Priority Items

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: Catholic Schools New South Wales Sport Governance Forum - Friday 11 November 2022 (Ref: 250/22)

The Catholic Schools New South Wales Sport Governance Forum is taking place this Friday, 11 November from 9.00am to 2.00pm at De La Salle College, Revesby (and will also be live streamed). The Forum is a free event for all Catholic educators, bringing together experts to discuss Governance issues in School Sport. The day includes a session held by US College Associations which identifies how students can access US College Scholarships.

Access the Flyer here: Catholic Schools New South Wales Sport Governance Forum 2022 Flyer

REGISTRATION: 

Register to attend in-person or via live stream here.

SESSION OUTLINES: 

  • Opening: 9.00 – 9.20am
  • Session 1 – Keynote Address- Joe Williams : 9.20 -10.15am 

Joe is a Wiradjuri, First Nations Aboriginal man born in Cowra and raised in Wagga and Sydney who went through the Catholic Schools system and represented NSWCC in multiple sports.  He also spent 15 years as a professional sports person including as a NRL player and professional boxer whose titles include a 2x WBF World Jnr Welterweight champion and WBC Asia Continental Title.Joe is also an author having contributed to multiple books as well as his very own autobiography titled Defying The Enemy Within.

Joe was also named as finalist for the Courage Award in the 2017 National Indigenous Human Rights Awards and in 2018 was awarded the Suicide Prevention Australia Life Award for his work in communities across the country. In 2019, Joe was awarded Australia’s highest honour in the Mental Health field, announced as a co-winner of the National Mental Health Prize presented by the Australian Prime Minister. Since founding the organisation, The Enemy Within in 2014, Joe has delivered wellbeing programs to over 200 communities across Australia, and multiple countries around the globe; which aims to alleviate the mental and traumatic distress of individuals from all pockets of the community.

Joe is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland.

  • Session 2: Child Protection – Chris Owens-  10.15- 10.45am

Chris is the Head of Professional Services at Catholic Employment Relations Ltd

  • Morning Tea: 10.45-11.00am
  • Remembrance Day commemoration: 10.57-11.02am
  • Session 3: Risk issues for teachers in School Sport David Gregory plus Q&A with Ben Wilding: 11.05am- 12.00pm

David is the founder of Xcursion and an educational risk expert

Ben is Senior Legal Counsel at Catholic Schools NSW

  • Session 4: Governance and the future for sport in NSW Catholic Schools – Paul Meldrum and Damien Kerr: 12.00pm – 12.30pm

Paul is the Head of Learning Innovations at Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta

Damien is the Manager of Sport at Sydney Catholic Schools

  • Lunch: 12:30- 1:00pm
  • Session 5: USA College Associations NAIA and NJCAA – Saeed Halim and Michelle Meadows: 1.00 – 2.00pm

Saeed is the Manager of international Eligibility Services, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

Michelle is the Vice President for Operations and COO, National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

  • Official Close: 2.00pm

REGISTRATIONS OPEN: Catholic Schools NSW 'Connected Catholic Communities' Symposium (Ref: 237/22)

The Catholic Schools NSW Connected Catholic Communities project was initiated in response to the need for Catholic education to explore what it means for Catholic schools to be ‘animated by communion and community’ in a contemporary context. The recent Plenary Council also concluded that as a Church we need to “re-shape our engagement with the world, our evangelizing mission and our works of service in a rapidly changing environment”.

Consequently, the project has begun to explore the theology, educational research and practice which underpins the Catholic school as a community.

The upcoming project Symposium, to be facilitated by recognised educator and leader Phil Billington, is open to members of school leadership teams, parent liaison officers, family educators and members of our Catholic school communities in similar roles.

Event Details

WHEN:  15 November 2022, 9.00 am – 3.00 pm
WHERE: Isabel Menton Auditorium,  Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney
REGISTRATIONS: Register via Microsoft Forms here.

Members of your school community will be most welcome, as together with educational leaders, Parish and Catholic agencies, we explore the possibilities which might arise from the Connected Catholic Communities project and the aspirations of the Plenary Council.


