All together: Tregear Public School P&C vice-presidents Julie Creed and Cheryl Borg, with pupils Louis Coleman, Abigail Oliver, Ashley Wright and Jack Mullarvey enjoy being involved at the school. "I love knowing you're helping with their learning outcomes," Mrs Creed said. Picture: Gary Warrick
PARENT committee members who work hard behind the scenes at schools received much deserved credit last week.
Wednesday was State Parents & Citizens (P&C) Day.
Tregear Public School celebrated the day with a morning tea, award presentation to members and a visit from Chifley MP Ed Husic.
"We work closely with the principal," P&C vice-president Julie Creed said.
"We have a strong and supportive relationship.
"It's the school I went to as a student, my two children went too and now my grandchildren are there."
Jobs include being part of the interview panel when hiring potential staff and fund-raising.
"When you've got 500 kids at the school five days a week, things get broken and government funding isn't enough," she said.
Resources funded through P&C events include books, vegetable gardens and a new fridge for the school's daily breakfast club after the old one broke down.
Mrs Creed was voted treasurer at her second meeting eight years ago and hasn't looked back. She was the school's P&C president when she won community member of the year at the NSW Federation of P&C Associations awards in 2011.
"I enjoy the interaction with the parents and seeing the kids benefit from what we do," she said.
"I enjoy making a difference by giving back to the school and the kids."
Mrs Creed believes schools would run differently without P&C committees.
"I don't believe they would have too much community involvement," Mrs Creed said.