The Association

A Parents’ Association with an important role in the life of the school

The Parents’ Association of the École Européenne Lille Métropole (EELM) is an association in accordance with the 1901 law. It was created shortly after the school opened, and its statutes were registered in October 2019 after a General Assembly which was attended by a majority of the parents of pupils at the school.

There are three things which make us different from other parents’ associations:

• Our association brings together parents of pupils from the pre-school, primary and secondary levels.
• Our members are enthusiastic about cultural and linguistic diversity, and represent a large number of nationalities.
• Our association makes a considerable contribution to the development of the school, for example by organising extra-curricular activities in the spirit of the European schools.

An association with a European mission

As the PA of a European school, the APE-EELM has multiple objectives:

• to represent and defend the educational and family interests of the parents of pupils at the school before various local, regional, national and international bodies.
• to take and encourage initiatives which allow parents to participate as broadly as possible in the life of the school and decisions concerning it.
• to represent the educational interests of the pupils in the decision-making bodies of the European schools as well as in the relevant local, regional, national and European bodies.
• to inform the school management team of the wishes and suggestions of parents concerning the organisation of the school.
• to organise afterschool and extracurricular activities, in cooperation with the school.
• to promote links and set up partnerships with the parents’ associations of other European schools.
• to provide parents with information about the discussions and decisions of various bodies which are relevant to the school.
• to promote social contacts among parents, and between parents and other members of the school community both of the EELM and other European schools by organising artistic, educational or sporting events . . .
• to contribute to cultural and linguistic diversity with the EELM.
• to enable parents to discuss issues relevant to their children’s interests, and to make suggestions and contribute to their implementation.

An association which encourages all parents to get involved

The APE-EELM has a four-layer structure:

• The bureau includes the president, the treasurer, the secretary and one or several assessors. The bureau prepares the meetings of the association’s administrative board (Conseil d’Administration) and manages the day-to-day affairs.
• The administrative board includes the members of the bureau and other elected members. Together they implement the decisions of the General Assembly and organise events and projects.
• The General Assembly is made up of the members of the association. All parents with at least one child at the school can become members of the association.
• Working Groups are created in order to work on various projects (such as the school library, social events, extracurricular activities, transport . . . ). These working groups are a good place to brainstorm, as well as to meet other parents.

Members of the association may also participate in the decision-making bodies and different committees of the school, either as elected members or as guests (the school Administrative Board, committees and working groups organized by the school).