23 March 2017

Newsletter Articles

A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

We are coming very quickly towards the end of Term 1. I hope you have all survived and are looking forward to the Easter break and to the wonderful celebration of Easter and the Resurrection.

Thank you to the P & Fs/Schools that have responded very quickly to the Parent levy invoice. We appreciate your support and we await payment from others so that we can continue our important work on your behalf.

I have been travelling around the state in the past few weeks and I have become increasingly concerned about some of the issues being discussed with me about fundraising and funds held by Parents & Friends Associations.

The reason for the existence of a P & F is to support your school. Without the school the P & F would not exist. Our schools are about improving learning for all children and young people in that school – so that should also be the purpose for P & F and how we should focus our activities. Each school has a strategic or school improvement plan which is devised through community consultation and so this should be used by the P & F as their guidelines.

Any fundraising that is done should only come from an idea that will purchase or fund something that supports learning and is in line with the strategic plan. We should be very clear with our community, when we are holding a fundraising event, what those funds raised will go towards. There is an expectation that these funds will be expended in the year they are raised. All spending must be agreed to by the Principal of the school as they are best placed to know what is needed and also they must manage the school and what is purchased for the school.

This spending of funds also includes those P & Fs that are the recipients of a P & F or fundraising levy on school fees. Parents expect, when they pay these levies, that this money will be spent in that year for the benefit of their children.

If you have a project in mind that you are saving funds for, this must be clearly communicated to your school community. You should regularly update parents about the amount of funds held, how you are going towards the target and a projected timeline for reaching the target.

I am also aware of P & Fs holding significant funds in their bank accounts with no purpose or reason for holding these funds i.e. no project in mind. These funds must be spent as we are a not-for-profit organisation and should not be accumulating funds without good reason.

Discussions have also included information that some P & Fs will not provide the Principal with funds requested for particular items or assistance to the school as they think they do not fit in the role of the P & F. We have no rules around what should and should not be funded by P & Fs – if we have funds we should spend them where they are most needed in the school and this could be anything from maintenance, to building projects, reading books, seating etc. - just whatever is needed.

The P & F should have a good relationship with the Principal (who is after all member of the P & F Executive). It is not the role of the P & F to refuse to hand over funds to the principal for items they request and just to hold funds for a rainy day – this is not what the community expects. Principals are education leaders who are concerned with your children’s learning and only ask for things that will enhance this learning or make the school a better environment for learning.

Each P & F executive in conjunction with the Principal should have an annual plan that sets out what they are doing and spending in that year i.e. have a budget that is agreed with school leadership.

If you have any questions about any of this please contact the Federation office and we will be happy to discuss with you.

Carmel Nash, Executive Director

The Joint Parent Committee with Minister Kate Jones

The Joint Parent Committee including The Federation of P&F Associations Qld; P&Cs Qld; QISPN (Qld Independent Schools Parents Network) and the ICPA (Isolated Children’s Parent Association) recently met with Minister Kate Jones.

FOR YOUR P & F

Arch/Diocesan Council AGMs

An important part of the Federation are the Diocesan Councils in each of the five Diocese. These councils, made up of parents from schools in the diocese, provide an important link between local schools and the Federation State Council. They are a great source of information for those at the local school who attend the meetings. So take some time and attend a meeting in your diocese.

The Arch/diocesan councils are in the process of holding their AGM’s in various forms.

Brisbane Archdiocesan P & F AGM – 5.30 for 6pm Start Thursday 30 March

St Rita’s College, 41 Enderley Road Clayfield Qld 4011
Light meal will be provided. No cost

Guest Speaker: Madonna King introducing her new book Being 14 which can help you understand how your daughter is feeling what she's thinking and what you need to do to help her navigate her tricky teens to become an awesome woman.

GREAT INFORMATION ON P & F WEBSITE

*Please note that we can only lend to Brisbane Schools.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Ministerial Announcement: Meningococcal ACWY Vaccination Program

Meningococcal Vaccination

More than 300,000 eligible 15-19 year old Queensland teenagers will have access to a free, four strain meningococcal vaccination (including meningococcal W) from Term 2 of the current school year.

PARENTING

The Real Story About The ‘Pass Out Challenge’ or ‘The Choking Game’

A not so new fad has made its way into the public eye; the “Pass out Challenge” has been around since 1995 but recently has surfaced as a real issue in today’s teen and preteen social circles…The best way to protect children from this potentially deadly game is to know a few things.

Deepening Parent-Child Relationships Through Loving Touch

We tend to recognize the fact that babies need lots of loving touches. We hold them against our skin. We carry them next to our heart. We soothe them by gently smoothing their hair or massaging their tiny hands and feet. But as they grow, we may not consider how often we touch, how we touch, and the importance of touch.

In fact, there’s research that shows that positive touch can have powerful effects and those findings have significant implications for family life.

“We use the ‘X-plan’ in our family. The lifeline that our kids are free to use at any time.”

I still recall my first time drinking beer at a friend’s house in high school—I hated it, but I felt cornered. As an adult, that now seems silly, but it was my reality at the time. “Peer pressure” was a frivolous term for an often silent, but very real thing; and I certainly couldn’t call my parents and ask them to rescue me. I wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.

As a teen, forcing down alcohol seemed a whole lot easier than offering myself up for punishment, endless nagging and interrogation, and the potential end of freedom as I knew it.

