School Council News

School Council sends our best wishes to the Chelt Sec community. We hope everyone is keeping safe and well. If you need support at this time, please contact the college.

Engagement and Communication (E&C) is the newest sub-committee at Council, with a focus on getting to know our communities and helping our communities to know us. Since School Council’s role is oversight and governance (not operational), we look to deepen resources available to the college, discuss with stakeholders (including students, school staff, families and the wider local community) and make recommendations that college staff can then take forward.

Recent initiatives have included working with the college staff on this year’s website redesign, the re-launch of Parents and Friends, looking at Chelt’s visual brand and engaging more closely with the local community.

Another current E&C priority is understanding Chelt’s house system. We have four houses:

• Thalera (green)
• Arakoola (red)
• Pampari (yellow)
• Killara (blue)

Actions include reviewing the house names, what they represent and their history, and understanding how the houses are used currently and what they mean to students and teachers.

We are inviting interested students, teachers and Council members to join a working group that will listen to stakeholders, synthesise information and then make recommendations for how the college might move forward, with potential ideas including rejuvenating the current houses, widening the remit of how the houses are used, updating the names and colours, creating house clothing or mascots, or, none of these, to make sure the house system is relevant and meaningful to the Chelt community going forward. If you’re interested in the Chelt house system, please feel free to email  susannahfbowen@gmail.com with your ideas.

About School Council

Every government school has a council. School Council participates in developing and monitoring the school’s strategic plan and policy and plays an important role in overseeing the school’s financial operations and budget. School Council members are drawn from students, parents, the Department of Education and the community. Chelt.Sec’s school council includes sub-committees of; Student Services, Education Policy, Engagement and Communication, Building and Grounds and Finance.

The Engagement and Communication sub-committee is comprised of Susannah Bowen-Wheatley, Rory Hall (parent members), Karl Russell and Naomi Smith (college), Sharon Tapner (parent guest, Parents and Friends Association). At times we co-opt interested school community members who can offer special project assistance; currently Meera Naidu is helping us with visual branding. 

How can you help?

Do you have skills that might make a difference at school? Are you involved in any community organisations, or work for a business that might be interested to support Chelt’s students, or are you just happy to lend a hand when needed? Please email andrew.hall2@education.vic.gov.au, if you do.

To find out more or get involved with School Council, contact Andrew (President) at andrew.hall2@education.vic.gov.au

To engage with the wider school community, join the Chelt community on Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/cheltsecfamily