Dear Robbie Mac Families,

As the school year draws to a close, we reflect on the achievements and shared moments that have defined our vibrant community. We have come together to support our children and enrich their educational experience. Thank you for being an integral a part of the RMPS Parents & Friends Association throughout 2023.

Callout for 2024 Class Reps

Would you like to become a Class Rep in 2024? We are getting organised for 2024 and looking for parents interested in being a Class Rep next year. Class Reps are an important part of Robbie Mac and help to create a welcoming and inclusive community. Ad hoc tasks do not take much time and many of our reps work part-time or full-time with busy family lives. Perhaps you have or have not been one before, that doesn’t matter as we welcome previous and new reps to fill the roles. Being a rep is a great way to be involved with the school and meet other parents.

As a Class Rep, your key responsibilities will be to:

Welcome new families to the school
Be a point of contact for families in your class. It’s up to you how you choose to communicate with families; i.e., email, Facebook and/or WhatsApp
Arrange a couple of social occasions for class families. These can be specifically your class, or you can organise an event with the other classes in your year group (e.g., Foundation, 1/2, etc). Popular choices include “a play at the park” or a “parent evening”.
Communicate information regarding school events as sent through from the PFA or other Class Reps

Being a Class Rep is a very rewarding role and a great way to get to know your class. Each class requires two Class Reps, and no prior experience is needed. If you are interested in becoming one in 2024, please indicate your interest by signing up here: https://signup.com/go/BByGhfW

Class Reps will be confirmed in early 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Jones on rmps.classreps@gmail.com or reach out to the PFA via rmps.pfa@gmail.com.

2024 PFA Events and Fundraisers

We are grateful to have had some keen parents who have indicated their willingness to coordinate PFA events in 2024. The following events are currently being planned:

2024 School Welcome Morning Tea (Friday 9 February)
Family Event (Date TBC)
Parent/Carer Social Event (Date TBC)
Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser (Date TBC)

Other events and fundraisers will also be run throughout the 2024 school year.

PFA

The PFA is a group of volunteer parents and carers who help organise events and fundraising activities for RMPS, welcome families and bring people together from within the community. This helps us all connect more closely with our school and to raise vital funds for school improvements. Without volunteers, there would be no PFA.

All RMPS parents and carers are welcome to register as PFA members, enabling them to receive copies of meeting minutes, vote on items/actions and the office bearer (executive) roles as applicable, and be elected to PFA office bearer roles. If you would like to register as a member, please contact us for a copy of the registration form. Note that you do not have to be a member to help on events or attend meetings.

Next meeting: Monday 19 February 2023 at 2:15pm – 3:15pm. This meeting will be held onsite at the school. Put it in your diaries as it will come around very soon once the new school year starts.

A Heartfelt Thank You and Season’s Greetings

As we close the chapter on 2023, we want to express our deepest gratitude to every parent, guardian and community member who contributed their time, talents, and unwavering support to the PFA. Your dedication has made a positive impact on our school community.

Also, a big thank you to Kim Jones, our amazing Class Coordinator and all the Class Reps, your dedication and support is very much appreciated!

Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments.

Thank you for a wonderful year, and we eagerly anticipate the adventures that await us in 2024.

Happy Holidays,

Wen Li (President), Elizabeth (Secretary) and Bård (Treasurer)

The PFA Committee

That’s it for now,

Wen Li (President), Elizabeth (Secretary) and Bård (Treasurer)

The PFA Committee

FREE Working with Children Check (WWCC)

Ever thought about volunteering at a school (e.g., excursion, swimming, classroom) or PFA (e.g., disco, colour run) activity or event, or even at your child’s sports or dance club, but haven’t been able to because you don’t have a Working with Children Check (WWCC)? Well, you can get a volunteer WWCC for FREE! Applying for one takes about 15-20 minutes and you can do it online via Working with Children Check (service.vic.gov.au). Once you have completed the online application you will receive an application receipt, followed by a card after the check is completed. (Note: We recommend you do this using your mobile phone because of the photo process etc.)

What you'll need to do

Prove your identity with documents using your phone. The online application shows you which ones.
Fill out the online application form
Consent to Service Victoria passing your info on to the Working with Children Check (WWCC) Unit Victoria (Department of Justice and Community Safety) to process your WWCC application. (Services Victoria does not keep your information, they just pass it on.)

Your Working with Children check

The Working with Children Check Victoria screening process looks at:
Your criminal record in all Australian states and territories, including any charges, regardless of the outcome
Your professional conduct as determined by these groups, and

Whether you're required to report under sex offender legislation

If you have applied for a WWCC but are unsure whether your card will arrive before you want to volunteer at an event, please speak to the school office about possible options. A check may take between 3-12 weeks to be processed.

Copies of WWCC cards are kept on file by the school for compliance and a Working with Children Check is required for doing child-related work which includes volunteering. Please provide the school office with a copy of your card.

If you would like to get a WWCC card but are not confident doing this yourself, please contact the school office for assistance by calling 9890 2372.

For RMPS related volunteering, please also read the school’s:

Visitors Policy
https://robmacps.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Visitors-policy.docx
Volunteers Policy
https://robmacps.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Volunteers-policy.docx

Lost property