Parent Involvement @ TPS

Thornbury Primary School prides itself on its strong sense of community. As a family at TPS, you might be wondering how you can get more involved, and get to know other families and staff at the school. We have a number of different groups and committees that exist through parent volunteer support. Without these groups, we would not have such a strong sense of community in our school. These groups always welcome new members.

School Council

Members are elected to School Council in March each year for a two-year term. The commitment as a school councillor is to attend monthly meetings and contribute to decisions around policies that are the responsibility of council. The council will also request help with various projects and events throughout the year. We appreciate help from all community members, particularly if you have a skill set that can help in certain situations. 

 

Email schoolcouncil@thornburyps.vic.edu.au 

 

Social Committee

This group is responsible for planning, fundraising and social activities for the whole school community throughout the year. These include once-a-term BBQs for Caregivers Day, raffles, mango fundraisers etc. They meet once a term to update on planning for current activities. 

 

Email thornburyprimarysocial@gmail.com to get

involved.

 

 

Trivia Night Planning Group

This group is a sub-group of the Social Committee. They are responsible for organising the parent-only Trivia Night, the biggest fundraising event of the year, held at the beginning of Term 3. Email thornburyprimarysocial@gmail.com to get involved.

 

 

Environment Committee

This group is responsible for planning works to the school gardens and upgrading our school grounds. This includes once-a-term Working Bees, monthly meetings, looking after the chooks, hosting a plant stall at every BBQ event. 

 

The Enviro team develops projects such as the recently launched Native Food and Dreaming Gardens. They are also currently working on a landscaping master plan to update the school grounds, developing a Kitchen Garden Classroom, Nature Play spaces, and promoting sustainable practices within the school. These groups are essential for maintaining our beautiful garden. 

 

Email tpsenviro@gmail.com to get involved.

 

The Comms Team

Helps to manage the internal and external communications activities of TPS such as promotion of activities within the school community and to the greater local community, creation of collateral material and content for website and newsletter. Skills in allied areas such as marketing, social media desktop publishing and web page design are helpful, but enthusiasm and energy are the most valuable prerequisites. 

 

Email tpscomms@gmail.com to get involved.

Arts Festival Committee

This group is responsible for organising the biggest event on the school calendar. The Arts Festival is an opportunity for the TPS community to celebrate the amazing art, music and drama achievements of our students. Each class will host a stall (usually paired with another class) that will sell food or drinks, or an organised activity. This is a wonderful day for the whole school and the wider community.

Craft Group

This group meets once a week to work on craft projects to sell at the craft stall for the Arts Festival. This is the most popular stall at the Arts Festival. The group meets for a cup of tea and a fun craft session in the Art room. Parents of all skills levels are welcome. Parents with younger children are also encouraged to bring them along.

NAIDOC Day Committee

This group organises the annual NAIDOC Day celebrations at TPS. NAIDOC Day runs on a normal school day and involves a breakfast, a welcome ceremony by local elders, and group activities for students throughout the day.

Friends of T.I.M.E

Do you play, create or are involved with music? Would you love to share your skills with the music program at TPS. T.I.M.E (Thornbury Instrumental Music Experience) family are looking for parents/carers to help inspire or impart their knowledge to our younger musicians. 

 

If you wish to be part of“Friends of T.I.M.E” please email us your details (name, mobile, email), instrument/s, ideas via thornbury.ps@education.vic.gov.au . We are looking forward to the greater things we can create and grow.

Thornbury Primary School Friends - Facebook Group

A great place for those quick questions! You are required to be a parent/carer of the school to join this group, please make a request to the admin. 


Other ways to help

  • Others Committees: Arts Festival, Craft Group, Trivia Night Group, Friends of TIME, NAIDOC Committee, Harvest Festival. Please refer to booklet for more info.
  • Help on excursions
  • Help at BBQs, including Caregivers Day stalls
  • Offer to help in classrooms, e.g. hear children read, type stories, tell stories, sing songs
  • Working bees to fix up the buildings, school grounds and gardens
  • Help in the art room
  • Help in the library, e.g. repair, cover books, re-shelve books, make books
  • Attend information afternoons/evenings
  • Assist with coaching, training of school sports teams
  • Demonstrate skills to children/other parents/carers, e.g. crafts, cooking, music, work skills
  • Support Koorie culture classes

You can sign-up to our Register of Skills by visiting https://goo.gl/TgMghe 

In the classroom

There are also opportunities to become involved in the classroom by:

  • listening to children read
  • volunteering to be a classroom helper assisting with groups in the classroom
  • helping in the library
  • helping with class activities as required helping with on excursions or swimming program

More information will be provided in 2022 about these opportunities.

Class Carer 

A parent/carer can nominate themselves as a class carer to work alongside the teacher to assist with communication, class events and feedback from other parents/carers to the school. 


Working With Children Check

If you would like to help out in the classroom and within the school you need to obtain a "Working with Children's Check card. 

 

http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au  

 

Once you have WWCC card please present to the office and we will get a copy. This must be completed before helping with any school activities or excursions. 

Covid Safety

Please QR check in when you attend onsite at TPS.  Please check with the office staff to confirm whether you require your vaccination status demonstrated to be on site.