P&C Voice - Term 1, 2023 Edition

P&C

facebook.com/WACSSOinc

Welcome back for 2023!

We hope that you have returned from the summer break refreshed and ready for a big year ahead!

Your WACSSO team of Councillors and staff has been hard at work refreshing resources, providing advice, and gearing up for our two main annual events: P&C Day WA and Conference

By now, you would have received your 2023 P&C Handbook This publication is your go-to resource for all essential information on how to run your P&C, the deadlines, and responsibilities to be aware of, useful contacts that you can reach out to for help, and policies, forms and checklists that will come in handy over the year If you are new to the P&C or have come up against a new challenge this year, check the Handbook to see if it can help you The Handbook should be used in conjunction with the P&C Constitution, as your two essential resources

We have been receiving a higher-than-normal volume of calls and emails into the office, and the theme of the questions has consistently been about recruiting and retaining volunteers

To help P&Cs with this topic, we created a new page on our website that provides advice and suggestions specifically on this topic

What's Inside

President's Pen

We’ve also been asked about the rules relating to whether a P&C can run without all Office Bearer spots filled You can still operate with an office bearer position vacant as long as there is a genuine intent to fill the role eg: advertise in P&C & School Newsletters, Facebook page, School Apps, emails, wherever possible at all opportunities and on the Agenda for all future meetings until the position is filled At every meeting, nominations must be sought for vacant positions

Operating with more than one office bearer position vacant will prove difficult due to signatories approving events and approving funding requests

If, for example, a P&C had the positions of Secretary and Treasurer vacant, it would be incredibly difficult to operate effectively and constitutionally Finally, if the Executive team are the canteen employers, you should notify the canteen staff of any temporary reporting structure as required

Looking at the year ahead, we are VERY excited about both P&C Day WA on May 19 and WACSSO Conference 2023 on August 19-20

Message from the Minister

Good news stories from Mukinbudin District School and Esperance Primary School

2022 Contributions Survey Results

Update on the National Schools Chaplaincy Program

Tips to tackle food waste from OzHarvest

P&C Day WA is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your achievements as a group and we will be working with the Department of Education to encourage all schools to recognise and celebrate their P&Cs on this special day

Conference 2023 has the theme of ‘Yours, Mine, Ours – taking collective care of our children’ and will focus on how we can come together to ensure the children in our care have the best school experience possible

We can’t wait to get stuck into this year with our affiliates Please keep contacting us with your questions, and don’t forget to sign up for training sessions if you need to brush up on your skills in certain areas

and communities as first educators, sharers of culture and knowledge; and recognise the value this learning holds for children and young people

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PEN

On behalf of State Council and staff I wish all our P&Cs a warm welcome to 2023.

Our Kimberley school communities had a challenging start to the year, with the recent floods impacting communities across the region. I want to congratulate the efforts of the Director General and her team for their quick response on the ground I also want to recognise the local community members who quietly go about supporting their communities often unseen in the media but making a great difference to those they assist We know emergency response does not end when the event is over, instead ongoing support is required to help the recovery of people and infrastructure.

This edition sees us welcome the newly appointed Minster for Education, the Hon Dr Tony Buti MLA WACSSO has a long history of working with government Ministers to highlight and address the concerns of parents of public school students I look forward to a productive working relationship with Minister Buti

I would like to recognize the commitment and drive of former Minister for Education, the Hon Sue Ellery MLC. In late 2019 Sue welcomed a newly elected WACSSO President, who initially lacked the finesse and scope she was used to Accessible and open to hearing the issues raised by WACSSO both in meetings, and by P&Cs at Conference, Sue understood the vital role of parents and carers in children’s education Together we worked through the challenges of a pandemic and its impact on school communities On behalf of WACSSO and P&Cs, I thank her for her commitment to the wellbeing and education of Western Australia’s children and youth

The start of the year is AGM season for P&Cs All P&Cs should have received your P&C Handbook, if not please contact the WACSSO office. The Handbook is an essential resource for your committee, containing important compliance information, as well as tips and guides to help your committee function well and play a community-building role within your school.

It is essential that you use the 2023 P&C Handbook and not the previous version as there have been a number of updates One of these updates is the P&C Annual Contributions Report, which was the former P&C Contributions Survey, page 6 has more information on how we will be collecting this valuable data WACSSO recently released the three-year capture of the contributions of P&Cs to public education in WA Averaging nearly $12,000,000 annually across the three years of the pandemic, this is a significant community investment in children’s education Thank you, well done Let’s keep going! You can find more information on the 2022 survey results in this edition of the P&C Voice.

