REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN: Connected Catholic Communities - Belonging and Flourishing - 2024 Symposium (Ref: 31/24)
Catholic Schools NSW is pleased to release the program for Connected Catholic Communities – Belonging and Flourishing | 2024 Symposium to be held in Sydney on Tuesday, 12 March, including a Masterclass with Dr Anne Henderson on the afternoon of Monday, 11 March.
As the demands and pressures of contemporary life increase, our schools are often called upon to be more responsive to an array of complex family needs.
Evidence shows that addressing the health, wellbeing, and relational needs of students, families and the community fosters optimal learning and development and a sense of belonging and connection.
The Masterclass and Symposium will be an opportunity to continue the conversation and build capability through evidence-based practice, creating flourishing Catholic communities that meet family needs holistically.
Who Should Attend?
Similar to the highly successful inaugural Symposium held in November 2022, we are again bringing together stakeholders from a range of education settings, including early childhood services, schools and universities, along with other ministries of the Church, such as parishes, social services and health to explore the possibilities of enhanced school-community partnerships.
What’s the Imperative for this Work?
The CSNSW Connected Catholic Communities initiative responds to Plenary Council Decree 3, which calls on those responsible for Catholic education to: “identify and respond to the needs of the diverse and distinct circumstances of Catholic schools in Australia” by building partnerships that enhance the vision of Catholic education as an instrument of evangelisation and an essential dimension of the contemporary mission of the Church.
The recommendations of the Expert Panel of the recent Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System also provides further impetus for this work, calling for “steps to embed and strengthen linkages between schools and other services, such as community, family, health (including speech and occupational therapists), and disability support services”.
Keynote Speakers:
The keynote speaker and Masterclass facilitator will be international researcher and practitioner Dr Anne T Henderson, who will be focussing on the theme of Belonging. We will also be launching the CSNSW Discussion Paper: “Reimagining Services and Work in Schools: Transformational opportunities for the community, students, and workforce”.
Don’t miss this important event for our Catholic community.
REGISTER TODAY HERE.
Share with your colleagues – both inside and beyond the school gate.
HSC Data Analysis Seminars (Ref: 33/24)
Teachers, school leaders, and system officers are invited to attend a series of seminars presented by Dr John DeCourcy, discussing the intricacies and importance of understanding and analysing HSC Data.
The Seminar Programme spans the following 3 seminars, some with multiple times, and each with a particular audience in mind. Those thinking of registering are reminded to ensure they have a functioning NetID login and that they can access both the HSC Data Analysis Users portal and an online Tutorial within that portal designed to support intending participants.
More information about the tutorial, prerequisites, and the entire programme can be found here: Seminars-2024-outline
Please see below for the date and time of each seminar with registration links.
HSC Analysis #1: Introduction to the Analysis
Who: Teachers, KLA coordinators, school leaders and interested persons who have not previously attended an HSC seminar.
When:
Friday 23 February 2024 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Where: Macquarie University City Campus, Level 24, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney.
Programme description: This seminar proposes to discuss why and how data should be used within schools to shape the direction of pedagogy. It will also cover an introduction to the idea of Comparative Learning Gain and how this can be used to understand HSC data.
Register here:
Introduction | Catholic Schools NSW – second session
HSC Analysis #2: A detailed reading of your Analysis
Who: Experienced users, including teachers, coordinators, APs or Principals who have previously attended at least one HSC Analysis Seminar.
When:
1. Thursday 15 February 2024 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
2. Tuesday 27 February 2024 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Where: Macquarie University City Campus, Level 24, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney.
Programme description: Participants will have the opportunity to spend the majority of the seminar in a detailed, guided reading of their own school’s Analysis. This will include a consideration of ways to resolve any problems highlighted by the Analysis.
Register here:
1. Reading| Catholic Schools NSW – first session
2.Reading| Catholic Schools NSW – second session
HSC Analysis #3: Leading your school in the Analysis
Who: Principals, Aps, Leaders of Curriculum or Pedagogy and anyone with a whole school focus.
When: Monday 19 February 2024 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Where: Macquarie University City Campus, Level 24, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney.
Programme description: This seminar will explore the intersection of leadership, data, teacher professional learning and student achievement. Participants will come away having considered a range of leadership responses to their school’s Analysis. Multiple members of a school’s senior leadership team are encouraged to attend.
