We’re excited to be part of Project Stationery this year.

This project, in its second year, is encouraging schools to reduce their stationery waste by offering a collection framework for (public and private, primary and secondary) schools and a redistribution service for the collected stationery.

Such a great service to families … no more drawers of minimally used plastic folders, pencils, notebooks etc. cluttering up houses and eventually ending up in the bin!

If your school cares about and actions environmental sustainability and would be able to organise a stationery collection drive at the end of the year, they can now register with Project Stationery.

Visit project_stationery on instagram and follow the link to join up.

Such a great idea! It was fabulous to see it rollout last year … and hopefully it will be even better this year.

We’re thrilled to be able to help all the amazing volunteers involved this summer.

Coming up soon! Put the dates in your diary … This year this event is supported by the Community Bank in Queens Parade.

So much fun at Community Lunch this week celebrating Diwali - with Meet sharing her Punjabi culture with us. Fabulous food, clothes and dancing! Thanks Meet.

We had a great turnout for the AGM, a mix of staff, committee members, volunteers and community members.

We ate dinner together and then reviewed the year through a presentation that featured Kalimna’s beautiful photos. Every year I am amazed at all the things we get done!

Thanks to our Committee of Governance last year - Heather Campbell (Chair), Jane Wilkinson (Deputy Chair), Lorena Felicitti (Treasurer), Wendy Pryor (Secretary), Ina Leung, Michelle Fidler and Anne Crehan for your guidance and support.

We are very sad to say goodbye to both Michelle and Anne this year. Anne has been on the Committee since at least 2007 and Michelle says she has emails going back to at least 2012. They have made an amazing community contribution over that time, and for staff they have been always supportive, enthusiastic, forward thinking and kind.

We will miss them but know we will keep in contact through all the other amazing community things they are involved with - CWA, Alphington Bowls Club, AFCA etc.

I’d also like to thank Wendy for her contribution over the last few years. She is also retiring from the Committee - but I wave to her multiple times a week as she walks by and she is part of The Ukes (our ukulele group) - so I know we will keep connected!

Thanks again everyone for a fabulous year. We look forward to building on the foundations put in place this year - through our renovations- in the coming years.

Leanne

A short message this week as I have been flat out getting the paperwork ready for our AGM. It’s on tonight (Monday) at 6.30pm. All welcome. It’s always nice to have a few people along to share the highlights of the year.

We’ll have some food and drinks, and review the year that has been. Kalimna has taken some beautiful photos to remind us of all of the fun things we’ve done.

If you are coming please email or call so we cater for you!

Other than that … join us for Playgroup Wednesday from 10am-12pm, Crunch on Thursday 12.30pm … or check out our program below for everything else that is on.

Also, I think Kalimna has been in contact with Book Clubs about paying for next year. So a reminder to rejoin if you are planning to keep coming in 2025. Thanks!

Good luck to everyone with VCE kids (for those without, the English exam kicks things off on Tuesday and the kids are gearing up for a couple of weeks of pressure).

And … if you have any ideas for next year please get in contact. Email your ideas or call us. We’d love a couple more music teachers (we have violin and guitar at the minute) and we have a spot on Monday mornings that would be ideal for another playgroup or children's/family activity. More broadly we are open to ideas - the best things we run are always community led!

See you soon.

Leanne