23 May 2025
This week, we celebrate both National Volunteer Week and P&C WA Day.
Both are opportunities to honour the incredible contributions of the many volunteers who support schools across WA, including those who join or assist parent and citizen associations.
Ellenbrook Secondary College’s P&C working hard at a sausage sizzle.
Kirup Primary School and Ellenbrook Secondary College are just two examples of the positive impact that P&Cs have on their school communities.
Ellenbrook Secondary College’s P&C set a goal to raise funds to help students in the specialist music program take part in a music tour in Canberra this July. Over nine days, the students will perform in a series of events, including the closing ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.
Jane Rhodes, president of the P&C, said their strong relationship with local organisations, including the local RSL and Lions Club, helped them secure additional funds to support the students going on tour.
“The choir and music students perform at the Ellenbrook Dawn Service each year and the RSL have been very generous in their support of this tour and our students,” she said.
“There is a fantastic, positive community spirit around this event and we’re so happy for these students.
“This project has given our community and other local charities a chance to come together around a single purpose.
“It can be difficult to run fundraisers and events as a high school P&C. Often our remit is different to that of a primary school P&C. But this has been a really great project.
“We can’t wait to see the footage and photos of our kids performing in Canberra. It will be a very proud moment, especially knowing that we all came together to help get them there..”
The Kirup Primary School P&C hosts an annual fundraising event, the Kirup Primary Pumpkin Competition.
The Kirup Primary School P&C hosts an annual fundraising event in March that’s the pick of the patch when it comes to building community spirit.
The Kirup Primary Pumpkin Competition is a battle to grow the heaviest pumpkin. This year, more than $10,000 was raised for the school, with approximately 400 people attending.
A new record was also set, with the winning pumpkin weighing in at a whopping 325.2kg!
Funds were also raised through the sale of merchandise and seedlings in the lead-up to the event.
“It is such a great event, we look forward to it every year,” said P&C president, Danielle Low.
“As well as the main weighing event, the festival offers live entertainment, food and other activities.
“It is such a great day out for families and a highlight of our P&C calendar.”