Externally Delivered HSC VET Funding 2022 (RI/MPJP Schools) (Ref: 236/22)

Registered Training Organisations should now have issued invoices to RI/MPJP schools for the delivery of externally delivered HSC VET courses.  Schools are asked to complete the ‘External Stage 6 HSC VET Provision for 2022’ form by this Friday, 11 November 2022 and return via email to [email protected].

Access the ‘RI/MPJP School External Stage 6 HSC VET Provision 2022’ form here: External Stage 6 HSC VET Provision for 2022 Form

Catholic Schools NSW will aggregate all final costs and assess a pro rata share of funding for all participating schools. The final funding allocation to each school will continue to consider the following conditions:

  1. Schools with 10 or more students in the any one year (year 11 or 12) doing the same Industry Curriculum Framework externally to the school will pay the equivalent cost of having this course (120 Hours) delivered in school. (i.e. $10,000, equal to 1/5 of teacher’s salary, will be deducted from the total cost).
  2. The SAM formula will be applied to set an upper limit of grant funds for each school.  This maximum level of funding considers the total Stage 6 enrolments and the school’s Socio-Economic Status.
  3. Schools are responsible for negotiating and paying all invoices (TAFE and/or Private Providers) and for financing the gap in funds to cover all TAFE and other Private Providers HSC VET bills for 2022.

Catholic Schools NSW will endeavour to release funds by Thursday, 24 November 2022.

For further clarification if required, please contact Mr Gerard Delany, State Coordinator – Vocational Education on 9287 1549 or email: [email protected].


Professional Learning

NEW NESA-Approved Training Modules - Curated by Catholic Schools NSW (Ref: 255/22)

Catholic Schools NSW has created three new governance modules covering Privacy, Conflicts of Interest and Not-for-Profit (s 83C).

These modules are NESA-approved courses related to the proper governance of non-government schools. They address the requirement for ongoing professional learning for Responsible Persons and reflect current legislation.

Each module contributes one hour of professional learning with regard to governance issues for each Responsible Person for the school, or system of schools, delivered by Catholic Schools NSW, NESA-approved provider of governance training for Responsible Persons.

Staff can access the modules via the Catholic Schools NSW Professional Learning Platform here.

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Applications Open: Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship - Accompanying Teacher (Ref: 254/22)

Applications for a Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship Accompanying Teacher position are now open and will close on 27 November 2022.

NSW Catholic School History teachers are invited to apply to accompany the 2023 Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship Tour in September/October 2023. The Scholarship involves a unique study tour accompanied by a military historian in the 2023 Spring school.

This is a fully funded professional development opportunity for teachers.

Find more information regarding the eligibility criteria and apply here.

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Catholic Schools NSW Online On-demand PL Modules - English K-2 Syllabus Series - by Helen West (Ref: 251/22)

A new professional learning opportunity for all school staff is available on the Catholic Schools NSW Professional Learning Platform,. This series is provided by Helen West, a highly regarded teacher and education consultant.  Helen West presents ten online on-demand professional learning modules to support the development of knowledge of English content, syllabus and pedagogy during and beyond the implementation of the new NESA English K-2 Syllabus.

Completing all three courses will accumulate 7.5 hours of NESA accreditation. Alternatively, choose the course/s that best meets your teaching and learning needs.

The series consists of three courses:

COURSE 1 English K-2: Essentials (1.5 hours)

  • Module 1: Structure and intent of the syllabus
  • Module 2: Foundational skills
  • Module 3: Quality texts

 

COURSE 2 English K-2: Know the Content (5 hours)

  • Module 4: Oral language and communication
  • Module 5: Phonological awareness and phonic knowledge
  • Module 6: Reading comprehension and fluency
  • Module 7: Creating written texts
  • Module 8: Understanding and responding to literature

 

COURSE 3 English K-2: A Balanced Approach (1 hour)

  • Module 9: A balanced approach
  • Module 10: Instructional sequences

The series and its courses are available here as a playlist.

You can do the entire series (all three courses) or choose which course/s of the series you would like to complete.

*Completing these courses, ‘English K-2 Syllabus’, courses will contribute seven and a half hours of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Accredited PD in the priority area of delivery and assessment of NSW curriculum addressing standard descriptors, ‘Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities’ (2.1.2) and ‘Organise content into coherent, well-sequenced learning and teaching programs’ (2.2.2) from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

If you have not visited Catholic Schools New South Wales PL before you may need to visit the dashboard first by clicking here.

