Behind every successful school, there are parents who get involved!

To show Parenthèse readers how parents from across the province contribute to their school community, we’re publishing “portraits” of parents who commit themselves in various ways to the community.

Leslie Parchomchuk, co-lead a science club with Sandra Eix (see her portrait) every Friday at École Anne-Hébert

I have two children: Aislyn, in Grade 5 at l’école Anne-Hébert, and Sienna, in Grade 7 at l’école secondaire Jules-Verne.

My involvement in the school community is defined by: 

Science! Over the past years, I have worked with Sandy Eix, a fellow scientist and parent, to lead a science club at l'école Anne-Hébert each week. It’s a very dynamic learning activity, filled with scientific experiments, carried out in a fun way that lets the children explore. The club is open to all students from Grades 2 to 6, every Friday during the noon hour. It has already attracted more than 100 children at the same time!

What I love the most about our Francophone school: 

I appreciate the way that the teachers and school administration welcome our program. Each week, we make a mess in the gym, then send the children back to class full of enthusiasm and energy! But the school manages to appreciate the fundamental outcome: that the children are delighted with science!

Why we started our project: 

As an engineer, I see possibilities for creativity and enthusiasm for science in all subjects in school, but it’s difficult for teachers to take the time to put everything together. So I worked with the school to offer activities that encourage young people to have fun with science. I have prepared workshops myself or with other scientific organizations, and invited engineers to come into the classroom (or take the kids out of the classroom!) in order to explore and observe all facets of scientific subjects. The science club takes things to the next level, because it establishes a culture of science in the school.  We now have “science groupies,” and some children attempt to sneak in when it’s not their turn -- which demonstrates the success of the program!

What this brings me:  

I started the different scientific programs for selfish reasons: so that my children had the chance to discover different aspects of science during their schooling years! But now, I like to see the excitement and enthusiasm we create for the students, thanks to our program. I also appreciate that we are good examples of scientific professionals; Sandy is a physicist and I am a chemical engineer, and our positive interaction with the students helps them make choices that will enable them to learn more about science and technology in the future.