Community Council

Council Executive

The Council Executive Group is at the heart of the Community and provides the opportunity for members of the School, Parish and Archdiocesan Communities to support the mission of Catholic education in St Monica’s. Working with the Parish Priest, Principal and Staff, Council Members provide leadership to the School Community.

The Council Executive Group has a decision-making role in certain policy areas and an advisory role in others. The policies of the School are always set within the wider mission of Catholic Education. In the area where it has responsibility for the development and monitoring of policy, the Council operates within the policy and procedures determined by the Catholic Education Commission (CEC) and the Catholic Education Office (CEO).

The Principal has responsibility for the day-to-day leadership and management of the school.

Community

Key parents and/or parent groups in the school play a pivotal role in the new more decentralised structure by committing to actively supporting or coordinating one or two initiatives throughout the year – in this way helping spread the workload. This may take the form of:

  • Coordinating or supporting one of the events set in the Annual Fundraising and Social Calendar eg the Fete;
  • Providing services eg helping in the Library and /or Canteen, coordinating or serving on the Mother’s Day stall or School Discos, operating the Uniform Shop or doing the behind-the-scene accounting work for a particular activity;
  • Providing support for school programs eg Literacy and Numeracy Programs and a range of co-curricular sporting initiatives including the walkathon;
  • Providing support in the Classrooms in an area of special interest or expertise eg Asia Projects; and
  • Supporting the raft of issues and initiatives that arise in the course of a school year.

Committees

  • The Council Executive may appoint committees as it deems necessary and appropriate depending on local school circumstances and in accordance with local need.
  • Committees will be represented at each of the Council Executive meetings and as such, these committees are not separately constituted bodies.
  • The Council Executive, in consultation with parents, will determine the responsibilities and accountabilities of these committees and the duration of the operation of each committee.
  • Committees are appointed and dissolved at the discretion of the Council Executive.
  • A committee is answerable to and will communicate its advice on recommendations only to the Council Executive.
  • At least one (1) member of the committee will be appointed as the contact person for that group, and as such is eligible to attend the Council Executive meeting.
  • The committee contact person does not have voting rights on the Council Executive.
  • Membership of committees is determined by need and availability of parent members.
  • The Council Executive will set terms of reference for each committee.

Beyond the examples outlined of specific and much needed support all parents play a general support role by:

  • Actively engaging and participating in the life of the School;
  • Providing input on parent priorities and suggest ideas about Catholic schooling; and
  • Supporting the Council Executive and its policies.