Our annual Policy Conference will accompany tonight's General Meeting from 7pm at the Centre for Teaching and Learning in Stirling. We'll be discussing changes to Council policy which has been updated and reorganised. You can read the draft updated version or check the table of policy amendments to see what changes are proposed. Everyone is welcome!

Council has been working on ways to help P&C treasurers find suitable auditors that do not cost a fortune. We have developed a short workshop on how to audit a small P&C. The aim is to train treasurers to be capable of doing the minimum audit necessary for a small P&C so that treasurers from near-by P&Cs could audit each others' accounts and avoid having to pay for expensive auditors.

This free workshop is on Thursday November 10 from 7-9pm at our Hackett office meeting room (100 Maitland street).  If you'd like to come, please let us know.

ATODA (the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT) is running a community information forum for parents on Young People and Alcohol on November 15 and 16. Find out more about alcohol use among secondary students and the risk of harms, as well as what parents, carers and community members can do to reduce harm. Strategies and useful resources will be provided on the night. The session will involve a 40-minute presentation by expert drug and alcohol trainer, Annie Bleeker, followed by an open forum for questions.

The event is free and all parents are welcome, but registration is required. Please feel free to share the event flyer with your school community. For further information contact Asmara Jammali-Blasi.

New resources have been created to help families understand how the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can support children. The Early Childhood Early Intervention resources, include a website, brochure and case-study video. They explain the importance of early intervention and take parents through the journey step-by-step to show how the process works and what parents can expect.

Kids love to draw? How about helping to illustrating a kids' book in this unique competition from Wombat Books. They are seeking original illustrations from Australian school-aged students to create a unique picture book by Aleesah Darlison. Winning illustrations will be published in the book titled Yay! It's Library Day, due for release in 2018. Successful illustrators will receive copies of the book and a $50 book voucher. There may even be opportunities for them to illustrate work in the future! Entries close February 28, 2017.

The Federal Government has launched a new website with a great range of information to support student wellbeing. On the Student Wellbeing Hub, parents will find advice and information to help support their child and build positive communication with their school.  Students will find age-appropriate information, advice and games that build their understanding and skills. There are also classroom resources and professional learning modules for teachers.