Considering Joining School Council?
Capital Works Stage 2
Thank you
The following councillors have essentially completed their term of office:
Parents: Jo Wittig, Glenn Anderson, Petrina Haslam, Houwaida Ayoub, Kelly Toghill, David Cosma
DET: Lucy Garzarella, Kylie Martin
A parent has resigned from school council leaving a one-year vacancy for 2020.
On behalf of the school community I extend a sincere thank you to all retiring (and continuing) members of the IPS School Council for their work and commitment to our school.
Notice of Election and Nomination Forms, FAQ and draft meetings schedule.
There are six parent vacancies – 5 two year and 1 single year vacancy. There are two types of parent member category nomination forms – Schedule 5A ‘Self Nomination’ form or Schedule 5B Nomination form. Schedule B is used when a school parent nominates another school parent.
*Please indicate on the nomination form the length of term you wish to be considered for.
What sorts of things result from School Council?
Below is the 2019 final report from our School Council President that provides a snap of of what you can be a part of. Of course the School Council can be involved in many things so beyond Kelly's summary I have tried to incude some Education Department links that provide more detail.
The best way to find out if it is for you is to look through the links below, chat to a previous or current school councillor and / or make an appointment to speak with me.
Being on School Council can be a very rewarding experience and I look forward to working with you in this, or any other capacity in your time at IPS.
Mark Kent
Principal
SCHOOL COUNCIL REPORT - INSIDE IVANHOE
December 5, 2019
On December 4th, IPS School Council convened for the final time in 2019. A number of issues were debated with motions passed which will impact on the following year. These included changes to curriculum days, tabling of an indicative operating budget and a decision on the 2020 swimming program.
In recent months, there has been considerable discussion at School Council around whether we should be offering any level of subsidy to ensure the delivery of a swimming program. With DET changes to what we can and can’t charge families to run such a program, a financial commitment to include a subsidy in the 2020 operating budget was necessary in order for a swimming program to go ahead.
After receiving a comprehensive report from School Council member, Andrew Read (thank you Andrew!), a vote was cast and the motion to provide a full subsidy allowing all year levels to participate in a swimming program (Foundation – Grade 6) was upheld. The subsidy will only stay in place for three years allowing the 2022 School Council members to reconsider their financial position on the matter, as well as the impact and value gained toward student swimming competencies.
A working party will be established in early 2020 to contemplate our options on how best to deliver a swimming program in 2021 and 2022. This may include a week long intensive program (rather than the current structure providing tuition once a week over eight weeks), or targeted instruction at specific year levels. Any parents wishing to contribute to these discussions are welcome to participate and should get in touch with the Principal early next year to confirm their interest.
An amendment was made to our Curriculum Days for 2020, owing to the limited availability of an external provider to deliver training for staff. While Term 1 commences on January 28, we initially approved for Jan 28 and 29 to be Curriculum Days. Given the necessary training cannot be delivered to staff over these dates, March 2 will now be a Curriculum Day in lieu of January 29. Therefore, students in Years 1-6 will start the school year on Wednesday 29 January, with our new Foundation students commencing the following day on Thursday 30 January.
We received an update on the progress of the Senior School build, which is on track and progressing well. The project has been out to tender for the past few weeks and a preferred supplier will be selected this afternoon (Dec 6) during a meeting with Aurecon and the VSBA. An announcement on who the successful contractor is will be made public in the coming weeks.
The final meeting for the year provided us with an opportunity to reflect on the body of work undertaken by School Council in 2019 and also gave us a chance to celebrate some of the schools successes. These include:
- Delivery of a major Capital Works project on time and on budget – The build of Stage 2 of the Masterplan will commence in the coming month and will continue throughout 2020. The new Senior School building should be finished at the conclusion of next year, with its first intake of Grades 5 and 6 students commencing in 2021.
- Presentation of a successful Election Day Mini Market - this event saw over $4,500 raised for the school with a large portion of those funds being committed toward subsidising the Grade 6 Canberra camp. Great work from the Fair committee and the students and parents of our Grade 6 students in pulling this market together and making it such a success!
- Commencement of a Vacation Care program at IPS - A huge thank you to Sonia Denisenko for such a remarkable job on making this happen!
- Canteen Review and development of a Licence Agreement with a new provider - thanks to Glenn Anderson, Sonia Denisenko, Petrina Burrill and Jo Wittig for their work on investigating our service needs and researching the possible options moving forward.
