Annual Community Meeting Newsletter

Many of our schools will be holding their Annual Community Meetings (ACM) in 4th term or early in the new school year. The purpose of the P&F ACM is to review the P&F committee membership and elect new members, thank those who are stepping down, report on income and expenses for the year, and provide an overview of work of the P&F and volunteers over the course of the school year...and celebrate it.

We understand that Annual Community Meetings can feel a bit overwhelming at times. There are several processes that have to be followed, and there are also certain reports that need to be presented and tabled. To assist P&Fs to navigate the ACM requirements, CSPWA have reviewed both the P&F Terms of Reference and P&F Terms of Reference Guidelines and summarised everything you need to know in to this ACM Guidelines document.

We also have a template agenda available to guide you on the proceedings of the meeting, and a sample nomination form.

If you are coming to the end of your term as committee member and are starting to think about handover, CSPWA have developed a check list to guide you through the important information that should not be overlooked as you support someone into their new role. 

This check list is updated every year as new information or requirements regarding Parent Groups becomes available. This year we have included a step reminding P&F groups to set up their new CEWA approved email addresses and ensure the existing Chair, or incoming Chair is linked to the email address. For more information on how to set up these email addresses (the school must initiate the first step), please see the next article in this newsletter.

To access the handover check list, please click here.

If there is something you have identified as missing on this list through your process of handover, please let us know so we can include it.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, all Parents & Friends (P&F) Committees in CEWA schools now have access to a CEWA-approved email address for official correspondence.

Starting in Term 1 2026 CSPWA will use these P&F email addresses to:

• Share important updates and event information
• Seek feedback from parents for our work in advocacy and representation
• Provide correspondence for your next P&F meeting agenda

These email addresses must first be set up by the school office. Once created, they are assigned to the P&F Chair, who will manage the account. Instructions for both the school’s IT Admin contact and the P&F Chair were sent to Principals via a Prime Memo on 31 January. For convenience, we’ve reattached those instructions below for anyone who may have missed them.

P&F Email Address Instructions

The format of the email address is: [school code].pnfchair@cewa.edu.au

When the P&F Chair comes to the end of their tenure on the committee, their access will be removed, and the incoming P&F Chair will be assigned to the email address. This ensures continuity, allowing all correspondence and documents to remain accessible to the P&F Committee over time.

The lead up to your Annual Community Meeting is an ideal time to set up the new email addresses and ensure that the ongoing, or incoming Chair is allocated to the email as part of the handover process after the ACM.

We encourage all schools to complete setup ASAP to ensure a smooth transition. If you have any questions please reach out to our office. If we are unable to answer them, we can consult with the CEWA IT Team, who developed the addresses for us. 

The P&F Terms of Reference states that one of the functions of the P&F is to conduct an annual P&F event planning session, in consultation with the Principal, to establish the focus for the year ahead. The plan will include the committee's goals for the year and how they will be achieved.

The plan must be presented to the P&F members for endorsement and noted in the minutes of the P&F meeting. The planning meeting usually occurs after the Annual Community Meeting, in preparation for the year ahead.

To assist you with organising a planning meeting, CSPWA have put together a short list of things to consider:

Who to invite:

• Members of the School Leadership Team as nominated by the school Principal.
• Members of the School Advisory Council as nominated by the SAC Chair.
• Parent leaders from the P&F (preferably the four Office Bearers).
  Ideally there would be similar numbers representing each group to ensure fair representation.

How often should you meet:

• Number of meetings to be determined by the group - one annual meeting, one per term or one per semester.
• Meetings will be chaired by (to be decided by group).
• Meeting quorum will be half plus one with at least 2 members from each school leaders group.
• Decisions ideally to be made by consensus (i.e. members are satisfied with the decision even though it may not be their first choice).
• Meeting agenda and minutes will be provided by (to be decided by group).

Roles and Responsibilities of the group (To be agreed to by the group but could include):

• Fostering collaboration.
• Maintaining a focus on the groups aims and objectives and in particular, the outcomes.
• Committing when at all possible to attending the meetings of the group which can be in person or through virtual means e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.
• Sharing all communications and information across all group members.
• Making timely decisions and taking action so as not to impede the work of the group.
• Championing the group’s work, internally and externally.
• Notifying the group, as soon as practical of any matter that arises which may affect the work of the group.

Volunteering on school parent groups not only contributes substantially to our school community, it also provides significant benefits to us as volunteer parents and carers, and to our children. Volunteering and being engaged in your child's education can have a positive impact on their wellbeing, their attitude toward school, and the school community as a whole. Other people will see the good work you are doing and may like to join in.

Benefits to us as parents and carers can include:

• Modelling positive behaviour for our children
• Gaining new skills and confidence
• Fostering a strong sense of community within the school
• Sharing the load amongst many
• Co-responsibility- Everyone has a responsibility to the common good
• Getting to know the Leadership Team and Teaching Staff
• Spending time with our children

Benefits of being involved for our children can include:

• Children are more prepared to start school
• Children have better attendance at school
• Children and teenagers are more likely to stay at school longer
• Students have higher graduation rates
• Students score better results and test scores
• There is a greater ability for students to manage their emotions
• Children have better social skills and wellbeing
• Students have more consistent completion of homework
• Students have better transitions to high school
• Students have more realistic planning for their future after high school

If you are having trouble attracting volunteers for events or to take on Office Bearer roles, please see our volunteering resources; Why Join Your P&F or How to Attract More Office Bearers.

The P&F Terms of Reference and Terms of Reference Guidelines are very useful documents for P&F Committee members, and any parents or carers who are interested in joining the committee or wishing to know more about how the P&F operates in a Catholic School environment. 

The Terms of Reference (ToR) outlines the functions of the P&F, membership and voting rights, the Annual Community Meeting and the election of committee members, guidelines for P&F meetings, financial management of P&F funds, and advice around communicating to the wider school community.

The Terms of Reference Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the ToR, and provides examples of the types of activities the P&F can get involved in, clear definitions of the various types of membership and detailed role descriptions of the Office Bearers/Committee Members, an Annual Community Meeting summary and election process, notes on the proceedings of regular P&F meetings, and guidelines for the P&F Annual Plan and Budget.

The P&F Terms of Reference Financial Practices Guide is a resource for Treasurers but is also helpful for the other committee members to be familiar with. It covers the P&F bank account, P&F levy, receipts and payments including P&F donations to the school, petty cash, floats, GST implications and guidelines for how to report on P&F finances. There are also several templates available to assist Treasurers with processing payments and invoices and providing reports, including an annual report at the Annual Community Meeting. If you would like to access these templates, please reach out to our office on 9338 9985.