Update on SC meeting attendance, 13 September 2016

The School Council acknowledges the recent interest from members of the community to attend NMPS Council meetings as observers.

Given this interest, the Council is in the process of revising the meeting attendance procedure and will share it with the wider community in the coming weeks. The purpose is to ensure that there is a common understanding of the notice period required to attend, when meetings are classified as closed confidential meetings or open meetings, the number of observers allowed per meeting and what observers can expect.

The Council looks forward to articulating this procedure soon, however if you have any questions in the interim, please do not hesitate to contact one of your School Council representatives. Email contacts can be found on our website: School Council Contacts

School Council Response to Requests to Attend Council & Sub-Committee Meetings, 30 August 2016

At the last council meeting it was noted that there has been an increase in the number of inquiries from members of the school community, wishing to attend council meetings as observers.

In keeping with our efforts the make council more open and transparent, the right of parents and carers to attend was affirmed.  It was agreed that this should apply to both council and committee meetings, subject to appropriate rules and conditions.

Obviously the right to attend has to be balanced against the occasional requirements of confidentiality, and the efficient running of council.

As a result, council resolved that the community should be provided with guidelines concerning attendance, so that everyone understands the process, and knows what’s expected of them. These guidelines will be published as soon as precise details have been settled and agreed upon, but certainly well in advance of the next council meeting, scheduled for 19 October.

We look forward to seeing those of you that are interested at our future meetings.

NMPS Communications Survey results and recommendations, 30 August 2016

In May 2016 a survey was issued to the North Melbourne Primary School (NMPS) community. The intention of the survey was to gain an understanding of how the school was communicating with the school community and to identity areas for improvement. During the two month period in which the survey was open, 71 responses were received. This is a good result for a survey of this nature whereby there was no incentive for people to participate.

The survey was issued to the school community through notifications on the app tiqbiz and the school newsletter which is distributed via email.

Results noted that there have been improvements in NMPS' approach to communication over the last two years following the introduction of tiqbiz, in particular that:

• tiqbiz is an effective way of engaging the school community and providing immediate information
• the fortnightly newsletter is a useful mechanism of providing more detailed information, that doesn't require an immediate call to action.

The survey also noted that there is still scope for improvement, including:

• timeliness of tiqbiz notifications and the quantity of updates issued in a day
• increased number of opportunities for parent and teacher engagement and communication - written updates and prospects to meet one-on-one or within a wider forum
• newsletter format and content - a layout that is easier to read, more strategic content and accuracy of information  
• enhanced knowledge within the school community on the level of engagement the school offers, i.e. process for responding to enquiries, school's preference for student lead interviews, opportunities to book appointments with teachers
• communication with parents as their child begins their schooling journey.

The NPMS Communication sub-committee carefully reviewed the survey results, in particular the detailed commentary that was provided to key questions, to prepare six recommendations to the School Council for approval, and subsequent implementation.

These recommendations included:

1.    Newsletter

• Review and refine the format of the newsletter to enhance understanding of content.
• Implement mechanisms for a third party review of the newsletter to ensure accuracy of information, ensure views shared are professional and that there are no grammatical or spelling errors.
• Establish a protocol for the sharing of information via tiqbiz, i.e. frequency of alerts, time prior to an event (2 days prior preferred)  and limiting the number of notifications per day.
• Undertake an extensive communication campaign at the start of each year (for both new and existing parents) advising how to use tiqbiz, including the development of a Fact Sheet outlining the school's preferred communication methods, frequency in which information is shared and the measures parents need to take to be involved in receiving information.
• Note: All recommendations relating to tiqbiz, may need to be on hold and modified as the school migrates to the Compass system.
• Development of a clear protocol for communicating with the school leadership / teachers and parents - detailing who to contact if there is a concern, the timeframe a response can be expected, and where to go if additional information is required.
• Establishment of an enquiries email (enquiries.nmps@edumail.vic.gov.au) where all school enquiries can be directed, and an establishment of a protocol of how these enquiries are addressed and timeframe responded to.
• Establish a parent / teacher forum at the start of the new year for each grade, where teachers outline the approach to education for each grade for that year, what parents can expect and how parents can support their child and teacher during the course of the year.
• Undertake a survey with culturally diverse members of the school community to understand how the school can improve communication within these communities.
• Establish a buddy system for new families - both with those joining in prep and families new to the school . The system would involve holding morning tea mornings with a small group of parents so they can ask questions of existing parents on what they can expect when their child starts school and sharing contact details should the new parents have additional questions.

2.    tiqbiz

• Establish a protocol for the sharing of information via tiqbiz, i.e. frequency of alerts, time prior to an event (2 days prior preferred)  and limiting the number of notifications per day.
• Undertake an extensive communication campaign at the start of each year (for both new and existing parents) advising how to use tiqbiz, including the development of a Fact Sheet outlining the school's preferred communication methods, frequency in which information is shared and the measures parents need to take to be involved in receiving information.

• Note: All recommendations relating to tiqbiz, may need to be on hold and modified as the school migrates to the Compass system

3.    General communication

• Development of a clear protocol for communicating with the school leadership / teachers and parents - detailing who to contact if there is a concern, the timeframe a response can be expected, and where to go if additional information is required.
• Establishment of an enquiries email (enquiries.nmps@edumail.vic.gov.au) where all school enquiries can be directed, and an establishment of a protocol of how these enquiries are addressed and timeframe responded to.

4.    Teacher communication

• Establish a parent / teacher forum at the start of the new year for each grade, where teachers outline the approach to education for each grade for that year, what parents can expect and how parents can support their child and teacher during the course of the year.

5.    Engaging our culturally diverse community

• Undertake a survey with culturally diverse members of the school community to understand how the school can improve communication within these communities.

