THE WAY (Term 2 Week 3 - 3 May 2021)
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Catholic Schools Office Announcements
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200 Years of Catholic Education
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Porta Fidei Staff Retreats
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Catholic Schools Week
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Australian Secondary Schools - Promoting Mental Health
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Spirituality Kit
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HSC Showcase Initiative
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NESA - High Quality PD Options
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CSSA Trial HSC Examinations 2021
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2021 WriteOn Competition
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My Learning
Staff Farewell
Ian Walton, School Service Consultant, North Clarence has announced his intention to resign from his position at the Catholic Schools Office effective 9 July 2021. Ian commenced at the Catholic Schools Office in the position of Education Consultant in 2011 and was appointed to the position of School Service Consultant in January 2017.
Ian has had a long and distinguished career in Catholic Education including ten years with the Christian Brothers at St Edmund’s College Canberra, Assistant Principal at Chevalier College Bowral and then as Assistant Principal and Principal at John Paul College (St John Paul College), Coffs Harbour.
Ian leaves us to spend quality time with family. We thank him for his commitment to Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore and wish him the very best for the future.
Appointments
Catherine Wills has been appointed to the position of Change Officer working with the Transformation Team commencing on 24 May 2021. Catherine is currently employed as a Change Specialist with Southern Cross University.
Timisha Venck has been appointed to the position of Recruitment Administrator with Human Services commencing on 10 May 2021. Timisha is currently employed as a HR Recruitment Advisor with the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
Heidi Dobson has been appointed to the position of Human Services Administration Assistant commencing 10 May 2021. Heidi is currently employed as an Administration Assistant Support Officer with the Department of Education.
We congratulate Catherine, Timisha and Heidi on their appointments.
Launch of Creative and Practical Arts Display
For information please see the attached.
As part of the Proclaim Lismore focus on staff formation, these successful staff retreats will again be offered in three locations this year:
- 17 - 18 June: St Francis Retreat, Bonny Hills
- 19 - 20 August: Invercauld House, Goonellabah
- 2 - 3 September: Opal Cove Resort, Coffs Harbour
Porta Fidei is an opportunity to meet God through God’s grace and to open a door and enter a journey of faith embraced in God’s loving guidance. The program will address key topics: God’s Love, the Salvation Message, Kerygma, and Teaching as a Vocation, while the sacraments form a key element.
Open to all Parish School staff. Only in the case of oversubscription would staff who have attended Porta Fidei in the past be asked not to attend. Registrations via My Learning.
The Catholic Schools Office Media & Communications Team wishes to create a series of good news stories from Catholic Schools Week. Please email your good news stories and share your Catholic Schools Week images with Leesa Kwok and Wraith Dare.
The Push-Up Challenge is an opportunity to increase mental health literacy in young people, as well as encouraging connection and promoting fitness. It begins on Tuesday 1 June – Friday 25 June.
Registrations are now open.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan has as a key action to ‘make connections between Catholic identity, celebration and liturgy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Spiritually’. To assist in this endeavour, the Catholic Schools Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee has produced a set of resources to support and further guide practice. This resource/kit continues our school's commitment to the development of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander expressions of theology and spirituality.
For more information regarding this new Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Spirituality Kit, please refer to the attached memo.
This new initiative is designed to showcase the talents of our students in Stage 6 as a way to celebrate and capture the works from our students across the Diocese of Lismore.
The Catholic Schools Office website will present a range of expressive forms that highlight the technical skills and conceptual development of the student and their work. In 2022 we will commence with a showcase of works from 2021 students in:
- English Extension 2
- Visual Arts
- Industrial Technology
This will be expanded in 2023 to include other HSC subjects.
We would like your students to be involved in setting this up!
We are calling on students in our schools (Years 7-12) to create a concept that includes a name and logo for this initiative. Remember, our HSC subjects come from a diverse range of discipline areas - they perform, create and innovate - so ensure your name and logo reflect this diversity.
Please see the attached poster to advertise the competition within your school community.
The student or team of designers of the winning concept will have the opportunity to meet with the Lismore Diocese media team to articulate their concept and to help refine their vision into an end product. They will also win a prize for their school, an Astrobot - Smart STEM Programming Education Robot.
Specifications:
- 300 word explanation of your concept
- The concept can be hand-drawn or digitally generated
- The name should be short, catchy and reflect the vision of the project
Entries are due: Monday 21 June 2021.
Email to Georgina Robinson.
Questions can be directed to Kurt Challinor.
