The payoff of one hour

Do you have one hour? This is what one local home and school association is asking the parents, grandparents, and guardians in their community. Do you have one hour to serve breakfast? Do you have one hour to volunteer at one event? Do you have one hour to show up to one home and school meeting?

We live in a fast-paced world. As parents, we are trying to do it all: work, getting our kids to their after-school activities, keeping the house clean and the fridge stocked with groceries, finding time to exercise and keep other commitments we might have to our extended families, places of worship, or other community volunteering that we do. So when the school comes calling, it can feel way too overwhelming to sign up for another thing.

But we all have one hour. One hour to make a difference in the lives of the children in our schools. One hour to serve a hungry child breakfast. One hour to help ensure that a school event goes smoothly. One hour to attend a home and school meeting to learn and share opinions. One hour to show up for your school community, because being an engaged parent is good for the school and leads to better educational outcomes for your children. Perhaps joining the Home and School for every meeting is not possible, but we all have one hour to give.

Imagine the ripple effect of everyone giving one hour. How much could your school benefit from 200 extra volunteer hours? Now imagine everyone’s one hour turning into two or three? That’s what typically happens. If you can find one hour, you end up giving a few more, because volunteering is as much about receiving as it is giving. We all want our schools to be community hubs where our students are safe, known, and cared for. That work isn’t just for the school staff. As parents, grandparents and guardians, we have an obligation to do our part. So the next time your local home and school puts out a call to action, consider giving just one hour of your time. The payoff is worth it!

As we head into the winter season, the other item the Federation wants to encourage all local home and school associations to think about is resolutions. What are resolutions? Resolutions are the Home and School’s superpower for changing provincial educational policy. They are a way to amplify local ideas about educational policy and involve home and schools in real decision-making on a provincial level. They are a democratic tool to reflect the collective opinion of parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, and school staff. When a resolution is written at the local level and adopted by the Federation, it becomes the basis for policies and actions taken by the Federation. Resolutions are sent to the appropriate decision-makers and serve as important advocacy pieces in our conversations with them.

The submission deadline for resolutions is January 31, 2027. We encourage home and schools to research and discuss possible resolutions that would benefit the educational outcomes of PEI students. Please reach out to the office to discuss your ideas and to get the perspective at the Federation level of the challenges and opportunities that exist. Resolutions are the most important tool that the Federation has to speak collectively about long-term educational policy change.

~~Tom Deelstra is president of the PEI Home and School Federation. He lives in Stratford with his wife and four children, who attend Charlottetown Rural, Birchwood Intermediate, and Stratford Elementary. Our schools are better when we work together.