the school, as well as designated projects. For example, over the past several years, certain funds were designated to increase the technology in our school and replace old desks. Teachers and staff also request funds from the Home and School Association for items such as field trips and equipment.

Each year, the fundraising events vary. Here are some of the events that we coordinate on an annual basis:

• Marathon for Catholic Education - The Marathon is the largest fundraising effort of the year for SCCS. Students are asked to collect pledges to sponsor them for participating in a two mile walk (of bike). All of the money raised stays at SCCS and the school relies on these funds for general operating expenses. The Home and School Association is responsible for all aspects of the Marathon including communications, the event itself, the pre-marathon spaghetti dinner, and incentives and celebrations for the students.
  
• Lumberjack Days - SCCS participates in the Lumberjack Days Parade held during the citywide Lumberjack Days celebration in July. Home and School Association coordinates the SCCS float and volunteers, and partners with the Endowment Committee on a Lumberjack Days booth to raise funds for SCCS.
  
• New Family Potluck - All families new to SCCS are invited to a potluck in August each year, which Home and School coordinates.
  
• Used Uniform Sale - This is a service to parents sponsored by the Home and School Board, and it also brings funds to SCCS. The Used Uniform Sale is held each summer in coordination with the "new" Uniform Sale. All of the used uniforms are donated.
  
• New Parent Handbook - Revise and edit the New Parent Handbook on an annual basis.
  
• Picture Day - Assist with school picture day.
  
• Teacher Wish Tree project - During the Christmas season, Home and School coordinates a project in which teachers and staff write down items that they can use for their classroom on "Wish Trees." Students then take these "tag ornaments" and purchase the items as Christmas gifts for their teachers and the classrooms.
  
• Teacher Conference Potluck Dinner - Twice a year, during teacher conferences, Home and School and our volunteers provide a potluck dinner for the teachers.
  
• Advent (Christmas) Program - Coordinate refreshments after the programs.
  
• Kindergarten Information Night - Coordinate volunteers to give tours and generally help out as needed.
  
• Catholic Schools Week - Participate and provide volunteers for many activities during the week, including the SCCS Open House.
  
• Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day - Provide refreshments and take pictures of our students and grandparents for the annual event.
  
• Teacher/ Staff Appreciation Breakfast - Coordinate a recognition event for the entire staff to thank them for all that they do and celebrate those who have reached significant anniversary milestones at SCCS.
  
• First Communion Celebration - Organize a celebration for the 2nd graders making their First Communion, in cooperation with first grade parents who host the event.
  
• Book Fair - Coordinate the spring "buy one, get one free" Book Fair.
  
• Track and Field Days - Provide assistance as needed for track and field days, which occur in the spring.
  
• Parent Volunteer Sign Up Sheet - At the beginning of each school year, parents are asked to complete a volunteer sign up sheet, which includes the volunteer opportunities available throughout the year. Home and School helps to create the form and compile the information, which is used by many organizations within the school.

ST. CROIX CATHOLIC SCHOOL HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Article I: Home/School

Section I
The name of this Association shall be the St. Croix Catholic School Home & School Association (The Association). St. Croix Catholic School (SCCS) is a three-parish consolidated unit consisting of St. Michael's, St. Mary's and St. Charles. This association shall affiliate with other Home & School Leagues or Associations serving the same purpose in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Article II: Objectives

Section I
The objective of this Association shall be:

1. To promote a clearer understanding of the mutual educational responsibilities of parents and teachers.
2. To bring "home" and "school" into a closer relationship so that parents and teachers may cooperate in teaching children.
3. To foster communications between parents, teachers and the SCCS administration.
4. To support fundraising activities that will enhance the educational needs of the school.
5. To promote family education and unity through speakers and social events.
6. To support SCCS families in need (i.e., due to natural disasters, death or terminal illness).

Article III: Policies and Procedures

Section I
The Association shall respect the established school policies set forth by the Canonical Administration, the Principal, the Board of Directors and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It shall not seek to direct the administration activities of the school or to control its policies.

Article IV: Membership

Section I
All parents, guardians and teachers enrolled in SCCS are considered to be members of the Association. In addition, parent representative(s) of the Home & School Association will be members(s) of the fundraising subcommittee of the SCCS School Advisory Committee. A Home & School parent representative shall also serve as a member of and liaison to, the SCCS Endowment Committee.

