“After having made a great and exciting start in the new school year I like to take the opportunity to introduce myself as the representative of the IST in the participation council (medezeggenschapsraad) of Prinseschool.
My name is Ilse Maria Weppel. I am married to Dirk Jan Tent and we have two children. Daniel (10) is a pupil in Ms. Carly’s class. Our daughter Sophie (13) is enrolled in ISST (International Secondary School Twente). One and a half year ago we returned to the Netherlands after being part of the Shell International Expat community for 15 years. From the moment my children went to school I was active in the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) of several International Schools and an American School. Being able to contribute to the welfare of my own children, their schoolmates and teachers was very satisfactory. But now I feel it is time for me to develop myself into a new direction.
I am your representative in the participation council of Prinseschool. You may not be familiar with this, but by law, every school in the Netherlands has a medezeggenschapsraad (MR). This is a participation council, where elected representatives of teachers, students and parents are consulted by the school management over matters concerning the management of the school. As prescribed by law, there are separate MR councils for the Primary and Secondary sections of (International) Schools. Within Primary schools the MR consists of teachers and parents. Within Secondary schools the MR consists of teachers, parents and students. Because IST is part of Prinseschool, IST is represented in the MR of Prinseschool.
The number of representatives in the MR depends on the number of students enrolled in the school. Elections determine which persons are serving the council. This all happens in compliance with the MR regulations.
According to the legislation, the MR holds two types of rights: right of advice (adviesrecht) and right of agreement (instemmingsrecht).
Topics that are discussed on a regular basis are: school plan, safety regulations, student regulations, MR regulation, care plan, special needs plan, school tasks policy, school formation, finances and so forth.
I hope to have informed you sufficiently with this letter. Please feel free to contact me in person before or after school. Considering the fact of facing everyday time challenge for all of us, the most effective way to contact me is by email.”
Kind regards,
Ilse Maria Weppel
Family.tent@gmail.com
