The Belgian Gardens State School Parents & Citizens Association ('P&C') is a statutory body under the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 and is established under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 and Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017. Its membership consists of parents of students, as well as teachers, other employees, and community members, who all come together with the aim of helping the school to be the best that it can be. (We were in fact the 2019 P&C of the year in Qld!)
To do this, the P&C operates on three levels – volunteers, committee and executive – and there is an opportunity to get involved wherever and as much as you want.
Across these levels, the P&C operates in a number of different contexts, including recreational, operational, financial, service provision, employment, and governance.
The P&C is also a small to medium enterprise (SME), running two business units – the Tuckshop, and the Out of Hours School Care ('OSHC') – which together employ more than 20 people with an annual wage bill exceeding $600,000. Both of these business units provide essential services to the school community.
All of these endeavours help make BGSS as great as it can be, and we work closely with senior school management to this end.
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of the organisation and are often involved in events that the children can directly enjoy. Each year this can include:
- Our colour run, where the kids get to have a great time and celebrate the end of another term of school (and throw water and colour on the teachers).
- Our school disco, which is a free event the kids love. It's a 'friend-raiser' rather than a fundraiser.
- Athletics Carnival & Gully Ephemera, where our volunteers are involved in feeding the school community.
- The Mothers' Day, & Fathers' Day stalls, where kids can participate in a market environment.
- Our annual school movie night, where the school community can come together.
Our volunteers also help out in our tuckshop which is an essential service for our school.
Our committee meets twice a term, on the third Tuesday of each month. The school has a statutory obligation to have certain items approved by the P&C, and the committee is the centre of the P&C, and undertakes essential governance and strategy functions, including:
- Providing approval or endorsement as representatives of the parents for various school activities, such as excursions, camps, and academic award structures.
- Receiving the reports of the Principal, President & Treasurer of the P&C, tuckshop convenor and OSHC directors, and approving any requested items of expenditure.
- Approving individual requests, such as class requests for items like iguana terraria, or assistance for travel to represent the school at arts or sports events.
- Approving school requests to improve the amenity at the school. In the last two years the P&C has approved more than $100,000 of funding requests, including for:
- New refrigerated water bubblers;
- $10 000 for prep school readers;
- Japanese gardens;
- Shade sails;
- Bike racks;
- Concrete slabs;
- Donations for both music & sporting equipment;
- Help with year 6 camp & award books;
- Tuckshop renovations, including the shoal café where parents can enjoy a proper barista coffee; and
- Playground upgrades and repairs.
- Discussing strategic issues for the school as they arise.
The executive is composed of a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, who are elected every year in line with the P&C constitution. The executive act similarly to a board of directors, and bear overall responsibility for the P&C. The executive action the co-ordination and running of the volunteers and committee, and oversee:
- General governance and compliance, including arranging an annual external financial audit of the organisation;
- Functions, finances, and compliance of the tuckshop and the OSHC, noting that executive members are the designated approved providers for the OSHC service running at BGSS;
- Running the day-to-day business of the P&C, such as arranging payments for payroll and creditors;
- Liaising with school management to plan and achieve objectives in the best interests of the school and its students;
- Actioning any strategic directions set by the committee; and
- Reporting on these endeavours to the committee.
The executive delegates many of the day-to-day operational tasks to the P&C Operations Manager, Ms Rebecca Kelly, who is the most senior member of the P&C workforce. Rebecca is a former Treasurer of the P&C and has been instrumental in the operation of the P&C for many years.
Presently, the office of Vice President is filled by our Secretary on a temporary basis. The current members of the executive are:
- President: Ms Amanda Medill, JP Qual, certified celebrant. Amanda is a prominent local marriage celebrant, and a qualified JP with extensive governance experience in statutory bodies in the education sector.
- Secretary: Ms Angela Fortt, LLB (Hons). Angela is a litigation and dispute resolution lawyer and a Principal at Mackey Wales Law in Townsville. Angela has over 15 years' experience sitting on boards and committees and is a director and co-owner of an SME with approximately 25 employees.
- Treasurer: Associate Professor Luke Lawton BAppSc, MBBS (Hons) MPH FACEM GAICD. Luke is an emergency physician, associate professor of medicine at JCU and prior director of the Townsville University Hospital Emergency Department. He is also a qualified company director, and a board member of the Mackay Hospital and Health Board, the Emergency Medicine Foundation, and Zeus Austral Pacific.
We are looking to develop a succession plan for the executive committee and invite any interested members of the school community to reach out to us for more information. Our AGM is held in February/March each year and nominations for the executive can be submitted in advance or at the AGM.
Our approach to the P&C is to welcome everyone. We understand how busy everyone in our community is, and we do not place any obligation on our members. Rather, we invite every member of the school community to get involved wherever they can. Whatever you can bring to the Association that will enhance the schooling experience of our children is appreciated. Cooking the BBQ at the Athletics Carnival means all the kids have a good day and is just as valuable as reviewing the financial statements from our perspective.
So, if any of that sounds like something you might can get involved in, drop us a line (bgsspandc@outlook.com), grab one of us at school or come along to a meeting.
Kind regards,
The P&C executive.
2024 P&C Meeting Dates
The P&C meets on the third Tuesday of each month, during school term, at 6.00 pm in the Staff Room. Please see the dates below that have been set for the 2022 school year.
Dates are subject to change although notice will be provided to the BG community of any changes to this schedule.
TERM 1
February 20
March 19 – this is the AGM
TERM 2
April 16
May 21
TERM 3
July 16
August 20
TERM 4
October 15
November – this is usually a social meeting. Date to be confirmed.
2024 Fundraiser Calendar of Events
TERM 1
Easter raffle – drawn on parade Wednesday 27th March; free dress day Wednesday 27th March (raffles can be wrapped and drawn same day)
TERM 2
Mother's Day stall – Friday 10th May
Gully Ephemera – P&C food/tuckshop – Monday 17th June
Athletics carnival – sausage sizzle – Wednesday 19th June
Colour Run – Friday 21st June – event TBC
'ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS' – this will all be electronic only copies
TERM 3
Pie drive – Monday 29th July pie pick up
Disco – Thursday 15th August (two sessions P-2; 3-6)
Father's Day stall – Monday 26th August
TERM 4
Free Dress and hamper day – Tuesday 10th December