BONDI BEACH PUBLIC SCHOOL P&C MEETING – MINUTES
Tuesday 10 November 2009
BBPS Staff Room
7:15pm meeting called to order
APOLOGIES: Claire Hanley, Linda Henson, Brenda Miley, Scott Milson, Felicity Simpson
IN ATTENDANCE: Fiona Barron, Maria Hardy, Diane Temple, Zea Vargas, Susan Woodland
RECEIPT AND ADOPTION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES: Postponed till next meeting.
MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETING:
REPORTS:
Secretary: Claire Hanley has tendered her immediate resignation from the role of Secretary because of competing commitments. Thank you to Claire for all the work she has done in this role.
Treasurer: Linda Henson has indicated that she wishes to stand down as Treasurer. Linda has done a tremendous job in this role where she has been responsible for the canteen wages, superannuation etc, as well as the uniform shop and fundraising accounts.
The account balances are as follows:
- Canteen $9,454.15
- Main $14,320.33
- Uniform $20,559.00
The Secretary and Treasurer vacancies to be advertised in the newsletter.
President: Have reprogrammed the canteen register with all up-to-date prices and items. Continuing to investigate a suitable online ordering system; School24 has introduced Paypal but there has been no take up.
Fundraising: Orders were received for calendars and cards from the artwork created by 140 children, with the estimated net profit being around $1,500.
Some parents said that they wished to see their children’s artwork before placing orders. Reports from other schools and preschools suggest that previewing artwork has not generated significant additional orders.
Cookbooks to be promoted as potential Christmas gifts.
Sizzle: The P&C Sizzle on Sunday 8 November 2009 raised an estimated $2,000 with a final stock take yet to be conducted.
Principal: Splendour in the Quad was a big success with many people commenting on the benefits of having a school community event without any fundraising focus. The children enjoyed performing for an audience. However, there have been some suggestions for future events such as having an interval, reducing the number of items and perhaps limiting children to performing a single act.
Next year’s Term 3 whole-school production is likely to be a musical.
Interactive White Boards (IWB) have been installed in the 5M and 3/4B classrooms and the teachers are learning how to use them; while they have used IWBs the software is unfamiliar.
The Gifted and Talented Program at Rosebay Secondary College is a one-day/week, 6-week program offered to Stage 3 students who meet specific criteria; a number of BBPS students are participating.
The Kindergarten Transition is going well with older children acting as guides and current Kindies hosting. Buddy matching will not be done until the Kindy’s enrolments are confirmed, to avoid disappointment among the Big Buddies.
Ideally BBPS would have 3 Kindergarten classes of 20 children; 4 Kindergarten classes every year would swell numbers and detract from the small-school feel.
The Restorative Practices program links with the discipline policy. The program is aimed at helping children make good choices; to make and keep friends; and to build resilience. Teachers have also attended a training session in restorative practices; a similar session may be offered to parents in 2010.
The Youth Worker position is being paid for under the National Chaplaincy program. The role is working well. The enthusiastic youth worker has arranged for K-6 to attend a production on human relationships and friendships.
The School Council annually requests feedback from parents on specific curriculum areas; parents to be surveyed shortly on PDHPE and Teaching.
Dance and Music are currently being offered in the two Relief from Face-to-face (RFF) teaching hours. Feedback on offering these subjects has been positive; dance combines physical activity and creativity and music has been shown to enhance learning. Some parents have commented that there is not enough teaching of Art; the School Council is monitoring the balance.
Promotional Materials Children and teaching staff have been filmed undertaking a range of activities for a DVD promoting the school and all it has to offer to prospective families. The school brochure is also being revamped.
Properties Update Work on the staff and student toilets (Lvl 2) will be completed this week, and work has commenced on the hall. In the best-case scenario, the hall will be completed by Easter 2010.
For safety reasons during the building works, the school gates will be locked between 9.30am and 2.30pm.
New playground equipment will be located in the front playground with the possibility of relocation if it is unsatisfactory. The equipment will offer challenges for K-6.
Different shade providers have been approached to submit designs for the quadrangle following a budget blow-out with the previous design.
Activities Stage 3 are looking forward to an excursion to the Basin this term. K-6 students to participate in a surfing activity being arranged by Brenda Miley (Eliza 1S) and Let’s Go Surfing.
Staff Development Days on the last two days of term will focus on higher order thinking and philosophy, and how a philosophical approach can be included in lessons such as English.
Wish List Current list items include: Home Reading Resources for Stage 1, Reading Resources K-6, IWBs, Cricket Nets, Headphones for the Keyboards, Foyer Painting. The wish list to be published for potential donors, and to be prioritised at the December P&C Meeting.
GENERAL BUSINESS
Film Screening Parent, Vaike Neeme proposed screening the climate change film, “The Age of Stupid”, as a fundraiser for the P&C. Due to daylight savings hours and the non-family-friendly nature of the film, the P&C suggested that perhaps the teachers may be interested in a screening with an open invitation to parents.
Maria Hardy to approach teachers, however, in 2008 the school hosted a well-attended presentation of “An Inconvenient Truth” by Nell Schofield who was personally trained by Al Gore.
CLOSE OF MEETING
8.25pm
NEXT MEETING
8 December 2009
