P&C VOICE 2021 Term 4 Edition
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WHAT’S INSIDE
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF WACSSO AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE WACSSO continued the celebration of our 100th year with a special parliamentary event hosted by the Hon Sue Ellery MLC, Minister for Education, at Parliament House. We celebrated this milestone with Members of Parliament (MPs), public education stakeholders, WACSSO State Councillors, staff and Life Members. State Councillors relished this unique opportunity to network with MPs and advocate for the P&Cs within their electorates. WA Premier Mark McGowan, Hon Sue Ellery MLC and WACSSO President Pania Turner all took to the stage to say a few words about the Organisation and the importance of parental involvement in education. A key theme reverberating through these speeches was the strong acknowledgement of how rare it is to see Organisations reach their centenary and how that shows the core mission of WACSSO to be as important today as it was
From the President’s Pen Message from the Director General Covid-19: Mandatory Vaccinations in Schools Best Practice Guidelines for Anaphylaxis Prevention and Management
in 1921. The significance of strong leadership on an organisational, school community and parenting level was mentioned and attributed to WACSSO’s rich history.
Volunteers Needed to Lead Primary School Ethics Discussion Groups Sustainable School Canteens
The WACSSO Centenary Heritage Trail was on display at Parliament House. It allowed MPs to get a glimpse of the shared history of WACSSO and P&Cs, showing many occasions where the Organisation and voice of parents contributed to lasting changes to the WA education system. We come to the end of our 100th year, a year of celebration and reflection, confident with what the future will bring for the Organisation. The Parliamentary event reminds us of our strong connections formed with Government and education stakeholders over the last centenary, relationships we are confident will grow heading into the future.
Noticeboard 2021 Conference Sponsors
See page 4 for information about mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations in schools
P&C Voice is the official publication of the Western Australian Council of State School Organisations Inc. (WACSSO) President: Pania Turner PO Box 6295 East Perth 5892 | 151 Royal Street East Perth 6004 p (08) 9264 4000 f (08) 9264 4948 e info@wacsso.wa.edu.au wacsso.wa.edu.au Contibutions from individuals and affiliates are welcome
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PEN Welcome to Term 4 and final P&C Voice for 2021. In a blink of an eye we are already in the last term of 2021! And what a year it has been for WA school communities. The hard work of parents, students, school staff, and community members contributes to a vibrant public education with achievements and projects in STEM, Careers, the Arts, Sports, English, and sustainability initiatives. If you are a FB user, I encourage you to follow the Public education in Western Australia page; it is filled with WA students and schools doing great things. P&C committees support many of the great things in our schools. Through fundraising and donations, promotion and the sharing of information, boots on the ground support, building positive cultures, and discussions with school leadership about what the school community views as priorities. WACSSO was honoured to be recognised for our centenary year with a special event hosted by the Hon. Sue Ellery, the Minister for Education and Training at Parliament House. WACSSO State Councillors and staff were joined by Ministers, local Members of Parliament and leaders from Western Australian education associations. Premier Mark McGowan and the Minister for Education addressed attendees, acknowledging the significance of WACSSO’s 100th year and the contributions of parents and citizens to education across the century. On behalf of WACSSO, I would like to thank the Minister for hosting this event and express my appreciation for all who gave of their time to attend. In September, WACSSO held State Council elections. Welcome and congratulations to the new
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Executive, Jenny Blair, Anne Fairbanks, Tanya Gibson, Paula Steenson and Leanne Ruston. I am humbled to be elected President for a consecutive term and am determined to see our organisation build upon the strong foundation of work that has gone on before. Following recent WACSSO byelections I’d like to welcome four new State Councillors to the team, Sherry Fletcher (Fremantle), Katherine Loader (Goldfields-Esperance), Esmond Delaney (South West), and Kate Hayes-Thompson ( Wheatbelt South). It’s exciting to see State Council grow and have these electorates represented. For the P&Cs in these electorates keep an eye out for the introduction letter from your new Councillor, and why not consider inviting them to your P&C meeting to hear about the many ways WACSSO can support you. WACSSO’s 2021 P&C Contributions Survey will be landing in the inboxes of P&C Presidents and Secretaries in early November. The annual survey helps create a picture of the collective work of P&Cs throughout the State, giving testament to the importance of P&Cs as an essential pillar of the public education system. The data captured from your feedback is crucial and informs the work of WACSSO. I ask all our P&Cs to complete the survey. Should you have any issues, please get in touch with the WACSSO office, where staff are ready to assist. When the snapshot infographic comes out, please share it on your socials and be proud of the work and contributions P&C committees make across WA. WACSSO’s advocacy arm has been busy writing submissions for the Inquiry into the response of Western Australian Schools to Climate Change; and the Student Transport Assistance
Pania Turner
Policy (STAP) Framework Inquiry. The feedback we received on the experiences and insights of parents on these issues has been invaluable. The submissions will be available on the WACSSO website once they are published. To all Year 12 students and their parents, WOW, what a senior school experience you have had! You should be proud of what you have accomplished, and we wish you the absolute best for your future endeavours. Additionally, to our P&C members 2021 presented another tough year, yet here you still are! Your work and positive influence in your school communities makes a difference to students and staff. Well done on all you have achieved. Our 100 years is a testament to the work of parents and citizens stepping forward to make a difference. I wish you all the best for the remainder of Term 4. Have a lovely break over the school holidays, recharge the batteries, and we look forward to seeing you in 2022.
