Parent Involvement & School Council

Deans Marsh Primary School has many wonderful parents, many of whom regularly
seek to get involved to help the school.

Along with supporting your children at school events, we also have a great calendar of fundraising events, where volunteering to help out, also becomes a social activity and a great way to get to know other families.

If you’re looking to be involved at a whole-school level, Deans Marsh Primary School Council is a great way to be involved. We warmly welcome any parent who is interested in being apart of the school at this level, so read on for more information.

Parent Volunteers & Social Events

At Deans Marsh Primary School we have a vibrant calendar of school events, where parents, carers, and extended family members are encouraged to come and support their children as well as volunteer to help out.

From working bees to sausage sizzles, bake sales, pony rides, and pizza lunches to assisting in the classroom and joining an excursion, our school always appreciates the time/skills parents are able to contribute.

View our list of upcoming events, and keep an eye out in our school newsletter for our volunteer needs as they arise.

Please also feel free to contact us if you have an idea, opportunity, or skill you think might benefit our students or school as a whole.

Deans Marsh Primary School Council

And if you’re interested in contributing to the school on the next level, why not consider becoming a member of our School Council?

Why is Parent membership on School Council so important?

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school.

Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

What is School Council?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

The functions and powers of a school council are specified in the Public Administration Act 2004 and include:

·   establishing the broad direction and vision of the school within the school's community

·   participating in the development, monitoring, and endorsement of the School Strategic Plan (SSP) and
Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)

·   approving the annual budget and monitoring expenditure

·   raising funds for school-related purposes

·   having general oversight over the school's grounds and buildings

·   providing the cleaning and sanitary services that are necessary for the school

·   ensuring that all money coming into the council is used for proper purposes relating to the school

·   entering into contacts, such as cleaning in regional schools or construction work

·   reporting annually to the school community and to the Department

·   creating interest in the school in the wider community

·   taking into account the views of the school community

·   developing, reviewing, or updating school policies that fall within a school council's responsibilities

·   school principal selection process.

What a school council does not do:

·   School Council does not manage the day-to-day running of the school. For example, it does not employ teaching staff, decide which classes students will be assigned to, or sort out issues relating to individual teachers and students and/or parents.

·   School Council does not discuss individual issues relating to teachers, staff, or parents – these are very clearly management roles, and therefore the principal's job.

·   School councilors are not appointed to represent specific interest groups or permit special interests to dominate the agenda of the council.

·   School Council is also not allowed to purchase land, buildings, or motor cars, and it cannot enter into hire purchase agreements or obtain credit or loans unless it is given permission by the Minister.

Who is on the school council?

There are three possible categories of membership:

A mandated elected Parent category
More than one-third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not employed at the school.

A mandated elected DEECD employee category.
Members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of the school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.

An optional Community member category.
Its members are appointed by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests, or experiences. DEECD employees are not eligible to be Community members.

The term of office for all members is two years. School Council meets on the third Tuesday of the month (second Tuesday in December) at 5.45 pm at the school.  Half the members must retire each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections. 

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.

In view of this, you might seriously consider

·   standing for election as a member of the school council

·   encouraging another person to stand for election.

·   At DMPS we also have Sub Committees for Finance and Building & Grounds which are open to all parents.

Do I need special experience to be on the school council?

No. What you do need is an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

What do you need to do to stand for the election?

The principal will issue a notice and call for nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March.

If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent category.

DEECD employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not employed are eligible to nominate as parents for the school council where their child is enrolled

Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the notice of election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt in the mail following the receipt of your completed nomination.

If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.

Remember

·   Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do. 

·   Consider standing for election to council this year. 

·   Be sure to vote in the elections.

School Council Meetings

Meetings are held 8 times per year at 5.45 pm. Dates of meetings are advertised in the newsletter.

Meetings would usually not go for more than 90 minutes.  

If members are unable to attend a meeting, they are expected to send their apologies prior to the meeting.

Members of the school community are welcome to attend School Council meetings as observers, except where the meeting is closed due to sensitive discussion that requires confidentiality or for the reporting back of a principal selection panel process. 

School Council Meeting Agenda

The agenda lists the business that the school council will consider at the meeting.  Some items are for information only, some for discussion, and others for decision.

Items directly relating to the functions and powers of the school council may be added to the agenda by emailing deans.marsh.ps@education.vic.gov.au at least one week prior to the meeting.

Please contact the principal for further information.