WACSSO recently contributed to the parliamentary inquiries into School Refusal and Vaping These submissions are informed by your voice While submissions are one of our advocacy avenues, public comment is another. You may have read the article in the West Australian in mid-February where I spoke about the cost of school book lists, specifically the increase of expensive electronic devices on these book lists WACSSO Policy, informed by you, calls for public education to be fully resourced. This includes schools equipped with modern technology for all students and the supporting infrastructure and maintenance of such technology

Looking ahead, we are already planning our 2023 Conference. Have you nominated your delegates for this year’s Conference? If you have new members, why not buddy an experienced member with a new member and send them to Conference? We are planning an exciting weekend of P&C development/workshops, advocacy, networking, and a bumper exhibition hall, full of things relating to P&Cs

I am also excited to announce the research partnership with Murdoch University, following a successful grant application to Volunteering WA. The project, Volunteer engagement Building parent participation in P&Cs across Western Australia will engage current, prospective, and former P&C members and ask them a series of questions on parent participation, and barriers to and enablers of volunteering. I thank you in advance for your participation in this important project

In closing, I wanted to acknowledge outgoing Senior Vice President Jenny Blair. Jenny has served as a WACSSO State Councillor for the Perth North electorate since 2015, and in 2017 was elected Senior Vice President (SVP) The role of SVP does not receive the credit it deserves This essential leadership role requires strength of character, mentoring skills, and a high level of professionalism. As an expert guiding hand behind the scenes, Jenny’s education and training background has been invaluable in the shaping and delivery of WACSSO policy and advocacy submissions Jenny has been a champion of WACSSO’s environmental actions ensuring that as an organisation we seek opportunities to make sustainability changes, and connect with stakeholders who help amplify the climate action vison of affiliates and students Jenny, we thank you for your commitment to public education, always reinforcing to us that education has the power to change lives

Pania Turner, WACSSO President

Pania Turner

As I reflect on the start of the 2023 school year and settle into Term 1, it is safe to say the new school year has been a new start for all of us. But what a great start it has been.

I had the pleasure of opening one of four new public primary schools, Landsdale Gardens Primary School, on Day 1, as well as visit seven other schools in the first week of school. It was terrific to see so many students excited to be back at school!

I have also been able to visit some of the schools in flood-affected areas in the Kimberley. My thoughts are with all the families, students and staff in these floodaffected areas as the flood recovery process continues

I believe that the support parents and carers provide to schools is crucial and I want to take this opportunity to share with you a bit about myself and my background, and my commitment to education

When I graduated from Kelmscott Senior High School, I went on to study to become a physical education and science teacher. I taught for a few years and then undertook further study to become a lawyer and practised law for 10 years, before I went on to lecture in law at the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University

I was elected the member for Armadale in 2010, and my first ministerial appointment was in March 2021 as the Minister for Finance; Lands; Sports and Recreation; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests

From December 2021 to December 2022, I was responsible for the Finance; Aboriginal Affairs; Racing and Gaming; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests portfolios

In December 2022, I was appointed Minister for Education; Aboriginal Affairs; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests.

Education has given me many incredible opportunities and my time both as a secondary teacher and university lecturer reinforced my commitment to just how crucial teachers and school staff are in shaping the lives of students. I am committed to supporting our teachers and school staff to go above and beyond for your children I have three adult children of my own, and just like you, I wanted to ensure they achieved their potential when they were in school.

In my down time I love to read and believe that reading expands our horizons – I cannot wait to launch this year’s Premier’s Ready Challenge with the Premier. I have also published a few books, the most recent being Alkira, named after my daughter, which challenges us to rethink how we approach disability to move toward a more just and inclusive society

I am also a keen runner and in the early mornings can often be spotted running through the Kelmscott hills or on my way to Parliament I also can’t wait for the AFL season to start – I am sure it is going to be a tremendous year for the Dockers!

The most important thing I want to share with you though, is my commitment to doing all I can to make a real difference in the lives of students so that they have the foundations for a successful future

I want students to be encouraged to embrace the opportunities and face the challenges that may come their way And especially for senior secondary students, to fully commit themselves to ensure they achieve what is needed for their chosen pathway.

I hope that together with your schools we can all work in collaboration to ensure every student in Western Australia can continue to have the greatest chance to realise their potential

I would also like to acknowledge the work and commitment of the Hon Sue Ellery MLC as the previous Minister for Education, and the range of initiatives the State Government has put in place over the last five years to support our students and our schools.