Pania Turner President
As we enter the last term of the school year, it is safe to say 2021 has well and truly flown by.
It was wonderful to see key highlights in our calendar make a very welcomed return this year, post COVID. Among them was the Perth Royal Show, where our agricultural students showed off their fantastic farm skills and picked up several well-deserved awards. A big congratulation to The WA College of Agriculture – Harvey students who were crowned winners in the Australian Wool Innovation Future Breeders’ Challenge. Speaking of awards, the WA Education Awards returned in 2021 after the pandemic disrupted the important initiative last year. More than 50 of our most outstanding teachers, leaders, school services staff, and schools were named finalists. The winners will be announced later this term and I look forward to celebrating the incredible role school staff play in shaping the lives of students and inspiring young bright minds. The calibre of nominations we received this year was among the highest ever. You can be confident your children are in the best hands. Also making a comeback was the WA Massed Choir Festival at the Perth Concert Hall where more than 500 talented voices from public primary schools sung their hearts out. I am thrilled students have these opportunities to follow their passions and dreams as we continue to navigate our way through the challenges of the pandemic. In September, it was announced COVID-19 vaccinations would be made easier for WA school students and staff. Secondary students aged 16 and older are able to walk in to designated State-run COVID-19 vaccination clinics,
Finally, I am pleased to let you know about an exciting government initiative to help students make plans to set them up for successful futures. Dedicated career practitioners will play a key role at 70 public secondary schools across WA to support young people through their senior years of schooling. While choosing a career pathway can be both exciting and daunting, the practitioners will work to make sure all students have opportunities to participate in a range of work experiences and study options. Congratulations to all Year 12 students on completing your schooling. What an incredible achievement you have each made. I wish you all the best of luck with your future endeavours. With the end of year nearing, I would like to again thank families and all those within our school communities for being everyday heroes who continue to support student learning and positive educational outcomes. I am grateful for the special partnership we have with WACSSO and the opportunities P&Cs provide for our schools.
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
Thank you to all parents, P&Cs and members of the Western Australian Council of State School Organisations (WACSSO) for supporting students through what again has been an impressive demonstration of WA public education at its best.
while from the start of Term 4 the roll-out of a school-based vaccination program will commence to help get us all on the road back to the new normal. School staff are also able to access dedicated vaccination slots without an appointment after school hours and during the school holidays.
I wish each of you all the best and hope the remainder of the year treats you well. May you enjoy your break over the summer holidays when it arrives.
Lisa Rodgers Director General Department of Education
Lisa Rodgers
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COVID-19: MANDATORY VACCINATIONS IN SCHOOLS What we know The Western Australian State Government has announced a vaccination mandate. The mandate groups a list of “Occupations deemed critical to the ongoing delivery of business and function of the community”. Schools and boarding schools are included in Group 2. Group 2 need to have had a first dose by 31 December 2021 and be fully vaccinated by 31 January 2022/the start of Term 1 2022. People who work regularly* on a school site will be in Group 2 and will need to be fully vaccinated by the start of Term 1 2022. P&Cs who employ people who regularly* work on school sites will have Employer responsibilities. Discussions had with the Department of Education indicate that this includes volunteer workers who work regularly.
P&C Employers P&Cs who have employees must advise their employees of the requirements. WACSSO is working to provide additional information for P&Cs who are employers to assist them in meeting their employer responsibilities to their employees and comply with the Covid vaccination mandate. The Department of Health will not be collecting records – employers must keep records. Records must be kept securely and can only be used for this purpose. There are limited grounds for exemptions. It is important to note that other options, such as those used last year during lockdown, remain available to schools to restrict access to school sites, should that be deemed necessary. The vaccination mandate does not alter that capacity. The formal government direction document for
Group 2 is expected in December. FAQs on the Department of Health website will be updated as information becomes available. * The government has indicated that additional information will be provided to define ‘regular’.
