April saw the first meeting of the new School Council for 2021. At this first meeting of a new Council we welcome any new Councillors and hold the election of office bearers. We also establish the sub-committees.

School Councillors are elected for a two-year term and usually half the councillors are up for re-election each year. Councillors are elected and elections are held if more people nominate than there are positions. The make-up of Council also allows for several co-opted positions which helps provided a balanced skillset amongst Councillors. This year there was no need to hold an election. 

Most current Councillors, whose terms were up, renominated, and subsequently rejoined Council. But we also welcome several new members, Jennifer Balint, Oliver Fortescue, Paul von Chrismar as parent/community members and Gemma Moufaki as a new student member. 

I like to take this opportunity to thank our two outgoing members of Council for their valuable contributions, they are Frederick Vervaet and student member Evin Turan

The new Council members join the continuing members who include myself, Mark Wilkinson, pleased to be re-elected President, Lea Campbell, elected Vice President, and Jeroen Kramer, who was re-elected Treasurer. We are joined by the other continuing parent/community members, Scott Cutler, Ben Hart, John Thompson, Ian Wilson and student member Zara Chauvin-Cunningham. The school staff members of Council are, Anthony Avotins, Jan Baddeley, Margaret Fry, Mich Westlake and, of course, Trevor Smith.

Because of timing, there were no reports from sub-committees at this meeting. But I would like to note the Student Council has been very busy. They have two big projects on the go. The first is seeking a First Nations artist to paint a mural on the wall at the entrance to the school. Council has allocated funding towards this project. The second project is to replant and smarten-up the atrium area. Council is also pleased to support this project.

I’d also like to acknowledge the tremendous work that Trevor and others have done in managing major renovations at our school camp, Mirimbah, which, after a slight delay, has enabled the Year 7 camps to proceed in much greater comfort.

Finally, I’d like to remind parents that membership of sub-committees is open to all members of the school community and an excellent and important way for you to be involved in the life of the school. 

The Sub-committees and their roles are:

• Buildings & Grounds looks after the physical environment of the school and develops and oversees maintenance, minor capital works, and improvements.
• Education considers all issues that relate to the learning program at the school including camps. 
• Finance reviews the school’s budget and advises on the school’s discretionary expenditure.
• Community Connections looks to ways for the school to engage more actively with parents and carers, past students and the wider community.

I strongly encourage you to consider participating on one of these sub-committees. If you would like to participate or have further questions, you can email either myself Mark.Wilkinson@education.vic.gov.au or Principal, Trevor Smith  trevor.smith@education.vic.gov.au