Our schools are amazing places and the work being undertaken in them truly does change lives I look forward to being able to visit as many schools as I can and meeting you all. Your commitment and support to your local school is crucial to its success and seeing it thrive

Thank you for your support and I wish you all the very best for the 2023 school year

The Hon Dr Tony Buti Minister for Education; Aboriginal Affairs; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests

T H E M I N I S T E R

M E S S A G E F R O M

The Hon Dr Tony Buti MLA

WACSSO REPRESENTATION ON RREAC

WACSSO

Reporting directly to the Minister for Education; Aboriginal Affairs; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests, the RREAC provides strategic advice on education in rural and remote areas of Western Australia Its mission is to support educational initiatives that lead to long-term benefits for regional Western Australian students In her acknowledgment to Councillors on their appointment, WACSSO President Pania Turner said “I look forward to working with you all to represent the public education experience of rural and remote families”

“WACSSO represents the voices of all parents and works tirelessly to advance public education in Western Australia I know my fellow RREAC member will agree that the ability to provide strategic, solutions-focused advice to the Minister will be incredibly rewarding. We are looking forward to bringing the voice of rural and regional families at W government schools to the table,” she added

More information about the RREAC can be accesse here.

WACSSO representative appointment to the Counci was approved by Cabinet early in 2023 and the team is keen to start contributing to this important body.

is thrilled to announce that four State Councillors, Pania Turner, Julie Brooks, Paula Steenson and Katherine Loader have been approved to join the Rural and Remote Education Advisory Council (RREAC).

Pania Turner, President

Katherine Loader, Goldfields-Esperance

Julie Brooks, Great Southern

Paula Steenson, Midwest

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE

Late in 2022, Mukinbudin P&C presented Mrs Valmai Tilbrook, or ‘Mrs Tilly’ as she is affectionately known, with a WACSSO Long Serving P&C Member Award for 50 Years of Service.

Mrs Tilly (Val) has been involved with the Mukinbudin P&C since the early 1970s in her much-loved roles on the Catering Committee and in the Canteen. Val remains a P&C member today, attending meetings, and is still running the canteen for the Mukinbudin District School

Born and bred in Perth, Val moved northeast to Beacon after she got married, when she and her husband Roy were offered the opportunity of a share farm When their eldest child started school at Wialki Primary, Val’s involvement with a P&C began, taking on the roles of Secretary and Treasurer. Seeing how much enjoyment she got from the role, Roy became the stay-at-home parent, managing the farm animals and their caravan park business, which allowed Val to commit her time to the school and the P&C. When the family moved to Mukinbudin District School, she continued to volunteer and her dual roles on the catering committee and canteen kept her very busy, with the committee providing catering to more than the school; local bowls clubs and other community groups also booked their services. Despite the shrinking student population, the school canteen continues to be open one day a week, with pizza being one of the favourite items on order Over the length of her service, student numbers at the district school, which offers all year levels, K-12, have waned from 300 to about 100, but the children bring Val much joy

“The school is full of gorgeous little kids that make everything I do worthwhile,” said Val. “I see many of them out and about around town and they always say ‘hello’ and thank me for the food I make,” she added

Incredibly, the P&C is not the only avenue of service that occupies Val’s time She also volunteered for the local swimming club, the Senior Citizens group (as Secretary and Treasurer, as well as making many of the morning teas and lunches since it was established in 1991), attended meetings for the local Nursing Post, and was President (now Vice President) of the local paper Mukka Matters which she still delivers While she has received many acknowledgments for her service, what drives her is her community-minded nature “I like knowing what is happening, and having a voice within the community if I’m able to, and I like being able to offer practical help I also just love the children at Mukinbudin District School. While it is nice to be on stage, given an award, my happy place is definitely behind the stove, cooking for this community!” Val also asserts that, while she commits her time to many community organisations, her true passion (aside from her family) is the P&C.

The community that Val supports so ardently came to her aid last year when a tragic road accident that she was also involved in, took the lives her son and husband. “I did have some time away from the school while I was recovering, but I went back in the last term of the year and, honestly, it saved me Being at the school, surrounded by the kids, and having that purpose, really helped with my recovery. Also, I am grateful to the community for supporting me through that time, with food, company, and words of comfort”

As Term One this year got underway, Val was back in her post in the canteen. Her dedication to the community of Mukinbudin is as unwavering as it is incredible

Mukinbudin P&C President Romina Nicoletti presenting the Gold Certificate of Recognition to Mrs Tilbrook

MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

WACSSO thanks all P&C members who provided data in the recent contributions survey. We understand that this survey comes at a very busy time of the year, with many end-of-term events running and volunteers exhausted from a full schedule.