6.    Engaging our with new families

• Establish a buddy system for new families - both with those joining in prep and families new to the school . The system would involve holding morning tea mornings with a small group of parents so they can ask questions of existing parents on what they can expect when their child starts school and sharing contact details should the new parents have additional questions.

The School Council voted unanimously to support all of six of these recommendations. Discussions however need to be had with Sally and the teachers about the resources that would be required to make recommendations 3 & 4 possible. These are operational matters, not governance related. Sally and the teaching community will report back to the School Council at the next meeting on how these recommendations can be pursued and what resources they may require.

The Communications Sub-Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in the survey, as your feedback will help shape the way in which the school communicates in the future. Thank you.

Communications Sub-Committee Report, 8 August 2016

Meeting No. 2  8 August 2016

From Biz – E - Kidz Sub-Committee & School Council Committee. August 2016

Biz – E - Kidz program clarification

There seems to be some confusion around the 2017 Biz – E - Kidz program following the report in the previous newsletter (2 August 2016).  The School Council and the Biz – E - Kidz committee would like to provide additional information and clarify the number of positions available in next year's program.

The NMPS Biz – E - Kidz program is currently licensed to accommodate 165 children per session - that is a total of 825 available places across all sessions of after school care per week.  This licence is based on space available within the school, resourcing levels to child ratio, safety consideration and overall logistics.

The proposed 2017 program is based on keeping the program numbers the same per afternoon session, including 30 preps per afternoon session in a separate transitional program. The prep transitional program was successfully implemented for the first time this year with a similar number of children, and was praised by parents for successfully equipping children to adjust from childcare/ kindergarten to after school care. 

The Biz – E - Kidz subcommittee have explored many options to determine how best to accommodate the demand for this well-managed, and fun-filled OSHC program.  The School Council support this proposal, and believe that it is the best way to accommodate the increasing demand for this service, while not compromising the safety of our children and the quality of the care provided.

Report from Meeting on the 15 July 2016

B+G Committee - New Demountables Update

Following the first B+G Committee meeting for Term 3 on Friday 15 July, we have chased up the following direct progress update from the Builders and DET Project Manager.
 
Current Status

Both demountable buildings have been built off site and are currently taking up space in the Builders factory, awaiting delivery to site.
Melbourne City Council (MCC) have yet to issue the Building Permit, required due to the size of the project, which is required before construction on site can start. MCC are not able to confirm a date for final issue of the Building Permit, but the DET Project Manager anticipates it will be weeks not months.
The Builder and DET Project Manager have advised that once they can start on site, the first building will be ready for occupation by the school in 3 weeks. Work on the second demountable will then follow and take another 3 weeks to be ready for use.
Reasons for Delay
Site surveying and relocating existing underground services, including sewer pipes and higher water table conditions, has been more complex than anticipated. This has required more detailed engineering design and documentation to be approved and submitted to MCC prior to Building Permit Issue.
DET have requested a Staged Building Permit from MCC, to enable the school to occupy the first demountable as soon as possible, rather than wait for construction of the second demountable. This requires more detailed safety procedures to be in place and documented for council approval, which has added to time to the Building Permit approval process.

Stayed tuned for further updates from the B+G Committee and School Council as news comes to hand.

Action from Meeting on the 15 July 2016

Meeting with Minister Merlino's Representatives in the coming weeks.

At the end of last term the School Council wrote to the Minister urging him to visit our school and experience first hand the current enrollment pressures. We are pleased to report that we have had a response from the Minister, and that we will be meeting with representatives from the Minister and the Department in the coming weeks. We will report on the outcomes from this meeting shortly.

Contact for Communications Committee

Megan Cusack - convenor (meganjcusack@gmail.com)
Gen Kelly - genjack@gmail.com
Kris Mrksa - krismrksa@gmail.com

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Council Report 15 July 2016

School Security

At the last School Council meeting, members considered the matter of gate locking and school security. Although the importance of keeping the school grounds secure was acknowledged, it was also noted that this must be balanced against the need to comply with emergency evacuation requirements. Both the Department of Education and the relevant emergency services recommend against keeping all gates locked during school hours.

The ideal is to minimise the number of gates left open during the day, so Council resolved to adopt a policy of gate locking based on this approach, and to distribute a map of the grounds to the wider school community, detailing which gates will be open. The map is provided at the start of this report.

21st Century Learning Presentation

School Council also enjoyed a fascinating presentation by Year 4 teacher, Anna-Marie Low, a member of the NMPS leadership team, concerning 21^st Century Learning, and the New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning ideals that are being adopted as the new school curriculum is evolved and implemented.

This included an in-depth look at the ways in which the school is striving to teach the skills that will be needed by our children in the technologically transformed society of the near future, grounded in the latest evidence based pedagogies. Interested parents can read further at:

http://npdl.global

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/deeplearning.aspx

http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/deeper-learning

School Council Meeting on Enrolment Pressures

In the wake of recent media attention concerning the school’s enrolment pressures, Council also convened an extraordinary meeting, and the recommendations of that meeting were brought to the wider Council. The Council acknowledged that, while the imminent provision of new portable classrooms would alleviate immediate pressures, longer-term solutions are still required. To that extent, Council finalised a letter to the Minister, highlighting our situation and inviting him to visit the school to discuss our situation.

The best result for NMPS would be a new school in the inner North, and Council urges parents to continue to advocate for this, by writing to the minister and voicing your concerns. Contact details for James Merlino are:

Postal Address
MINISTERIAL OFFICE:
Level 3, 1 Treasury Place,
East Melbourne Vic 3002

GPO Box 4367,
Melbourne Vic 3001

Ministerial Address
Ministerial Office, GPO Box 4367, Melbourne Vic 3001

Ministerial Email: james.merlino@parliament.vic.gov.au