Parents and Friends Association 2023 

The AGM and meeting for MSC Parents and Friends is on Monday 8th May at 5.30 pm Maffra Sports Club all are welcome. 

RSVP to Marisa Huts on 0419 095 380

Maffra Secondary College P&FA Committee welcome and thank you for your interest. We are extremely fortunate to be well supported by a vibrant group of parents.

My name is Marisa Huts, I am the current President of the P&FA 2023. I look forward to meeting you on your journey as a parent of a child at Maffra Secondary College.

We have recently signed up to and follow Parents Victoria. Our Parents Committee at Maffra Secondary College is a ministerially approved constitution which is consistent with the current Victorian Education Regulations. Jump on the link and feel free to follow Parents Victoria. There is some great reading concerning Parents Voice in Government School Education. 

Have a read of the current Newsletter - https://www.parentsvictoria.asn.au/parent-clubs/constitutions/

Ask yourself why be part of a P&FA?

Benefits of a P&FA are:

• It is a forum to discuss items of mutual interest and collective concern, and to share positive stories. This can be a very valuable source of constructive, formalised feedback for schools & our community.
• It provides a welcoming, informal way for parents to get involved in their children’s schooling and support our school.
• It helps parents with support and information.
• Parents can learn from each other, exchange ideas and feel welcomed and integrated into the school community.

The role of the Parent Committee (P&FA)

You might find that other parents have questions about the idea of setting up a Parent Committee. Here are a few of the most common ones:

“Don’t we already have a School Council?”

Make sure you are clear on the difference between a Parent Committee and the School Council. Parents may ask, “Why do we need a Parent Club when we have a School Council?”

The two are quite different, yet they work together. Parents Committee and School Councils always work together, but they are quite different in their role and functions. If you find that parents within our school are not clear on what each group does, here is a quick guide:

School Council

The School Council is the committee of management for the school. It includes the principal, other staff, parent, community and student representatives. It has extensive powers over the management of the school, as set out in the Policy and Advisory Library. The School Council has some big responsibilities - the school budget, Strategic Plan, school governance and employment issues.

Parent Committee

A Parent Committee is set up to represent the interests of parents at the school, to support parents and to carry out activities for and on behalf of parents.  Parent Committee can be more of an open forum for parents and focus on activities that meet parent needs — social events, volunteer activities to benefit the school and fundraising. They can also be a think-tank or sounding board for the school (e.g., the school might want to seek school community opinion on the introduction of a new school uniform item).

I appreciate everyone is busy and your time is valuable, so we keep meetings brief.  There really is not too much involved. We have an AGM coming up in May. You do not have to be on the committee to be a part of P&FA - everyone is warmly welcomed. 

I have recently been listening to a  podcast from Parents Voice in Government Schools, series titled Hands Up, covering a range of public education issues such the future of teaching, consent education and inequity in the education system - definitely worth putting on the head phones for a listen.

2023 Parents Committee Meetings - Monday 5:30pm Maffra Sports Club

Please, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call or email me - marisahuts@gmail.com or 0419095380 or the office at school on 5147 1790.     

Thank you again and I look forward to seeing you in person soon.

Kindest Regards

Marisa Huts