In 2022, we received responses from 140 affiliates, which gave us a fantastic summary of the impact made by P&Cs across WA On the following page, you can see a snapshot of where the efforts of P&Cs were focused in 2022 in terms of services and resources

When analyzing the data this year, we decided to pool together the responses from 2020-2022. We did this for two reasons:

To put a bracket around the ‘COVID’ years To achieve better data integrity

Over the 2020-2022 period, on average P&Cs donated an estimated total of nearly $12 million each year to school communities, based on extrapolated results Averaged out across affiliated P&Cs, this amounts to approximately $18,400 donated to their school by P&Cs in WA each year. Alongside fundraising initiatives, P&Cs volunteered a huge amount of time each year, across 2020-2022 Data from the survey shows an estimated collective total of 498,059 hours per year when averaged across the three years. The individual average hours volunteered per P&C is approximately 766 hours a year, or nearly 20 hours a week each Term

These results point to a phenomenal effort! We applaud you, loudly!!, for achieving these results in very difficult circumstances

As well as an investigation of the figures, we also looked at where P&C efforts were being placed (services and resources) across the three years to determine trends Over the last three years, P&Cs have consistently invested in books as your number one resource, and camps and excursions featuring in the top 4 year on year. New in 2022 was the reporting of a third of P&Cs investing in sports equipment, a resource not previously in the top 4

In terms of services, canteens and uniform shops continue to feature highly, with consistently over 50% of P&Cs reporting that they offer these services That said, the number of P&Cs reporting that they offer canteens dropped below 60% for the first time in 2022

The Containers for Change program has been steadily increasing over the time period investigated, with a jump from around 45% offering this to 52% Unsurprisingly, there was a big jump in the number of events and social activities offered in 2022 and we know how much P&Cs have enjoyed being able to run events again now that COVID restrictions have eased

Finally, we also looked at the issues in public education that P&Cs are facing and there were definitely some common themes coming through each year These themes are:

Volunteer participation / P&C membership

Lack of schools funding (especially for infrastructure)

Teacher shortages

Vaping (emerging trend)

Mental Health

Bullying and behaviour management

Cyber security

Learning difficulties and education support

P&C/school admin relationship

Having knowledge of these themes is a huge benefit to WACSSO Councillors and staff as it enables us to focus our advocacy and training efforts, while also providing an emphasis for workshops and presentations at Conference

The 2023 survey will run a bit differently. It will be rebadged as a contributions report and there will be an expectation that all P&Cs submit data to WACSSO We are looking at processes on our side that might make this easier, for example by pre-populating some of the fields with data from Annual Financial Statements that you only need to check, and not source and fill in yourself

Once again, thank you to everyone who took the time to complete this survey and provide us with the information necessary to continue our advocacy work on behalf of P&Cs and school communities

You can find a summary of the 2022 report online here.

MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS AT ESPERANCE PRIMARY SCHOOL

They offered a range of events in support of the fundraiser, including a Thermomix raffle, a learning journey evening, which featured a sausage sizzle, plus BBQ tandoori chicken, sno cones, cakes, and drinks available to purchase, and a quiz night.

The total raised in support of the camp was close to $16,000, with the raffle bringing in $2418, the quiz night $8640, and the learning journey evening $4690 The P&C put the success of the fundraiser down to the high energy of a great bunch of motivated parents, good communication, and making use of everyone’s talents

The current Year 6 Esperance Primary School class can’t wait to take advantage of the amazing camp opportunities that will flow from such a successful set of fundraisers.

At the end of 2022, the parents of Year 5 students at Esperance Primary School came together to fundraise with the P&C for the 2023 Year 6 camp.

As many affiliates will know, the topic of the National Schools Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) attracted a significant amount of attention in 2022.

At WACSSO Conference 2022, Maylands Peninsula Primary P&C raised a number of items in the Agenda session, all of which were passed by vote and which WACSSO Councillors and staff have been progressing with since that time Specifically, WACSSO President, Pania Turner, has written to the State and Federal Education Ministers congratulating them on the review of this program and its funding, and the topic also featured on the agenda for her meetings with the State Minister

Some of you may have seen that a new report was released earlier this year, following an independent evaluation of the program There was an overwhelming response to the call for submissions to this evaluation, with over 10,000 received in 10 days from a range of community members A high proportion (25%) of respondents were parents and guardians A copy of the report can be found here The highlights of the report findings are:

there are benefits of having chaplains in schools but plans to broaden the scheme to include secular support staff are endorsed by those consulted a growing number of children needed support and the NSCP had played a " valuable role in supporting student wellbeing" schools are increasingly playing a role in supporting student wellbeing

The Federal government needs to provide States and Territories with clearer guidelines regarding what constitutes proselytizing (guidance on this is not clear currently and it appears there is a lack of consistency in how this rule is applied) Significant differences were noted in how the NSCP had been delivered across the different jurisdictions when it came to funding, oversight, complaints processes, confidentially, and professional development making monitoring and oversight of the program difficult.

