The Isabella State School Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association is pleased to introduce its newly formed executive committee for the upcoming year. As we step into 2024, we are reminded of the significant role that the P&C plays in fostering a supportive and enriched environment for our students, parents, and the broader school community.
Our P&C needs you:
Our P&C needs parents and community members to join us and contribute to our efforts. P&C Members of all walks of life bring diversity, passion and experience in many ways, and it is this diversity that would become our greatest strength. We need people who can think outside the box, generate ideas, ask questions, and put their hands up to help out. We are looking for people who care about the outcomes of the school and who recognise that we form an important part of shaping students experience at school. It is thanks to P&C that many costs can be reduced for families so that more students are able to participate in vital incursions and excursions.
Meet our 2024 Executive Committee:
President: Sarah Simpson
Sarah brings a wealth of experience and dedication to her role as President, with over 5 years' experience with P&C, Sarah is vital to our continuing success and stability.
Treasurer: Amy Nunns
Amy's professional experience in finance is a welcomed profile to the P&C Executive Committee, Amy brings fresh insights and perspective to our P&C.
Secretary: Angela Harvey
Angela's experience working at Isabella SS in KindyLinQ and Defence Mentor roles, brings a strong and steady working relationship with Staff and students throughout the school.
What is our focus for 2025?
The Isabella State School P&C has identified the following key initiatives for 2025 aimed at revitalising our association and further supporting our school community:
1. Increasing membership
The P&C is committed to increasing membership among students' parents and families, recognizing the vital role they play in shaping our school community. Parents bring valuable knowledge, diverse experiences, and fresh perspectives that ensure our decisions remain relevant and effective. By joining, families contribute to meaningful discussions, helping to create a supportive and inclusive environment for all students. Their input helps us stay connected to the evolving needs of our school, ensuring we make informed choices that benefit everyone. Together, we can build a stronger, more engaged school community that prioritizes collaboration, innovation, and student success. Join us today!
2. Strengthening community engagement
Our goal as a P&C is to strengthen community engagement, especially with students' families, to create a more welcoming, informed, and involved school community. We believe that when families feel connected and valued, students thrive. By fostering open communication, hosting inclusive events, and encouraging participation, we aim to build a supportive environment where every family feels heard and involved in their child's education. Strong family-school partnerships lead to better outcomes for students, and we invite all parents and caregivers to join us in making our school community stronger together.
Working Bee, Term 1:
It's not all fundraising with this P&C! In March the P&C held a hugely successful working bee, completing essential gardening, pruning, and litter collection around the school. A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and effort to help beautify our school grounds! Special appreciation goes to Prep teacher Miss Beth—her support and dedication made this event possible. We are so grateful for the wonderful community spirit and teamwork shown by all. Together, we're making a real difference for our students!
Name the Tuckshop & Uniform Shop:
Exciting news! The P&C, with the amazing support of local artist Philly's Art Creations, will be painting a mural across the school tuckshop and uniform shop. This project will add a personal touch to our P&C spaces, creating a warm, welcoming environment for students, staff, and families. To celebrate, we'll be holding an official naming competition and event between Term 2 and Term 3—stay tuned for more details. We can't wait to bring this vibrant transformation to life!
3. Fundraising
Christmas in July Raffle
Get ready—our Christmas in July Raffle is back! This is the P&C's very own unique raffle, with fantastic prizes to be won. The draw will take place on July 25, so don't miss out! Stay tuned for ticket details and prize announcements. Let's make this mid-year celebration a great success!
Mother's Day and Father's Day
The P&C is proud to continue hosting Mother's Day and Father's Day stalls—a tradition that may seem old-fashioned but holds deep value for our students. These stalls give all students the special opportunity to choose and purchase a heartfelt gift for a beloved family member. Watching students carefully consider their choices, thinking about what would bring joy to their loved ones, is a truly touching moment for any volunteer to witness. Gifts range from $1 to $10, making it accessible for all students. Best of all, every dollar raised goes directly toward funding school requests, including excursions and incursions.
Other events we are planning
- Car wash – Term 2
- Trash and Treasure sale
P&C Meetings 2025:
Are held Thursday Week 3 and Week 8 of each term from 6pm to 7pm in the Staff Room (behind the Main Office). Are you interested in coming along? You can come to any P&C Meeting without feeling pressured to join. These are great opportunities to see how we operate our P&C, and witness firsthand the genuinely respectful, cooperative and valued manner in which we conduct ourselves.
