Parents and citizens

The Ryde Secondary College Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) provides an opportunity for parents to actively engage with the college and contribute to their children's education experience. This year the P&C will continue to improve school facilities and endeavour to support students in achieving their potential.

The P&C is a forum for discourse on a wide range of matters. This includes a focus on RSC activities, goals, policies and objectives. P&C members have the opportunity to meet with college staff and engage with various issues relating to their children's learning experience. Over the past few years, presentations by head teachers of the various faculties have been a feature of the P&C meetings. These presentations have provided insight into the day-to-day challenges and workings of the school. They also offer parents the opportunity to ask questions, raise issues and make suggestions.

The P&C supports the college in a diverse range of endeavours through a voluntary parent contribution of $131/student as part of the annual school fees. In recent years the P&C has contributed to a number of improvements and purchases including two college buses, renovations to the library, refurbishing the second kitchen in B-Block, enclosing the COLA behind the MPC and providing a covered walkway to the front entrance where students wait for buses. The P&C continues to fund annual study skills workshops for all students in Years 7 and 8 and we sponsor a number of prizes at the college's annual presentation day. We also run a working bee each term.

In the last two years, we've lobbied for better road safety signage and pedestrian crossing repair, and had speed check signs erected on Buffalo Road. We've also recently started a discussion with the state government about the imperative for a permanent multi-storey building on our campus and the removal of demountables to return flat green space to our students. This campaign will continue into 2021.

Starting in Term 4, 2019, we've taken over the running of our RSCommunity Canteen. All profits from the canteen go to RSC to support teaching and learning for all students.

Perhaps the best thing we do is fund $40,000 in scholarships each year for around 80 students whose families need financial help to allow their children to participate fully in school life. This includes activities ranging from attendance at school camps, excursions and representative sports tournaments to provision of academic supplies, uniforms and other items/services that reduce disadvantage and promote inclusion.