Parental Permission Forms

Our district requires all students of all clubs to have parents sign permission slips before the student can even attend any meetings. When our club first became official, the classroom was packed for the meeting. When we passed out the permission forms, over half of the students said there was no way their parents would sign. They looked so disappointed and haven't returned. Here is our form:

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Your student, __________, would like to be part of this year's Gay-Straight Alliance Club (GSA).
(  )HS GSA Club membership is available for all interested persons belonging to the student body of
(  )HS, whether gay, straight, transgender, or anywhere on the spectrum of identification. The purpose of GSA Club is to promote a supportive and affirmative environment that is friendly and respectful of all students of (  )HS regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. The goal for GSA Club is to end all forms of discrimination. Club activities will focus on service and support to students and the community.

(  )HS is committed to providing its students with a safe and caring environment. Discrimination is the main cause of bullying among youth. Research suggests that the presence of a GSA Club in a high school reduces bullying and other discriminatory behaviors among the entire student body, even those not involved in GSA Club.

The GSA Club will meet on campus, once a week after school for approximately 1 hour. Please be aware that in our meetings, students may share their personal views and experiences, as appropriate to the discussion, activity or topic that day. Every effort will be made to respect family privacy, and there is no intent to discuss inappropriate issues or topics; however, the law requires that we remind you that unexpected subjects may arise as students express their feelings. (Ex. Religious beliefs, family relationships, politics, emotional difficulties, income, etc...). Also, if a guest speaker has been invited to attend a meeting, a 2-week prior notice to parents and students on the details of the speaker and the topic being covered will be given via e-mail. All upcoming events and meeting agendas will be posted on the (  )HS GSA Club's website.

The GSA Club advisor is (     ). Please call or email with any questions or concerns you may have at  (    ) or (     ).

Please sign this form indicating whether you give permission for your student to participate in GSA Club this year. Thank you!

____ I give my student permission to participate in the GSA Club for the 2013-2014 year.

____ I do not want my student to participate in the GSA Club for the 2013-2014 year.


Parent/Guardian Printed Name: ______________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________ Date ___________

Parent email: ____________________________________________

Student Signature: ________________________________________ Date ___________

Student email: ___________________________________________

Supplies for New GSA Officers

While we are waiting for the signatures to approve the GSA, I have put together folders for our new (and first!) officers. The folders include copies of:
-Contact Info of all faculty advisors and officers and informative links
-Signed Constitution
-Articles of Association
-Bylaws
-Addendum
-Tips on running a GSA
-Basic Parliamentary Procedure and How to Facilitate a Meeting
-Top 10 GSA Meeting Ideas
-The high school's Rules Governing Clubs

The color black doesn't have any significance. That was all that was left of this style of folder at the store I was in. The back-to-school supplies were slim-pickings. Black is rather sophisticated, though, don't ya think?

Image Credit: racheal1505 dot deviantart dot com

Application Has Been Turned In

Last Wednesday, August 28, the application and packet for the GSA was submitted to the principal of the high school. Included in the packet was our constitution with 14 student signatures, the Articles of Association, bylaws, and the student letters written last Spring. The copies were on bright yellow paper (except for the constitution and signatures which was on rainbow paper) so the application would be easy to find. One of our faculty advisors said several years ago she helped students turn in applications to start a similar club by a different name, but the applications kept getting "misplaced" by administration and/or district. (The students gave up.) Hopefully, there are new people there now.

Last Wednesday was also the 50th Anniversary for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. :)

May I randomly add that we have three official faculty advisors and two unofficial faculty advisors? We are so blessed!

The students were looking forward to participating in tonight's Club Tailgate to promote the GSA club. We can't, however, participate until the club is officially approved, which could take several weeks. Disappointing, I know, but I told the students this will give us time to be more prepared, to have ideas for meetings, a service project plan, etc. When we are official, we can present ourselves as an organized unit whereas right now we are kind of like, "Um, what do we do next?" which is what I'm constantly asking myself. LOL

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