P&C Voice, Post-Conference Edition 2024 by WACSSO

Each year, as I prepare to write this article for the post-Conference edition of P&C Voice, I think ‘best Conference ever!’

Year-on-year, as our delegates settle into Conference weekend they engage so richly and meaningfully, sharing such wisdom and joy for what they do, that I think this is the best vibe we’ve ever had! And each year, we curate a line up of speakers that I hope can top the previous year, and somehow it does!

The sell out Conference 2024 was phenomenal From the opening moments where we experienced Mr Fitzgerald’s Welcome to Country and the delightful Bayswater Primary School choir, to that moving and powerful closing keynote from Judy and Tim Sharp, the weekend was jam-packed with outstanding opportunities to connect and learn and let’s not forget our new theme song ‘P&Cs! P&Cs Baby!’

The theme Innovate, Collaborate, Advocate led our discussions. We explored new ways to support our schools and communities and discussed innovative new technology in education We collaborated in workshops and harnessed networking opportunities to strengthen bonds and find common ground to achieve greater outcomes And we came together to give voice and advocate on the needs of our children to ensure their educational experience is delivered by world class schools

Our Conference looked to the future And for each of us, the future is our children The students who participated at Conference as performers and speakers proved two things; the future is bright and the impact of what we do in our school communities is felt and appreciated

As I said in my closing remarks, the dedication and work of P&C volunteers makes an immeasurable difference a difference that extends beyond the school gate and into the broader community. The effort, care, and unwavering passion of our P&Cs is the foundation upon which better outcomes for all children and young people are built. When we come together with a shared purpose, we create environments where every child can thrive

There were so many moments that stood out to me at Conference Like many of you, a highlight was our ‘double shot of happiness’ keynote. To describe the journey Tim and his mum have taken together is almost impossible; it is as tragic as it is uplifting And out of it has emerged the joy of incredible art that is admired and displayed the world over At the heart of their journey is, quite simply, love. The love of a parent and child The love of community The love from the school Tim summarised his life to now perfectly when he said, “all you need is love.”

We are at the three-quarter point of the year Many of you will, I hope, down tools over the holiday break to reconnect with your family, to perhaps spend time away on holidays While the list of Term 4 fundraisers and events might niggle in your mind, or the tasks that await you at work make you restless, or you can’t help but list things around the home that need attention as the seasons shift from Djilba to Kambarang, I hope you take pause and celebrate the sense love and belonging that you contribute to through your role in the community and on the P&C

I would like to take this opportunity to pause and celebrate all that our Director General, Lisa Rodgers, has achieved in her tenure On behalf of WACSSO and our affiliates, I would also like to thank Lisa for her unwavering support and dedication to public education Lisa has been generous with her time given to WACSSO to hear the concerns we raised on behalf of parents and P&Cs. We wish her well for her new role at the Australian Council for Educational Research You will find Lisa’s final P&C Voice article on the next two pages.

As we close out Term 3 and reflect on our 90th Annual Conference, we’re already starting planning for the next one We hope to see even more delegates at our 2025 Conference; we already know it will be the best one yet!

Lisa Rodgers

PSM

Director General, Education

Message from the Director General

As I reflect on my final WACSSO Conference as Director General, I can’t help but feel inspired by the incredible energy and dedication displayed by all who attended

It was a privilege to share the stage with Minister Tony Buti and address the thoughtful and wideranging questions from P&C representatives The discussions whether about healthy food in school canteens, infrastructure for growing school populations, or support for non-binary students reinforced the essential role that engaged parents and communities play in shaping the future of education.

I was particularly impressed by the contributions of our student panellists and members of the Department of Education’s Student Council Their insights gave us a glimpse into the future of education from the perspective of those who will shape it The musical performances added a rich cultural element to the event and were a fitting celebration of student talent, achievement and community spirit

As I prepare to step down from my role, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the collaboration we have built over the years P&Cs are so much more than fundraising bodies; they are vital advocates, connecting parents, educators and communities to shape the educational environment our children experience Your tireless work, your dedication to innovation and your advocacy for a better future for all students have made a lasting impact.

