P&C Positions

The CPS Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) aims to:

·       to promote the interests of the school by bringing parents, citizens, students and teaching staff into close co-operation

·       to assist in providing facilities and equipment for the school and in promoting the recreation and welfare of the students at the school

All parents and guardians of students enrolled at the school, and all citizens within the school community are eligible to be members or attend meetings. Further information is available at https://croydon-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/pandc.html

Volunteering to be on the Executive committee, a Coordinator or a member of a Subcommittee is a highly rewarding role with maximum contribution to your child’s school. We are forever thankful to those who put their hand up for these important positions. This document provides a summary of the CPS P&C’s Executive and Non-Executive leadership positions including responsibilities and estimated time commitments. These positions are elected at the P&C’s Annual General Meeting (in February) each year. These descriptions are intended as a guide only. Each role may vary depending on the individual that fulfils the position and the requirements of the committee at the time.

P&C Executive Positions

The President

The P&C President is a member of the P&C Executive and all P&C sub-committees. The President provides leadership and guidance to the P&C, and has overall responsibility for ensuring the successful functioning of the P&C, including achieving its objectives and operating in accordance with its Constitution and By-laws. The President will:

•      Establish and maintain active communications between the P&C, school, parents and community

•      Liaise with the school Principal on matters arising from the P&C Executive, sub-committee and P&C meetings to ensure decision and actions by the P&C are aligned with school priorities

•      Act as the P&C’s spokesperson/representative

•      Chair P&C meetings and Executive Committee meetings, ensuring open discussion and fair participation by all members

•      Watch for and declare any perceived and/or real conflicts of interest

•      Be informed of all sub-committee meetings and decisions

·       Be accountable for staff and operations

·       Encourage participation and inclusiveness

·       Oversee HR and business operations

•      Ensure P&C records are kept up-to-date

•      Ensure payments are approved for appropriate purposes

•      Be a signatory to P&C accounts

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position can fluctuate but on average requires a minimum commitment of 10 hours per month (including meetings)

The Vice President

The Croydon P&C Association has two Vice President positions.  The P&C Vice President is a member of the P&C Executive, and supports the President and other committee members in their roles. The Vice Presidents will:

•      Attend P&C and Executive Committee meetings and assist with issues arising

•      Provide support to the President and other executive members as required

•      Chair meetings in the Presidents absence

•      Become familiar with the operation of the P&C

•      Foster good communication between P&C, parents, school and community

•      Carry out duties delegated by the President

•      Provide input into collective decisions

•      Promote the P&C and the successes of the school to parents and the community

•      Act as an interim President if the President’s position falls vacant

•      Be an executive representative/member of a P&C committee

Expected Level of Effort: a minimum commitment of 5 hours per month, which includes attending the P&C and a committee meeting each month, considering information and discussions / decisions in between meetings.

The Treasurer

The P&C Treasurer is a member of the P&C Executive, and has overall responsibility for the financial management of the P&C, including all sub-committee accounts. A background in basic accounting is essential. The Treasurer will:

•      Manage the P&C’s accounts and financial accountability as a whole. This includes 3 areas - our Uniform Shop, Social & Fundraising Committee and the P&C itself.

•      Receiving and depositing money

•      Transferring money/paying invoices

•      Balancing accounts

•      Maintaining records in Xero

•      Ensure accounting is open and transparent

•      Ensure that the P&C has sufficient insurance coverage and renew the policy every year

•      Organising and being responsible for cash at events run by the P&C

•      Presenting reports at meetings including the audited financials at the AGM in February

•      Organising an audit at the end of each P&C Financial year

•      Lodge all statutory returns including ACNC annual statement and the NSW Federation of P&C Associations

•      Supports the Canteen Treasurer with payroll, ATO obligations and authorises all payments. 

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position can fluctuate but on average requires a minimum commitment 8-10 hrs per month, a little more when there are P&C events on to manage such as Mother’s Day Stall or Inner West Brick Fair.

The Secretary

The P&C Secretary is a member of the P&C Executive. The Secretary is the principal administrative officer of the P&C and has overall responsibility for accurate record keeping of the P&C’s operations. The Secretary will:

·       Prepare agendas and minutes of meetings

·       Communication with all members including agenda and minutes, P&C Federation emails

·       Attend every P&C meeting and Executive Committee meeting, and record and circulate meeting minutes

·       Maintain register of correspondence, receive and present incoming correspondence at meetings, and draft replies as required

·       Maintain members register

·       Be responsible for ensuring the P&C meets its obligations regarding Working with Children Checks (WWCC) including maintaining the WWCC register

·       Organise, record and maintain documents

·       Assist with other administration requirements of the P&C

·       Maintain contact lists for P&C position holders

·       Be a signatory to P&C accounts

·       Ensure currency of official records of the P&C, including the Constitution, By-laws, operating guidelines, register of financial (voting) members, meeting minutes, and meeting attendance sheets

·       Ensure website in maintained and up to date

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position can fluctuate but on average requires a minimum commitment of 8-10 hours per month.