For further information contact [email protected].

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Catholic Schools NSW Online On-Demand PL Module - The New K-2 Mathematics Syllabus (Ref: 252/22)

Catholic Schools NSW is providing another professional learning opportunity for all school staff,  presented by Dr Christine Mae. This is a 90-minute online on-demand professional learning module regarding the implementation of the new K-2 Mathematics Syllabus – ‘get ready to teach forming groups’.

Previous K-2 Mathematics syllabus PL modules by Dr Christine Mae can be accessed here:

– Get ready to teach combining and separating quantities

– Get ready to teach whole number

Participants will learn:

  • Understanding the language, structure, language and connections between ideas in forming groups in K-2.
  • Identifying the development of important mathematical ideas in forming groups and ways to model them.
  • Viewing and evaluating sample tasks for forming groups.

The module is available HERE.

*Completing this session of ‘The New K-2 Mathematics Syllabus: Get ready to teach combining and separating quantities’ will contribute 90 minutes of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Accredited PD in the priority area of delivery and assessment of NSW curriculum addressing standard descriptors, ‘Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities’ (2.1.2) and ‘Apply knowledge and understanding of effective teaching strategies to support students’ literacy and numeracy achievement’ (2.5.2)  from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

If you have not visited Catholic Schools New South Wales PL before you may need to visit the dashboard first by clicking here.

For further information contact [email protected].

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NESA Information Sessions on Draft Syllabuses (Ref: 237/22)

NESA Information Sessions on Draft syllabuses

NESA officers have recorded information sessions focused on the opportunity to have your say in the development of the:

  • Drama 7–10 draft syllabus
  • Science 7–10 draft syllabus
  • Technology 7–8 draft syllabus

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Specifically, the information session provided:

  • a clear rationale, including evidence base and link to reform objectives, for the basis of the draft outcomes and content
  • clarity regarding what to expect in the syllabuses.

‘Have Your Say’ periods

Science 7-10: The ‘Have Your Say’ period concludes Monday 5 December 

Technology 7-8: The ‘Have Your Say’ period concludes Monday 21 November

Drama 7-10: The ‘Have Your Say’ period concludes Monday 5 December 

The recorded versions of each session will be placed on the Catholic Schools New South Wales Curriculum Reform Hub on Wednesday 26 October

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Legal

THIS THURSDAY: Modern Slavery Webinar for Suppliers to Catholic Entities (Ref: 242/22)

Current suppliers of goods and services from high-risk industries (e.g. cleaning, furniture, waste services, facility management, uniforms) are encouraged to attend the virtual Modern Slavery Webinar for Suppliers to Catholic Entities to learn about modern slavery and how to meet expectations of Catholic buyers.

The webinar is organised by the Anti-Slavery Taskforce at the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

Key Details: 

Date: Thursday, 10 November

Time: 12.00pm – 1.00pm

Where: Online -register here

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Resources for Learning

2023 PLAN2 Registrations NOW OPEN: Planning Literacy and Numeracy (PLAN2) available to Catholic Schools New South Wales Schools (Ref: 259/22)

Registrations for 2023 PLAN2 are now open and will close 25 November 2022

What is PLAN 2?

PLAN2 (Planning Literacy and Numeracy) is a NSW Department of Education software package used to support teachers in monitoring student learning using the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions.

PLAN2 is available to Catholic Schools NSW primary schools at no cost and is accessed via the Assessing Literacy and Numeracy (ALAN) application.

PLAN2 allows teachers to:

  • update and analyse observations against progression indicators to identify teaching priorities and support student, class or school literacy and numeracy development across the curriculum
  • access observations sent directly from department assessments, including the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, to make evidence-based decisions on student learning
  • create differentiated areas of focus aligned to syllabus outcomes, to use for explicit teaching and to monitor learning
  • monitor student progress at student, class, stage or school level to help identify patterns, evaluate what works best, and strengthen practice in response.

Changes to PLAN2 from 2023

In 2023 NSW schools will use new NSW K-2 English and Mathematics syllabus and version 3 (v3) of the learning progressions. Schools are invited to view a video summarising the change to PLAN2.

