6 reasons to get active in your school's Parent Association

How engaging in your school community benefits you and your child

Almost every school has a Parent Association (PA), and if your school doesn't have one already then perhaps it's time to get one started. If you're worried about breaking the ice, start off your first meeting with your common passion: your kids! 

The school-wide parent community, led by its leaders, work together to organise events, school meetings and more to help families and their children to not only adapt but to also thrive in their school of choice. 

But is it worth making time to take an active role in the PA? Does it really make a difference in our children’s lives? Here's six benefits that we found out, talking to the leaders of these communities, on being more active in your PA. 

To read the full interviews, click Read More at the end of the page.  

1. To gain more knowledge about your school

International School of Beijing's PTA leaders

'Parents involved in PTA gain more knowledge about the school,' shared Vicky Zhao, PTA President of the International School of Beijing. And she's not just talking about the different meetings the PA and the school holds for parents to understand the school curriculum better. 

At ISB, for example, PTA members can know more about what their children are doing in class by volunteering as homeroom parents. This gives them the opportunity to meet and get to know the teachers and other parents more and really understanding the activities that takes place in class.

2. To connect with other parents in the community. 

Yew Chung International School's Parent Organisation

School events aren't all necessarily organised by the school. Behind the scenes are the PA leaders, often brainstorming fun ways to get the community together ranging from smaller events such as workshops, parent talks, movie nights, appreciation lunches and more to their bigger events such as BSB Shunyi's annual Santa Secret Shopper event, the different schools' Charity Balls and more. If you have an idea for an event or an activity in mind you'd like to organise, don't hesitate to approach your school's PA leaders.    

3. To inspire the kids to give more to the community.  

Canadian International School's Charity Ball

'When (children) see parents taking part in school community activities, raising money for charity and helping those in need, they will also become interested to be involved in community work and take pride in their own involvement,' shares Pearly Broedel, PA Chairperson of The British School of Beijing, Shunyi. Some examples are MSB's yearly Giving Tree, where students are encouraged to give gifts to the children of Da Liang Shan, a poverty-stricken area in the Sichuan Province and YCIS Beijing's yearly Christmas Wish Tree. 

4. To help the children with their education.

British School of Beijing's International Day

Just because your child may be spending more hours in school doesn't mean the education only happens there. 'Parents play a key role in their child’s education.' says Xiaoqun Lu, the PA president for the International Montessori School of Beijing. 'Parents could yield twice the results with half the effort in terms of education if they are PA members of their child’s school. Parents will know how they could get involved in their child’s learning process at home since they have a better understanding of their school’s educational philosophy and teaching methods.'  

5. To help their children understand the importance of responsibility and dedication. 

BSB Shunyi's Parents' Choir

It's easy to tell our kids to work hard, but seeing their parents actively involved in a school event and seeing the result of their diligence and hard work will show the kids that you're walking the talk. 'Parents play an essential part in the journey of children’s growth. The more they are involved in the PA, the more they learn from the school.'

6. To help understand our children better, and vice versa. 

    YCIS Beijing's Parent Organisation leaders

'Children also benefit from their parents’ participation,' YCIS Beijing's Parent Organisation Chinese Co-President Jenny Chu tells us. 'They can absorb these positive influences and help parents understand their children better. It also sends a clear message of helping and participating in a community to your children. Parents involving themselves in the community is a proven basis of children’s future success! 

For the full interviews,
tap 'Read More' below

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