The HIS Parents Council

Class Rep Election Sept. 2009 (Word document) 28-08-2009 

There are now some 220 students at HIS. These students come from 30 countries and many of them speak two or three languages. Yet, despite all the cultural differences our children care for each other and are happy, safe and content in this stress-free school. All these things, that a school and childhood environment should be, are carefully tended and respected in our little school by the teaching staff and also by us, the HIS parents and Parents Council. We aren’t too big to lose that safe feeling that children respond so positively to, and yet not too small that the school can offer our children a well established, and attentive, IB education. There is an African saying that goes “it takes a village to raise a child”. In HIS we believe that we have a rare and beautiful blend of cultures from around the world, and that we can boast a progressive and harmonious village of our own in which our precious children can thrive.

In a large proportion of HIS families only one parent goes out to work, a feature rather unusual in this modern world of ours. The parents at HIS, who are gainfully unemployed, devote a substantial amount of time, love and effort at making the school environment richer for our children. Working parents too are caught-up in all this enthusiasm and contribute generously with their time and support. The worthy voluntary groups (sub committees) that parents commit themselves to at the school are extensive and vary from; Setting-up and running our extensive library as part of the “Library Team”, being part of the “Welcoming Committee” which greets and helps to settle new families at our school, working as editor, on layout and/or contributing articles and information as the “HIS Newsletter Team”, helping to plan and arrange annual events, parties and fundraising as “The Events Team”. And, last but not least, our biggest fundraising team, “The Pizza and Pasta Parents”. These devoted teams of mums and dads supply hot food twice a week for our kids…the profits being spent on books for the library (pizza) and as cash for our coffers (pasta) to purchase special equipment for classrooms, trips and events and in generally enhancing the school. There are also, working away in a well established structure in the background; a small core of parent volunteers who are democratically elected at the beginning of each autumn term. These community minded people are called the Class Reps.

There are twelve Class Representatives elected in the school; from Kindergarten 1 and 2 through to MYP5, also twelve substitute representatives. All ideas, planning, the relaying of information to and from the Parents Council, upcoming events and the welcoming of new families to their class is the duty of the elected rep. Also, the organising of the sub committees and the allocation of monies raised by fundraising and events.

Every four months the class reps are asked to participate in the Parents Council meeting. There, around a table, we meet together with the NGG and HIS school administration and representatives of the teaching staff and discuss relevant school issues, bringing forward parental suggestions and planning future strategies and social activities.

So, as you can see, we the Parents Council can vouch that Hørsholm International School is a happy, industrious, cared for and a very international school!  We are also attached to a much larger Danish school; NGG, one of Denmark’s largest private schools, with 1400 students in total. Although we have our own unique identity and separate wing, we benefit from shared facilities; infrastructure and the chance to have our children learn more of our host country through their peers in the Danish department. Also, for the Danish students and families to learn from us a little more about this multicultural world of ours and how we can thrive successfully side by side! 

With best regards from the HIS PC 

Heather Gartside Knudsen

PC Chairman 2008-2009

heathergartside@gmail.com