The P&C is bound in its operation by the rules of the Constitution.
The role of the P&C is twofold: to build community and to raise funds. Their underlying mandate is always to improve outcomes for students.
Building community, in the context of a school, means bringing people together with a common purpose – to support the children. This could mean organising a child specific event like a disco or colour run or operating the canteen; organising a family event like a dads’ camp, breakfast or movie night; or planning a bigger community event like the Centenary Fair. All of these events are intended as an opportunity to widen the children’s sense of place and connection and enhance their life experiences.
From time to time the P&C will organise parent only events so that parents can bond and hopefully create strong and positive teams.
Each year, the P&C appoints class parent reps in each classroom. Their role is to represent the views and wishes of our 600 parents, to bring class families together by organising activities, and to coordinate their class parents’ participation in bigger P&C activities. More information is below. If you’d like to volunteer for this really important role, or be a general P&C member, complete the P&C nomination form below.
Under the constitution, the P&C Association President must call a minimum of one general meeting each term. Meeting dates are advertised in the schedule of school events on the school website and minutes are emailed to all general members and are available on request. All motions and financial decisions are made at general meetings, with notice given to members. The President may also choose to call executive committee meetings if required between general meetings. The P&C runs a number of subcommittees.
Class Parent Reps: Parent representatives in each classroom form the general P&C committee and attend meetings. They build community by assisting with events, organising class parent events and representing the views of our 600 parents by seeking and tabling parent opinion and participation. They coordinate and moderate communication to and from their class parents to the P&C and ultimately to the school principal, who attends P&C meetings.
K/Pp parent representatives additionally coordinate tea towel and kindy plate fundraising.
Parent representatives in year 6 also raise funds for graduation by organising an annual disco, and sports carnival food stall. They also coordinate leavers tops/jackets and assist the school with some aspects of graduation such as decorating the venue.
Dads of Richmond Kids: This group of dads runs a number of events each year designed to include dads in their children’s education and to build relationships between dads. The group operates under the umbrella of The Fathering Project. Events include for example a dads and kids camp; billy cart race, bike ride and bowls night. DoRKS are encouraged to attend general P&C meetings.
Kitchen Garden: Some years, the P&C helps to run a gardening club and cooking program; seed to plate for all students to learn about growing their own food.
Canteen: The P&C funds a manager on two days a week to operate the canteen. The P&C oversees all canteen operations with a ‘break even’ target each year. The manager attends P&C meetings and reports to the general P&C.
Containers for Change: When you recycle with Containers for Change, you get a 10 cent refund for every eligible container you return. To donate your funds to the P&C enter the Scheme ID C10323799 when you return your containers to a refund point.
P&C Executive Committee
Claire Hopley (President); Jane Tandy (Treasurer); Jess Jamieson (Vice President); Brooke Tideswell (Secretary), & Christine Burns, Lauren Finlay, Leah Gill, Claire Meecham, Anita Radich and Mike Slattery.
The principal is always an ex-officio member of the P&C and is automatically on the executive committee and the general P&C.
Other roles
Mike Slattery (Dads of Richmond Kids); Ros Owers (Canteen Manager)); Susan Catalano (Scholastic Bookclub).
P&C Positions for which we seek nominees each year are:
1. Executive committee members: President; Vice-president; Treasurer; Secretary; plus 3 x committee positions
2. Committee coordinators as required – Kitchen Garden; Dads of Richmond Kids
3. Class parent reps for each classroom
4. Program coordinators – Scholastic Bookclub; Canteen
5. One-off coordinators – kindy T towels, Pp plates, other ideas…
6. P&C Reps – at WACSSO; on the School Board; in each class (class parent reps)
7. Honorary Auditor
8. General members – attend meetings, receive minutes, vote on motions. All of the above office bearers must also be general members. You can elect to be a general member and not hold another position.
Nominations are welcome
To join the P&C, fill in and submit the following online form/s, or download and submit a hard copy to the office: PDF file form. If you wish to be an office bearer, please fill in both forms.