Parents Association Ecole Française de Melbourne

The committee

Half of the Management Committee was elected at the Annual General Meeting (held in March). Anyone wishing to be part of the committee must submit their application to the Secretariat before the due date.

Members of the committee are available to answer parent’s questions, other than pedagogical matters. To contact members write to the Secretariat of EFM.

Nature, composition and function of the Management Committee of the EFM Students Parents Committee (APE of the l’EFM).

The APE of the EFM is a non-profit association managed by a Management Committee made up of volunteers. The running costs of the L’EFM are covered by the income of the APE based on the contributions of members of L’APE and grants from the French Government.

The Board of Management is composed of 7 to 9 members elected by the APE, including a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, all elected for a year until the date of the following AGM and the partial renewal of the committee. Supplementary non-elected members can be nominated to fill particular functions. Renewal of members of the committee is done by calling for nominations from members of the APE. This takes place each year.

The Board of Management meets at regular intervals throughout the school year according to the following timetable: a monthly meeting, an information meeting for the parents once a year and an AGM.

Ensuring the right mix of competencies and availability, the roles of the different officers are:

President

The two main roles of the President are to represent the Association and to ensure that members of the committee fulfill their responsibilities. Certain responsibilities can be delegated. These include:

to represent the Association in all civil acts and to be invested with all powers to this effect. To advise Caulfield Junior College and the CJC School Council.
to liaise with French authorities
to represent the Association when dealing with Australian Government authorities
to ensure that committee meetings are convened as required.
to draft agenda in collaboration with the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the person in charge of the teaching liaison.
to chair meetings and to ensure that issues are discussed, people informed, decisions made.
to ensure that decisions made by the committee are acted on.
Do deal with issues as they arise between meetings.
to supervise recruitment of school staff.

Vice-President

to help the President and act as President when absent.
to liaise with French authorities, Alliance Francaise, etc.
to handle specific projects: VIT, school project.
to ensure that the school operates within current regulations.

Secretary

to take minutes of meetings.
to ensure minutes are distributed.
to look after the Association archives.
to act as Chief Editor of La Bafouille, the EFM newsletter.
to liaise with French Associations (Theater Of Melbourne, Association of the French Professors of Victoria, AFAS).

Treasurer and assistant Treasurer

Their role is to ensure that the Association accounts are in order and that the members are well informed about the status of the finances. This includes:

To prepare a year to date and forecasted budget at least once a year;
To ensure that the budget is presented and explained to the members of the committee
To make sure that the expenses) and incomes can be identified with regard to the forecasted budget
To present a monthly financial report to the Committee
To establish pay slips
To manage expenses
To raise invoices for the school fees;
To make necessary recommendations concerning the management to the Committee
To update the Association members list
To act as the liaison officer with the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI);
To be responsible for the any purchase or any equipment: French books, AIM training test books, various material.

Responsible for the education liaison:

To manage problems arising with the EFM teachers in coordination with the president;
To organise a fortnightly meeting with the teachers, to draft and send the agenda and to write the minutes
To daily liaise with the coordinator and the secretary;
To prepare the annual review of the school teachers with the help of other members of the committee;
To carry out the recruitment of the school staff with the support of other members of the committee
To organise the parents/teachers meetings at least once a year
To organise training for the teachers in coordination with the president;
To update the school policy and other general documents relating to the school (registration form, etc.)
To communicate with parents, to meet new parents, to organise the open day event for the GSM in connection with the coordinator
In coordination with the treasurer and teachers / coordinator to ensure that orders of school equipment are placed in time, received and delivered on time
To act as the liaison office for the parents and tutors following the CNED.

Other functions:

Special projects;
Update and improvement of the Web site;
Conception and update of a phone book of the alumni and statistics to be made available concerning academic levels at the time of their insertion in another school system (French or Australian)
Control of the registrations lists
Liaison officer with the Melbourne French Pre School
Liaison officer with Glen Eira College secondary school project
Liaison officer with the Friends of the EFM