The Artarmon Public School P&C has always been an important part of the school’s life. It has several functions –

• Passing information from the staff to parents –recent & planned activities, policy changes etc
• Providing a central meeting point for the various committees that aid in the smooth running of the school - band, canteen, garden, social/fund-raising, multi-cultural, sustainability, traffic, and uniform
• Fund raising
• Major projects
• Suggestions and feedback

 

P&C major projects have contributed greatly to the school’s resources - many current parents might not be aware that the computer room and a class room were built by the P&C using P&C funds. Besides capital works, the P&C contributes to the actual operating cost of the school, not only in direct ways by buying new text books, but also by paying for more mundane activities such as photocopying.

 

The P&C has an annual budget of approximately $125,000, typically allocated as follows:

• $20k Library
• $25k KLA
• $25k Resource & Admin
• $24k Special teaching projects
• $5k Band
• $20k Major projects

 

The P&C therefore underwrites the school’s operating budget by $100,000 per year, in addition to improving its capital infrastructure.

 

The P&C achieves this through the work of parent volunteers, the more we have the less there is for any one person to do. We can always find a task small enough to fit into your available time.

 

Our major projects of recent years include:

• A Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA) in the Infants School. This is underway and we expect construction to begin in First Term 2008.
• A COLA in the Primary School.
• Refurbishment of old classrooms and installation of additional storage space.
• Installation of air-conditioning in all class rooms and common areas.
• Installing play equipment in the Infants School
• Purchasing computers & related equipment
• Construction of a two-storey brick computer room and classroom

 

Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday in the primary school library, at 8pm.

We hear reports from the school executive (Principal, Deputy Principal, and Assistant Principals), from the P&C committees, and discuss general business. The meeting is followed social drinks and nibblies.

 

 

Stuart Moffat

President, 2009