School Council

SCHOOL COUNCIL 2020

With four councillors finishing their terms in the 2019 School Council, we have a need for new volunteers from our school community to be involved in providing their thoughts, ideas and energy into the HPS School Council 2020.  I encourage you all to consider being involved in this rewarding experience in making a difference for the children and community at HPS.

Please visit Gill at the office, or contact me on c_leffler@hotmail.com if you are interested in finding out more about what is involved.

What is the School Council?

School Councils play a key role in Victorian government schools.  Any parents of students, and other community members can become School Councillors, alongside the Principal and other DET employees.  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.  No prior experience is required, and the strength of the council comes from the diversity in our councillors experiences, skills and cultures.

The School council is involved in functions such as:

• Financial oversight
• Strategic planning
• Policy development
• Community building
• Maintenance of school grounds and facilities
• Representation of school community views
• And more…

Most of the above is straight from the Department of Education and Training website, and provides a summary of the mechanics of the School Council, but being involved in the School council is about more than the governance. 

To me, It is about sharing your ideas, helping strengthen the school community, and bringing diversity of opinions and experiences into the direction of the school.  Your time really does make a difference!  As the African proverbs goes, It really does take a village to raise a child.

This year is jam-packed full of projects, including the oval construction, the main building replacement, the outdoor learning garden and much more.  We’ll also be undertaking the school’s strategic plan which will set the direction for the next four years, and will continue our lobbying efforts to refresh our masterplan and attract further funding from the state budget in May.

Making a difference

There are many ways to make a difference with your time and expertise at HPS.  The guide below, I hope will help guide you on ways that you can help.

Please visit Gill at the office to see how you can help, or contact me on c_leffler@hotmail.com if you are interested in finding out more about being involved.

Regards,

Chris Leffler,

School Council President

Huntingdale Primary School : The Language Lighthouse

In 2018, the School Council introduced the Language Lighthouse Vision for Huntingdale Primary School.

This Vision helps support the School’s Strategic Plan in our key improvement priorities of Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Professional Leadership, Positive Climate for Learning, and especially Community Engagement in Learning.  This vision was the outcome of numerous engagement sessions with the School Council, the various School Community Subcommittees, the School staff through the Engagement, Student Wellbeing and Achievement Teams, the Student Leadership Council and School Community Surveys.

The objectives of the Vision are to:

• Support the School’s Strategic Plan
• Provide enhanced opportunities for HPS students
• Enhance community resources and strengthen community pride
• Optimise the opportunities with the School Master Planning process
• Encourage investment into our school from government and private enterprise

The Language Lighthouse Vision is centered around 4 Language Lighthouse Moments.

1. Language Journey Precinct
2. Our Sustainable Future
3. Communicating Diversity
4. Innovation Incubator

For each of the Language Lighthouse Moments, we have prioritised three Language Lighthouse Initiatives as shown in the graphic.  These are reviewed each year in School Council to align with any changes to HPS direction.

In 2020, the school council and subcommittees are excited to be focusing the shaping of the following initiatives from the vision:

• Outdoor Learning spaces & Cultural Garden
• Language Film Festival
• Innovation Incubator

More on these initiatives will be shared in the upcoming newsletters.  We welcome community engagement on making these initiatives a reality, so would love for you to be involved!  I can be contacted via c_leffler@hotmail.com or alternately you can visit Gill at the office for more information on ways to be involved and making a difference.

Victorian Electorate Boundary Review

The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is carrying out a subdivision review of Monash City Council and would like input from the community.

The review looks at adjustments to ward boundaries to ensure each voter is equitably represented in the upcoming local council elections.  The VEC has released a preliminary report with proposed changes to the boundaries of the following wards: Glen Waverley Ward, Mount Waverley Ward, Mulgrave Ward and Oakleigh Ward.

Huntingdale Primary School remains in the Oakleigh Ward of the City of Monash.

The report is available:

• online at vec.vic.gov.au
• by calling 131 832 or
• for inspection at council offices during business hours.

You can have your say on the proposed changes to ward boundaries by making a submission to the VEC.

Submissions must reach the VEC by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 25 March 2020.

Submissions can be made:

• at vec.vic.gov.au
• by email to monash.review@vec.vic.gov.au or
• by post to VEC, level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000

For more information on the review process, visit vec.vic.gov.au or call 131 832.

Regards,

Chris Leffler,

School Council President