Ithaca Creek has a culture and history of strong parental involvement in the School. Each year, hundreds of parents are involved in one way or another. Inside the classroom is one way, be it reading to students, assisting with art class or helping the learning program in some other way. Other forms of involvement relate to events and fund-raising, from helping at tuckshop (a great way to meet people), to providing goods for raffles and events, and running food stalls at our big events. As well, there is considerable scope for parents to use their work-related and professional skills, from such things as using business and management skills to run the sub-committee services; architectural/planning skills to assist with capital and grounds development; or grant-writing skills to access external funds.
Our philosophy is that all parents have something to offer, and something to gain, from being involved in the life of the School. In the great democratic tradition of public education, we also strongly believe that all parents are equally valuable, and that every contribution, whether it's helping at tuckshop or lobbying politicians, is equally important.
All parents at Ithaca Creek can be members of the Parents and Citizens Association. Incorporated by statute under the Education Act, there's a P&C Association in every school. The main role of the P&C is to assist the School, which is done through being the voice of parents on policy issues, and providing advice to the Principal from time to time on operational matters. On a practical level, the P&C is the body which organises events such as movie night, trivia night, and gift stalls for Mother’s and Father’s day. The aim of these events is two-fold. Community engagement is one aim, so that parents and kids can be involved in the life of the school, have a bit of fun, and get to know each other. The second purpose is to raise funds for the School. Such funds are allocated to the School annually and are usually spent on learning-related items which benefit the majority of students eg computer technology support, whole-school enrichment, or extra curriculum materials.
The P & C also runs some services such as the Tuckshop and Uniform Shop, Outside-School-Hours Care, and Swimming Club. The mechanism for running these parent-friendly services is via sub-committees made up of interested parents. These services have paid employees, as well as volunteer parents, and the sub-committees are there to manage the operation, and make sure the services remain viable, and useful for parents.
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) - we have before-school and after-school care, as well as vacation care for students, including pre-schoolers. It is located in the old hall, with employed staff including a qualified Coordinator. By keeping this service within P&C control, rather than out-sourcing it to a for-profit group, we are able to keep fees reasonable, and the service responsive to parents needs. The kids who attend do a mixture of activities such as craft, outdoor play, games etc. The activity program is less-structured than formal schooling, as the service aims to create a home-like and relaxed atmosphere.
Ithaca Swimming Club - this club has classes ranging from learn-to-swim to advanced squads and adult lessons. On Friday nights, Club Night runs from 6.30pm to about 8.30pm. The swimmers sign up in advance for various events, and compete to improve on their personal best time. Points are gained for improving on your own time, not for coming first. Thanks to the electronic timing and display system, swimmers can see their time up in lights immediately at the end of the race, and also whether it’s a Personal Best (PB). Instant feedback - just like the Olympics! For little kids, Club Night has 12.5m swim events, as well, so everyone can be involved and enjoy a Friday night BBQ.
Tuckshop and Uniform shop - two days per week, the Tuckshop is open for students to buy morning tea and lunch. The Tuckshop has a paid convenor who works with volunteer staff that assists with the preparation and selling of the food, and the selling of uniforms. As well as being a useful service for students and their parents, the Tuckshop and Uniform Shop are one of the main sources of fund-raising for the P&C allocation to the School, so helping out at these services is a fantastic way to contribute to the School. The kids love to see their parents working at Tuckshop.
There are exciting times ahead at Tuckshop with the new Healthy Schools regulations for Tuckshops being introduced in 2007.
We offer a special ordering service to those parents who cannot come to Uniform Shop which allows them to send in their order with payment and have the order delivered to their child’s class.
Tuckshop - Tuesday and Friday
Uniform Shop - Tuesday and Friday mornings 8.30am to 9.15am
One of the most significant projects the Parents and Citizens Association have undertaken in the past few years has been the 120th Anniversary Hall.
The large undercover area known as the 120th Anniversary Hall was completed in mid 2005. The hall was a long awaited dream for the school, achieved through the efforts of a sub-group of the P&C and the Principal, Wendy Neal.
The hall was funded by a combination sources which included a grant under the Smart School Subsidy Scheme, P&C funds and a loan taken out by the P&C for the balance of the funds (to be paid off over the next 10 years). Ongoing fundraising each year goes towards covering the loan repayment commitments each year.
The hall is well utilised by the school and has been the venue for many successful school events over the last year. The next stage of the hall includes plans for a small kitchenette and toilet facilities including a disabled WC. The money raised through the P&C Building Fund will go towards completing Stage 2 of the hall and other building needs of the school into the future.
