From the School Council
It seems amazing that we are at the end of the term already. It seems to have flown by and it has certainly been eventful although, I hope as you reflect over the past 10 weeks, the impact on you personally and your children have not been too much.
No doubt you are aware of the events of the past few days precipitated by a group of parents voicing a number of concerns as outlined in the letter they circulated on Monday. Jenny Griffyn, on behalf on Council, spent many hours crafting a comprehensive response [distributed on Tuesday], which I believe answered the points raised. As requested a parent meeting was held to give parents an opportunity to further discuss the concerns and responses. It was a lively meeting with strong opinions and deep emotion expressed. Whilst receptive to the concerns, Council were deeply hurt and angered to see that parents present thought that we had not considered and planned for the future. No doubt this showed on our faces and in our replies. However, we are professionals and that professionalism was demonstrated as we again outlined our thoughts and ideas for the future. It is too early to state it as being the definitive plan but it is the framework we are working on for now.
For those unable to attend the meeting these can be summarised as: -
1. To continue to provide a Montessori education led by qualified and experienced Montessori classroom Directors.
2. To ensure the financial stability and continued viability of the school.
3. To be able to pay our staff appropriate rates comparable to or above those paid to State teachers of similar experience. Recent wage negotiations indicate that by 2011 a top of the scale will earn in the region of $85,000. This would apply to the majority of our teachers and is far in excess of their current level.
4. To appoint an educational leader[s] to be responsible for specific aspects of the educational direction of the school.
5. To work towards the appointment of a Teaching Principal at the end of 2009.
6. To ensure that all legislature and registration requirements are complied with working towards the re-registration of the school in 2010.
There are many other aspects that we are working on but it is not necessary to detail them all here. Garry and members of Council started work on the Strategic Plan for the next 3-5 years. This had stalled over recent weeks but is now being worked on again. It is hoped to present this to the school community by the end of the year.
Again the need for clear and effective communication was highlighted. In response to this I have: -
Created an email account for members of the school community to be able to communicate directly with the Council. The email address is CouncilRMSWA@gmail.com. This will be treated in the same way as paper correspondence in terms of confidentiality and response. Please feel free to use this address to voice questions, concerns, requests, praise…
If you would like to receive information electronically please let us know. We are trying to move into the21st Century and embrace technology.
Created a Blog. [I said we were moving forward] The blog will be a key source of information for the school. Minutes of meetings, newsletters, notices, term dates, pupil free days and numerous other pieces of information will be ‘posted’ onto the blog. It will take a while to get it running effectively and will certainly need some work to make it more visually attractive but over time it will develop into a user-friendly resource that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. The bonus for this is that parents who are overseas will still be able to see what is happening in their children’s lives. Later, with appropriate permissions, we may even be able to include photographs of classroom activities and events. The address for the blog is RockinghamMSWA@blogspot.com. Please take the time to visit it but be kind in the early stages, I am a novice ‘blogger’ and am learning as I go along. Kathy and Gaynor will also be beginners so please be patient! I hope you find it both interesting and useful. Let me know what you think and what additional information you would like posted.
One of the gravest concerns of the moment, and justifiably so, is the financial viability of the school. Much has previously been said about this so it is not ‘new news’. A finance committee has been established which is looking at all aspects of the school accounts. This has involved an enormous amount of work, often late into the night, reviewing accounts, considering options, preparing budget sheets and the accompanying reports…. The tasks go on. The biggest challenge facing the school at the moment is that of increasing revenue.
We are currently operating a school to accommodate 125 children i.e. 5 classrooms for 25 children each. We currently have around 90 children. This means, in theory we have room for another 35 children which could, potentially, raise around $280,000. That would have a huge, positive, impact on our financial status.
Unfortunately, as always, things are not that simple. A policy decision was made some time ago not to accept non Montessori trained children into Cycle 3. This severely reduces the number of students in that class until the natural progression from Cycle 2 works through to create a full class in 2 years time. It is a similar story in the Penguin class. There are currently 9 students enrolled. This class will expand as these students have birthdays and new three year olds join. Again we are looking at 2 years before the correct balance will be achieved.