Current users of PLAN2 can view an online demonstration platform (PLAN2 Demo site) highlighting updated features of PLAN2.

The PLAN2 Demo site contains sample data to allow schools to become familiar with the changes prior to going live in 2023.

It includes:

  • data migration from version 2 to version 3 of the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions
  • new NSW K-2 English and mathematics syllabus outcomes, supporting implementation of the new curriculum
  • a new observation status scale.

Current users can access the PLAN2 Demo site by logging in to ALAN and click on the ‘ALAN-DEMO’ tile at the bottom of the ALAN home screen.

Further information

Further information is available via the following links:
Introduction to the PLAN2 Demo site
PLAN2 transition to V3 progressions

Registering for PLAN2 in 2023

If you wish to use PLAN2 in 2023 please complete the online registration form by 25 November 2022.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

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Remembrance Day 2022 Schools Resource Pack (Ref: 249/22)

Remembrance Day 2022 is coming up this Friday, 11 November 2022 and the NSW Office for Veterans Affairs has developed a resource pack for schools with resources and guidance on how to commemorate the day, including curriculum links and activities.

Download the Resource Pack here: Remembrance Day 2022 Schools Resource Pack

For more information, visit The NSW Office for Veterans Affairs

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Registrations NOW OPEN: 2023 'Transition to Year 7' Assessment Package (formerly Best Start Year 7) available to Catholic Schools New South Wales schools (Ref: 233/22)

Transition to Year 7 is an optional online literacy and numeracy assessment package available to secondary schools in Term 1, replacing Best Start Year 7. Assessments are completed by students in participating schools between 8 February and 10 March 2023.

More information about the assessment may be found here: Transition to Year 7 – information-for-schools 

There is no cost to participate in the Transition to Year 7 assessment.

All schools wishing to participate in 2023 will need to complete the online opt in form by Friday, 25 November 2022.

For more information, join an information session in Zoom during Term 4: 

  • Thursday 3 November 8:30 – 9:00 am
  • Wednesday 9 November 3:30 – 4:00 pm

Join the Zoom Meeting here

Meeting ID: 558 141 2870

Passcode: 83354

IMPORTANT DATES

Term 4, 2022

  • 25 November Opt-in for 2023 Transition to Year 7 closes
  • 5 December – Next steps emails to participating schools

Term 1, 2023       

  • 8 February Assessment platform username and password link emailed to assessment coordinator
  • 8 February Assessment window opens
  • 10 March Assessment window closes

Further information contact Karen Ferrante [email protected]

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School Newsletter

REGISTRATIONS OPEN: Webinar with Paul Dillon - What do parents need to know about vaping? (Ref: 258/22)

The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT in collaboration with the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle – Federation of Parents & Friends Associations invites parents to attend a free webinar about the dangers of vaping.

The webinar will be hosted by Paul Dillion from Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia (DARTA), who has been working in the area
of drug education for more than 25 years.

DATE:         Thursday, 17 November, 2022
TIME:         7.00 – 8.30pm
VENUE:     Online
REGISTRATION:  Register via Microsoft Forms here

For more information, view the event flyer here: Paul Dillon Vaping Webinar Event Flyer.


Fellowships/Awards

NOMINATIONS OPEN: Inaugural NSW Premier's Respect Awards (NSW) (Ref: 253/22)

All NSW Catholic schools are invited to nominate a student for the inaugural NSW Premier’s Respect Awards.

The awards seek to recognise students from Kindergarten to Year 12 who have shown high standards of respectful behaviour, inclusiveness and community-mindedness.

Schools can also apply for their nominated student to be chosen for the NSW Premier’s Respect Awards Showcase. An expert panel with representatives from the NSW Department of Education, Association of Independent Schools, Catholic Schools, the and the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People will consider the applications. The panel will select the 10 students who best represent excellence in respectful behaviour to be presented with their awards by the Premier at an annual showcase

For more information and to nominate a student, visit: https://education.nsw.gov.au/…/premier-s-respect-award

Access the Media Release here: Nominations Now Open for Inaugural Student Respect Awards (NSW)

 

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