A shared priority of both the Department and P&Cs is ensuring a bright future for the education of Western Australian students, and I want to share with you several initiatives set to drive reforms to make a real difference for students, particularly those in disadvantaged or regional areas

One such initiative is the draft Regional Education Strategy, which outlines current efforts and future opportunities to deliver quality education and support services to students in regional, rural and remote areas It acknowledges the unique challenges and evolving needs of these communities and underscores a commitment to improving educational outcomes for regional students Through key stakeholder consultation, the strategy will be refined and will help us to align educational provisions with the aspirations of regional communities

The landmark signing of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement between the Commonwealth and WA State Governments will deliver fairer funding for the WA education system The agreement secures record levels of funding for public education - a total investment of approximately $16 billion - and the implementation of reforms designed to help every student reach their full potential, like early years literacy and numeracy checks, targeted teaching supports and enhanced wellbeing support for students

The Pathways to Post School Success review, led by an expert panel and supported by an advisory committee, has produced a consultation draft with 35 recommendations focused on reframing senior secondary education, building a system from learning goals and recognising student diversity and achievement Key recommendations include enhancing career education, integrating VET qualifications into ATAR, and expanding recognition of diverse achievements, especially for students with disabilities

And finally, an update on the Review of the School Education Act Public consultation on the review is now open. This is a chance for everyone students, parents, teachers and community members to share their thoughts on how to improve the Act to better include and support students with disability and work toward our goal of inclusive and accessible education You can find out more on the Department of Education website and I encourage you all to get involved – your ideas could lead to real change

Education should help every child and young person to grow to be the best they can be, to live full lives and use their skills and talents in ways that interest them so they can participate in community life These initiatives reflect our shared commitment to ensuring that every child in Western Australia has access to the best possible education.

As I leave this role, I do so with immense confidence in the work that WACSSO and P&Cs will continue to do Your passion and commitment are the foundations of strong school communities and I know that together, you will continue to innovate, collaborate and advocate for our children’s future

Thank you for your support, your partnership and your unwavering dedication to the students of Western Australia It has been a privilege to serve alongside you and I wish you all the best as you continue this important work

wishes Lisa all the very best for her next role

Thank you for your support.

WACSSO Conference 2024

What a magnificent event! Thank you to all those who joined us for WACSSO Conference 2024!

It was so inspiring to see the passion of P&C delegates as they spoke on behalf of their school communities.

Attended by over 400 registered delegates, representing more than 220 P&C Associations from around the State, the highly successful 2024 WACSSO Conference was formally opened by the WACSSO President, Pania Turner, with Kevin Fitzgerald providing a moving Welcome to Country Consistent with the future-focused theme ‘Innovate, Collaborate, Advocate’, over the weekend, delegates listened to motivational and informative presentations from a range of guest speakers, including keynotes SJ Price and Natasha Blycha who spoke on the topic what AI Means for Our Children We closed Conference 2024 with an incredibly moving keynote from Judy and Tim Sharp, whose presentation A Double Shot of Happiness took delegates on a poignant journey of what is possible with the power of community and the love of family The weekend also included the participation of students, through the popular student panels, and performances from the Bayswater Primary School Senior Choir, bands from Perth Kidz Rock and incredible soloist, Chelita Fontana from Churchlands Senior High School.

Along with the keynotes, guest speakers at Conference included the Hon Dr Tony Buti MLA, Minister for Education and Training, Lisa Rodgers PSM, Director General of Education, the Commissioner for Children and Young People, Jacqueline McGowan Jones and Dr Megan Paull and Dr Katherine Sugars, from Murdoch University. Milanna Heberle from the Department of Education led an important discussion on the changing world in which teachers teach, and major conference partners Pippa Gauden from Containers for Change and Aisling Pawlowski from the FreshSNAP also provided essential information to delegates.

Conference workshops were held each day, offering the chance for delegates to dive deep into topics of interest Workshop topics included the Digital and AI Risks for Children, Achieving Impactful Advocacy, Nature Spaces for Play, Trailblazing with Containers for Change, the Business of Running a Canteen, EScooter Safety, Writing Successful Grant Applications and Working Together – School and Parent Partnerships Workshops were well attended, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from delegates.

