School Council
School Council is the legally formed body that is given powers to set the key directions of a school. It is the major governing body of the school that, within DET guidelines, decides the future directions for the school and oversees the school’s operation. At Sandringham East, we have an active and enthusiastic School Council that meets regularly on Tuesday nights. All Councillors sit on sub-committees that consider issues around Education, Policy and Planning, Fundraising, Finance, eLearning, Community Partnerships and Facilities. The Parent & Friends Association (PFA) is also a committee of School Council.
The objectives of the School Council include:
- Assist in the efficient governance of the school
- Ensure students’ best interests are primary
- Enhance the educational opportunities for students
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and regulations
School Council Committees:
Facilities – Building & Grounds
Buildings & Grounds is a Sub-Committee of School Council and has the responsibility of coordinating the safety, maintenance and upgrade of our facilities. School Council employs a maintenance person two days a week which also helps in the upkeep of the school environment.
Working Bees:
Working Bees are held each month and are a great way for all families to join the SEPS community.
A variety of maintenance jobs are conducted at working bees – painting, lawn mowing, pruning, cleaning, repairs, playground inspections just to name a few. There is always plenty of work to be done for anyone attending. Working bees are on Sundays from 9:00am to 11:00am. Each Level is invited once a year with a competition to see who have the highest percentage attendance rewarded with a lunch for students at the end of the year.
Finance
The Finance Sub-Committee has the role of:
- Scrutinising the monthly receipts, payments, program budget reports and other financial reports
- Planning the budget for subsequent year – making recommendations to School Council
- Review of Policy & Procedures as related to finance
- Ensuring our resources are targeted at meeting the productivity goals of the Strategic Plan
- Providing input into the development of school strategic goals
- To advise School Council as appropriate
The committee consists of The Principal, Assistant Principal, Business Manager, Treasurer and School Council members.
Fundraising
The key purpose is to bring people together through school community involvement in “events”, public relations, promotion of the school and assistance in student events as requested.
Fundraising is not necessarily for profit but a by-product of “events”.
The funds raised through these activities are pooled into the general school budget as a whole and while the committee do not have the authority to determine disbursement, they can make a recommendation to the School Council for the use of the funds which are directed specifically to resources for students. Currently the focus is targetted to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) resources for SEPS students.
If you would like to join our Fundraising team please click here for an expresion of interest form.
Policy and Planning
School Policy is determined by School Council in consultation with the relevant section of the school community – teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and students (when applicable).
Policy and Planning Committee has the role of:
- Reviewing and developing policy for School Council
- Providing input into the development of school strategic goals
- Advising & making recommendations to School Council as appropriate
Current policies are availble on this website.
eLearning
The role of the eLearning Committee is to implement the school’s vision to integrate digital technologies seamlessly. The committee makes recommendations on both software and hardware to be purchased and develops policies for safe and responsible use by students and staff.
Community Partnerships
Communities can have a major impact on the outcomes of children and young people. Education partnerships help schools to provide different routes for different learners, catering for the diverse range of abilities and ways of understanding which learners have.
The role of Community Partnerships is to promote the school’s involvement with the local community. The committee write grants for funding to ensure optimal learning resources for all students, and has recently begun a partnership with Corrections Victoria.