The religious affiliation of the chaplain role was the most-contested part of the program

There was a risk of some students not receiving support through the program because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. There are concerns around ongoing funding.

WACSSO supports the announcement made last year by Federal Education Minister Jason Clare that from 2023, schools would have the choice of hiring either a chaplain or secular student wellbeing officer

WACSSO also welcomes the new name: The National Student Wellbeing Program. We anticipate this title will be less polarizing and indicate a more inclusive program The move away from the ‘chaplain’ reference, which puts a focus on the professional (chaplain), to the function provided (supporting student wellbeing) is a positive step

We encourage P&Cs to engage in open dialogue with their school about the changes to the program and ensure that relevant staff are aware that successful candidates for the role can come from either a religious or secular background, with preference given to the best person for the role within the school community

TIPS TO TACKLE FOOD WASTE AT SCHOOL AND IN HOMES!

Australia has a problem, a food waste problem, with over 7.6 million tonnes of food being wasted each year, costing the economy $36.6 billion. The team at OzHarvest have some suggestions on reducing food waste in your community.

Do a food waste audit

Spend a week measuring how much and what type of food goes to waste Make a note on your phone or keep track of it on the whiteboard in the classroom Decide how you want to reduce this and set a target on what you want to achieve (big goals help!) and how long it should take Get the entire family or school across what you’re doing and why.

Make the most of leftovers

If you have leftovers, you can package them up as meals for the next day – take them to work or pack them for the kids lunches! Stock up on containers, so this can be done easily If you have freezer space, are there cooked meals that can be frozen? This is a great way to reduce any leftovers ending up in the bin! Our Use It Up Tape is a great way to see what leftovers need eating first. Simply label the containers that you need to eat first with the tape, so you don’t waste any meals!

Set up a bin system

Make sure it’s clear what bin is for food scraps, landfill, and recycling Colour coding and clear signage are a must! If your council collects food scraps, make sure you use the green bin, or if you can, set up a compost or worm farm at home or at school. Kids love learning about this so make sure you get them involved!

Tackling lunchbox food waste

Food goes in bellies, not bins! OzHarvest has created a toolkit full of fun ways to fight food waste From lunchbox love letters, and fruit-cutting stations to waste warriors’ awards, or how to set up a waste audit, you will find a range of strategies to get the whole house and school on board. The Fight Food Waste Toolkit is available for free on the OzHarvest FEAST website

Why not take the learning further with FEAST?

OzHarvest’s curriculum-aligned education program, FEAST (Food Education and Sustainability Training) is a great way to inspire kids to eat healthily, waste less and become change-makers in their community

Like any good FEAST, it’s designed to be fun, engaging, and filled with good food! The program is designed for primary and high school students and runs for 7-10 weeks teaching students about food waste, sustainability and nutrition, using hands-on cooking activities in the classroom

The teacher-led program offers professional learning for teachers and can be adapted and changed to suit your school’s needs.

It includes:

Curriculum-aligned resources

20 hot and cold recipes

Teacher training

Ongoing support from the OzHarvest FEAST team

If needed, a kitchen kit and electric frying pans are available to make cooking accessible in the classroom

For a limited time only, OzHarvest has funding available for all schools in WA to sign up for FEAST at no cost. Register your school to find out more at www.ozharvest.org/feast.

It's time to say "thank you " and celebrate all the wonderful work our P&Cs do each and every day.

P&C Day celebrations will take place across WA on Friday 19 May. This event coincides with National Volunteers Week, which is all the more reason to celebrate the positive impact made by amazing P&C volunteers.

A few simple ways schools can get involved include:

Give out P&C ‘Thank You’ cards

Post a P&C Day message on social media to celebrate your P&C members

Organise and host a P&C Day morning tea - make sure none of the P&C volunteers have to arrange anything!

Encourage the school community to celebrate the day and thank P&C members personally

WACSSO, with the Department of Education, will be creating a variety of P&C Day promotional materials to help facilitate celebrations. To access these visit the WACSSO website.

WACSSO State Councillors