Participating in Site Council, the governing body of our school, is a terrific way to get involved, meet great people, and make a difference in our school community.
Officers serve for a term of one year beginning in June. If you are interested in holding an office, please contact the Site Council chair or communications@thorntoncreek.org by June 1.
Everybody is encouraged to participate!
Meetings
2nd Tuesday of each month
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Please check calendar to confirm!
Site Council meetings are open meetings. Childcare can be provided if arrangements are made at least one day before the Site Council meeting. To make arrangements, contact the Site Council chair: chair@thorntoncreek.org.
Meeting agenda for next meeting
Click here for the agenda for the next site council meeting (although it could possibly be for a past meeting, if we haven't had time to update it yet. Check the month on the top of the page to be sure).
Meeting minutes
For minutes from past years, visit our Site Council meeting minutes archive page.
School year 2019-20
September 2019
Governance
Site Council was created to protect the integrity of Thornton Creek’s program philosophy and goals, by setting policy and establishing standards, guidelines, and procedures. It is also an advisory group to the 501(c)3 organization named Thornton Creek Parent Group.
Site Council’s goals include:
- Fostering communication and cooperation between the administration,
teachers, staff, and parents on matters of common interest;
- Establishing and maintaining relationships with other community groups
and the Seattle Public Schools (the school district); and
- Providing public meetings and forums to gather community input, explain
policy, and educate and involve community members.
For more information, please see the following documents, which are in the process of being updated as of April 2019:
Officers
Chair:* The chair provides agenda and presides over all meetings of the Parent Group and Site Council, calls special meetings, and appoints special committees as needed; performs all acts and duties usually performed by a presiding officer.
Vice Chair:* The vice chair supports the chair position, and in the absence or disability of the chair, performs the duties of the chair.
Treasurer:* The treasurer is responsible for budget, keeping and disbursing of all monies of the Parent Group, and managing a committee to ensure accurate books of accounts of all transactions of the parent group.
Secretary: The secretary takes meeting minutes and sends meeting minutes to the chair for distribution to the community.
Committees
As the chair of a committee, you are the critical link between the
work done on your committee and the rest of Site Council and the
community. Chairs guide and work collaboratively with their committee
members to determine and follow appropriate next steps.
Communications Committee*
- Maintains the Thornton Creek website.
- Produces the Thornton Creek newsletter, directory, and handbook.
Curriculum Committee*
- Supports Expeditionary Learning, Responsive Classroom, and all alternative curricula used in our unique program through educating the parent community and supporting the strength of these programs.
- Compiles and produces the yearly expedition newsletter.
District Relations Committee*
- Monitors proposals that are under consideration by the school board and school district.
- Fosters and maintains relationships with other schools and educational groups.
- Represents the views and concerns of the Site Council to the larger Seattle Public School community.
Enrichment Committee
- Coordinates before- and after-school activities with parent volunteers and vendors.
- Compiles and distributes registration information at the start of each session.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Committee**
- Plans and implements school-wide diversity events for students, families, and staff.
- Supports and encourages discussions about diversity at Thornton Creek to facilitate understanding and celebration of differences.
- Learn more about EDI.
Facilities Committee
- Proposes and implements improvements to and maintenance of facilities, including landscaping, water quality, and earthquake preparedness.
Fundraising Committee*
- Plans and coordinates events to raise funds to support Site Council programs.
Grant Writing Committee
- Identifies and seeks funding from a variety of sources to support specific programs at Thornton Creek.
Hospitality Committee*
- Organizes the welcoming events for new families.
- Plans a variety of appreciation events for teachers and staff.
- Coordinates school tours.
Parent Education Committee
- Organizes parent education events around parent concerns and other relevant issues.
- Organizes and supports parent education brought to the community by other committees.
Recruitment and Hiring Committee
- Promotes and facilitates parent participation in hiring Thornton creek teachers, staff, and administration.
Safety Committee
- Organizes Health and Medical Safety Committee.
- Organizes all disaster preparedness, including earthquake supplies.
- Addresses safety concerns (recess, pick-up/drop off)
Special Education Committee**
- Supports community building among and advocacy on behalf of families of students with special needs.
- Promotes inclusion of students with special needs in all school activities.
- Plans and coordinates parent education events relating to special education.
Volunteer Committee
- Recruits and coordinates volunteers for TCPG and SC events.
- Oversees room parent volunteers and their communications.
- Supports volunteer engagement.
* Indicates a voting position.
** Will be a voting position IF proposed (April 2019) bylaw revisions are approved.