- Thursday 8 May, 6pm-7pm (Term 2, Week 3)
- Thursday 12 June, 6pm-7pm (Term 2, Week 8)
- Thursday 31 July, 6pm-7pm (Term 3, Week 3)
- Thursday 4 September, 6pm-7pm (Term 3, Week 8)
- Thursday 23 October, 6pm-7pm (Term 4, Week 3)
- Thursday 27 November, 6pm-7pm (Term 4, Week 8)
AGM (Annual General Meeting) 2025:
All Queensland state school P&Cs must hold their Annual General Meeting (AGM) by 31 March.
The Isabella State School Parents & Citizens Association held this year's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 6PM. As our P&C Association is still awaiting the auditor's report, the AGM was held-over and will be reconvened at:
AGM Date: TBC (Term 2)
All staff, parents and citizens of the Isabella State School community are invited to attend. Isabella State School's P&C's focus is to support the school, staff and students by providing funding for enhanced services, resources and improvements to the facilities of the school. At the AGM, there will be:
- A call for membership for this year
- The adoption of the updated 2025 Model P&C Constitution
- The endorsement of the 2024 Auditor's Report
- The endorsement of the 2025 Student Protection Risk Management Strategy
- Nominations and election of the 2025 Executive Committee. At every AGM all Executive Positions are wiped clean and positions declared vacant. These positions include: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and other potential positions (such as: Grants Officer, Fundraising/Events Coordinator, Communications Officer, Sponsorship Officer).
There is no expectation that everyone who attends the AGM will then join as a member. If you are interested in observing what happens at a P&C meeting, please come along.
Why P&Cs Are Vital to School Communities?
Parents and Citizens Associations are crucial to the vibrancy and effectiveness of school communities for several reasons:
1. Enhanced Educational Resources:
Our P&C often fundraises for essential resources that the schools might not be able to afford within their standard budget. This includes technology, musical instruments, sports equipment, and general improvements around the school. In 2023 Isabella SS P&C secured a $30,000 grant to install brand new playground equipment for Prep students.
2. Community Building:
P&Cs foster a sense of community among parents, teachers, and students. Joining your local P&C is a fantastic way to join a supportive network of passionate parents, staff and community members. Your contributions as a P&C Member will be recognised, respected and greatly valued.
3. Representation:
P&Cs serve as a collective voice for parents and citizens, advocating for school policies and practices that reflect the community's needs and values. Currently, due to our small size as a P&C, we do not feel that we are properly positioned to speak to on behalf of our school's large parent-body. We need more members to share their views and contribute to our agenda so that we can make a real and felt difference by our parents, students' and community.
4. Reducing costs for families:
Through our fundraising efforts, our P&C supports a wide number of equipment, subsidising extracurricular activities, school camps, excursions, or transport costs, ensuring that P&C plays its' part in supporting students access to a well-rounded education.
Do you see any opportunities to support P&C with achieving these goals?
Becoming a P&C Member is a valued and respected volunteer role. P&C recognises that every person who volunteers has limits. P&C will never ask more of its members than they can give, members set their time, their availability and offer to help where and when they can. Attendance at meetings is not mandatory and will not reduce your ability to be consulted on matters of importance. This P&C are dedicated to building a strong, robust P&C full of members who support initiatives where and when they can.
Opportunities to make improvements to the school are a negotiated process between P&C and School Leadership Team. Suggestions for improvements are an important way to capture new ideas. This is a great way that new members can help as everyone sees different avenues for improvements.
P&C Pop-Quiz:
Did you know? Isabella SS P&C are responsible for the school tuckshop and uniform shop. Profit from the tuckshop pays for the employment of the Tuckshop convenor and supporting casual staff, purchase of stock and operation costs.
Did you know? Thanks to previous Isabella SS P&C committees, every classroom was fitted with refrigerators to keep every student's lunch and water cool. The P&C are responsible for the ongoing maintenance and replacement of these refrigerators.
Did you know? P&C can apply for grants that the school are not able to. This makes a P&C a vital avenue of financial support to a school. Are you good at writing grants? We'd love to hear from you!
P&C Contact
You can contact Isabella SS P&C at: exec@isabellasspandc.onmicrosoft.com