More information about mandatory vaccinations can be found at: Government of Western Australia https://www.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/ Mandate-summary-Final-Oct-2021.pdf https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/ covid-19-coronavirus-mandatory-covid-19-vaccinationsummary Department of Health https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Coronavirus/ COVID19-vaccination-program/Mandatory-COVID19vaccination https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Corp/ Documents/Health-for/Infectious-disease/COVID19/ Vaccination/COVID19-Mandatory-vaccination-FAQs.pdf Department of Mines, Safety and Industry https://www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/content/dmirs-covid-19coronavirus-information Fairwork https://coronavirus.fairwork.gov.au/coronavirus-andaustralian-workplace-laws/covid-19-vaccinations-andthe-workplace/covid-19-vaccinations-workplace-rightsand-obligations
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO LEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL ETHICS DISCUSSION GROUPS In a new pilot program in 2022, Constable Care Foundation in partnership with Primary Ethics, Edith Cowan University and WACSSO will be providing Year 5 ethics and critical thinking classes in 12 metropolitan and regional primary schools. For around an hour a week, you can volunteer to run an ethics discussion class at a school near you and help children develop crucial life skills. Practicing ethics and critical thinking allows children to develop the skills they need to voice their opinions, consider the ideas of others and make decisions based on evidence and reasoning rather than habit or peer pressure. In ethics and critical thinking classes, children discuss ethical issues using an approved curriculum which includes topics such as ‘Laziness’, ‘Voting’, ‘Fairness’ and ‘Why should we trust science?’ Primary Ethics has been delivering this program in NSW public schools since 2010 and its 2,500+ volunteers work with over 45,000 children each week. This exciting WA pilot is also the focus of a research
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study by Edith Cowan University designed to measure its impact on students and schools, with the findings expected to inform the development of an ongoing Constable Care Foundation program for K-6 students in public schools from 2023. Full online training, detailed discussion group lesson plans and ongoing support and mentoring for volunteers is provided and no teaching or ethics experience is required. To find out more and express your interest in volunteering, visit www.cccsf.org. au/ethics.
NEW BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR ANAPHYLAXIS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT The National Allergy Strategy recently released best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in schools/CEC services. Additional supporting resources were also developed to help schools/CEC services adopt an ‘Allergy Aware’ approach to anaphylaxis management. The Best practice guidelines are comprehensive and practical and include key principles for reducing the risk of anaphylaxis along with recommendations for the following: • Anaphylaxis management policy and plans • Allergy documentation • Emergency response • Staff training • Community and peer education • Post incident management and incident reporting A range of supporting resources have been developed alongside the Best Practice Guidelines. Both the Best Practice Guidelines and supporting resources encourage an Allergy Aware approach to managing allergies in schools. WACSSO has previously partnered with Allergy Aware as a parent consultant. It’s great to see the development of such a comprehensive resource that informs school communities on anaphylaxis best practice. The Best Practice Guidelines are available at: https://www.allergyaware.org. au/schools/best-practice-guidelines-schools.
LOOKING AT OUR LAST 25 YEARS To celebrate our centenary, we have dedicated each 2021 edition of the P&C Voice to a specific 25-year period in our history. This edition looks at some significant moments in the last quarter century (1996 - 2021). • 1997 – WACSSO gave a review of the draft School Education Bill 1997 (to replace the Education Act 1928), suggesting the Bill promoted a rigid and centralised control of the education system as opposed to encouraging education. • 1999 – A focus on greater and more diverse community involvement in school decision making was rewarded when WACSSO negotiated the appointment of a part-time Community Liaison Officer working with Systemic Aboriginal School Communities to develop policies to reflect the needs of Aboriginal families, culturally sensitive training and information for parents. • 2005 – The State Government announced compulsory seat belts for school buses addign to a long list of road safety and travel related improvements WACSSO has influenced over the century. • 2019 – After years of campaigning by WACSSO, P&C Day WA was given the green light by the State Government and established as the annual day to celebrate and acknowledge the significant work and contribution of P&Cs.
Q&A Every day the WACSSO office receives enquiries from P&C members about the running of their P&C Association. The following are just some of the questions asked with answers that may be helpful to your Association. If there is a question you would like answered that does not appear here, please contact the WACSSO office or your WACSSO State Councillor.
Q: Does our P&C have to share information with DMIRS? A: Yes, you will need to submit an information statement to Consumer Protection (DMIRS) every year (online). This statement confirms the association is still active, eligible to be incorporated and has held its Annual General Meeting. Information statements must be lodged within six (6) months after the end of an association’s financial year. Q: Who can be on a Sub-committee? A: Sub-committee members must nominate or be elected on to the Sub-committee. This can be done at any General Meeting. It is crucial that members of that Sub-committee are financial members of the P&C.