P&C Non-Executive Positions (Subcommittee Chairs)

Social and Fundraising Chair

The Social and Fundraising Chair leads the coordination of events from concept to execution.  The Social and Fundraising Chair will:

·       Coordinate a fundraising program that best meets the needs of the community

·       Manage the event calendar for fundraising and social events

·       Plan and execute regular events with the support of the committee members

·       Coordinate venue, suppliers and other stakeholders with the support of the committee members

·       Ensure the fundraising and social events on behalf of the P&C are well-coordinated

·       Ensure effective staffing of events through volunteers

·       Submit proposals for major changes to social/fundraising events on the calendar to the P&C Executive, and subsequently at P&C meetings, for consideration and approval

·       Attend general P&C meetings and provide updates at P&C meetings on matters relevant to social/fundraising events

·       Communicate information about social/fundraising events to parents via the school’s fortnightly newsletter

·       Inform the P&C Executive of any matters of concern associated with any social/fundraising event

·       Chair sub-committee meetings

·       Notify the P&C Federation insurer 2 weeks in advance of each P&C fund raising event (including certificate of currency from any third party provider)

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position can fluctuate but on average requires a minimum commitment of 15 hours per month with greater amounts of time in the preparation and running of large events e.g. Inner West Brick Fair.

Canteen Chair

The P&C Canteen Chair overseas the running of the canteen including managing staff, chairing subcommittee meetings and liaising with other members of the canteen committee.  The Canteen Chair will:

• Liaise with Canteen Supervisors in day to day running of canteen (in person and via WhatsApp group) - 30 minutes per week minimum
• Management of canteen staff – annual performance reviews, interview and hiring of new staff if required, manage staffing queries, oversee contract updates
• Oversee and support staff in managing operational aspects of canteen e.g. issues with equipment or suppliers, changes to menu, issues with parents
• Communication between canteen staff and key stakeholders e.g. escalate issues to committee and/or school as appropriate, canteen paragraph for school newsletter, attend school orientation
• Chair meetings with the Canteen Committee once per term (1 - 1.5 hours) usually in the evenings and Supervisors 1 - 2 x per term (30 minutes - 1 hour) usually in the canteen during school hours - we discuss menu changes, Culture Clash, any issues with Supervisors, equipment requirements
• Attend P&C meetings and deliver a report for the committee (4 hours per term)

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position can fluctuate but on average requires a minimum commitment of 8-10 hours per month.

Uniform Shop Chair

The Uniform Shop Chair overseas the running of the uniform shop including stock ordering and management, liaising with suppliers and managing volunteers within the store.  The Uniform Chair will:

·      Ensure the Uniform Shop is well-run and provides high quality services to the parents and children of the school 

·      Ensure effective staffing of the Uniform Shop through volunteers 

·      Ensure efficient operations of the shop including Online Uniform Shop 

·      Communicate about the Uniform Shop regularly to parents via the school newsletter

·      Inform the P&C Executive of any matters of concern associated with the operations of the Uniform Shop

·      Organise for the Uniform Shop to be open at least twice per week

·      Fulfil customer orders received (in-store and online) 

·      Managing stock levels including ordering

·      Receive stock and check invoice matches shipment

·      Oversee and assist with training of volunteers 

·      Ensure that all invoices are checked for accuracy & submitted to Treasurer for payment 

·      Complete the annual stock take and liaise the Treasurer

·      Attend General P&C meetings and provide a report/update

·      Chair Uniform Shop subcommittee meetings as required

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position can fluctuate but on average requires a minimum commitment of 12 - 16 hours per month including meetings, with a little more for stock take, seasonal uniform change over and kindergarten orientation.

Diversity and Inclusion Chair

The Diversity and Inclusion is a new subcommittee endorsed by the P&C in May 2021. It aims to focus on recognising and celebrating the different cultures, languages, religions, abilities, gender identities, and family types of students at Croydon Public School (including sole parent/carer families, foster families and rainbow families). Some ideas for projects that the new committee might deliver include:

·       profiling different cultures each month through articles in the school newsletter

·       setting up a social network for families of children with different abilities and backgrounds who want to be connected

·       looking for ways to complement and support school activities marking diversity events like Harmony Day and Reconciliation Week

·       exploring the potential for community language classes to be offered before or after school

·       encouraging and supporting diverse families to participate in P&C decisions and activities

The Diversity and Inclusion Chair will help to establish and promote this committee, and drive the coordination of its projects and events along with other committee members. Parents/carers with diverse identities or backgrounds are strongly encouraged to nominate.

Since this is a new committee, there is scope for the first person in the Chair role to define how it looks in practice. As a guide, the Diversity and Inclusion Chair may be expected to:

·       Establish the Diversity and Inclusion Committee

·       Develop a communications strategy to engage with diverse families and students, understand their needs, and identify diversity and inclusion ‘champions’

·       Set up a social network for families of children with different abilities and backgrounds to opt in

·       Plan and execute regular events and activities promoting diversity and inclusion with the support of the committee members and in consultation with the P&C and school leadership

·       Ensure effective staffing of events through volunteers

·       Chair subcommittee meetings

·       Attend general P&C meetings and provide updates at P&C meetings on matters relevant to diversity and inclusion events and activities

Expected Level of Effort: The demands of this position will fluctuate but on average are expected to require a commitment of around 6-10 hours per month including meetings.