2009 Fete

Thanks to Tony Strong for the photos from this year's fete. Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the image. You can scroll through the photos by finding "next" at the top RHS of the photo.

Message from Juliette Brodsky, APPS councillor & Fete 09 Coordinator

Wasn't Saturday May 2 another fantastic day at our school!   Once again, despite the odds, we were blessed with perfect weather.  For the second time as fete organiser, I had the pleasure of witnessing the experience and capability of Steve Withers, James Edmonds and the team of dads as tents were pitched and equipment set up.  Darren Lacey proved his indispensability in powering the fete, and sorting out any electricity problems as they arose.  Numerous parents who have run stalls over previous years once again stepped up to the plate, and demonstrated their considerable know-how.   A great many people pitched in to make Fete 09 the huge success that it was. 

Fetes are driven by the voluntary and often unrecognised contributions of many people, including parents and other stakeholders.  The financial performance of the fete is one of the event's many outcomes, together with improving the school's sense of community, providing a good role model of adults working positively together for the benefit of the children and showcasing the school to families, friends and the neighbourhood. 

Fete 09's profit (we grossed $58,556.35 - with a net profit of $27,700.00, owing to higher expenses this year) provides extra financial resources to allow the school to provide a better educational environment.  Last year, the fete's net profit enabled the purchase of interactive whiteboards for the classrooms - directly helping our children's learning outcomes.  No doubt this year's profit will again make a significant contribution to the children's education - and will be a great payoff for all the fete volunteers and contributors' fantastic efforts.

I am grateful for the use of the school office (in which to do photocopying) - thank you Jedda Reidy, Bridene Benn and Gina Shannon.  Thank you to Julie Askew and assistant principal Elaine Mills and teachers John Mulligan, Bridey Lokhorst-Blight and Karly Kallinikos for assistance and allowing the use of their classrooms on the day.  To Karly again and her class for their superlative fete posters, Anna Batrouney and the junior school councillors who handed out Fete 09 programs on the day, and all the grade 5 and 6 students who came forward with offers of help for the teddy bear competition. 

I am especially grateful for the wonderful donations from local traders in Albert Park, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne and St Kilda.  A school community cannot flourish without the generous input of these businesses.  Please continue to support them, and they will no doubt continue to support us!

Most of all, I owe a considerable debt of gratitude to

• Andrea Tuccio - a prep mum this year, and who has just had her third baby, but during the latter stages of pregnancy and throughout the months leading up to the fete was a powerhouse of help, ideas and contacts with local businesses
• Caroline Walsh and Shane Steward, who seamlessly and expertly took up the reins as the fete food coordinators, and who through their credentials as chefs assisted us to make considerable savings
• Trudy Rice  - who did the fabulous fete newsletters
• Liam and Carolyn Kelly, who provided all manner of timely and cheerful assistance on a range of fronts - thank you!
• Lyn McCullough, my sage provider of legal advice
• Pamela Nicholson, who organised the Fete 09 billboards with agents and council, and who saved us mounds of money on printing
• Jamie Foster for setting out fete finances so well and clearly
• Marisa Marasco, Melissa Kingdon, Anny Beauchamp and Jenny Kew who provided moral support in so many thoughtful ways
• My partner Francis Grey and our children Leo and Paloma, for continually motivating and renewing me!
• Michael Mulcahy for his clever design acumen and MC'ing talents
• Steve Withers (Complete Function Hire) who, when he was an APPS parent, generously donated his equipment and time to school fetes during the last six years, and who we paid this year by way of showing our appreciation.

The annual fete demonstrates that investing in state school education and showing how community spirit can be achieved is truly worth it, both for the children, and the staff who put in so much time and effort helping them to learn and to love learning.I will be stepping down as fete coordinator now - so that someone might take up the cudgels in time for next year - there will be a "fete manual" provided, to help that person rise to the occasion.

Best Regards, Juliette Brodsky