Thank you to every parent and staff member who nominated for a position on School Council. It is fantastic to see the level of interest and involvement in our school. For the second year in a row we are holding an election for office bearers.

At the close of nominations for School Council on February 7th the number of nominations received exceeded the number of vacancies. As a consequence a ballot will be held to elect five parents to the School Council.

A ballot paper with the following statements from each nominee and a return envelope will come home on the 10th of February. Each parent is entitled to vote, should you require a second ballot paper please collect one from the school office.

If any part of the process is unclear please ask at the school office.

Graham Fraser 

I have served on the IPS School Council for the past 6 years, and have the privilege of being elected School Treasurer for 5 of those years. Among my achievements on the Council, I am very pleased to have assisted in building a sound financial foundation for the School which provides significant flexibility for the School community in the years ahead. 

I am married to Nicky and our son is in grade 5. Our daughter left IPS after completing grade 6 in 2015. I have a legal, economic and marketing background, and currently run a full-service commercial architecture and design studio based in Docklands. Additionally I am the director of a property fund focussing on large scale commercial and hotel development. I am active in the Melbourne investment and property industry. 

IPS has a well-earned and well-deserved reputation for providing high quality primary education. I hope to continue my contribution to enhancing this reputation, in conjunction with the members of the School Council and the broader school community, by striving for the best possible outcomes for our students. 

The School is currently in a transformative stage, with many opportunities ahead. With my experience, I consider myself well placed to contribute to the development of strategies designed to ensure the quality of our children’s education can be maintained and improved through a vibrant and healthy school community and a sustainable and appropriate financial base. 

In particular, I am concerned to ensure that we can continue to deliver a broad range of programs: be they academic, sporting, music or other programs, and that the programs be of the highest possible quality. I have actively promoted the Digital Learning initiatives and have worked to provide a budget framework that supports the School’s investment in this area. 

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

 

Tania Slaviero 

I am in my seventh year as a parent at Ivanhoe Primary School with my son Aidan currently in Grade 6 and Liam in Grade 3.  During this time I have always been an active participant in school life taking on roles as Parent Class Representative and Fair Stall Co-ordinator, and regularly helping in the classroom, canteen, and at sporting events, excursions, school events and working bees.  It has been a pleasure to be part of, and contribute to the growth of the vibrant community of parents at our school.

I worked as a Primary School Teacher for ten years before embarking on a career in Psychology to pursue my passion for children’s health and well-being.  I worked for several years at the Royal Children’s Hospital developing and managing the Resilient Families Program.  I have also recently completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology focusing on the impact of meditation on the mental health, behaviour and well-being of primary school children.

I enjoy talking with parents in the school community and would welcome the opportunity to represent parent interests at School Council.  I believe my work in children’s health and well-being, coupled with my teaching background will allow me to make a positive and meaningful contribution to our school.

 

Spiros Manolakis 

My name is Spiro Manolakis, I am the father of two, Michael who is 3 years of age and Mary who is 5 years old and just commenced her foundation year at Ivanhoe Primary.  I have nominated to be a School Council member at Ivanhoe Primary School to play a more active role in my children’s formal education and to contribute to the future of the school.

I work full time, which means I miss out on a lot of the day to day events in my children’s lives and being on the school council gives me the opportunity to get involved.

What I can bring to the School Council, is my learnings as a parent, and skills of my diverse work career, which includes my current role in the public sector project managing and urban planning and design, and past experience as a small business operator, education and volunteering abroad as a lecturer at a catholic university and a technical college.  My roles have required me to collaborate with teams drawing on my interpersonal skills, preparing and leading workshops and working groups, stakeholder engagement and advocacy and community empowering roles.  

I have a genuine interest and enthusiasm in the long term development of Ivanhoe Primary School including the provision of appropriate facilities; how the school allocates funds; and the ongoing advancement of educational programs and students.I believe that I can make a valuable contribution to Ivanhoe Primary School and improving educational outcomes for all students. 

I thank you for your consideration.

