Dear Robbie Mac Families,

We have some wonderful news to share, as well as a heartfelt thank you to extend to all families.

Thank you for a successful Referendum Cake Stall!

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the volunteers who made our recent Referendum Day Cake Stall a resounding success. A big thank you to Kim Jones and Kerrie Sharpe for organising an amazing Sold-Out Cake Stall! We would also like to thank Jen Allen-Galal, Maria Bates, Karla Bennett, Elaine Chung, Michelle Clark, Colleen Gamble, Lindsay Gamble, Tom Hartney, Gemma Henderson, Kim Kwok, Soraya Montgomery, Nicole Perazzo, Amy Nethery, Natalie Oglesby, Tania Oh, Avery Poole, Kylie Porter, David Read, Sara Songkhla, and Hannah Doyle (TeamKids), who between them covered preparations the day before and the day of the event.

We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to Noel Jones for generously sponsoring the coffee van and would also like to thank TeamKids for their generous donation. Their support made a significant impact on our fundraising efforts.

The success of this event extends even further, as we wish to thank everyone who generously baked and donated the delicious goods that filled our stall. Together, we managed to raise over $2,000 for the school’s inclusive sensory garden project (previously known as the indigenous garden playground).

Upcoming Events and Fundraisers

World Teachers’ Day Morning Tea – Friday, 27 October

It’s time to show our appreciation for the incredible staff at Robbie Mac who make a difference in our children’s lives, as well as our own. Plans are underway to treat the amazing RMPS team with a delicious spread to make their day more special.

Foundation Transition Program Morning Tea – Wednesday, 22 November

The 2024 Foundation children will commence their transition program, in preparation to join Robbie Mac next year. While the children are in the classrooms, the parents/carers will be offered morning tea on Wednesday, 22 November. We would like to invite all parents/carers to join us for a delightful morning tea to support and get to know the new families. The more the merrier!

School Colour Fun Run – Monday, 27 November

To make the School Colour Fun Run a great success, we need your participation. By signing up and spreading the word, you’ll be helping us raise vital funds for the school’s planned inclusive sensory garden. If your child(ren) has not signed up, you can sign up for a Student Profile Page at schoolfunrun.com.au and think of five people to share the profile link with who are likely to donate. Students who raise $10 or more will receive a reward, and the more money you raise the better the reward, and the more you help the school! For those who would prefer not to receive prizes, there will be an option to donate your prize to a good cause. There will be a collection box set up at the front office after prizes are distributed.

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 20 November 2023 at 2:15pm – 3:15pm. This will be an onsite meeting at the school. We look forward to having parents and carers join us for this meeting.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school community. Together, we can make a significant impact on the education and well-being of our children.

Warm regards,

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

School Uniform