School Council Elections
Council Meets on February 17th for the first council meeting of the year which is also the final council meeting prior to AGM. We have a number of items on the agenda including sign off of the Annual implementation Plan and review of the Team kids contract.
At the AGM in March, three councillors finish their 2 year term. Kirstin Donaldson; Malcolm Sheil and Myself. There is also a current vacancy. This means there are 4 places to be filled for the next council. I hope you will consider standing for election.
Why would I put my name in? I hear you shudder. Well there are many reasons the most important are the children you care for.
If you ask, each councillor will tell you what their reasons were for putting their name forward but what they all have in common is the opportunity to set key directions for the school which in turn means councillors can directly influence the quality of education provided by the school.
Contributing to council is a wonderful way to support the school’s strategic direction, to ensure the Principal and staff have the support they require and to enable diverse representation of the families in our community.
I have been lucky enough over the years of Maceo’s schooling to participate in a number of school volunteer activities that support the school. I found my participation increased his sense of belonging and enhanced his experience. It would be a lie to say it has been easy, that it didn’t sometimes take some effort to prioritise alongside work and family, but it has always been rewarding and taught me a lot.
As ever I’d like to thank all the councillors for their ongoing commitment and the subcommittees for their hard work and support of council. Stay safe and see you at the Fete.
Catherine Sharples
If you are interested in becoming a School Council member please find included in this newsletter further information regarding the role of School Council and School Council Parent Nomination Forms (one for those wishing to self-nominate and one to nominate another parent at the school). These forms are also available in hard-copy form from the school office. Please submit these to the office by 4pm on Friday 21st February.
The timeline for the nomination and election process is as follows;
School Council Elections - Information for Parents
WHAT IS A SCHOOL COUNCIL AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within statewide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.
Who is on the school council?
For most school councils, there are three possible categories of membership:
- A mandated elected Parent category – more than one-third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education and Training (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child's school as long as they are not engaged in work at the school.
- A mandated elected DET employee category – members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
- An optional Community member category – members are coopted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. Department employees are not eligible to be Community members.
Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.
WHY IS PARENT MEMBERSHIP SO IMPORTANT?
Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school.
Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.
DO I NEED SPECIAL EXPERIENCE TO BE ON SCHOOL COUNCIL?
Each member brings their own valuable life skills and knowledge to the role. Councilors may need to develop skills and acquire knowledge in areas that are unfamiliar to them. What you do need is an interest in your child's school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school's future.
HOW CAN YOU BECOME INVOLVED?
The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term one each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.
In view of this, you might consider
- standing for election as a member of the school council
- encouraging another person to stand for election.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO STAND FOR ELECTION?
The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for Nominations following the commencement of Term one each year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual time line has been varied by the Minister.
If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent category.
Department employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not engaged in work are eligible to nominate for parent membership of the school council at that school.
Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt in the mail following the receipt of your completed nomination.
Generally, if there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.
REMEMBER
- Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do
- Consider standing for election to council this year
- Be sure to vote in the elections.
Contact the principal for further information.