Please note here that Dolphins and Seahorses are working at capacity.
Effectively in two years time most of our financial worries should be behind us. We will have purpose built classrooms, housing lots of new exciting Montessori equipment and resources and directed by highly trained, experienced Montessori staff. There is much to look forward to but in the short term we must operate within our means and trade through our problems. Council do not believe it is appropriate to increase fees again following the $50 per student increase in term 4. So my question to you is “How do we raise income?” What is the most effective way to gain additional revenue?
Ideally in 2009 a figure of $100,000 is what is needed. Please forward your ideas and proposals to the email address given above by the 31st October 2008. This is an opportunity for you to be part of the decision making process and Council look forward to your suggestions – and no we are not able to buy Lotto tickets!
We must fund-raise. This is a great problem-solver in principle but there are restrictions regarding the purpose of fundraising. We cannot fund raise to use for our day to day operating costs but we can for specific projects/programmes. It was noted during the parent evening that this year there have been limited fundraising activities. This is about to change. At the end of October we will be holding our popular quiz night, there will be a Christmas Disco and many people have expressed an interest in purchasing wine again. Many parents said that they had ‘contacts’. We will need prizes so please speak to these contacts and people in your social networks to source donations. At the same time sign them up to make a team. “Buy a table” and come and join in the fun. Nearer the time we will announce the specific project we are raising funds for and what our target figure for the evening is. Anyone who can help in any way is urged to contact Simon Dagnall, Vice Chair and Chair of the Fund raising sub-committee as soon as possible either in person [he is on Rainbow Club duty on Thursday afternoon] or via the new email address. Alternatively leave a message with Kathy and he will get back to you.
To return to the meeting where all of the above were discussed, it was a heated occasion. I understand that, by and large, people felt reassured and confident that Council have goals and targets that they are working to. Naturally some concerns remain and no doubt new worries will crop up but rest assured collectively Council are working incredibly hard to address all the issues faced. I write this it is 11.15pm and my task is not yet finished. One fellow Council member accurately described it as like working two full time jobs plus we are all parents with families to care for – and we don’t get paid for it either! We all volunteered and are happy to take on this responsibility but please bear this in mind after all we have a vested interest as we need the school to flourish for the sake of our own children.
So, overall there were a number of positive outcomes, several people offered to help in a range of capacities and Council will be contacting them in the next few days to take them up on their offer before they change their mind. As should be the case at the conclusion of all such events all parties shook hands [literally] and agreed to work together to move forward.
Whilst I do not think it is appropriate to specify individuals, nor was the process in accordance with our constitution, I thank the parents involved for voicing their concerns. Their actions allowed many people a further forum to express their views. I thank all the parents who attended the meeting; the most important aspect of all this is knowing that we have so many parents who care. Notes from the meeting will be available in the office when completed and they will also be posted on the blog.
So moving on….
I am pleased to be able to inform you that Council is currently discussing with Penelope and Candice the role of Educational Leaders. Specific responsibilities have yet to be finalised but Penelope will be the Educational Leader for Cycle 2 and 3 with Candice fulfilling a similar role with Cycle 1. This is a very important part of our school structure for staff, students, parents and Council. Again it will take a little time to get everything just right but please bear with us and be patient.
The Education Leaders also have a role if you have concerns relating to your child’s education. The school grievance procedure states that in the first instance you raise the issue with the classroom Director; if a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached you would go to the Principal with a final option being to raise the matter with Council. The Educational Leader replaces the Principal in this process. There is a further option, recently introduced at RMS but very common in other Montessori schools, to involve the Council representative for each cycle. Their role is to act as a listening/sounding board and to facilitate a resolution between the parties involved. It is very important that this process is followed to maintain the distance and separate the role of Governance and management.
It seems amazing that we are at the end of the term already. It seems to have flown by and it has certainly been eventful although, I hope as you reflect over the past 10 weeks, the impact on you personally and your children have not been too much.