There must be at least one Executive Committee member on every Subcommittee in addition to the P&C President who is an automatic member (ex officio) of every Subcommittee.
The Principal has the right to be a member of Sub-committees.
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minimal impact on the canteen’s budget it has made a substantial difference to their production of waste.
A plastic straw served with a carton of milk, lunch served in a clear plastic disposable container – on their own these individual items often used in school canteens might seem harmless but in 2018-19 a total of 3.4 million tonnes of plastic was consumed in Australia (equivalent to about 3 million tonnes of plastic waste). Of this plastic waste, 89% was sent to landfill. Singleuse plastics are having a devastating impact on our environment. The time to act is overdue and school canteens will need to adapt as phase one of WA’s Plan for Plastics comes into effect from December, 31 2021. The WA School Canteen Association recently held its Annual General Meeting where two schools were invited to present on their sustainability journey. Liliana Rebola started as the Canteen Supervisor at South Coogee Primary School this year. Liliana explained that from the outset she has sought to operate a canteen that is “as green and sustainable as possible”. Some of the strategies Liliana shared included: • Maintaining a produce garden including indigenous produce, a worm farm and compost bins. • Recycling 10c bottles and contributing the monies raised to the school’s sustainability fund. • Not selling water bottles and promoting the use of the school’s water fountains instead. • Not using lids or spoons when serving food in cups such as soup. • Recycling bread tags and depositing soft plastics at Coles which offers soft plastic recycling. • Using reusable containers wherever possible to purchase food e.g. using re-usable bags to purchase fruit and vegetables loose rather than pre-packaged, bringing containers to the Deli to purchase meats rather than having them wrapped in disposable plastic. • Purchasing milk and ice-creams in cartons rather than plastic packaging. Liliana reflected that while these strategies have had
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Since 2018 Winterfold Primary School switched to using reusable containers wherever possible and cutlery for serving food and drinks. The school has 350 students and serves about 100 lunches per day on the three days it is open. Canteen Supervisor, Kym Edwards recounted that when the decision was first made to trial reusable alternatives the canteen purchased Décor square and rectangular reusable plastic containers used for serving sushi and salads, small and large keep cups in the school colours used for serving milo, yoghurt and fruit salad and soup and secondhand cutlery from opshops thanks to the efforts of a resourceful grandmother. Some of the insights Kym shared included: •
The purchase of an industrial dishwasher has been critical to their use of reusable alternatives.
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Despite stock dwindling significantly over the course of three years and having to be replaced using reusable alternatives has been cost effective. The Décor rectangular reusable plastic container for example has cost 8c per use which compares favorably against a biodegradable clamshell container which costs 17c per use.
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The most difficult aspect of offering reusable alternatives has been retaining them. A number of strategies have been used to increase the prospect items will be returned to the canteen including labelling containers with the school’s initials and having Kym address the school community once a month at an assembly to promote returning containers to the canteen. Despite these strategies stocks have dwindled.
Kym explained that while the model isn’t perfect there are both financial and environmental gains to be made from adopting reusable containers and that she expects their use to continue at Winterfold with new tactics for generating the behaviour change that will support the containers to be returned. The WA School Canteen Association has a Sustainability page which will continue to be revised as new information becomes available to support schools with the transition away from single-use plastics to more sustainable options. WACSSO has been working in consultation with WASCA to support canteens and P&Cs as they transition away from plastic following WA’s Plan for Plastics. More broadly, we continue to work with WASCA to promote canteens transitioning to sustainable practices. For more information visit: https://www.waschoolcanteens.org.au/sustainability/
NOTICEBOARD State Council Elections At the fourth State Council meeting for 2021 Councillor elections took place to determine the Executive Committee for the coming year. The results are as follows: WACSSO President: Pania Turner Senior Executive: Jenny Blair (Senior Vice-President) Anne Fairbanks (Vice-President & Secretary) Tanya Gibson (Vice-President)
WACSSO State Councillors PRESIDENT:
Pania Turner 0477 644 000
ELECTORATE:
COUNCILLOR:
CANNING - East
Scott Mosey 0401 637 716
CANNING - North Canning - West FREMANTLE
Executive Committee: Paula Steenson Vivienne Cantem Leanne Ruston
GOLDFIELDSESPERANCE
State Council 4 Affiliate Report The Affiliate Report for the fourth State Council meeting of the year is now available on the WACSSO website. The reports give our Affiliates an insight into various topics discussed at this State Council meeting. Visit, https://www. wacsso.wa.edu.au/media/2050/affiliate-report-sc4-2021.pdf.