For these reasons, we now have something called the “X-plan” in our family. This simple, but powerful tool is a lifeline that our kids are free to use at any time. Here’s how it works:

Parents as Servant Leaders

Parents, by the very nature of our roles, serve in a leadership position while we raise our children. A servant leader realizes that his or her ability to significantly influence others and achieve any vision comes from serving others.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT

13 Children’s Books That Encourage Kindness Towards Others

Kindness is one of the most important character traits, but sometimes kids need an extra reminder about the best ways to be kind to others or why kindness matters. These books provide that reminder in creative and appealing ways. Happy reading!

Bullying In Focus at the ABC

The ABC focuses its programing on bullying awareness this month. Find a range of advice and information at the ABC Bullying webpage, including this Splash list of ten articles – for parents and teachers – about recognising signs of bullying, and the action that can be taken.

FUNDRAISING

Classroom Calendars

Classroom Calendars provides a valuable service to our student, parent and staff communities. Their highly practical product encourages time management for students and allows for an effective communication channel between the College and our families…

Sand Art Activity as a Fundraiser for your school - Setup and run your own stall

Sand Art is a fun and creative activity that will have children/adults enthralled and amazed at their own talent. There are no mistakes and they are only limited by their own imagination. Be as colourful and bright as you like. Hours of fun for boys and girls of all ages, Sand Art is a great activity to do on your own, or with a whole group of friends.

Art is important to the development of all children but it is particularly valuable for children and adults with disabilities. When creating sand art the child or adult is building a wide variety of skills, both motor and cognitive. The various sensory experiences involved in sand art are positive and pleasurable sensations.

The activities include colouring a picture card with coloured sand or filling a sand bottle with layers of coloured sand.

This is a great activity to set up at all school fetes, fairs or festivals.

The schools that make the decision to include a sand art stall as a fund raiser at their fetes are blown away by how little effort it takes for such a good return. If there is anything I can help you with or if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

info@krusekreations.com.au
Kerry Kruse
M: 0404 878690
Located in Brisbane

Mother's Day Fundraising Inspiration Guide

Now is the perfect time to get organised for Mother's Day, and here we showcase a number of fundraising ideas as well as items you can order for your fundraising stalls

Fundraising Tip - Facebook Stalking

An increasingly powerful way to connect with potential supporters in your community is to engage with them via Facebook.

GRANTS

Our Neighbourhood Community Grants

Our Neighbourhood Community Grants form part of Australia Post's ongoing commitment to supporting the communities in which we operate. The program recognises the important role our smaller charities and community groups play in connecting people and positively shaping our nation.

OPPORTUNITIES

School Event Sponsorship – Sirromet Winery

Let us sponsor your event!

Reminder: Generation Next Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People Seminar

The Generation Next Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People Seminar on Friday, 26th May at the UQ Centre, University of Queensland is ideally suited for frontline professionals in the education, community and health sectors that work directly with young people as well as parents. It provides the most up-to-date information and addresses topical issues such as:

• Preventing depression
• Managing anxiety
• Mental health first aid
• Supporting a young person in their decision not to drink
• Understanding and managing anger and aggression
• Nurturing a healthy mind

More information and discount registrations are available online from:

Catholic Mission – Reach out – Give Life

Join us for the Mission: one heart many voices 2017 conference in May as we celebrate and identify the graces, the inspiration and the challenges of living the joy of the Gospel and God’s mission of mercy and leading mission in Australia and globally. This conference will explore Pope Francis’ vision for mission and is set within the spirit of the documents Amoris Laetitia, Evangelii Gaudium, Redemptoris Missio and Evangelii Nuntiandi.

Ways to pay less credit card interest

Many of us have credit cards these days – after all, they can offer a convenient way to purchase things. But the trick is knowing how to use your credit card effectively, to make sure it doesn’t get the best of you.

Simple tips to try

Take a look at the following tips to see how you can minimise the interest you pay on your credit card.

• Make regular payments to reduce the outstanding balance.
• Make more than the minimum repayment whenever possible.
• Pay your balance in full by the statement due date.
• To avoid interest payments altogether, use a card with interest free days and pay off the amount owing by the due date.
• Avoid cash advances as they don’t have interest free days.
• Avoid fees for being over your approved credit limit or for making late payments.
• Control your debt with 0% p.a. on balance transfers.

Consider one of our cards

If you’re struggling to pay off your current credit card, why not make the switch to one of QT Mutual Bank’s? Transfer your balance to either their Low Rate or Platinum Rewards MasterCard to take control of your debt. Both cards not only offer low fees and up to 55 days interest free, but they each come with a great balance transfer offer too.

Contact QT Mutual Bank on 13 29 30 to find out more, or visit the link below

Please note this article contains general advice only, and does not take into account your personal circumstances. We recommend you consider whether it is appropriate for you before making any decision regarding financial products.

QT Mutual Bank Limited (QTMB) provides customers with credit assistance in relation to the QTMB MasterCard. QTMB assists customers as part of our arrangements with the card issuer, Citigroup Pty Limited.QT Mutual Bank recommends you read the Terms and Conditions and the Financial Services Guide before acquiring any product. Eligibility criteria apply.

MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated.

Schoolzine

Schoolzine is proud to be a digital partner and supporter of Parents and Friends Federation.

Schoolzine has been an industry leader in digital school communications for 14 years. They are dedicated to customer service, product development and understanding the school landscape that keeps them at the top of the industry. Schoolzine’s Parent Engagement Platform consists of 3 packages, an eNewsletter, Mobile App and Website offering. Purchased separately or together, they guarantee each package will make engaging with parents easy and even enjoyable for a school of any size. Schoolzine addresses the need for media-rich, interactive content that engages parents.