The ever-popular student panel saw delegates meet three incredible young students, each of whom had an impressive story to tell Sophie Hennighan from John Curtin College of the Arts spoke of moving from the country to the city and following her dreams to join the police force, Orlando Hickey spoke on being an effective and dynamic cultural leader dedicated to empowering the next generation of Aboriginal youth and Ella Murphy spoke on the value of community service and finding the right school as a neurodiverse student The students remained on stage while the audience asked questions; everyone was impressed with the poise and maturity of these emerging leaders

Day one of Conference closed with the highly anticipated Networking Sundowner Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performances from two student bands, as well as the opportunity to connect in the relaxed atmosphere Sunday morning saw the return of our popular ‘Sunriser’, sponsored by RAC, with delegates taking full advantage of the fun and games designed to make new connections (and win some prizes!)

“Across the weekend, particularly during the agenda and AGM session, it was inspiring to see the passion of P&C delegates as they spoke on behalf of their school communities”, said WACSSO President, Pania Turner “The collective call to action from P&Cs across WA remains a powerful aspect of the WACSSO Conference, which drives WACSSO’s advocacy work,” she added Agenda items raised and passed included a number of updates to WACSSO Policy to ensure that it remains contemporary and meets the needs of schools and P&Cs now, and into the future One of these updates includes reference to the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence within our public education system. Two items raised by P&Cs that will empower WACSSO President to advocate for safer bus travel to and from schools for rural students and an increase to funding based on student characteristics were passed

Once again, the quality of the artworks on display was amazing! It was so hard to pick a winner that President Pania Turner had to choose two! As announced at the conclusion of Conference, the winners of the artwork competition this year were:

Peoples School Choice Award Winner: Burns Beach Primary

President's Choice Award - School: Dianella Heights Primary and Onslow Primary (jointly awarded)

President's Choice Award - Student: Lochlain from Excelsior Primary

We congratulate the winners and all those schools and individuals who had their art on display We had many, many comments on how outstanding the art was this year

Additional congratulations goes to Calista Primary School for winning the inaugural P&C of the Year competition, run by the team at Containers for Change WA In recognising this school, Containers for Change Community Development Lead, Pippa Gauden, spoke of their amazing activations in the community, which included collection bins for every year level (K-Y6), a competition that rewards the year level who raises the most funds for the school, an education component that is delivered via interactive assembly items and significant community engagement, including getting local businesses on board to collect containers to return to the school, and door knocking in the neighbourhood Well done to the Calista Park Primary School P&C!

The 2024 WACSSO Annual Conference was a special event, made possible by the hard work of the WACSSO team of State Councillors and staff, presenters, partners, and our amazing network of Western Australian P&Cs This year’s event again drew high numbers, and the atmosphere buzzed consistently for the whole two days, which was fantastic to experience

For more photos, check out our Facebook Album

WACSSO thanks our incredible Conference partners, supporters and exhibitors. More information on each of these fantastic organisations is available here.

Father’s Day Out Celebration

The Glen Huon PS P&C play such an important role in bringing people together and making memories at our school.

A good news story from Glen Huon Primary School

Supplied by P&C Secretary, Jemma Giltay

Our school values community engagement and participation We decided to move away from the traditional Mother’s / Father’s Day stall, and give back to the community by hosting a free event which honours all our father figures – Dads, Stepdads, not yet Dads, Grandads, the ones who are no longer with us and all the positive people in our lives

From humble beginnings of a free afternoon tea Father’s Day Out has grown into a laid back, festival style event which brings the entire community together to create core memories. There are craft activities, biscuit decorating, photo opportunities and board games to be enjoyed Students had a ball kicking the footy and shooting hoops in the sunshine We had "Market Corner" with local business owners selling their wares This year, the P&C ran a small-scale stall with items purchased from Moon and Back plus Fun Gift Co, which went down a treat! The kids have so much fun and really look forward to treating their special person / family to the free afternoon tea and activities

Students and their special guests were offered a complementary sausage sizzle and afternoon tea, with coffee and ice-cream available to purchase from local food vans who attended

The impact of this event on our community has been phenomenal! Principal, Robert McArdle, says “Father’s Day Out brings so many significant male figures into our school. There is no other school event that provides this type of opportunity for connection, relationship building, and an afternoon of fun where the focus is on male role models The importance of Father’s Day Out (and our Mum-Chella Event) is backed by the huge crowd it draws each year The Glen Huon PS P&C play such an important role in bringing people together and making memories at our school. The Father’s Day Out event achieves this so well”

Like all P&C’s, we have faced challenges recruiting volunteers, especially over the last few years We have worked tirelessly to create positive vibes and an inclusive environment where members can share their thoughts and ideas freely We love being involved with a group of like-minded parents, carers and teachers who enjoy giving back to our children. We have a laugh, chat and socialise throughout It doesn’t feel like we are volunteering, it feels like we are hanging out with friends!

