PARENTS AND CITIZENS MEETING MINUTES
DATE:
October 19, 2020.
VENUE:
On live via Zoom
MEETING OPENED:
6.30 PM
ATTENDANCE:
As recorded in ‘MFHS P&C Attendance List 19 October 20’- Not for circulation.
APOLOGIES:
As above.
BUSINESS ARISING FROM LAST MONTH’S MINUTES:
Nil
CORRESPONDENCE IN:
Bank Statements, P& C Magazine and promotional materials.
CORRESPONDENCE OUT:
Nil
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Balance $ 71,467.19
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
Welcomed everyone for the P and C Meeting team during these interesting times.
RELIEVING PRINCIPAL’S REPORT:
Justin-
- Thank you to K Hannaford our zoom host tonight.
Year 12 Graduation Ceremony
- This was a lovely ceremony and it was filmed for parents and citizens to view. This has been put onto our website. A big thank you to Ms Katherine Hannaford and Mr Greg Dimon.
School Plan: Situational Analysis
- MFHS Executive have been issued with areas to complete as part of our situational analysis.
- Our executive staff will be analysing: Tell Them from Me Data for students, teachers, parents: Student Voice Surveys and Year 12 Exit Surveys, Individual Education Plans, Positive Behaviour for Learning, Attendance Data, Data Analysis relating to NAPLAN, Year 7 Best Start Data and Year 9 Check In Assessment Data.
- November 10 will be our MFHS Executive Conference and will involve our Director Ms Karen Endicott
- Feedback/input from our students, staff and community will take place after this event.
- Term 4 Update
- The HSC starts tomorrow October 20 and concludes on November 12. We have a HSC Action Plan. This will involve a plan for our examinations at school. We also need to have an alternative plan if the need arises and our alternative venue is James Meehan High School.
- Presentation Day this year will be recipients only and this is scheduled for December 11.
- Position updates:
- Year 7 Adviser 2021 is Ms Kate Moore from PDHPE and Ms Hayley Holden is the Assistant Year Adviser 2021.
- Our Head Teacher CAPA Karen Metcalfe is on long service leave for Term 4.
- Relieving Head Teacher CAPA for Term 4 will be Mrs Lisa McDermott Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Mrs Heather Davidson will be relieving as HT on Thursday.
Captain Elections:
- These were held today with our Year 12 students presenting speeches to the different year groups. We are very fortunate to have great candidates: We had 7 female students on the ballot and 4 male students on the ballot. The theme that stood out was the importance of student voice and they are all very passionate about the service that they can provide to our school.
Cumulative Professional Learning Session
- Will be taking place this Wednesday and the focus is on Technology for Learning. (Katherine Hannaford could present a report as Tech by Twilight Coordinator).
K Hannaford
- Briefed the P & C about the Tech by Twilight program.
DP’S REPORT:
Heather -
- Year 12 Exams starting tomorrow – 20th October 2020
- Graduation - went off very well thanks to Katherine Hannaford. It is able to be viewed online now.
- Graduation garden – completed especially for the Year 12 Graduation. Thanks to Justin for his vision for the garden.
- Year 9 – Focus on improved attendance and lateness – Monday and Tuesday 8:55am start.
- Clearance for Year 12 – 5th and 12th November
- Orientation Day and transition for 6 into 7 – planning underway – will look very different this year due to COVID 19.
Louisa -
- (Has sent apologies for the meeting)
Veronica -
- I would like to thank all parents and carers for their great work in supporting their children reengage with their learning after the holidays. As I walk around the school, it is great to see students working hard and engaged in their learning. I thank you for ensuring that your children are ready for school with the correct school uniform and equipment. I also appreciate your work in supporting our mobile phone policy.
- We are currently in election mode for the school captains’ positions. The election process for Captains has been an enlightening and rewarding process. The depth of student leadership in our school is fantastic and is a real testament to your hard work as parents
- Our work as school is strongly supported by our wonderful SASS staff. Though they are recognised each year with the SASS recognition week, which is important, they work tirelessly each day to provide supports. I would like to thank our office staff for all their work on reports and with all the additional communications provided to parents and carers this year and for their ongoing support of students on a daily basis.
- I would like to thank Mr Roger Worthington, our General Assistant (GA) and Mr Don Dean, our Farm Assistant, for their work throughout the holiday period which included overseeing contractors and maintaining the school grounds. They really have gone above and beyond. Working together, we have achieved an increasingly improved school environment.
- The PDHPE classroom have been repainted, new seating has been installed and our new gardens have been maintained.
- I would like to thank our Work, Health and Safety Team led by Mr Jack Conner, for their work. This is a cross-faculty team that meets on a regular basis to maintain the safety of students and staff in our school.
- Please read our school newsletter for details and photos of what has been achieved by our team.
Year 12- 2021
- Year 11 students are starting their Year 12 courses this term. It is hard to believe that they are now entering their final year of Secondary Education. Some of our Year 11 Students are now in the process of changing subjects for their Year 12 studies. The Careers advisor, Mrs Judy Buckler, is meeting with students and supporting them in making important decisions regarding their selections. I thank her for her work with students and bringing so much knowledge and experience to this work.
- Year 12 Commencement will be held this week. We have had to make alternative arrangements to the commencement process, which previously included a ceremony attended by parents and carers, due to COVID – 19 guidelines. Students will be attending school on their Study Day to complete activities. Students also receive important information on assessments and receive their certificates and Year 12 Assessment Handbooks on the day. The Year 12 Assessment Handbook is an important document and I ask that parents and carers support their child in Year 12 by reading though this document. I would like to thank Ms Melissa Collins, Mr Nathan Antony, Ms Rhiannon Hall and Mr Josh Luc for their work with Year 12 – 2021.
- Year 12-2020 have also had the opportunity to view a podcast organised by Ms Collins and Ms Hall. I thank them for their work on this innovative project.
- I have liaised with the Police Citizens Youth Club and they have offered to operate an extra-curricular Fitness Program at our school. Mr Antony has also been involved in organising this program. It will be co-ordinated by Senior Constable Elise Carter. It will be available for Year 12 students in Term 4 on Tuesday mornings before school.
Year 8 Report
- Year 8 students have really settled in well this term with a focused approach. Thank you for supporting students to have the optimum start to the term. We would like to thank those students who have applied for SRC positions.
- A reminder that students Year 8 assessment booklets provide a valuable guide to student’s assessments.
- ICAS is being held this week.
- We will be organising some fun activities for Year 8 at the end of the Term. The focus will most likely be Year of the Plant where we will be involved in planting trees and perhaps making macramé plant-hangers etc. More information to come. I am working with Mr Colless on the planning for this.
GENERAL BUSINESS:
P & C Minutes:
- Due to the privacy concerns expressed by some parents, Minutes will be distributed without names of the parents who attended the P &C meeting.
- School representatives agreed to remove the parent’s names from the previous P&C Minutes that are available on school website
Survey:
- A parent wanted Justin to examine whether the parent survey can be reopened for few days- Justin noted that while it is unlikely, he will examine whether it is possible.
Suggestions by a parent:
- Increase the number of clubs such as recreational sport (hockey, cricket, soccer etc) and STEM studies.
- Couple of parents expressed the need to prioritise the list of projects and a suggestion was made to seek input from students at SRC.
- Couple of parents noted that they are willing to contribute to application process for grants and to support any school projects.
Meeting Closed:
7.25 PM
Next Meeting:
Monday November 16, 2020. 6:30PM