Present: Simon Parson, Tristen Cosgrove, Anna Webster, Belinda Lavers, Trish Bray, Jeff Gibson, Rose Aitchison, Danielle Robinson, Rob Richards, Alicia Harris, Kylie Screen and Ruth McLeod
Apologies: nil.
2. Accepted Minutes of Previous Meeting (12 Nov 2013) Moved: Trish Bray, Seconded: Tristen Cosgrove.
3. Awards for particularly inspiring teachers
Rose Aitchison and Jeff Gibson are congratulated by the P&C as they are presented with their National Excellence in Teaching awards.
4. Correspondence – In/Out
In: - 2 emails from interested parties re: Twilight Markets, which have been responded to. Out: - nil.
5. Reports
President’s Report: Tristen Cosgrove
Thank you to everyone for all the work they continue to do. With the upcoming Year 6 Graduation, and the donation from the P&C for the Yr 6 pen gifts, thank you. To all the parents working hard in all areas they’re involved in. We look forward to Celebration Day on the 12th where I will be giving a speech on behalf of the P&C to inform and remind all present about the P&C’s vision for the school, including the Creative Play Spaces that we are working towards.
Moved: Tristen Cosgrove, Seconded: Rob Richards
Principal’s Report: Simon Parson
I would like to start by thanking the P&C for your on-going assistance with the 2013-2014 P-K transition. This transition is a vital introduction to our school community and we greatly value your input, support and guidance with the new families, which will of course extend into 2014 with events such as Tea & Tissues and the Welcome BBQ.
I would like to thank the P&C for its on-going support with the Year 6 Graduation, too. This year’s Graduation is being held next Tuesday evening and is a very positive event for our school community and a significant milestone for our seniors, as well as a lot of fun. I also thank the P&C for the generous donation of a pen to each Year 6 student leaving Soldiers Point at the end of the year.
This year’s Year 6 Fund-raising Committee has done a tremendous job throughout the year of, not only raising funds, but also preparing for the students’ graduation. I congratulate the committee and thank them for their efforts, which are greatly appreciated by the students.
Next Tuesday we will listen to 21 potential candidates vying for a position on the 2014 Student Representative Council. To have so many students nominating for a leadership position is a wonderful reflection on the confidence of our students. Last year, I was very impressed with the quality of our students’ addresses and look forward this year’s candidates being equally prepared.
We now look forward to our Celebration Day which will be held on Thursday, December 12, when we find out who our SRC members will be. Celebration Day will also involve numerous student performances, which I trust you’ll find entertaining.
Behind these performances are many, many hours of preparation by the students and our teachers and I would like to thank all of my staff for their selfless commitment to our students and guiding them to success in so many ways.
Similarly, I thank our school support staff who manage the myriad of requests from the wider community, assist individual students in the classrooms and keep our rooms and grounds maintained. They’re the frontline of the school managing enquiries, student illness & grazes, receiving money, as well as communicating with our community. I really am fortunate to have such a wonderfully caring and capable team around me.
Earlier this term we carried out the Parent Satisfaction Survey which provided us with valuable feedback from the wider community. I sincerely thank you for being constructive with your input and assure you it will be used to guide our school to future improvement.
Some of the findings will be included in the 2013 Annual School Report, which will be released at the end of Term 1, 2014.
Toward 2014 - at this stage our anticipated student population will be in the vicinity of 350, which is similar to what we currently have. The staff and I have drafted a class structure based on a 14 class model. This may alter but we won’t know for certain until the end of Week 1, 2014, when our population should be stable.
We will have a number of changes in staffing in 2014. Two teachers have been appointed to the school, they are: Ms Ashlee Pawley, who will replace Mrs Milton as Stage 3 Supervisor, and Mr John Silva, who will replace Mrs Bower.
As has been the case in previous years, when students return next year they will go into their current 2013 class for the first week or so before we can finalise the make-up of each class. I expect and hope we will be able to move into our new classes by the end of Week 1.
In next week’s newsletter I will be including the prices of the 2014 bookpacks. The costs, as I have reported previously, are a slight increase on the 2013 bookpacks. It is intended that the bookpacks will provide all necessary stationery for every child. As always, financial assistance will be available for families through application.
Term 4 will conclude for students on Wednesday, December 18, while the staff will be finishing on Friday, December 20, as we have SDDs on the last two days of the year.
Term 1, 2014, will commence on Wednesday, January 29, for all students in Years 1-6.
Kindergarten students will undertake their Best Start assessment from Wednesday, January 29 through to Friday, January 31.