No doubt you are aware of the events of the past few days precipitated by a group of parents voicing a number of concerns as outlined in the letter they circulated on Monday. Jenny Griffyn, on behalf on Council, spent many hours crafting a comprehensive response [distributed on Tuesday], which I believe answered the points raised. As requested a parent meeting was held to give parents an opportunity to further discuss the concerns and responses. It was a lively meeting with strong opinions and deep emotion expressed. Whilst receptive to the concerns, Council were deeply hurt and angered to see that parents present thought that we had not considered and planned for the future. No doubt this showed on our faces and in our replies. However, we are professionals and that professionalism was demonstrated as we again outlined our thoughts and ideas for the future. It is too early to state it as being the definitive plan but it is the framework we are working on for now.
For those unable to attend the meeting these can be summarised as: -
1. To continue to provide a Montessori education led by qualified and experienced Montessori classroom Directors.
2. To ensure the financial stability and continued viability of the school.
3. To be able to pay our staff appropriate rates comparable to or above those paid to State teachers of similar experience. Recent wage negotiations indicate that by 2011 a top of the scale will earn in the region of $85,000. This would apply to the majority of our teachers and is far in excess of their current level.
4. To appoint an educational leader[s] to be responsible for specific aspects of the educational direction of the school.
5. To work towards the appointment of a Teaching Principal at the end of 2009.
6. To ensure that all legislature and registration requirements are complied with working towards the re-registration of the school in 2010.
There are many other aspects that we are working on but it is not necessary to detail them all here. Garry and members of Council started work on the Strategic Plan for the next 3-5 years. This had stalled over recent weeks but is now being worked on again. It is hoped to present this to the school community by the end of the year.
Again the need for clear and effective communication was highlighted. In response to this I have: -
Created an email account for members of the school community to be able to communicate directly with the Council. The email address is CouncilRMSWA@gmail.com. This will be treated in the same way as paper correspondence in terms of confidentiality and response. Please feel free to use this address to voice questions, concerns, requests, praise…
If you would like to receive information electronically please let us know. We are trying to move into the21st Century and embrace technology.
Created a Blog. [I said we were moving forward] The blog will be a key source of information for the school. Minutes of meetings, newsletters, notices, term dates, pupil free days and numerous other pieces of information will be ‘posted’ onto the blog. It will take a while to get it running effectively and will certainly need some work to make it more visually attractive but over time it will develop into a user-friendly resource that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. The bonus for this is that parents who are overseas will still be able to see what is happening in their children’s lives. Later, with appropriate permissions, we may even be able to include photographs of classroom activities and events. The address for the blog is RockinghamMSWA@blogspot.com. Please take the time to visit it but be kind in the early stages, I am a novice ‘blogger’ and am learning as I go along. Kathy and Gaynor will also be beginners so please be patient! I hope you find it both interesting and useful. Let me know what you think and what additional information you would like posted.
One of the gravest concerns of the moment, and justifiably so, is the financial viability of the school. Much has previously been said about this so it is not ‘new news’. A finance committee has been established which is looking at all aspects of the school accounts. This has involved an enormous amount of work, often late into the night, reviewing accounts, considering options, preparing budget sheets and the accompanying reports…. The tasks go on. The biggest challenge facing the school at the moment is that of increasing revenue.
We are currently operating a school to accommodate 125 children i.e. 5 classrooms for 25 children each. We currently have around 90 children. This means, in theory we have room for another 35 children which could, potentially, raise around $280,000. That would have a huge, positive, impact on our financial status.
Unfortunately, as always, things are not that simple. A policy decision was made some time ago not to accept non Montessori trained children into Cycle 3. This severely reduces the number of students in that class until the natural progression from Cycle 2 works through to create a full class in 2 years time. It is a similar story in the Penguin class. There are currently 9 students enrolled. This class will expand as these students have birthdays and new three year olds join. Again we are looking at 2 years before the correct balance will be achieved.
Please note here that Dolphins and Seahorses are working at capacity.
Effectively in two years time most of our financial worries should be behind us. We will have purpose built classrooms, housing lots of new exciting Montessori equipment and resources and directed by highly trained, experienced Montessori staff. There is much to look forward to but in the short term we must operate within our means and trade through our problems. Council do not believe it is appropriate to increase fees again following the $50 per student increase in term 4. So my question to you is “How do we raise income?” What is the most effective way to gain additional revenue?
