Northern Sydney Regional Council Of

NORTHERN SYDNEY REGIONAL COUNCIL OF PARENTS & CITIZENS ASSOCIATIONS

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Annual General Meeting 30th March, 2009

This was the fifth year of operation of the Regional Council since it was reconstituted following the reorganization of the Department of Education and Training into regions.

The Regional Council has held four General Meetings in the past year. The meetings were held once in each term, and are detailed in the table below.

Building communications with school P&C’s has continued to be a major priority. Our Yahoo Newsletter Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pc-nsregion now reaches at least one representative from most schools in the Region. We are happy for any interested P&C members to receive the Newsletter, and are keen to close the gap of P&C’s not currently receiving the Newsletter.

Those on our email newsletters receive regular information on a range of issues of interest to P&C’s. There have been about 50 Newsletter emails sent during the period, covering topics such as:

 Meeting Notices and reminders  School items in the newspapers  Grants and funds available for school communities  Prizes for students and teachers  Memos from the DET’s Director-General  Issues raised by politicians  Teacher industrial action  Walk Safely to School Day  Free show opportunity for P&C reps at the Theatre Royal  Public School Parent of the Year Awards  Pittwater High’s Solar Panels Project  Catholic World Youth Day – use of public school facilities  Hillsong Church’s activities in public schools  National Secondary School Computer Fund  Student email  Olympic participants from NSW public schools  Boys Education  National Literacy & Numeracy Results  National Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians  New Wage Rates for Canteen Employees.  The controversial views of New York City Schools Chancellor, Joel Klein  Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard “Leading Transformational Change in Schools” views  National Curriculum changes  Communities of Schools – New opportunities for the P&C  School Student Transport Scheme  Raising the school leaving age  NSW Government Special Programs on school facilities  Back to School Allowance cancellation  Principal Priority Building Program  Federal Government’s Building the Education Revolution  Web-based programs for Maths students and parents  NSW P&C Federation issues, including the review of operations

Northern Sydney Regional Council of P&C Associations 1 Presidents Report 30th March, 2009 The Region’s P&C website can be found at http://members.optushome.com.au/pandc-nsregion or http://tinyurl.com/pandc-ns The web site now has over 40 pages of information, plus word and pdf files on various matters. It has notices of meetings, selected editions of ENews, links to newspaper articles on a range of items of interest to P&C’s, links to school P&C sites, road safety, photos from schools, a broad range of links to DET pages, sites detailing awards and grants, information on innovations in teaching practice and technology, and various other sites of interest.

The Regional Council has provided representatives on the Regional Asset Management Committee (which recommends regional capital works priorities to the Regional Director), the Student Services Planning Group, the Northern Sydney Health Promoting Schools Committee, and a number of staff selection committees. We would like to see more regional consultation committees as the region develops.

The Region is currently represented by five P&C Federation Councillors. They are: Dianne Butland, Jan Butland, Phyll Morris, Liz Stoker and David Hope. There are eight positions available.

Kathy Greer is also on Council as Treasurer, one of the Federation’s eight office bearers.

Last year not all of the Regional Council’s executive positions were filled. Any organization needs a continuing influx of new blood, and I am hoping that we can achieve that this year.

I would like to thank the committee for their efforts throughout the year, P&C members who have attended meetings and participated via email or telephone, and the Regional Director and DET staff who have worked with us during the year. I would also like to thank Jonathan O’Dea, the NSW MP for Davidson, and Roseville PS parent, for his regular attendance and interest in public education.

David Hope, President. davidhope@ optusnet.com.au 0419 247 547

Northern Sydney Regional Council of P&C Associations 2 Presidents Report 30th March, 2009 2008 MEETING DETAILS

Date Venue Details

2008 AGM and Term 1 General Meeting Monday, 31st Chatswood Guest Speaker: March, 2008 Public School  Deonne Smith, Regional Director.

Macquarie ICT General Meeting Innovations Guest Speakers: Monday, 30th  Margaret Fitzgerald, Macquarie ICT Innovations Centre June, 2008 Centre, Macquarie  Deonne Smith, Regional Director University .

General Meeting Guest Speakers: Monday, 25th St Ives High  Geoff Wing (Principal Pennant Hills HS) & Penny Verdich August, 2008 School (Principal Curl Curl North PS) on Special Needs Students'.  Jane Simmons, Regional Director.

General Meeting Monday, 27th Guest Speakers: Killara High October,  Di Butland, on her international study tour funded by School 2008 Teachers Federation on Testing & Curriculum  Jane Simmons, Regional Director.

Meeting details can be seen at: http://tinyurl.com/nsr-agenda

Northern Sydney Regional Council of P&C Associations 3 Presidents Report 30th March, 2009