This Monday we held our first meeting for Term 3, and it was great to have Casey Hiscutt join us as an observer. 

 The Penguin Palooza 

We are excited to host a school and community celebration as part of the Penguin 150 calendar. It will be held after school on Friday 14th November. All classes are encouraged to plan and hold their own stalls, and they will be able to decide how the funds they raise will be spent. Each Primary class will need a commitment of at least 3 parents to go ahead. We will also need lots of help on the day to make sure the event runs smoothly, such as manning stalls, ticket booths, coordinating events, setting up the music and entertainment area etc. Please contact the school or Elisha Franks if you can help in any way - we would love to see lots of people offering an hour so that we can share the load. Thank you to the group of volunteers that have already started to make it a reality. 

Fundraising

The election barbeque and bake sale raised $635. The Student Board and House Captains are now tasked with planning how they can spend this money wisely on sports equipment for recess.

The Sensory Garden

It was great to start planting with the Grade 5s and 6s this week. Every class will have an opportunity to be involved if they choose to. The Committee approved payment for a mature crab apple tree to be the seasonal feature tree in this space, so we will all be able to enjoy the blossoms soon with Spring around the corner. I am so grateful to so many local businesses and parents for their contributions - the thank you posters will keep coming! There is still a lot of work to do, so please get involved if you can.  

Association Grants

Watch this space for an easier application process to apply for small grants and funds from the School Association. We would like students and staff to consider how best we can help them, and to help us by exploring the costs and benefits involved. 

The Old School Site

As a committee we are not satisfied with the Education Minster's decision that the former primary school is surplus to need. We are continuing to advocate for this, to ensure that the school and wider community does not lose vital resources such as Out of Hours School Care, the Community Learning Centre, and our surrounding green space. Central Coast Council has been given the opportunity to lease and manage this land, which they are currently considering. 

Volunteering at PDS

In order to volunteer at any of our school events, parent help, excursions etc you need to have a Working With Vulnerable People Card. This currently costs $22.92 for volunteers and can take 6 weeks to arrive. Please consider getting a card if you don't have one: it gives you the chance to be involved and helps to keep our children safe.  You will also need to complete Safeguarding Training (a short 10 min video). You can access this training via the Department for Education, Children and Young People www.decyp.tas.gov.au/safe-children/safeguarding-children/safeguarding-training/ You will need to provide a certificate of completion to school prior to volunteering.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 1st September at 5:15pm in Meeting Room 1. Everyone is welcome!

Sheila (Association Chair)