For Members

Welcome Members

CONFERENCE

Thanks to our Members for making another great Conference

A Great Big Thanks to our Keynote speaker Ann Douglas!

HAPPY PARENTS, HAPPY KIDS

Focus: Mental health, physical health, family health, parenting strategies, and tapping into support

Parenting doesn’t happen in a bubble. As parents, we can’t help but be affected by what’s happening in the wider world. Is it any wonder then that so many of us are feeling anxious, guilty, and overwhelmed? In this thought-provoking presentation, Ann Douglas highlights the broader cultural forces that have made everything about parenting feel incredibly high stakes. Then she pivots to solutions, explaining how parents have the unique opportunity to serve as agents of change in their families and their communities. Her takeaway message is clear, powerful, and potentially life changing: you can tame the anxiety, embrace the joy, and thrive alongside your kids while building a better world.

This presentation is based on Ann’s brand new book, Happy Parents, Happy Kids.

We strive to help parents understand:

Each of us is an ADVOCATE for students

Parents are active partners with the EDUCATION system

Effective COMMUNICATION is critical

OFHSA Conference is a community event, designed to welcome all parents, and learn to become an advocate in your community.

Our greatness comes when we appreciate each other’s strengths, when we learn from each other, when we lean on each other. Michele Obama

IF you are interested in participating as a Displayer or Sponsor for the federation, please contact the office at info@ofhsa.on.ca

OFHSA Awards

Awards presented by OFHSA

OFHSA Citizenship Award

Here is the newly developed award be presented in 2019!

The Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations Inc. wishes to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional qualities in Citizenship. This award is for a student who demonstrates a concern for the betterment of society at school and in the community. This concern should be shown by having a helpful and considerate attitude towards classmates, teachers, and staff and by being involved in extracurricular activities, training programs and/or community service.

CRITERIA:

The Association must be in good standing
Previous Citizenship Award winners are not eligible
The student does not need to be the child of a Home and School member
Students must attend a school where there is an active Home and School Association

To be nominated the student must demonstrate some or all of the following:

A helpful and considerate, respectful attitude toward classmates, teachers and other staff.
An involvement in extracurricular activities.
An involvement in community activities and training programs.

In 1967, the Olive E. Glaubitz Awards were introduced. Nine citizenship awards of $50.00 each were presented, to one student in each Home & School area in Ontario. These awards were originally made possible through contributions from associations and councils in memory of Mrs. Glaubitz, a past-president of OFHSA, and they continued for a time through generous donations from her son.
The Citizenship Awards were reintroduced in 1981. Eight provincial awards of $100.00 each for Grade 5 through Grade 12 were presented annually to students chosen from nominations submitted by school staff, the Home and School association or the student council.

Col. R. S. McLaughlin Memorial Award

This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service to education by fostering co-operation between parents and teachers and by promoting understanding between the home and the school. This award is meant for Home & School members who have made a significant contribution to the Federation at the provincial level. The nominees must be serving or have served a full term on a minimum of two of: Home & School Association executive, Home & School Council executive, a Regional Board executive, or the OFHSA Board of Directors as either an executive or on a Board of Directors committee.

The award was named the Col. R.S. McLaughlin Memorial Award to recognize an endowment from the McLaughlin family. Mrs. McLaughlin served the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations for many years, including as president from 1931 to 1936.

OF HSA Educator Award

This award was introduced in 1989-90 and is presented to an educator who has demonstrated in an exceptional way her or his support for parental involvement in education through the Home & School organizations. Nominations may be submitted by Associations, Home & School Councils, Regional Boards, or the OFHSA Board of Directors.

Awards Information sheet

Awards presented to Members

Volunteer Skills Portfolio (VSP)- Ada Courtice Certificate of Leadership and Learning and pin

Often Home and School members downplay the importance of the volunteer work they are doing and fail to recognize the skills that they are learning. This portfolio is meant to help individual Home and School members track their activities and earn recognition for their accomplishments. Through the Volunteer Skills Portfolio, members will recognize what they have achieved, appreciate an impressive skill set and use these talents to take on new challenges with confidence.

To complete the program, a member must participate in a minimum of 15 activities that combine communication, leadership, advocacy and community involvement. In order to receive the Ada Courtice Certificate of Leadership and Learning, the completed Record of Accomplishments must be submitted to OFHSA’s Awards Workgroup. Specific details are listed in the Volunteer Skills Portfolio.
Get started! Return a completed Registration Form to the OFHSA office. Once received, a Volunteer Skills Portfolio will be sent to the member.

Volunteer Skills Registration

Volunteer Skills Portfolio

Association Life Membership

Council Life Membership

For an Association wishing to honour an Individual member for outstanding service.

Trillium Service Pin

This honour is given to a member of OFHSA who has given at least two years outstanding service to the OFHSA Board of Directors.

H&S Pin

Worn proudly by members to show their support for OFHSA and its beliefs. This pin makes a wonderful thank you gift for members of your association or council or your principal or other supporter.

Resources & Forms

Resources are available below or may be requested by contacting the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations office.

OFHSA Resources and Recognition Pins list and order form

Staples Copy & Print Business Discount Program

Videos

Templates

Guidelines

Finance

Membership

Brochures

Information Sheets

Translated Documents

Table of Contents

Click here for Translated Documents

With the assistance of two Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants from the Ministry of Education OFHSA was able to have documents translated into fourteen languages.

The documents: OFHSA Promotional brochure, You Asked about Membership, EQAO Information sheet and OSR Information sheet.

The languages: Arabic, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese.

In addition, the Liability Insurance Coverage brochure was translated into Arabic, French, Korean, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese.

These documents are available in electronic format and hard copy. Please contact the office.

Member Recognition

Home & School Pins

Use pins to show recognition for volunteer Home & School members!
OFHSA offers a selection of membership pins and awards to members. Descriptions and pictures are in the Recognizing Outstanding Service brochure.

Home & School Life Memberships

Application forms for H&S Association and H&S Council Life Memberships are available in the “Resources and Forms” section of the For Members page.
Home & School Association Life Membership – $50

Includes certificate and 1/2” round pin (gold and blue)
Purchased by a H&S Association to show appreciation for a member, principal, staff member or another individual who has made a significant contribution to the association
The Life Member no longer has to pay the annual membership fee at that association and has full membership rights including voting and insurance privileges (this is an individual membership)

Home & School Council Life Membership – $50

Includes certificate and oval pin ( 7/16″ x 3/4 “)
Purchased by a H&S Council to show appreciation for an individual who has made a significant contribution to the council. This is a non-voting membership, but the individual may receive mailings as directed by the H&S Council.

To order pins and/or Life Memberships contact:
Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations
51 Stuart Street
Hamilton ON L8L 1B5
905-308-9563 or info@ofhsa.on.ca

The proceeds from the sale of Home & School Life Memberships and pins support the OFHSA Citizenship Awards program.

Other Recognition of Achievements

Ada Courtice Certificate of Leadership and Learning

Presented to a Home & School member who has completed the requirements of the Volunteer Skills Portfolio program.
Completed the minimum 15 activities (with at least 3 in each category).
Verified by that member’s Association, H&S Council or Regional Board.
The program is administered and certificates are issued by the OFHSA Awards Workgroup.

Trillium Service Pin