Memories from the 2021 Annual General Meeting

The Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations (QFHSA) closed out the endlessly surprising and challenging 2020-2021 year with its 77th Annual General Meeting. Held on the evening of June 3rd, the online event was attended by delegates from over 20 local Home and School associations across the province of Quebec. They were joined by representatives from a number of organizations, including the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, and the Quebec Provincial Association of Retired School Educators.
An Inspiring Presentation

The event began with a presentation by Ms. Heidi Yetman, President of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. Ms. Yetman spoke about the challenges Quebec elementary and secondary school teachers are facing—everything from safeguarding the health of their students during the COVID pandemic to their long, laborious contract negotiations with the Quebec government.

8 New QFHSA Resolutions

The QFHSA’s Resolutions Subcommittee presented eight resolutions, all of which were adopted at the meeting. The product of timely research conducted by the QFHSA’s Education, Rights and Resolutions Committee, the resolutions focus on such challenges as the teacher shortage, curriculum problems, shortcomings in the way school elections are organized, unhealthy school buildings and the climate crisis. You can read the resolutions in their entirety here.

A Warm Welcome for New and Returning Board Members

The QFHSA is very pleased to welcome Nick Giannakoulis, Samantha Patel, and Chris Schaler, all newly-elected members of our board of directors. This year’s annual general meeting also saw the re-election of six current members of our board. The slate of directors for the 2021-2022 year is as follows:

Rosemary Murphy, President

Ginette Sauvé-Frankel, Executive Vice-President

Maxime Côté, Vice-President

Natasha Drysdale, Vice-President

Wanda Leah Trineer, Treasurer

Debi Brown, Secretary

Linton Garner, Immediate Past President

Elizabeth “Bobbi” Brown, Director

Nick Giannakoulis, Director

Samantha Patel, Director

Brian Rock, Director

Chris Schaler, Director

Outgoing directors Meaghan Dufour and Renate Sutherland were thanked for their important service to our organization.

Looking Back… and Ahead to a New Year

The QFHSA’s 202-2021 Book of Reports provides details on the Federation’s activities over the past year. In the book’s annex is our organization’s Financial Statement to December 31, 2020. This document is available below. Our local Home and School associations have more than met the challenges of this past year; they have worked incredibly hard to enrich the lives of the students and families in their school communities. Each year, the QFHSA helps local associations recognize the heroes in their midst—and there were many heroes in 2020-2021! In a year when most Home & School volunteers were not allowed inside school buildings, school staff often stepped in to lend a hand for Home and School initiatives. It is no surprise, then, that this year’s list of Unsung Heroes includes staff from several schools alongside Home & School volunteers. All of our Unsung Heroes and our Golden Torch leaders deserve our sincere thanks for their perseverance and drive during this unforgettable year. The complete list of the year’s award recipients along with the winner of the QFHSA Newsletter Award is published in the summer issue of the QFHSA News (available in early July). The QFHSA looks forward to the 2021-2022 school year with much anticipation and hope for our local Home and School associations.