Upcoming in 2025…

Dear parents,

Happy New Year 2025! I hope that you were able to enjoy some wonderful moments with your family and that, despite the whirlwind of activities that the holiday season can sometimes bring, you feel rested and ready for the new year.

And ready for the new year, we must be! We are expecting the implementation of several new measures that will have an impact on the education sector and engaged parents. Whether it’s related to secularism, civility, the designation of parent representatives on the boards of school service centers, or the mandatory anti-bullying and anti-violence plans for every school, rest assured that your Federation will keep its members informed about the next steps.

Perhaps you’re finding it challenging to keep up with all these issues, whether in the news or within your committees. Let me reassure you that it’s normal: you can’t do everything as a volunteer, engaged parent! That’s why the FCPQ exists to support and guide its member parents’ committees by offering various services, particularly by keeping them informed about developments in the education network.

Our priority as parents is to be present for our children in their journey, taking their needs and interests into account. If you’re involved at your school, on the governing board, on the parents’ committee, on the SNAC committee, or on the board of directors of your school service center, that’s extraordinary, and you’re making a difference!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your involvement. Engaged parents are essential actors in the school network, and they deserve to be recognized and valued. Speaking of which, nominations for the four recognition categories are ongoing. It’s not too early to prepare for National Parental Involvement Week: governing boards and parents’ committees are invited to identify their extraordinary parents!

Moreover, several opportunities are ongoing or coming up in the next few weeks. I’m especially looking forward to our two virtual evenings in January:

On January 15, engaged parents are invited to a discussion on educational projects and special school projects in our schools with our two experts, Rénald Beauchesne and Lorraine Normand-Charbonneau. This promises to be a rich evening of exchanges and sharing of ideas during our POP (Parents’ Open Platform) session.

On January 30, we’re hosting a first-of-its-kind event where the chairs of parents’ committees and the general directors of school service centers are invited to a special evening in January, led by Marius Bourgeoys! I’m particularly proud of this collaboration with the Fédération des centres de services scolaires du Québec and the Association des directions générales scolaires du Québec, both high-quality partners.

January is also the time to participate in the school governance review for parents serving on governing boards or parents’ committees. This survey initiated by the FCPQ, will allow us to amplify parents’ voices concerning the functioning of our institutions.

Additional actions are planned this year to gather your perspectives, represent your voices, and ensure the well-being of our young people. In this Year of Well-Being, we aim to continue developing an accurate picture of Quebec families to better support parents in educating their children according to their needs.

Stay tuned for more actions and participation opportunities!

Thank you to all parents, and once again, Happy New Year 2025,

Mélanie Laviolette
President