School Council President Report

As cliched as it sounds, this year has flown by. Here we are now in Term 4, in the home stretch and counting down the days to the Christmas holidays. 

APS Council in 2022 (Term 4 update)

The APS Council's main objectives this year (apart for school governance) have been to reconnect the school community after COVID lockdowns and raise funds for a new school playground. On both fronts we've made terrific headway thanks to the many wonderful initiatives led by the Fundraising Committee. The other big success this year was the working bee which taught us that even an obscenely big skip isn't big enough when you have an amazing group of ~30 parents and their kids who happily got their hands dirty (plus a couple that can operate heavy machinery). To that I must specifically acknowledge and thank Mick Perta and Heath Henry. You were the MVPs.

In Term 3, the APS Trivia Night was a huge event. Not only was it a successful fundraiser, but it was a lot of fun (a fun-raiser?). By all accounts, those who stayed until stumps had a great time and those who kicked on afterwards, an even better one. Special thanks go out to Megan Ftouni for taking the lead in organising the event, the many other members of the Fundraising Committee for their efforts, and to Ray White Real Estate Taylors Lakes for sponsoring the event and running the auction. Also - a quick shout out to Sam Cheshire who stole the show with his Round 3 Quiz Master skills. Hilarious!

This year's EOY celebration will feature the inaugural Colour Run as a fundraiser. Special thanks go out to Amy Barr, Danielle Ali, Erin McNamara, Emma Sprakel and Heather Golder for organising the event. We'll need more volunteers on the day so thanks in advance to anyone who can assist. It is going to be a messy one but the kids will no doubt have a ball.

Lastly, the replacement 3-6 playground is now in our sights. Plans and quotes are coming through and there will be more updates in this space soon. We never anticipated being in a position to purchase a new playground by early 2023, but thanks to the generosity of the school community and efforts of many committee volunteers we have exceeded all expectations. You are all amazing. High fives all round!

APS Council and Committees in 2023

Four School Council positions will be up for election next year and I'd encourage anyone who is keen to represent the school community to put their hand up. If you'd like to know more about the demands of the Council, please feel free to reach out to an incumbent member or advise the school and they can pass your details onto me. You don't need to be a white-collar professional to be a good fit. Diverse experience and perspectives are absolutely welcome. The most important qualities to bring are enthusiasm and commitment.

For those who want to get involved without being on the Council, the Fundraising and Buildings & Grounds sub-committees are always open to volunteers. Reach out to the school and they can connect you to the right people. And for those who can't commit to volunteering - thank you to every parent who has participated in any events, bought a sausage in bread and/or just been a fantastic citizen of the school community.

Lastly, thank you to all of the Aberfeldie Primary School Councillors for 2023 for your time, energy and expertise. It has been an immensely productive year. I'm so grateful for your contribution and for trusting me to be President this year.

Your 2022 APS Council have been:

Angus Tester

Bec Sobell (Chair Policy, Planning & Review Committee)

Danielle Ali

Elizabeth Monaghan (Chair Buildings and Grounds Committee) 

Emily Lidgerwood

Erin McNamara

John Kapiris (Chair Finance Committee)

Michael Saunders

Nathan Gage

Olivia Mouat (Chair Fundraising Committee)

Scott Burns

Tanuja Wenlock (Chair Buildings and Grounds Committee) *part-term

Terry Kappadais (Vice-President)

Trent Danaher (President)

This will likely be my last update for 2022, so here's to a fantastic 2023!

Trent Danaher

APS Council President