School Council 

REPORT

At this month’s school council meeting, held on 24th July, we welcomed Lynne Foster, our new acting principal. We also welcomed Claire Eason (Prep E teacher) to fill a casual vacancy on school council left by Nerida Burns who is on an acting assistant principal secondment at Malvern Valley Primary School for the duration of term 3.

The overall theme of the meeting took on the perspective of community ties and finance.

The annual report was briefly discussed, and the next school council meeting to be held on Monday 21 August, will be open to members of our school community to attend as the annual report is presented.  This will be posted on our school website prior to the meeting. Representatives from Murrumbeena Primary School will soon visit local kindergartens with information about our school and the wonderful programs, facilities and learning that takes place to promote enrolments for 2018 and communicate tour dates for prospective new families.

The Education and Communication Sub-committee has been discussing an update of our school website. Committee members have been busy gathering ideas and feedback from parents regarding what they would like to see and have access to, and particular functions that the site could offer. This is an exciting time and the update will hopefully be complete by the end of this semester. The committee also continues to review and update many of the school policies, with the Equal Opportunity policy getting attention at this week’s meeting. A complete overhaul of our current policy was deemed necessary, and it was fantastic to have so much professional input and discussion from committee members.

Out of School Hours Care continues to run smoothly and waiting lists have eased for permanent places with some days currently available. There are, of course, still casual vacancies available, so parents should contact the OHSC office to book.

The Finance Committee gave their report. Interactive televisions are a focus for our fundraising efforts through this year’s carnival. In the near future, school council will discuss new project priorities for the school and start reviewing the budget for 2018.  

The Canteen and Uniform Sub-committee stressed a need to boost sales at our canteen; a reminder to parents that there is delicious soup available on some days (see your canteen menu for more details). There are also some new menu ideas being discussed, as well as  the prospect of having an online ordering system or app to make things more convenient. These potential initiatives will hopefully contribute to increased sales. We are still constantly looking for volunteers to help in the canteen at recess and lunchtimes, so even if you have 30 minutes to spare, it would be appreciated.

This naturally leads to our Fundraising and Social Committee, who are doing a tremendous job in providing social opportunities for students and families and to raise funds for projects to support teaching and learning programs for our children. Preparation for the disco is well underway for Saturday 2nd September, and the committee is asking for volunteers who are first aid trained. Assistance is also needed for the Father’s Day stall to be held at the school on Thursday 31st August.

Finally, the Carnival! Can you believe there are only 117 days until the big day? An MPS carnival website has been launched, along with a Facebook page to keep families up to date with the news (google MPS carnival). The organising team of committed and talented people are working extremely hard to guarantee a successful event. Community sponsorship is still being sought, so any recommendations and contributions would be welcome. Additionally, a sponsorship coordinator is still needed, so if you are able to help, please contact the school. There are still a few roles vacant on the carnival committee, so if you are interested in working with an enthusiastic and motivated team that make things happen, this is the team for you!

Overall, it was yet another valuable council meeting. It can’t be stressed enough how important and valuable our parent community is to making all of our events and initiatives a success. So, please get involved, volunteer some time and support our school community.

Damian Cripps