School Councillor Profile-

Sandra Michela

Not long now until the end of term 2, the winter is settling in Melbourne and it is my turn to introduce myself as part of the School Council members: I am Sandra Michela, I am passionate for design, sports, crafts, sustainability, community and gardening. With my husband, Malcolm, we are parents to two sets of twins; Lucas and Martin in year 9 at Glen Eira College, Max and Camila in year 5 at CPS and our much loved dog Dippie.

As I reflect about my school involvement, I realise that I have been an active member of the School Community since the boys started at CPS in 2014. After having my second set of twins, I left my job as an architect and became a busy stay at home mum to 4 children. I found that volunteering at PFA events and attending the meetings was really rewarding, reinforcing the links with the community that surrounded me. 

Motivated by the curiosity of learning about how a school is managed, I decided to join the School Council in 2017. I had some projects and ideas in mind and I wanted to understand if they could be made tangible.  Interested in the relevance of outdoor learning in a non structured environment, the creation of the Bush Kinder in an under utilised area adjacent to the oval and the Kinder took shape. The year after, it became a reality and now, after 5 years, it looks lush and healthy, providing a quality outdoor space, filled with indigenous plants, where education, recreation, environmental exploration and connection can happen. My interest in sustainability led me to facilitate a school lighting review with an energy company. As a result, most of the old light bulbs were changed to LED lights with no cost for the school, under a government campaign. I am looking forward to the upcoming evaluation in October to see how much electricity and money has been saved in a year! Currently, with Jane Potter, the former PFA Council representative, we are undertaking the task of aligning the lunch order menu offered by AJ Bakery with the Department of Education guidelines. You have probably already seen some changes...more to come! Stay tuned! 

Being involved in the School Council has definitely given me a great understanding of the array of challenges and opportunities that School life provides.

In addition to being the Secretary of the School Council for a second year, I took on the role of the PFA President at the beginning of 2023.  I very much enjoy the buzz of a thousand ideas floating in the air, the feeling, the energy and the excitement of volunteers, poured into the organisation and realisation of fundraising and social events. Above all, being part of a powerful and open minded group of bubbling humans where ideas materialised is gratifying beyond words. I recently read: "When we dream alone, it is only a dream, but when we dream together, it is the beginning of reality". This is what volunteering my time means to me, either at the School Council or at the PFA. We can make a difference together.

I would like to kindly remind you all that school council meetings are open to members of the school community, unless the council determines the need for a closed meeting.

If you would like to reach me, you can find me often at school, or email me at sandra.michela@gmail.com

Thank you for reading!