School Council Report
JUNE UPDATE
The School Council met on Monday 19 June. The principal delivered her last Principal’s Report to the council, in which she congratulated Jeanette Baker and the school community for a wonderful centenary celebration, and welcomed Acting Principal Lynne Foster who comes most recently from Malvern Primary School.
I and the other parent members of the School Council would like to take this opportunity to thank Heather Hill for her tremendous contributions to Murrumbeena Primary School over the past 19 years, taking the school from strength to strength. We wish Heather all the best in her retirement.
The council heard that VCAT recently ruled against a multi-storey property development adjacent to the school. The ruling will help to preserve the streetscapes and car parking availability around the school.
The out of school hours care sub-committee reported that out of school hours care is working well, with numbers of children and staff holding steady.
The council adopted several recommended changes to each of the Head Lice, SunSmart and Heat, and First Aid policies. The changes update the policies and bring them in-line with Department of Education and Training and other relevant organisations’ policies and guidelines.
The canteen and uniform sub-committee reported that long-sleeved maroon t-shirts will be available soon from PSW in Ormond.
The canteen is introducing some new healthy menu items. The canteen is now selling a tasty minestrone soup and will soon be selling dips with vegie sticks. Yum! The canteen would appreciate more volunteers, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. Each shift is only 30 minutes long. Please let Sue Hunt in the canteen know if you can assist.
The school has signed a new cleaning contract with its current cleaning company following a tender process with several companies. The current company does a good job and often goes beyond its obligations, for example helping out on the day of the centenary celebrations. The council noted the school looks the best it has ever looked following the working bee and completion of the School Pride project which upgraded landscaping, play equipment and some bathrooms. Thank you to the volunteers for their time at the working bee; your efforts contributed to the success of the school’s centenary celebration.
Last but not least, the carnival update! The overall theme of the carnival is 100th Birthday Twilight Carnival Spectacular. Tying into the theme will be extended hours from 12 noon until 8pm, including two meal periods, live entertainment, a lantern parade and old fashioned elements. Many of the key coordinator positions are now filled (thank you!). However, coordination help in the following areas would be much appreciated: logistics, food stalls, retail/activity stalls, rides and sponsorship. If you have any ideas for business sponsors and corporate community grants, please send them through. The class parent representatives met on 15 June to discuss the stalls and their coordination. Most of the stalls now have a coordinator but there’s still opportunity to coordinate a stall – please let the school or sub-committee know.
The council noted the hard work the fundraising and social sub-committee is doing to make this year’s carnival extra-awesome, such as putting the children at the centre of things, new rides, exciting stalls and streamlining financial processes.
Please put the date for the carnival in your social diary - Saturday 18 November from 12pm to 8pm - and keep your eyes peeled to this newsletter for more carnival updates.
Clare Meeker