One of our newest members said that participating in P&C events really put into perspective the time and work that goes into hosting an event Our team work hard – volunteering their own time to create an epic day for our little ones We couldn’t agree more! We are incredibly proud and grateful for every committee member, parent / relative / friend and staff who volunteer their time to make these events successful You guys rock!

WACSSO HELP DESK

Below are some of the common questions we get into our office.

Do you have a question about anything to do with your P&C? Be sure to get in touch with us so we can send you the answer - and we might even feature it in the next edition of P&C Voice!

01

For how long do we need to keep financial records?

True and accurate financial records of your P&C must be kept for seven (7) years from the date of the last transaction (Rule 20.4).

Employment records must also be kept during a person’s employment and then for seven (7) years after their employment ceases (Rule 205)

02

For how long do the minutes of our P&C need to be kept?

Minutes need to be kept in perpetuity (Rule 202) This means they must be kept forever Even if the P&C closes, the minutes must be held by the school or forwarded to WACSSO

03 Is it up to the Executive Committee to decide whether the disputes and mediation process should commence?

No, any member can force the start of the process by giving notice to the P&C Secretary The Executive Committee must then follow proper process

04

Who is able to view/request copies of the meeting minutes?

All P&C financial and ex officio members have the right to a copy of both the draft and ratified minutes of a P&C meeting

Draft minutes are minutes that have not yet been confirmed as a 'true and accurate record' (ratified) at a meeting following that at which they were taken. Draft minutes should always display the word 'CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT' in an obvious place (watermarks work well)

Once draft minutes are confirmed (at the following meeting) as a 'true and accurate record', they are then signed by the President and become the official ratified minutes of previous meeting

Non-members of the P&C do not officially have access to either the draft minutes or ratified minutes as these belong to the members of the P&C association However, many P&Cs pass a resolution to allow the ratified minutes to be posted at the school, linked to in the school newsletter, or posted on social media, so the school community is always current on the great work of the P&C

Draft minutes, on the other hand, should not be made available to anyone other than members of the P&C

05

Should we let WACSSO know if we suspend or expel a member?

Yes, WACSSO will store the record in their secure database, in case the member/ex-member makes contact with us

Q&A

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OUR P&C LOVED THE ARTWORKS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCES AT CONFERENCE. HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE?

Based on your feedback, we’ve curated some postevent Conference Q&As for you!

I MET SOME GREAT P&C REPS AT CONFERENCE, BUT I DIDN’T GET THEIR CONTACT DETAILS. CAN YOU HELP?

We typically put the call out for Conference submissions (artworks, student panellists and performers) early in Term 2 These notices go up via our social media pages and via email We also advertise in eNews If you aren’t following our social media pages, or you don’t currently subscribe to eNews, get in touch Alternatively, if you know now that you want your school to participate in WACSSO Conference 2025, send us an email

Conference is all about learning and networking! Each delegate name badge had a QR code for scanning so you could download the contact details of people you met If you missed this step, don’t worry! We can reach out to delegates on your behalf and ask permission to share their details Give our office a call and we’ll help you out

If you really loved one of the sessions at Conference and want more information on what was covered, we might have resources in our office we can send you, or we may be able to connect you with the speaker Give us a call for a chat and we’ll see what we can make happen!

I’D REALLY LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON ONE OF THE TOPICS COVERED AT CONFERENCE

Training Sessions: Expressions of Interest

We are now taking Expressions of Interest to host a face-to-face Governance and Operations training session at your P&C in 2025 Click HERE to submit your interest

WACSSO

STATE COUNCILLORS

The Western Australian Council of State School Organisations Inc (WACSSO) State Council is made up of a 20 elected Councillors and a President, all of whom are volunteers

The State Council meets several times a year to discuss educational issues of interest to Parents and Citizens' Associations (P&Cs), determine the direction of WACSSO and to influence the broad direction of education for the benefit of students