Volunteer Organized Seminars
Volunteer Organized Seminars (VOS) is a group of volunteers who organize seminars for parents throughout ISD 191, Burnsville/Eagan/Savage. The group’s goal is to provide seminars that will support parents in their efforts to raise well-educated, responsible children.
Sign up to receive email news and reminders
FREE SEMINARS BY “TOP 20 TRAINING”
Monday, January 5, 2009
~ Intended for parents of children ages 0-9 ~
Free child care available for school-age children for the January 5th seminar
“Raising Happy, Responsible, and Emotionally Healthy Children”
TWO-PART SEMINAR:
~ Intended for parents AND students grades 5-12 ~
Parents & students are encouraged to attend together and to attend both sessions.
Session 1: Monday, February 2, 2009
“Heart to Heart Conflict Resolution”
Session 2: Monday, March 2, 2009
“Learn from Mistakes and Move Outside the Comfort Zone”
About the seminar instructors…
Paul Bernabei and Tom Cody direct “Top 20 Training” which provides training and materials to empower youth, parents, and teachers to develop their potential and the potential of others. They have each spent over 35 years teaching, counseling and coaching in Twin Cities schools and have conducted retreats for students and adults. They authored “Top 20 Teens: Discovering the Best-kept Thinking, Learning and Communicating Secrets of Successful Teenagers.” Paul, who has four daughters, and Tom, who has three sons, live in St. Paul.
What is VOS?
VOS is a group of volunteers who organize seminars for parents throughout Independent School District 191, Burnsville/Eagan/Savage. The group’s goal is to provide seminars that will support parents in their efforts to raise well-educated, responsible children.
When and how was VOS formed?
A founding member of VOS attended the “Readers, Writers, and Parents – Learning Together” seminar in 1997 and was inspired to coordinate that seminar annually and has done so since 1998. Recognizing the value of seminars for parents, VOS members decided to coordinate additional annual seminars and officially organized the group in October 2003.
How are the seminars coordinated?
VOS members meet with school representatives from ISD 191 schools three times throughout each school year to discuss seminar topics, speakers, and financial matters. VOS members handle all the details of scheduling the seminars and create publicity flyers. Representatives act as PTO and site council liaisons and insure seminars are publicized at their school.
Is it important for each school to have a representative at VOS meetings?
Each school is encouraged to send a representative to VOS meetings to insure that information related to speaker suggestions, seminar dates, seminar publicity, and financial matters is accurately relayed to PTOs, site councils, and school administrators. Good communication is the key to meeting the VOS goal and having a representative from each school attend the meetings is the key to good communication.
Who sponsors the seminars and how are funds monitored?
PTOs, site councils, local businesses, and private donors sponsor the seminars. VOS members, the principals’ liaison, and school representatives monitor the financial records. Funds are used for speaker fees, child care costs, and miscellaneous office supplies; there are no payments made to VOS members for their services. The financial goal is to maintain a balance equal to the amount needed to cover costs for the seminars one year in advance (this allows speaker contracts to be signed with payment guaranteed). In the event that VOS ceases coordinating seminars, any balance remaining in the account will be returned to sponsoring schools in a prorated manner.
Are parents from non-sponsoring schools welcome to attend the seminars?
Sponsorship and representation is requested from each school to insure fairness to all, but parents are welcome (and encouraged) to attend the seminars regardless of whether or not their PTO or site council contributes financially or provides a representative.
Is VOS an official school district organization?
VOS is not an official school district organization, but rather partners with ISD 191; the superintendent and the school board have endorsed VOS and a principal attends the annual VOS meetings as a liaison member. VOS partners also include the PTOs/Site Councils, Burnsville Education Association, the City of Burnsville, the City of Eagan, and the City of Savage. This district, parent, teacher, and community level involvement demonstrates that the “village” needed to raise a child is present in our school district and our communities.
For more information contact
Clare Anderson - 952-890-3375.