The Junior School Parents Association celebrates a year like no other!

A record number of participants attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Junior School Parents Association (JSPA), which was held on Tuesday 8 September on Microsoft Teams.

Meetings of the JSPA Committee have been held online since May 2020 with great success. Continuing to meet regularly using the available technology has proved invaluable for the Committee in maintaining a sense of connection. It has not only provided a regular forum to hear directly from Libby Russell, Head of Junior School Kew, but it has given the Committee the ability to share feedback about our experiences of online learning and life in lockdown.

The guest speaker at this year’s AGM was the Principal, Jonathan Walter. Attendees heard about the road ahead for Carey families in the context of the Victorian Government’s recently announced roadmap and Jonathan shared some valuable insights about the many benefits that have come from the School’s sudden transition to online learning. At the core of this is Carey’s ability to innovate and openness in seeking and responding to feedback.

Following Jonathan’s presentation, Libby Russell shared her observations about the online learning program and her plans for Term 4 and beyond in the Junior School. Following that, Libby took a moment to acknowledge the good work of the JSPA and thanked the outgoing Committee with special mentions to Priscilla Duncan, Geordie Nehme and Nicole Poustie.

Attendees then heard from the JSPA President and Treasurer with their insights from the 2020 year. There was much to celebrate and many great achievements in an “unprecedented” year. This was capped off with the JSPA confirming almost $10,000 in donations to a variety of carefully selected causes within the Carey community.

The final item of business for the meeting was the election of the 2020-21 Committee. Congratulations to the following people who were successful in their elections:

• President: Chrissy Margaritis
• Vice-President: Priscilla Duncan
• Treasurer: Ying Wang
• Secretary: Sarah Broadbent
• TryBooking Co-ordinator: Anne Bladeni
• ELC Representative: Marie Cellante
• Sausage Sizzle Co-ordinator: Cath McDiarmid
• Carey Angels Representative: Jane Batrouney
• General Committee Members: Suji Kim, Betty Zapris, Kimberley Hung, Melinda Li, Ilona Wilson, Weilan Jiang, Jodie Pallot, Sally Tucker, Nisvan Erkal and Kiraly Horton.

There are still some vacancies on the Committee, including the Co-ordinator roles for Communications, Class Representatives and New Families. If you would like to learn more about joining the Committee, please email Secretary Sarah Broadbent.

JSPA Team
jspa@carey.com.au

Feature image: the 2020 JSPA Committee in 2019