P&C

What is the P&C?

Parents and Citizens’ Associations are established under the Education Act of 1999 as the forum for parents and guardians of children attending government schools to get involved in their education in the widest sense.

The functions of the P&C are:

• To encourage parents to participate in developing the school’s education policy
  To foster parent participation and involvement in the school
• To be the forum for parents to discuss issues pertaining to the school and its community and for gathering opinions
• To promote and support communication and cooperation within the school community
• To have representation on the School Council – the official body which steers the school policy
• To provide extra amenities for the benefit of students

The Rosalie Parents and Citizens’ Association meets at 7:45pm on the first Tuesday of every month in term-time. Meetings are held in the school staff room, and are open to all parents.

A Background to Fundraising by your P&C

P&C Associations don’t have to raise funds for school, but most do. All the funds raised have to be spent for the benefit of the students.

Rosalie P&C raises money in three main ways;

• By means of an annual contribution from all parents
• By one or two major fundraising events per year of which by far the largest is the fete (currently held every 3 years)
• By small-scale events at intervals throughout each year.

The annual contribution was introduced as a means of reducing frequent small-scale fundraising and to reduce the need for major fundraising events which absorb a huge amount of effort. When first introduced, it was to pay for a little extra work by a single drama teacher. Some 10 years later in 2004 the P&C funded a total of six weeks work in Term 3 by artist Fiona Willis, sports activities through Term 2 by Mike Mellor, gave a grant worth $200 to each teacher for extra materials and paid some $7000 for the library plus other recurrent annual expenditure.

P&C members decided earlier this year that to maintain provision to students at the current levels our annual contributions must be increased, otherwise we’d no longer be able to raise this amount of funds. As expenditure has risen over the years, the amount of fundraising required to maintain P&C payouts at current levels has again become prohibitive. This restricts our ability to donate the amount of money we’d like to benefit all our childrens’ education. Therefore, from 2005 parental contributions have been set at a level that provides 100% of funding for recurrent annual expenditure. In 2005 some $19,000 will be raised if the recommended $70 per child is paid by all parents.

Specal fundraising activities will now pay for ‘wish list’ items and specific projects. For example, in 2003-04, your P&C’s expenditure included ‘big ticket’ items such as a digital camera, a large colour printer, a laminator, some $2000 of Mobilo maths support equipment as well as the $25,000 enclosing of the Undercover Area in 2003. The ‘wish list’ of items requested by the School is funded as and when money is available. For example, in recent years fundraising has averaged some $15000 per year, with income from the f�te (every 3 years) around $30,000 and from other annualevents around $7000.

Since nearly 50% of our voluntary contributions fund specialist teaching time, parents will continue to be given the opportunity (through attending the P&C Meetings) to influence both the number of teachers and the subjects. Similarly, all other expenditure by the P&C for the benefit of students is discussed and voted on at P&C Meetings, which all parents can attend. The level of parent contributions is reviewed annually in light of expressed preferences for the following year’s specialist teaching support.

Contact

email: pc@rosalie.wa.edu.au