A message from the P&C
Welcome to Mackay West State School.
We are fortunate to have a vibrant, active and committed P&C, and see ourselves very much as a valuable, and valued, part of the team who work together to provide an optimal environment for our children in their school life.
You are very welcome to participate in the P&C, at whatever level fits with you. Certainly you may wish to attend our monthly meetings (at 6.45pm on the second Monday of the month – generally), but there are any number of other ways for you to contribute during the year. You could help out with one-off events – Mayfair, Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day stalls, raffle ticket counting and collating, or any number of other projects that arise – depending on circumstance and energy levels at the time!!
We try to be open-minded, responsive, flexible, and proactive, so please contact any of us, or come to a meeting, if there are any issues you’d like to raise.
Get involved
The Parents & Citizens Association provides an opportunity for parents, staff and interested community members to work together for the betterment of our school and, ultimately, our children’s future.
There are lots of ways you can be involved…
Come along to a meeting
At our monthly meetings you can hear all about what’s been happening around the school, as well as having input into school programs, fundraising projects and how the P&C spends its money.
The P&C meets monthly in the Library at the Senior Campus. Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 6.45pm. Our meetings are open to all interested people, however, if you would like to vote on P&C issues, you must be a member of the P&C Association.
Membership is free and open to parents/carers of students at the school, staff members and anyone (over the age of 18 years) who is interested in the welfare of the school. To become a P&C member, fill out a P&C Membership Form and bring it along to a monthly meeting.
Volunteer at the tuckshop
With more than 730 students at West, our tuckshop convenors are always looking for volunteers to lend a helping hand. Why not bring a friend and make a morning of it? Your children will love to see you there.
If you are interested in volunteering at the tuckshop, you can:
- telephone the tuckshop on (07) 4951 5107
- leave your name and contact details at the office.
Help out with fundraising and social events
Lots of events are organised throughout the year and there are many ways you can be involved. You can share ideas, help set up or pack up for events, even try your hand at our donut maker … the opportunities are endless!!
If you are interested in helping out or have ideas to share, come along to a P&C meeting or send an email to pandcfundraising@mackaywestss.eq.edu.au.
Do some gardening around the school
A small band of parents help to care for the gardens around the school. If you (or a grandparent perhaps) are interested in helping out, contact Lisa Thyer by email at mailforlisa@westnet.com.au.
Still want more?
Keep an eye out for the monthly P&C newsletter for details of many P&C activities and how you can get involved.
P&C objectives
The objectives of the P&C are to:
- promote the interests of the school
- facilitate the development and further improvement of the school.
To meet these objectives, the P&C tries to:
- foster community interest in educational matters
- bring about closer cooperation between parents, other members of the community, staff members and students
- give advice and recommendations to the Principal when required, and
- provide financial or other resources and services for the benefit of students.
The objectives and responsibilities of the P&C are set out in its constitution. Specifically, the P&C operates the school tuckshop and uniform shop, as well as organising numerous fundraising and community-building events.
Financial assistance from the P&C
As a result of its fundraising efforts, the P&C has discretionary funding that it can allocate to projects which promote the interests of the school or facilitate the development and further improvement of the school.
For more information, read the MWSS P&C Funding Requests Policy or fill in a Request for Discretionary Funding Form.
It is also P&C policy to provide financial support to any student who represents our school through sporting or cultural activities at a state or national level. For sport, this means they must make the Capricornia team in their chosen field.
The financial support offered is currently $100 per student, per event. Please note, the P&C reserves the right to modify or amend this policy at any time, however it has provided this support for a number of years now, and plans to continue.
To access financial assistance, you need to fill out a Financial Assistance Request Form. Forms are available from the relevant teacher (eg: your child’s PE teacher or Optiminds team teacher). Completed forms should be submitted to the P&C (through a P&C member or via the office), preferably after the event.
Centrelink parenting payments and volunteering
The P&C has been advised that volunteering in schools (eg: in the tuckshop or in the classroom) is recognised by Centrelink as counting towards the 15 hours of work per week required to receive Parenting Payments.
Information on the Centrelink website indicated that, if carers were over 55 years of age, then volunteering hours would be recognised. Those aged under 55 years need to have any volunteering recorded with and approved by their Centrelink Employer Services Provider.
To be eligible for Parenting Payments, single parents must engage in or actively seek 30 hours of work per fortnight, once their youngest child turns 8 years old. For partnered parents, the age is 6 years.
Any voluntary hours worked (including voluntary work in schools) can be counted towards this requirement provided pre-approval has been granted. Individuals must seek the approval of their school to volunteer, then meet with their Centrelink Employer Services Provider to update their Employment Pathway Plan to include voluntary work. This document must be signed before it becomes effective.
This information was received and current as at April 2012.
Contact the P&C
To contact the P&C, you can