 

Andrew Read 

I am entering my 6th year as an IPS parent, with James in 5S and Tom in 3U. My wife Alison and I have loved being part of the IPS community. I have particularly enjoyed being a ‘parent helper’ in the boys’ classrooms, assisting with different literacy activities and seeing the teachers in action. I would like to join the School Council to help IPS to keep improving, to be the best school it can be for every child.

I work in the central office of the Department of Education and Training, where I advise the state government on policy directions. I have worked on several issues relevant to IPS, including school improvement, the role of schools in supporting children’s health and wellbeing, supporting families to engage in their children’s learning, and improving children’s transition from primary to secondary school. 

I would like to bring my understanding of statewide policy directions to help the School Council support Mr Kent and the school staff to keep achieving better outcomes for students at IPS. For example, I would be keen to work with the Council to look at opportunities to improve communication between teachers and families, such as what families can do at home to support the learning in the classroom. 

 

Cathryn Atkinson 

Hi everyone! I’m Cathryn (or Cat), mum to new Foundation student Neve (who is absolutely loving school) and her little brother Joss, who will join us all at IPS next year.  Ever since enrolling Neve here (where her Grandma also went to school!) I have been looking forward to being a part of the school community.  When I was her age (at IEPS) my mother was always around school, volunteering her time, and I loved it. Knowing she was interested in how things were for me, and all the students, at school really inspired me.  I am hoping to inspire my kids in the same way.

I am passionate about IPS being the absolute best it can be, and doing what I can to help our community achieve this.  Being on school council would give me an opportunity to assist in realising this, making it so all of our children have the best start to ensure their futures have a solid grounding. Primary school is such a memorable time for so many of us, and who of us wouldn’t want it to be a positive, inspiring memory for their children too.

 My work background includes a variety of fields, but always with an organisational focus – from building an Australia-wide multicultural arts incursion program (liaising with teachers and performers all across the country), organising cultural arts concerts, to organising training events for health professionals and helping them build their businesses to where they can, and should, be. I worked as a nanny for a few years in New York too (soooo much different to having our own kids!) and still love hearing from the family.  My work has always involved building relationships, sourcing things no one can find, organising company director’s lives (in and out of the office), and helping those who need it.

 When it comes down to it, I am just like you – a parent wanting the best for my children.  We all do this in different ways, and this is one of the ways I really want to be a part of. My ears (and eyes) will always be open to listening to other’s opinions and ideas about school and our families, and I love meeting fellow parents! I look forward to meeting you.

My excitement about the opportunity to be involved in the school, and in seeking out the best for all our children, is a really positive thing, and I look forward to serving on the school council, and appreciate your support.

 

Navanita Bhattacharya 

I am a social development and gender equality practitioner and currently consulting with UNICEF in Asia-Pacific and Adam Smith International in PNG, on a range of issues including education and child protection. Born in India, and having lived the life of a vagabond since 1998, We - my husband, Shiv and I - finally decided to "settle down" and allow our roots to grow in Ivanhoe. We did it for our little girl, Naysa, a Foundation level student at IPS.

On February 6th, when I attended the school assembly, I observed my daughter trying to lip-read while the school sang the Australian National Anthem. Five years old, and this is the 4th anthem of a country she is learning. Depending on where her stories and dreams take her, we find her singing, occasionally, the National Anthems of India, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

It struck me, yet again, how like sponges children are - soaking up, so easily, what they are taught, not taught, see, and hear. I would like to serve in the school council because I want my daughter and every other girl and boy in IPS to grow up to be a person who knows and believes that all barriers are created and can and ought to be taken down. She, like all children in this school will get a milieu where their minds will be without fear, and their heads held high. 

With my expertise working, for the last 18 years, in Asia (India, Indonesia, Vietnam), West Africa (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire) and the Pacific (PNG, Solomon Islands, Australia) on equality, inclusion and diversity, I would like to contribute in raising a generation of girls and boys who practice the values of non-discrimination and have minds free of prejudices, stereotypes and biases of any kind.