From the School Council

From the School Council President

Reviewing the minutes of our previous School Council meeting in July was a great reminder of how much had occurred in the many weeks since! 

Our September meeting was well attended and started with acknowledgement and congratulations to Ms Garrity for her appointment as Principal, as well as to the dedication and patience of the broader staff while the process ran its course. We also got the chance to share and enjoy the announcement that Mrs Bullen was the successful candidate for the position of Assistant Principal, after demonstrating her proficiency over the course of the year. We are lucky to have such a committed team.

This meeting we were also in a position to review several items, including feedback regarding OSHClub and its services. School Council has been appreciative of the support and close working relationship there in the past, and particularly during Covid-19, and have chosen to approve a short extension under favourable terms although we intend at this point to go out to tender in 2024 to assess options.

The Facilities and Education sub-committees met beforehand as usual, and reported back to Council for discussion. Facilities shared that there are a number of new and exciting developments, including design work for the first few phases of our new Walking Track, which looks to incorporate several different elements including Sensory Play and also Indigenous aspects. We have applied for a grant to assist with implementation, so we'll see whether we will proceed with just part one, or if we can accelerate that a little :] 

The Education group regularly reviews a rotating schedule of policies to ensure that they are both current/relevant, and reflective of our community ethos, and this session it was the Homework Policy. There can be some quite strong opinions regarding a topic like this, and the discussion was quite mature regarding how POPS aims to set an appropriate baseline, which can then be tailored depending on individual circumstances and feedback.

School Council were also thrilled to see the great work by the PA (& several extra volunteers) paid off for the Fathers' Day breakfast, and that our Camp Program continues to be an exciting and stimulating opportunity for the children to grow. We are aware that the decisions by many schools to reduce or remove their programs is having an impact on the sector, particularly in the regions, but our existing programs continue to look solid.A special call-out was made to Mrs van Dongen, who has led the way with our marvellous Garden (and also chickens)! She is moving on and we are looking for others to assist with rostered help to maintain and build on the great work she and the children and teachers have done. 

A reminder too that parents are more than welcome to attend either sub-committee, or School Council - just let us know if you would like to come, it is always good to see new faces as the energy and ideas of parents is a great support for our school. 

Mr Yep- School Council President

Our next School Council meeting is Tuesday October 17 at 7pm.

Facilities sub- committee members: Ms Garrity, Mrs Hartley, Mrs Kupinic, Mr Marriott and Mr Yep. 

Education sub- committee members: Mrs Bullen, Mrs Debono, Ms Hahn, Mrs Ayton, Mrs Amarsi, Mrs Defanis and Mr Tanner. 

Working Bee (New Date):  Friday 13th October, 3:45- 5:30 pm. The focus will be maintaining the Vegetable garden and chicken coup and developing some bare areas by planting native shrubs and grasses.

New Footy posts: Have been installed and they look great!