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LivingWorks - safeTALK workshops Newcastle/Hunter area (Ref: 176/22)
In response to concerns around suicidality in students, NSW Health is offering free training on suicide prevention, safeTALK, to staff teaching years 10 – 12.
A demonstration workshop for staff will be held in Newcastle/Hunter region. (Flyer attached.)
For more information on safeTALK use this link: https://www.livingworks.com.au/
Heart of Life expands its Siloam Program to Sydney (Ref: 177/22)
Heart of Life is excited to announce an expansion of its Siloam Program, for the formation of spiritual directors, to Sydney for 2023.
The Siloam learning process entails a discerning, contemplative approach to personal and spiritual growth. It is open to women and men of varying faith and cultural traditions, who are drawn to listen deeply to their own hearts and the hearts of others and seek to discern whether they may be called to the ministry of spiritual direction. The program offers participants a combination of seminars and supervised practice, enabling them to become competent and experienced spiritual directors.
The Sydney program is available part-time for over two years in a blended mode – in-person and via Zoom. Sessions are held on Mondays, 8.45 am-4.30 pm AEST. Heart of Life’s connection with the University of Divinity and Yarra Theological Union enables students who meet the relevant criteria, to undertake Siloam as a Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction awarded by the University of Divinity. Fee-Help is available for Tuition fees to qualifying Australian citizens.
To view the Siloam webpage and brochure, as well as recent graduate feedback, please click here. Kindly note that applications close on 15 October 2022 however as places are limited, we encourage candidates to contact us as early as possible. For more information, call (03) 9890 1101.
Save the date 10/10/22 - Catholic Schools New South Wales Virtual Symposium - Supporting Learning K-12 (Ref: 155/22)
Catholic Schools New South Wales is providing an exciting professional learning opportunity for all school staff from K – 12 in a virtual format on Monday 10 October, 2022 from 9.00 am to 3.30 pm.
As well as the keynote speakers previously mentioned, teachers and learning support officers will select up to three workshops to attend virtually, across a range of areas, broadly focusing on primary, secondary and well-being. Available workshops will be both synchronous and asynchronous, delivered by a range of educators from both school and university sectors.
Over coming weeks we will highlight some of the presenters here to allow participants to consider the workshops that would be most relevant to their work. This week we present Annette Magee and Helen West who will both be presenting workshops during the day.
ANNETTE MAGEE: Annette is a Science educator with 37 years of Science teaching experience in secondary schools and the University sector. Annette’s passion for Science is ignited most by those times in science classes where students have ‘lightbulb’ moments, and where discussions about scientific ideas take off and are led by the students themselves. Annette worked at Macquarie University with pre-service teachers to assist them to develop their craft of teaching. Whilst there, she received the Vice-Chancellors Learning and Teaching Award. Annette has also worked at a system level as the Science education officer at Sydney Catholic Schools assisting Science teams in schools to create engaging programs for their students.
HELEN WEST: Helen is a passionate educator with forty years of experience as a classroom teacher and in school leadership roles across school and tertiary sectors. Helen has expertise in leading Literacy and English as an Additional Language (EAL/D) K-12, with a focus on designing quality professional learning to build teacher agency. Helen has spent many years working at a system level with teachers and school leaders to develop the whole school literacy plans that are contextual to individual school and student needs as well as supporting the enhancement of teacher efficacy with a strong literacy focus.
There is no cost to participants joining the day.
A more comprehensive program will be available in later editions of Scholaris.
The symposium is pending NESA Accreditation and for this purpose, we require individual teacher registration.
REGISTER HERE.
Modern Slavery – ACAN Compendium (Ref: 169/22)
The Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network (ACAN) has released the 2021 Compendium of Modern Slavery Statements. The ACAN Compendium contains 40 Modern Slavery statements and accords with the reporting requirements of the Modern Slavery Act (Cth) 2018 (MSA). This is the second ACAN Compendium on the Australian Government’s online register for Modern Slavery Statements.
Over the past three years, ACAN has coordinated 50 Catholic entities and provided direct support to staff tasked with the implementation of the ACAN modern slavery risk management program (ACAN Program). The ACAN program incorporates specialist advice, tools and resources which have become increasingly relevant for Catholic entities, with risk assessments transitioning from inherent sector risk to specific risks associated with individual suppliers.
The ACAN Compendium includes Modern Slavery statements by Catholic entities who have voluntarily opted in to assist with the ultimate Catholic goal of eradicating modern slavery. ACAN entities are united in action against modern slavery and the protection of the fundamental human dignity of workers globally. Such dedication of ACAN entities demonstrates the collective leadership of the Catholic Church on a global scale on the issue of modern slavery.
For these reasons, it should be noted that it is essential that schools keep up to date with their Modern Slavery Action Plans in preparation for the 2022 Modern Slavery Statement.
Access the ACAN Compendium of Modern Slavery Statements and the Executive Summary here.
NSW Curriculum Reform - Have your say (Ref: 175/22)
Subject Matter Experts (SME) from NESA recorded a summary of the amendments to each syllabus for the Catholic sector which can be accessed via the link below
Links to NESA Recordings of the latest version of the draft syllabuses:
All stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the draft syllabuses during the second ‘Have your say’ period from Monday 8 August to Monday 22 August. Individuals and groups are encouraged to complete the surveys.
