School Council Report
Update from School Council: Feb-April 2020
School Council has held three full meetings since the beginning of Term 1 2020, two of which have required video-conferencing due to COVID-19 physical distancing requirements.
The main business of School Council (SC) so far this year has included:
School Council Elections
Every year we hold SC elections in February, an exciting time for anyone in the School Community to get involved. This year parent Maya Starr was re-elected to Council and re-elected as Vice President and parent Cath Smith was re-elected as President for 2020.
We have thanked three outgoing SC members (Lisa Bianchi, Geoff Rundell and Graeme Parsons) and welcomed newly elected parents Madelene Pearson and Gavin Thompson. We welcome Sienna McCarthy Gray back as an elected student representative. Sienna and Malaz Mohamed-Bakhit attended SC last year as SRC Captains. We also welcome Hero Minogue, who as well as being an SRC Captain this year is also now an elected student representative on SC. Our Business Manager Claire Gibson is now an elected DET member and also Minutes Secretary for SC. So 2020 has kicked off with a reinvigorated and refreshed School Council.
Permanent appointment of School Principal
An important task that has involved both the outgoing and incoming School Council members is involvement alongside the Department of Education in the recruitment of a permanent Principal following Dale Perichon’s retirement in January this year. As you know, Sam Luck has been Acting Principal for most of the last 15 months as Dale took well deserved leave. The process of recruiting a school principal is rigorous, inclusive and run to strict guidelines - https://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Documents/Principal-Selection-Guide.pdf
The Principal selection criteria are in the above link, and also included a community criteria which was discussed and agreed at School Council, to “nurture and unify the College’s diverse programs and community, to achieve tangible outcomes in inclusion, equity, engagement and sustainable future growth”. After some delay, due to the COVID-19 changed operating environment, this process is now nearing its conclusion.
Subcommittees - open to all
The School Council has subcommittees which are advisory bodies to the school council and assist council with work that needs to be done. The school council has the final responsibility for decisions but because subcommittees are open to non-school council members, members of the school community have a fantastic opportunity to be involved in school planning and council matters.
You can read more about subcommittees here - https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/community/Pages/schoolcouncilssub.aspx
In 2020 we have six subcommittees and encourage you to get involved.
- Building, Environment & Sustainability (BES). Plans and supports development of the grounds of the College.
- Education Policy (EdPol). Now shifting from internal policy development to a wider focus on curriculum and supporting the school as a learning community.
- Communications. Supports marketing and communications within the school and with the wider community.
- Finance. Supports the school system to ensure all money is expended for proper purposes.
- Community & Fundraising. Supports our events and fundraising activities.
- Camps. Supports the planning and arrangements behind the extensive camps program run by our school.
If you are interested in having a voice on one of these subcommittee please contact the School Council via the school at collingwood.co@edumail.vic.gov.au
Our partnerships
Discussion relating to hirers and community partners at the College. This includes finalisation of the long term Joint Use Agreement with the Collingwood Basketball Association, negotiations with Cultural Infusion as their hire arrangement moves to its close, and liaison with the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) regarding the development of the “Gasworks” site being developed for Collingwood College and Fitzroy High School senior students, due to open in 2022;
Our new normal with COVID-19.
The school has radically altered its program delivery and this has impacted on all aspects of the school since late March. Council is supporting the Leadership team in this important work, which includes a focus on delivery of a primarily remote education program as well as supporting wellbeing for everyone at this time of health and economic crisis.
This focus is driving the level and priority of activity across the subcommittees also. The Council acknowledges and appreciates how challenging this time is for staff, students and families. In support of leadership we also want to express our sincere thanks to teachers for adapting so quickly and for parents for their continued support.
We look forward to when the school community can physically be together again. .
Events impacted by COVID-19
School Council has needed to endorse some tough decisions for 2020.
We have agreed to postpone the annual VYLC Young Leaders trip by Year 9 students to China, normally travelling in September/October, until international travel is once again permitted.
We have also agreed that it is the right thing to do amongst uncertainties of social gathering to cancel our beloved Spring Fair in September. Even though our main annual school celebration and community relations event cannot go ahead, we are enthusiastic to invite school community members to help plan the best way to celebrate as a whole community at a reimagined event later in the year, once social gathering requirements become clearer.
Response to parent feedback on front oval
Council has discussed a letter sent by a group of parents concerned about the process of decision-making and communications around the installation of the synthetic playing surface in late 2019. School Council acknowledges the depth of feeling from parts of the school community on this matter. The School Council also acknowledges that its role in supporting and facilitating multi-way communication and involvement did not meet the needs of the community and did not meet expectations in this instance. You can read more detail about the actions we will pursue in 2020 in our full response. There were multiple co-signatories on the letter sent by Virgil Cameron and a request to publish our response. The full response is here:
Talk to us
School Council can be contacted via collingwood.co@education.vic.gov.au
Best wishes for the autumn and keep well, safe and warm.
Cath Smith,
School Council President.