Board of Governors

List of 6 frequently asked questions.

• Q What is the role of HTS Board of Governors?

  The HTS Board is a governing Board. Its role is one of oversight, with the overriding objective being that HTS remains viable to serve the children of today’s students. To achieve this, the Board’s responsibilities can be divided into three main areas:

  • The hiring, training, support, evaluation, remuneration and, if necessary, dismissal of the Head of School
  • Providing oversight and guidance to the Head to ensure that the school is following policies, compliant with relevant law and regulations, managing risk, adhering to budgets and managing resources appropriately
  • Long term strategic planning to make sure that our school meets the needs of current students and that it evolves to meet the needs of future generations of HTS students

• Q What types of issues are outside of the role of the Board?

  The Board is not involved with the day-to-day operations of the school such as curriculum, discipline, faculty, food, co-curriculars, or building maintenance. All of these areas, as well as anything else related to daily school life, are the responsibility of the Head of School.

• Q How does the Board work?

  Much of the work is done by Committees or Task Forces of the Board, each of which is chaired by a Governor. The Committees are comprised of Governors, staff members and non-Board members, as appropriate. The Head of School and the Board Chair are members of all the Committees and Task Forces. The Committees and Task Forces report their activity to the Board and make recommendations to the Board for approval. The Board meets six times a year between September and June.

• Q What is the difference between a Committee and a Task Force?

  A Committee has an on-going mandate with no fixed end to its term. Currently, the HTS Board has six standing Committees:
  

  1. Finance & Operational Risk (with Investment and Audit sub-Committees)
  2. Advancement
  3. Construction & Site
  4. Executive (Head’s Support Committee)
  5. Governance & Nominations
  6. Strategy

  A Task Force has a mandate for a specific project and a projected end to its term.
  
  Recent Task Forces include the IT Task Force that prepared the way for the introduction of the Apple 1:1 program.

• Q How is a Governor selected?

  Each year, the Governance & Nominations Committee determines the skill sets that will be required for the Board to achieve the goals that it has set for itself in the upcoming 3-5 year period. The Committee then identifies the gaps in knowledge or experience that will face the Board going forward and looks to fill those gaps. The Governance & Nominations Committee gathers suggestions, makes deliberations and then recommends nominees to the various Committees of the Board. The Governance & Nominations Committee is also responsible for suggesting selected Committee members to be invited to the Board. The number of new Governors added each year depends on the number retiring from the Board.

• Q Are there additional opportunities for involvement?

  At HTS we welcome parent participation and there are many opportunities for parental involvement throughout the school, including:

   

  Joining the HTS Parents’ Guild

  The HTS Parents’ Guild is a volunteer organization and a valued part of the HTS community. The focus of the Guild ranges from fundraising to friendships and “fun-raising” through involvement in events such as the Father Bob Run, the Trinity Fair and the Carols & Cookies Chapel service.

  
  Parents can also volunteer to be a Grade Parent, to work in the Hawk Shop or to be a Family Mentor. 

  
  Volunteering for fundraising initiatives throughout the school

  The school holds several fundraising events throughout the year including the Gala and other special events. Specific committees led by Chairs are established for large-scale events and there are many specialized roles within each committee for parents to fill.

  
  Information about special events are typically communicated through SpotligHTS: the HTS Friday News and through the Community Relations and Development department. For more information on how you can contribute to a fundraising initiative or special event, please contact the Community Relations and Development department.
  

  
  Joining a Learning Team

  A Learning Team is a vehicle through which faculty, staff, students and parents engage in learning about new innovations to support the implementation of the strategic plan.  The Learning Teams meet regularly to study the current research around their topic, examine best practice globally around their topic and connect with key experts and resource people. Throughout the process of learning, they post their findings, questions and ideas for others to access. The ultimate product of the Learning Team is a presentation of their recommendations for change to the Extended Leadership Team. At the end of the year, the Learning Team share their ideas in a Learning Fair for the school community.