Article V: Officers and Duties

Section I
The Home & School Association shall consist of 14 - 19 parent representatives, the Principal of SCCS (ex-officio), one Teacher Representative (ex-officio), and a Representative of the SCCS Endowment Committee (ex-officio). From this committee, two Co-Chairs will be elected. One Co-Chair must be a second year member and one Co-Chair must be a first year member. These Co-Chairs shall work closely together and provide continuity to the Committee from year to year. The Home & School Committee shall also elect a Secretary and Treasurer each year.

Section II
The Co-Chairs shall preside at all meetings of the Association. The Committee shall meet on a monthly basis, a minimum of 11 times per year.

Section III
Duties of the Secretary

1. Keep the record minutes of all Home & School meetings.
2. Maintain an updated Home & School Committee roster.
3. Conduct all formal correspondence of the Committee.
4. Provide Association minutes to all members of the Home & School Committee and all SCCS families in a timely manner - make "full" minutes of each meeting available in the school office and complete a monthly recap (along with the Co-Chairs) of each meeting for the FYI. 
5. Provide copies of the minutes of each monthly Home & School meeting to members of the School Advisory Committee and members of the Board of Directors.

Section IV:
Duties of the Treasurer

1. Receive all receipts of the Association, keeping an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures.
2. Provide SCCS Bookkeepers with all receipts for Association bookkeeping records.
3. Obtain a monthly balance sheet from the SCCS Bookkeeper for the Association's monthly meetings. Keep the accounts current and subject to audit at all times as considered to be appropriate by the Principal and Board of Directors.
4. Obtain an annual financial statement to be submitted to the membership present at the July Association meeting of each year.

Article VI:  Election of Officers

Section I
All SCCS parents are eligible to be members of the Home & School Committee. By March of each year, the Co-Chairs will notify the general membership of vacancies on the Committee. Outgoing Committee members will select new members of the Committee by drawing names from the list of applicants. The term of office for each member of the Committee shall be two years. The term for any vacancy caused by resignation will be for the balance of that Committee member's term in order to ensure, as nearly as possible, that no more than one-half of the Committee members' terms shall expire each year. No Committee member may serve two consecutive two-year terms, but additional terms may be served after a one-year interim.

Section II
Officers shall be elected by ballot annually for the Co-Chairs, Secretary and Treasurer. However, if there is but one candidate for each office, election shall be by acclamation.

1. Any member is eligible to hold office under the provisions stated in the By-Laws.
2. Officers shall be installed and shall assume their duties at the close of the annual meeting in May.
3. A list of alternates will be generated from those persons consenting to run for the Home & School Committee but are not drawn.

Section III
An alternate member of the Committee shall fill a vacancy occurring in an office. A vacancy occurring in the Board will be filled from the list of alternates.

Section IV
An alternate will serve out the remainder of the term to which they are appointed.

Section V
In case a vacancy occurs in the Co-Chair office, the remaining Co-Chair will assume leadership of the Committee and shall serve notice of the need for election of a new Co-Chair.

Section VI
Any Committee member with three consecutive unexcused absences can be asked for his/her resignation. Discussion will be held at a regular scheduled meeting. An alternate will fill the position or an election will be held at the discretion of the Principal.

Section VII
Notification of all meetings and minutes shall be distributed via the FYI and other school communications.

Section VIII
The order of business below is to be followed, except when courtesy or convenience requires that the speakers of other program features should be called earlier in the meeting.

Call to Order by Co-Chairs
Welcome and Prayer
Call for Approval of the Meeting Minutes provided by the Secretary
Call for Approval of the Treasurer's Report provided by the Treasurer
Principal's Update
Teacher's Report
Review of Old Business
Current Activities Review
New Business/Future Planning
School Advisory?Endowment Updates (if any)
Teacher Funding Requests (if any)
Adjourn

Section IX
A quorum of the Committee, consisting of the majority present, shall be required to pass a motion.

Article VII: Expenditure of Funds

Section I
Expenses of the Association shall be paid by a check signed by the SCCS Principal.

Section II
A minimum of $300.00 will remain in a financial account at the close of each school year, which is to be used for the start of the next school year.

Article VIII

Section I
This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the SCCS Home & School Committee by a majority of members present and voting, provided notice of the proposed amendment shall be given.

THIS CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS WERE AMENDED BY A MAJORITY VOTE AT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SCCS HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE.

2005 - 2006 HOME & SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

Stephanie Landsem, Chairperson
Alex Luloff, Secretary
Sherry Schraut, Treasurer
Maggie Jones
Laurie Larson
Ann Lovgren
Katie Rolf
Susan Schlegel
Laura Sobiech
Heidi White
Diana Binford, Teacher Representative