School Council
School Council
School council play a vital role in the educational opportunity and outcomes of all students at the school. In essence, the role of school council is one of setting the long-term future for the school and maintaining oversight (not management) of the school’s operation. It is not about running the school – that is the job of the principal.
Three of the critical roles of the school council are; participating in the development of the strategic plan, approving the annual budget, and developing, reviewing and updating policies.
Other roles include:
School facility support
Fundraising oversite
Developing, reviewing and monitoring school policy
School community engagement.
School Council Members
- Mr Corey Jewell – College Principal
- Ms S Tenace – Parent Member
- Ms J Ryan – DE Member
- Ms L Golikidis – Parent Member
- Mr J Simpson – DE Member
- Ms B Tercan – Parent Member
- Ms L Forster – DE Member
- Ms J Stiffe – Parent Member
- Ms A Aakshi – DE Member
- Mr G Elsaadi – Parent Member
- Ms J McFarlane – Parent Member
- Ms M Topkoska – Parent Member
- Ms S Halabi – Parent Member
- Connor Koutros – Student Member
- Shiva Himmat– Student Member
- Deveraux Kalauni – Community Member
- Junior Lauina – Community Member
Meetings
School Council Meetings occur on the evening of the fourth Thursday of the month. Sub Committee Meetings occur on the afternoon/evening of the second Wednesday of the month.
Role of School Councillors
It is important for school councillors to be aware of their roles and responsibilities. For the School Council to operate effectively, school council members need to be able to work as a team, respect the different skills, knowledge and experience that each member brings to council, and share the workload and responsibility.
The council president and principal need to work cooperatively and, where necessary be prepared to acknowledge any personal differences to be able to work in partnership for the good of the school. Similarly, the school council president and the convenors of the subcommittees need to maintain respectful and cooperative relationships.
School councillors also need to be able to listen and ask the school community, and sometimes the wider community, about their views on topics that council might be considering.
Role of Sub-committees including Finance Sub-committees
Sub-committees are advisory bodies to the School Council and assist it in all the work that needs to be done. They report regularly at School Council meetings and provide advice and make recommendations to the School Council, which has the final responsibility for decisions.
Sub-committees are open to non-School Council members and therefore provide opportunities to involve many people in the school who are not members of the School Council.