NSW Minister’s Teachers’ Advisory Group: Call for Applications (Ref 172/22)
The NSW Education Minister has announced the formation of the Minister’s Teachers’ Advisory Group, a new cross-sectoral advisory group comprising classroom teachers from primary and secondary teachers from public, Catholic and Independent Schools. The formation of the Minister’s Teachers’ Advisory Group follows the teacher’s advisory roundtable held at NSW Parliament House on 12 May, 2022, which involved a cross-section of teachers from across NSW.
The Call for Applications for high-performing teachers, including HALT or equivalent, is now open with applications closing on 21 August.
It would be appreciated if this information could be circulated to teachers who match the criteria in NSW Catholic schools, including from schools in diverse school locations and sizes. Please note, the teachers who attended the initial teacher roundtable on May 12 are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please find attached an Information Sheet for teachers and an Expression of Interest Form.
Catholic Schools NSW - Call for Expressions Of Interest - Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion (Ref: 179/22)
Catholic Schools NSW (Catholic Schools New South Wales) is seeking a Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion. The primary purpose of this role is to provide leadership and expert policy and program advice to support Catholic Schools New South Wales and Catholic school agencies (diocesan and congregational) to promote social cohesion and support vulnerable students in school communities.
NSW Catholic schools place the highest priority on the care, safety, well-being and protection of children and young people. The primary purpose of this role is to provide leadership and expert policy and program advice to support Catholic Schools New South Wales and Catholic school agencies (diocesan and congregational) to promote social cohesion and support vulnerable students in school communities.
The Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion) reports to the Head, Education Policy and Regulation, and is responsible for managing the student safety and school community cohesion initiatives, under the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programme. The Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion will also work in close collaboration with Catholic Schools New South Wales colleagues in the Education Policy Directorate and the Legal and Risk Directorate as well as the Head of Mission, Identity and Civics
The Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion will have a well-developed understanding of the Catholic tradition and teachings in areas pertaining to the role and will be able to support stakeholders in their understanding of such and the implications for policy and program delivery.
The role will be influential in supporting Catholic school agencies in their development of best practice policy and programs to ensure schools maximise wellbeing, student inclusion, social cohesion, safety, and mitigate risk, as it relates to student behaviour. The Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of the CVE project initiatives. To this end, the Senior Policy Officer, Wellbeing and Social Cohesion will play a pivotal role in coordinating collaboration and sharing between external stakeholders and across NSW Catholic schools. Apply here.
University Of Notre Dame - Call for Expressions Of Interest - Tertiary Supervisor (Ref: 178/22)
The University of Notre Dame is seeking Expressions of Interest from experienced teachers who have a passion for teaching and are interested in becoming tertiary supervisors. The role will require supervisors to contact beginning teachers prior to their professional experience placements in schools, observe them teaching lessons and meet with them in the schools on three occasions across their term-long placements. Mentoring and supporting beginning teachers, assessing their progress in relation to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and liaising with supervising teachers and other school staff are key activities.
For more details and to complete the Expression of Interest please see the document attached.
A Virtual Week in Canberra - the countdown is on (Ref: 180/22)
The New South Wales Department of Education, facilitated through the Distance And Rural Technologies team (DART), is again hosting the event A Virtual Week in Canberra.
DART Learning provides and coordinates interactive video excursions for NSW public schools, TAFEs and non-government schools. DART Learning interactive video excursions bring students and teachers, face to face with experts across the globe.
The event commences Monday the 12th of September and finishes Friday the 16th of September.
You can find a full event program here.
2023 Best Start Kindergarten Assessment - Registrations Open until 2 September 2022 (Ref 181/22)
The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment is an optional online diagnostic assessment available to Catholic Schools NSW with a Kindergarten student cohort. Schools complete the assessment in the first 5 weeks of Term 1
More information, including changes to the 2023 assessment is available in the Best Start Kindergarten – Information for schools fact sheet.
Opt-in
If your school wishes to participate in the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment, please register by Friday 2 September 2022 using the following link.
Please note that those schools directed by their Diocesan office to participate in 2023 BSKA DO NOT need to register.
Nomination link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6962363/BSKA-2023
Ordering new Best Start Kindergarten resources
The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment folder contains the assessment questions and resources required to administer the assessment. As the assessment has changed for 2023, schools will need to order a new folder for each Kindergarten teacher. The cost of each new kit is $75.00. Schools can order their folders as part of the opt-in process.
2022 NAPLAN Results available in Scout (Ref: 182/22)
2022 NAPLAN results will be available in Scout from Friday 26 August 2022.
Schools should note that there will be no student or school growth available for NAPLAN 2022 as the 2020 NAPLAN event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Both systemic and RI/MPJP schools access Scout directly via Catholic Schools New South Wales NETid. Schools should contact [email protected] for assistance with access to Scout through NETid or to report any issues identified in Scout.
NEW USERS note: it takes 24 hours (from the time SCOUT access has been granted via NETid) before access takes effect.
Hardcopy 2022 NAPLAN Individual Student Individual Reports for distribution to parents/caregivers will be dispatched to schools from 29 August 2022.
ACARA has released the ISR FAQs for parents/carers in both English and in other languages. ISR FAQs are available here: https://www.nap.edu.au/results-and-reports/student-reports
The individual student report boxes will include a flyer reminding schools that the NAPLAN test window is moving to Term 1 from 2023.
2023 NAPLAN will be held from Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March.
NESA will provide further information to schools in Term 4 to support planning and preparations to accommodate the earlier 2023 test window.