Register here: Leading| Catholic Schools NSW
Positive Partnerships – Professional Learning for School Staff (Ref: 25/24)
Positive Partnerships will be offering two online professional learning sessions for school staff in NSW and ACT in Term 1.
If you’re looking for ways to understand and support students on the autism spectrum, then don’t miss out on these opportunities.
How do I register?
Simply visit the website to register and secure your place at each session.
Monday 19 February 3.30-5pm AEDT ‘Diversity of autism’
Monday 26th February 3.30-5pm AEDT ‘Understanding sensory processing’
Who can attend?
These sessions are available to all school staff. Early childhood and before & after school care / OOSH staff are also encouraged to attend.
These sessions are FREE to attend. School groups are encouraged to share the experience together. So why not arrange to participate in the sessions with some colleagues? This is a great opportunity to share the learning together and to discuss the content in light of your own school context.
Also attached is our semester 1 schedule for NSW and the ACT: 2024 Workshops Schedule – NSW and ACT
Reminder for Schools – Copyright Resources (Ref: 34/24)
A reminder that the National Copyright Unit (NCU) has a team of copyright lawyers and specialists dedicated to administering copyright policy, advocating and advising schools on copyright issues.
The NCU website, Smart Copying, has a range of resources designed to help schools navigate using copyrighted materials, creating resources, labelling and attributing correctly, and what to do when they receive a copyright infringement notice. These resources can be found here: Smart Copying – Resources
Schools can also ring or email the NCU directly for help or support. Contact details can be found on this page: Contact Us – Smartcopying
Government Grants for Faith Communities (Ref: 30/24)
Stronger Together Safe Places for Faith Communities Program 2023-24
The NSW Government has committed $15 million to support the safety and security of places of worship and other places where faith communities gather regularly.
The Safe Places for Faith Communities Program provides grant funding for places of worship and other eligible places where faith communities gather regularly.
The program aims to enable faith communities to:
- Come together safely to profess, practice and maintain their faith and religious heritage
- Reduce the risk of harm to people or damage to property
- Build community resilience, wellbeing and cohesion.
The grant amount available for application is $5,000 to a maximum of $250,000, exclusive of GST.
Click here to apply for the grant.
Grant funding is provided as a one-off payment. The funding is non-recurrent. The project must be completed and funds expended by 30 June 2025.
The total grant program funding is $15 million. $5 million is available for application in this funding round of the program. The next round of grant programs will open in the 2024-25 financial year.
NSW Training Awards: Applications for 2024 Are Now Open??????? (Ref: 3/24)
Step up and be recognised with a NSW Training Award! The NSW Training Awards are conducted annually by Training Services NSW to recognise outstanding achievements by individuals and organisations in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.
Why get involved with the Awards?
As the premier awards for vocational education and training (VET) in NSW, the Awards are a great way to receive recognition for the effort that individuals, Employers and Registered Training Organisations put into VET.
For organisations, the Awards are the perfect platform to showcase the organisations’ commitment to VET. Entering the Awards raises the profile of the organisation and the awareness of the industry to the organisations’ dedication to skills for the workforce.
For individuals, the Awards provide a unique opportunity to celebrate their achievements and hard work. Nominating an individual for an award can open many doors and potentially become a stepping stone in their careers.
Individual Award Categories relevant for schools:
- VET in Schools Student of the Year
- School-based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
- VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year
Organisation Awards:
- Industry Collaboration
- Large Employer of the Year
- Small Employer of the Year
- Large Training Provider of the Year
- Small Training Provider of the Year Awards
National Award categories: (previous successful school applications)
- Innovation in VET Award
- School Pathways to VET Award
Preparation
Give yourself plenty of time to complete your application. You can still make edits to your submitted application right up until the closing dates:
- Individual: 17 March 2024
- Organisations: 31 March 2024
Be sure to access the NSW Training Awards site for:
- Eligibility and selection criteria
- Submission tips and videos
- FAQs
- Interview preparation videos
Process
Students will be in the final year of their qualification, so generally, Year 12. Teachers/trainers can be relatively new or very experienced.
Winners progress through:
- Regional Training Awards
- Interviews: April; Awards: June
- NSW State Training Awards
- Interviews: July; Awards: 13 September
- Australian Training Awards
- Interviews: October; Awards: November
For an Organisational Award, check you’ve selected the most appropriate category.
Good luck!