Once again, I thank the P&C and the parents of Soldiers Point Public School for their continued support throughout 2013. It has been an amazing year for our community, particularly gaining the $15,000 grant for our covered walkway, the construction of the Remembrance Garden, as well as the new seating. All will be of great benefit for the school community for many years to come.
On behalf of the staff & students I thank you for your time, effort and contributions which have added to the success of 2013. I look forward to working closely with you again next year as we continue to build on the foundations laid over the past few years.
I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy holiday with your families.
Moved: Simon Parson, Seconded: Anna Webster
Treasurer’s Report: No report submitted.
Canteen Committee Report: No report submitted.
Uniform Committee Report:Belinda Lavers Current Balance: $4594.84 Deposits today: $Nil Payments due this month: $Nil Total: $4594.84 Note: Extended Credit Payments (Due January 2014) $5449.68
The last orders of stock for the year are arriving this week. We still have only had around 25 sales for Kindergarten 2014.
Our Polar Fleece Full & Half Zip Jackets have been replaced with a new product. We are no longer able to purchase the old style. The new style is similar and the colour is slightly different. The prices have also increased slightly. I have a sample available. The company requires our authorisation to apply our school logo to the new product code.
I have checked with our other supplier and they do not have these jackets available in our school colour. The price was also similar to the price of our Bomber jackets. The current polar fleece jackets are a more affordable price.
I currently have no Size 12 Full Zip Jackets available for purchase, which is why I require approval for the new style changes.
I would like to thank Brooke Hill, Karen Richards and Karen Jones for all their help volunteering in the Uniform Shop this year.
I will be opening the Uniform Shop on Tuesday 28 January 2014 from 9.00am to 10.00am. This is the day before students return to school for 2014. This enables new families to the area to purchase their children’s uniform prior to the start of Term 1.
Moved: Belinda Lavers, Seconded: Tristen Cosgrove
All present are in favour of approving the new style jacket/jumper.
Grounds Committee Report:
No official report submitted, but Rob Richards spoke about his satisfaction with the finished Remembrance Garden, and the school in general.
Danielle Robinson mentioned that we have the official opening of the Remembrance Garden on Celebration Day, and that we have had a memorial plaque donated to us, which should be installed before the official opening.
Moved: Rob Richards, Seconded: Ruth McLeod
School Improvement & Finance Committee Report:
No further reports beyond last meeting’s minutes, as this is the combined P&C and SIFC meeting tonight. However Ruth queried Tristen as to whether we had yet heard back about the Community Building Grants we applied for? Tristen advised that we are still waiting to hear.
Fundraising Committee Reports:
Further discussed the information sheet regarding what the P&C has been doing over the last few years. Anna Webster plans to have this flyer ready for distributing to families asap.
Noted the interest so far, in the idea of Twilight Markets, we have 4 interested parties. It was decided that we would like the idea of the event to have the chance to grow further, and invite more stallholders, as well as properly prepare and plan for the event in regards to set up and insurance. There is also the suggestion that we combine the Twilight Market with a band performance, and that perhaps it be scheduled later in the year of 2014.
Further Fundraisers were also discussed:
- Tea Towels in 2014
- Another Ikea Trip
- Lucky Locals Discount Card fundraising flyer
- School Disco
We plan to further discuss our Fundraising Plan for 2014 in our first P&C Meeting of 2014. We would look forward to more parents attending our meetings to give input into this area.
Moved: Anna Webster, Seconded: Trish Bray
General Business
· Tea & Tissues – to be held on Monday 3rd February 2014, which is the first day for Kindergarten children. Trish Bray will prepare a note to go home to Infants School parents next week, requesting their presence and donated food items for the event. Trish Bray will also prepare an invite for all new Kindy parents to receive upon their child’s Best Start assessment appointment (late Jan) inviting them to the 3rd Feb event.
· Welcome BBQ for 2014 – decided on date of Fri 28th February, which gives us leniency to push it back to Fri 7th March if the weather is unfavourable on the chosen date of Fri 28th Feb. Tristen Cosgrove will look in to the arrangements to be made for the event, including the jumping castle hire and facepainting. We will need to enlist parent help for the BBQ, as well as liaise with Paula for the ordering of the BBQ food items. We also require a qualified First Aider to be in attendance on the night.
· School Wish List items – It is decided that the P&C will work towards producing a Fundraising Plan for 2014, in conjunction with the School Wish List in the administration block, however mainly striving towards the eventual completion of the Creative Play Spaces project.