2021 P&C Contributions Survey Keep a lookout for the annual P&C Contributions survey, which will be landing in the inboxes of Presidents and Secretaries at the end of November. The survey is completed on behalf of your P&C and provides WACSSO with valuable information about time, resources and funds contributed to school communities throughout the State.
Jaxson Gazeley 0487 701 822 Nominations Required Sherry Fletcher 0424 843 839 Katherine Loader 0408 949 839
GREAT SOUTHERN
Julie Brooks 0429 016 253
JOONDALUP - East
Rob Fairholme 0435 779 801
JOONDALUP - West
Tony Osborne 0419 925 701
MIDWEST
Paula Steenson 0409 076 476
NORTH WEST
Leanne Ruston 0407 477 283
PEEL - North
Dannielle Crawford 0407 717 555
PEEL - South
Vivienne Cantem 0447 297 156
Towards the end of the year, WACSSO will create a snapshot of these contributions, which we en-courage you to share with your school community.
PERTH - North
Jenny Blair 0488 990 729
Welcoming New State Councillors
PERTH - South
Anne Fairbanks 0411 256 079
We are excited to announce the addition of four new State Councillors to WACSSO, all in previously vacant electorates. Congratulations Sherry Fletcher (Fremantle), Katherine Loader (Goldfields-Esperance), Esmond Delaney (South West), and Kate Hayes-Thompson (Wheatbelt South). We look forward to having you as part of the WACSSO team!
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE DIGITAL P&C VOICE MAGAZINE This year we integrated the P&C Voice to feature as a digital magazine while retaining the traditional physical copy. The digital magazine enables the publication to be distributed easily to a wider audience and contains interactive links to important information and resources. To ensure we capture our desired readership, we have created a subscriber list who will receive the digital P&C Voice magazine via e-mail when a new edition is released. If you would like to receive the digital P&C Voice, scan the QR code to subscribe!
SOUTH WEST
Esmond Delaney 0409 370 016
SWAN - East
Nominations Required
SWAN - West
Nominations Required
WARREN BLACKWOOD
Nominations Required
WHEATBELT NORTH
Tanya Gibson 0427 976 880
WHEATBELT SOUTH
Kate Hayes-Thompson 0458 830 000
Contact the WACSSO office on (08) 9264 4000 if your P&C would like to nominate someone to represent a vacant electorate or if you would like further information on the roles and responsibilities of a State Councillor.
Scan the QR code to sign up now!
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2021 WACSSO CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP
WACSSO acknowledges and thanks the below sponsors for their generosity and support of the 2021 Annual Conference ‘Partnering with parents to advance public education since 1921’. Please support the following:
MAJOR – RURAL AND REMOTE: Lotterywest www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au
GOLD SPONSORS:
SILVER SPONSORS:
Australian School & Club Fundraising Specialists www.australianfundraising.com.au
Anglicare WA No Interest Loans www.anglicarewa.org.au
Cancer Council WA – SunSmart / Crunch&Sip www.generationsunsmart.com.au www.crunchandsip.com.au Constable Care Foundation www.constablecare.com.au Eclipse Universal www.eclipseuniversal.com.au
MAJOR & NETWORKING SUNDOWNER: Grange Insurance Solutions www.grangeeducation.com.au
MAJOR: Student Edge www.studentedge.com.au
Funky Monkey Bars www.funkymonkeybars.com
Photo Hendriks www.photohendriks.com.au Ziggies Educational Supplies www.ziggies.com.au
Miracle Recreation Equipment www.miracle.com.au
inchargebox www.inchargebox.com.au
My School Connect www.myschoolconnect.com.au
BADGE SPONSOR:
School Ponytails www.schoolponytails.com.au
SchoolBanners www.schoolbanners.com.au
State School Teachers’ Union of WA (SSTUWA) www.sstuwa.org.au
VOTING CARD SPONSOR:
Forpark Australia www.forparkaust.com.au
STUDENT ARTWORK PEOPLE CHOICE AWARD: Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation www.sailleeuwin.com
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Nature Playgrounds www.natureplaygrounds.com.au
BRONZE SPONSOR:
CONFERENCE GUIDE & GOLD:
MSP Photography WA www.msp.com.au
Crowne Plaza www.crowneplaza.com.au
Just Pizza Company www.justpizzacompany.com.au
West Coast Shade www.westcoastshade.com.au
GOOD NEWS STORIES & GOLD:
Crown Perth www.crownperth.com.au
Vanguard Press www.vanguardpress.com.au
WACSSO is supported by the Department of Education