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More easing of restrictions
P&C activities
Density requirements are now reduced to 1 person per 2 square metres for all onsite activities such as canteens, uniform shops and contactless fundraisers.
Uniform shops can now book appointments for parents to come in for trying on clothes within school hours, with COVID-safe measures in place, and in consultation with the school.
P&Cs will still need a written COVID-safe plan for all events and services. We have updated our template plans and all the relevant information on our COVID Information for P&Cs page.
End of year events
Schools are now planning formals and graduations. Large gatherings are permitted, which should allow parents to attend, but planning will take some time before families are informed what the school's arrangements will be to manage the risks and meet the specific health guidelines.
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Handing over your P&C role
It can be a relief to hand over your role on the P&C to someone else, but if you are looking forward to this next year, please do take a little time to jot down the things you wished you knew at the start! To make this as simple as possible, we have template files describing the job of President, Treasurer, and Secretary, ready for you to fill in the blanks and customise for your P&C.
Our research shows that getting a good handover is not so common in our P&Cs and really makes a difference to what kind of year the new person has.
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Single-use plastics ban - straws
In July 2022, the ACT Government is looking to ban single-use plastic straws (along with several other items not likely to impact P&Cs). The ban would affect canteens, along with any other use of straws by P&Cs. Exemptions are planned for "those who need them". More info here.
Council met with the Government team implementing the ban to discuss the impact. They are looking for your feedback, particularly:
- What are the issues with a ban of plastic straws (eg for your canteen)
- If you are already using paper straws, how are they performing and what are the problems?
- What exemptions to the ban might be needed?
- What resources might your canteen/P&C need in order to let families at your school know about the ban?
You can send feedback to Council for us to collate and pass on, or you can fill in this quick survey about the proposed ban.
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It's AGM time!
Our November meeting is our AGM, and we'd love to see you there! We will be joined by ACT Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Yvette Berry, who will speak about the Future of Education in the ACT, post COVID.
After hearing from the Minister, we will elect new Council Executives and representative and quickly review the past year (check it out in our 2021 Annual Report), before getting back to usual Council business and any issues from P&Cs.
Council positions available, and how to nominate to join us, are detailed in the AGM papers (these were also emailed out this week). Contact Terry with any questions.
It's on at 7pm on Tuesday 23 November, via Zoom.
Please register in advance for this meeting and you'll be sent the link.
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 You are our mission
We've been busy drafting a renewed Strategic Plan for Council, looking forwards to 2022-2026.
The draft plan was discussed at our last General Meeting and we hope to approve the final version after our AGM.
Take a look at our Vision, Mission, Values and Goals.
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Call for Children's plan out of COVID
UNICEF Australia and ARACY we have issued a call for a National Children's Plan, as a key part of the pathway out of the pandemic. They believe that Australia's response to the COVID19 pandemic has insufficiently considered Australian children - with 'seismic impacts' on a generation creating urgent needs. You can see their priorities and join their campaign here.
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Congratulations Alison Elliot
Hearty congratulations to Council President, Alison Elliott, who was recognised in the ACT Children's Week Awards for her support of children in her role as P&C President at Macgregor Primary School. Alison is a worthy recipient and it's always lovely to have recognition of the vital roles P&Cs - and their volunteers - play.
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Vote for Parent Association in volunteering award
The Yarralumla Montessori Parent Association has been nominated in the Team category in the 2021 ACT Volunteering Awards! And voting is now open for the Canberra's Choice Award. This is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the importance of school Parent Associations. You can cast your vote online by 5pm Wednesday 17 November.
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Girls' Tech day
Calling girls and young women, aged 8-24, with an interest in technology! The AWS Girls' Tech Day has a free, fun-filled program to explore coding, robotics, cloud computing, problem solving, and more. This virtual event will take you on your very own space mission and you'll experience an all-star lineup of speakers, hands-on learning sessions, and fun activities. Boys can also participate. Educators and youth leaders can also participate with their classes and clubs.
The workshop activities are designed so that participants can go at their own pace, and participate on-demand as many times as they like between November 13 – December 13.
Check out the flyer and FAQ.
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Canberra playgrounds consultation
Have your say on the future of play spaces in Canberra. The ACT Play Space Strategy will guide the forward planning, delivery and management of play spaces, ensuring an equitable, inclusive, diverse and engaging mix of play opportunities across Canberra - and this is your chance to comment on draft priorities and actions.
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