NESA presents a range of PD through hands-on workshops and online courses. Currently, NESA offers online courses and some face to face offerings in Lismore regarding Teacher Accreditation, HSC Marking (Visual Arts), HSC Disability Provision, HSC Minimum Standard, NAPLAN Persuasive and Narrative Writing. For details go to: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/professional-development/courses-and-events
Schools are reminded that:
CSSA Trial HSC Examinations is a division of Catholic Schools NSW.
Registered schools with CSSA should have received the 2021 Principal Information Package.
- 2021 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations ordering online became available as of Week 4, Term 1.
- The 2021 Draft CSSA Trial HSC Examination Timetable is now available on the CSSA website.
- The 2021 Final CSSA Trial HSC Examination Timetable will be available on the CSSA website in Week 1, Term 2.
- The processes and procedures for the creation and distribution of the CSSA Trial HSC Examinations will remain in place for 2021.
- Please note the process for invoicing has been updated. This has been noted on the CSSA website Notice Board for all registered schools and in the 2021 Principal Information Package.
- Ordering is available until Friday 30 April 2021, 5pm (Week 2, Term 2). If ordering, please kindly complete one order (only) inclusive of all required subjects.
- School data can be changed by individual schools via the CSSA website |Account Settings.
Relevant personnel in CSSA registered schools should ensure that school data available on the CSSA website is checked and updated, as necessary. This will ensure that your School’s address, phone number, email address and contact details are correct – this information is critical for the delivery of CSSA Trial HSC Examinations. Remember to click on “SAVE” at the end of the process.
If you have not received the 2021 Principal Information Package, please contact monica.obrien@csnsw.catholic.edu.au for assistance.
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WriteOn is an annual writing competition open to all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6, including home-schooled students. Students compose an imaginative text of up to 500 words using an image as the stimulus.
WriteOn provides students with the opportunity to become published authors. It can be used as a whole class teaching activity or an individual project. To maximise the purpose of the competition, teachers are encouraged to refer to the NSW English K–6 Syllabus outcomes. Outstanding entries from the 2020 competition have been published in The Best of WriteOn 2020 anthology.
Entries close on the last day of Term 2, 2021 – Friday 25 June.
Staff are reminded to register for all professional learning courses through the My Learning site. The site has the facility to recommend courses to others. This will be potentially useful for Principals and Assistant Principals who wish to recommend staff to register for particular courses.
Staff are reminded that the closing date for courses is five working days prior to the course.
To register, please visit My Learning.
RENEW
To register please refer to the below links:
- RENEW Lead Learner Workshop 21SEACS-RLLW
- RENEW Rigorous Inquiry Learning by Design Workshop 21SEACS-RRILBD
2021 School Administration Training Days 21SRS-2S
Matters to be discussed will include: Coordinator Positions next three year cycle; PageUP; HRIS Payroll System; Risk; Who’s On Location and Child Safe Standards. These training days are for Principals, Assistant Principals and School Administration Staff:
- Tuesday 25 May - Port Macquarie
- Wednesday 26 May - Coffs Harbour
- Thursday 27 May - Tweed Heads
- Friday 28 May - Invercauld
Stage 3 Mathematics: CoSpaces 21CSO-S3MCIM
This online workshop is for Stage 3 teachers. It will focus on how to integrate digital technologies further into Mathematics and making cross-curricular links.
There are 3 workshops across Week 7 and 8. You can register for any day that suits your school, however each workshop is capped at 30 participants. Please register your team at the same time to ensure that you can register for the same workshop. You can have 2 participants register for 2 different days.
Read and Write - Basic Tools 1 Workshop 21CSO-RAWBT1
A 1 hour workshop via Zoom that introduces participants to the Read and Write toolbar from Texthelp (assistive technology). Teachers and Aides are able to attend the session.
Read and Write - Tools 2 Workshop 21CSO-RAWT2W
*You must have participated in 'Read and Write Basic Tools 1' before enrolling in this workshop.* This is a follow on workshop. A 1 hour workshop via Zoom that builds on previous skills acquired in the 'Read and Write Basic Tools 1' workshop. Teachers and Aides are able to attend the session.
Introduction to EquatIO - Making Maths Digital 21CSO-ITEMMD
A 1 hour workshop via Zoom that gives participants an introduction to EquatIO, a digital tool from Texthelp to support the inclusion of students who have difficulty in Numeracy or work better with digital resources. This workshop will provide participants an overview of the extension and its features and possibilities in supporting teaching and learning through quality differentiation. All teachers, support staff and students in the diocese have access to Texthelp and EquatIO.