- Funding of several Minor Works Projects – these included the addition of air conditioning in the senior class rooms, re-carpeting throughout the main building, new fit out of the OSHC kitchen and a staffroom upgrade. Thanks to our Business Manager, Lisa Cascun, Glenn Anderson and the Finance committee and Mark for their additional efforts in achieving these outcomes.
- Inclusion of the Donaldson Trail crossing in the May budget commitments - While the advocacy for this project lies solely with the Safer Livingstone Community Group, IPS sent letters of support to the State Treasurer, Minister for Roads and our local Member, Anthony Carbines, seeking a budget commitment for 2019-20 toward this project. The project was included and works should commence in the coming months, with project completion scheduled for June 30, 2020.
- Policy updates - Across the year, the Education Committee have done a wonderful job of reviewing and updating a range of school policies. These have included a Bullying Prevention Policy, Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy, Inclusion and Diversity Policy, Duty of Care Policy, Incursion Policy, Complaints Policy, First Aid Policy and the Child Safety Policy (endorsed last night)
- Final year of the Schol Strategic Plan (and 2020 AIP) - Congratulations to Mark, Pam, Lucy and the Leadership team on the development and implementation of the 2017-2020 School Strategic Plan. Regular updates on the schools performance have been provided to School Council, which have seen us reach our targets and achieve our prescribed goals. Well Done!!
- Presentation of the 2019 IPS Fair - What a way to end our year! The efforts of our Fair Committee, families, staff and students helped to raise an amazing $46,665.22 at the 2019 Fair, which was held several weeks ago on Saturday 16 November. Events like this strengthen our relationships and sense of belonging to the school and to each other. There was a real sense of increased community pride, inclusiveness and above all – it was a really fun day! A huge congratulations to Cat Atkinson, Laura Skillen, Ally Minatsis, Erwin Susanto and the Fair Committee on their amazing efforts. It truly was the best Fair we have presented in years! Seeing so many people come together and work toward delivering such a successful event was fantastic and I hope we can replicate this success again in 2021!!
And finally, I’d like to finish by thanking and acknowledging the work of my fellow members of School Council. I want to recognise each and every member for your support and contributions toward our commitment to school governance and our strategic decision making throughout the year. I believe a lot of this success comes down to having strong and healthy relationships with our leadership team in Mark, Pam and Lucy (who do a remarkable job – thank you!) and much more collaboration this year among School Council members, with so many of you stepping up to take on and lead a number of tasks and projects.
The term of a number of our School Councillors is ending at the conclusion of the year, so a special mention to our outgoing School Council members for their incredible commitment to our school and the countless hours they put in volunteering their time and expertise – Glenn Anderson (Treasurer), Jo Wittig (Vice President), Petrina Burrill, David Cosma, Lucy Gazarella, Kylie Martin and Houwaida Ayoub – THANK YOU!!
On a personal note, I also want to thank the IPS staff for their unwavering support this year in my role as President – Mark, Pam, Lucy, Lisa, Samantha and Francine – Thank You!! You all go over and above in your roles and while it may appear to go unnoticed at times, I see how much you do, I know how many late nights and early mornings you put in and above all, I thank you for your incredible commitment to our children and our school. We are very lucky to have you all!
Thanks to all our students, staff and families on such a successful year and I hope you all have an enjoyable break over summer and come back renewed and ready to tackle whatever 2020 has in store for IPS.
Kelly Toghill
IPS School Council President
Other resources
School councils play a key role in Victorian government schools. Participating as a school council member is a rewarding and challenging experience. The school council supports the principal to provide the best possible educational outcomes for students.
The following web pages support existing and prospective school councillors in their roles and school council processes.
A directory of key information and policies relevant to school council
Roles and responsibilities for members of a school council
Become a school councillor, the election process, terms of service and requirements
How school council meetings work and templates
What school council subcommittees do and who is involved
Notes
There are generally two (sometimes three) council meetings per term. Every council member is asked to serve on one of the many sub committees of School Council.
While School Council meetings occur on Wednesday evenings (7pm correspondance tabled 7.30 meeting commences) Subcommittee meetings are held a week or so prior. Attached is the draft meeting schedule for School Council and Sub Committees. (Sub Committee meetings and times can be negotiated).
Every council member (who hasn't already done so) is required to attend school governance training organised by the school.
Every council member is required to complete the pre reading of reports prior to the commencement of the council meeting.
Thank you for taking the time to consider becoming a school councillor at IPS.
Mark Kent