Ideally in 2009 a figure of $100,000 is what is needed. Please forward your ideas and proposals to the email address given above by the 31st October 2008. This is an opportunity for you to be part of the decision making process and Council look forward to your suggestions – and no we are not able to buy Lotto tickets!
We must fund-raise. This is a great problem-solver in principle but there are restrictions regarding the purpose of fundraising. We cannot fund raise to use for our day to day operating costs but we can for specific projects/programmes. It was noted during the parent evening that this year there have been limited fundraising activities. This is about to change. At the end of October we will be holding our popular quiz night, there will be a Christmas Disco and many people have expressed an interest in purchasing wine again. Many parents said that they had ‘contacts’. We will need prizes so please speak to these contacts and people in your social networks to source donations. At the same time sign them up to make a team. “Buy a table” and come and join in the fun. Nearer the time we will announce the specific project we are raising funds for and what our target figure for the evening is. Anyone who can help in any way is urged to contact Simon Dagnall, Vice Chair and Chair of the Fund raising sub-committee as soon as possible either in person [he is on Rainbow Club duty on Thursday afternoon] or via the new email address. Alternatively leave a message with Kathy and he will get back to you.
To return to the meeting where all of the above were discussed, it was a heated occasion. I understand that, by and large, people felt reassured and confident that Council have goals and targets that they are working to. Naturally some concerns remain and no doubt new worries will crop up but rest assured collectively Council are working incredibly hard to address all the issues faced. I write this it is 11.15pm and my task is not yet finished. One fellow Council member accurately described it as like working two full time jobs plus we are all parents with families to care for – and we don’t get paid for it either! We all volunteered and are happy to take on this responsibility but please bear this in mind after all we have a vested interest as we need the school to flourish for the sake of our own children.
So, overall there were a number of positive outcomes, several people offered to help in a range of capacities and Council will be contacting them in the next few days to take them up on their offer before they change their mind. As should be the case at the conclusion of all such events all parties shook hands [literally] and agreed to work together to move forward.
Whilst I do not think it is appropriate to specify individuals, nor was the process in accordance with our constitution, I thank the parents involved for voicing their concerns. Their actions allowed many people a further forum to express their views. I thank all the parents who attended the meeting; the most important aspect of all this is knowing that we have so many parents who care. Notes from the meeting will be available in the office when completed and they will also be posted on the blog.
So moving on….
I am pleased to be able to inform you that Council is currently discussing with Penelope and Candice the role of Educational Leaders. Specific responsibilities have yet to be finalised but Penelope will be the Educational Leader for Cycle 2 and 3 with Candice fulfilling a similar role with Cycle 1. This is a very important part of our school structure for staff, students, parents and Council. Again it will take a little time to get everything just right but please bear with us and be patient.
The Education Leaders also have a role if you have concerns relating to your child’s education. The school grievance procedure states that in the first instance you raise the issue with the classroom Director; if a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached you would go to the Principal with a final option being to raise the matter with Council. The Educational Leader replaces the Principal in this process. There is a further option, recently introduced at RMS but very common in other Montessori schools, to involve the Council representative for each cycle. Their role is to act as a listening/sounding board and to facilitate a resolution between the parties involved. It is very important that this process is followed to maintain the distance and separate the role of Governance and management.
As you will have heard and read Loret Strachen our Cycle 2/Middle Primary teacher has tendered her resignation effective at the end of the school year. Whilst we are saddened we respect her decision and will miss her dreadfully. We have begun the search for a replacement and will keep you informed as this process progresses. We will formally farewell Loret at a function at the end of term 4 to which you will all be invited.
I have written a great deal this time but I feel it was important to mention and include a
report. I conclude by expressing my thanks to every single member of the staff, Council and wider school community for their input, support and sheer hard work this term. We could not have done it without you.
Have a wonderful break and see you all next term – and keep checking the blog!
Marianne Harrison-Ismay
Chair
Rockingham Montessori School
No comments:
Post a Comment