Class Representatives

Class reps are usually elected at the beginning of the school year during the Parents’ evening for the class in question. The Class rep contact details are provided to the teacher and APEEEL1 by completing the attached form. 

The class representative’s role

Represent the parents of children in their child’s class with respect to 3 entities: the class teacher, APEEEL1 and the School. Facilitate communication between parents and these 3 entities. Forward information to parents and pass on their feedback to APEEEL1.  Involved and take initiatives for your class and more generally at School.

They are the key person in all that concerns the daily life of the class  they represent.

Whilst the role of class representative is important, the tasks involved are not difficult. The role does demand a certain amount of availability for meetings with the class teacher when necessary, as well as for participation in meetings (usually 2 a year) for class representatives organised by APEEEL1. Most of the work, however, can be done by email and the work can be shared with one or 2 other parents (1 main and 1 co-representative, together with a treasurer if necessary).

Some guidelines to fulfilling this role are given below:

Organise the daily life of the class

  • Organise social activities for the class including by calling on parents to help where necessary, e.g. to accompany the class during outings, swimming lessons and library sessions…
  • Facilitate the integration of new pupils and their parents.
  • Create an atmosphere of mutual trust between parents and teachers.
  • Take the initiative e.g. to buy a common class present for the teacher at the end of year, to show solidarity with a pupil who may have fallen ill, etc.)…

Create a class network

  • Create and maintain a class list consisting of pupils’ names, parents contact details (email and snail mail addresses, telephone numbers).
  • This distribution list should only be used to forward information coming from the teacher or the School, from APEEEL1 and from other partner Associations officially recognised by the School such as Actions Sans Frontières, ATSEEE, Fairtrade, and Mots de Zaza.
  • The distribution list can be shared with other parents of the class in order to facilitate links between parents on issues relating to their children.
  • Consult with, and be involved in, exchanges with the class representatives of other classes of the same section or in the same cycle.

Manage the class fund

  • Manage the class fund. This work can be done by a parent other than the class representative – a treasurer. The class fund provides the teacher with some flexibility with respect to the organisation of class projects.
  • The amount of the contribution to the class fund is set at 30€ by the school but can be higher after discussion between the teacher and the parents. In order to simplify management of this fund, the class representative/treasurer may choose to open a dedicated account specifically for the purpose.

 

Be motivated, supportive and involved

  • Motivate parents of your class to be active members of the school community, become paid-up members of APEEEL1 if they have not done so, and motivate other parents to do the same.
  • Add a personalised message to emails coming from APEEEL1 before forwarding to parents in order to make these messages less impersonal.
  • Make sure that your details are correctly registered with the APEEEL1 Secretariat.
  • Be supportive of the activities and events organised by the School as well as by APEEEL1.

Be informed and proactive

  • Keep yourself informed by checking the websites of the School and APEEEL1 on a regular basis. Forward relevant information to the parents of your class.
  • Participate in the class representatives meetings organised by APEEEL1 where you will be able to put forward questions raised by parents of your class to members of the School management team (2 meetings a year will normally be organised)

Mediate

  • Get in touch with the teacher when necessary, and as soon as possible especially in cases of potential conflict.
  • Be available to listen to parents of your class and to provide advice where necessary (especially to new parents).
  • Be objective where possible, especially in cases of conflict, and give practical advice which may contribute to bringing about a resolution.
  • If it is difficult to represent some parents on a specific issue, reach out to APEEEL1 or guide the parents to APEEEL1.
  • When you are interacting with the School Management, be very clear if you are present as a Class Representative, so there is no misunderstanding

The leaflet for the role of the class rep can be found here in EN and the FR version here

If you need advice or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with APEEEL1 by sending an email to office@apeeel1.lu or by raising the issue directly with one of the members of the Management Committee of APEEEL1