THE WAY (Term 3 Week 6 - 22 August 2022)
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Teaching inclusion through fun and games at St Joseph’s Primary School, Alstonville
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FOR ACTION
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Have your say: NSW Syllabus English and Mathematics 3–10 and Auslan K–10
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CSO HSC Marking Support
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FOR INFORMATION
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Announcements
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Spiritual Retreat Reschedule
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CSIRO STEM Professionals Partnership Program
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Save the date 10/10/22 - CSNSW Virtual Symposium - Supporting Learning K-12 (Ref: 155/22)
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander State Education Conference 11-13 October 2022
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Children's Week 2022 Art Competition
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Positions Vacant
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MyLearning
Students at St Joseph’s Primary School, Alstonville, were offered a unique opportunity to try wheelchair ball sports with Paralympian David Johnson. (9 August 2022)
The hall at St Joseph’s Primary School, Alstonville, was filled with the echoes of fun and laughter as students excitedly manoeuvred around in wheelchairs in a wonderful and innovative school program delivered by Australian Paralympian David Johnson.
David is an Australian Paralympic tennis player who won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Games. He has been delivering the Social Futures Sports Ability program to more than 5,000 students on the NSW North Coast for the past two years.
‘Trying sport in a wheelchair gives students a whole new perspective around disability and inclusion, and it’s also lots of fun to move at speed on wheels and direct a ball,’ said David.
Before students could use a wheelchair, he created an environment where the group could feel comfortable asking questions about disabilities. The students were provided with an authentic opportunity to ‘unpack’ the words ‘inclusion’ and ‘accessibility’ and see first-hand the benefits when everyone is included.
‘We spend time learning about inclusion and empathy, and programs like this allow students to experience what it feels like to have a disability and give them a much deeper understanding of barriers to inclusion,’ said Sports Coordinator Linsey MacDonald.
The first task David set for the group was a brief exercise in manoeuvring around cones in a wheelchair. The next challenge for the students was to bounce a basketball while moving in a wheelchair. A difficult task that demonstrates how hard it is to control a wheelchair and direct a ball simultaneously. The group of students were then brought together and separated into two teams for a quick game of Wheelchair basketball. Wheelchairs clashed and skated around the hall as the students utilised all they had learnt from David—chasing the ball from one end of the hall to the other.
‘I think this experience was really great, and students gain a lot of respect for people in wheelchairs and that it is ok to be different,’ said Year 5 student Toby.
This program is very popular with the students, and the school is already planning David’s next visit as they continue to enhance the student’s understanding of the importance of building an accessible and inclusive community that welcomes everyone.
The surveys close on 22 August 2022. Please refer to THE WAY (TERM 3 WEEK 5 - AUGUST 2022) for more details.
A reminder applications are open for first-time HSC Markers to receive Diocesan Financial Support. Please refer to the HSC Marking Support Process.
Applications are to be emailed to kurt.challinor@lism.catholic.edu.au by the end of Term 3. Friday 23 September 2022.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
Ron Fletcher has announced that he will be resigning from his position as Manager, Technology Services effective Friday, 19 August 2022, to spend time with his family and support his wife, Bec.
Ron commenced his career in the diocese as a teacher at St Joseph's Primary School in Coraki in 1992 before joining the Technology Services team in 2000. Ron's commitment to Catholic education over the last 30 years is greatly appreciated.
We acknowledge and thank Ron for his contribution to Catholic education in the Diocese of Lismore and send best wishes for the future.
Please continue your prayers for Bec, Ron's wife and their family as Bec undergoes further chemotherapy.
SCHOOLS
Lee Denton has resigned from her position as Principal at St Joseph's Primary School, South Grafton. Lee has held this leadership position since January 2020 and proved to be a faith-filled leader who led with compassion and care for staff, students and families. An experienced leader, Lee has been a Principal and Acting Principal in both NSW and Queensland schools since 1994.
Lee also worked as a senior consultant in literacy, leading professional learning days for leadership teams in the Lismore Diocese and schools across Australia on using literature to enhance learning and teaching programs. Lee's passion for lifelong learning is evident and provided an example to staff and students alike.
We thank Lee for her contribution to Catholic Education in the Lismore Diocese and wish her all the best for the future.
The Spiritual Retreat scheduled for Week 9 has been revised and will now be a 3-day program. The Brisbane JISA team will facilitate this retreat from Wednesday to Friday, 14-16 September at Invercauld House. Registration is still open for those Principals, Assistant Principals and other members of school leadership teams who may now be able to take up the three-day option. Please see MyLearning for further details and to register.
In collaboration with the CSIRO, St Finbarr's Primary School, Byron Bay, is participating in a STEM Professional in Schools Partnership Program, which connects people working in the field of STEM with a school community.
To celebrate Science Week, they embarked on this partnership with an initial visit from Civil Engineer Dominic Cavanough. The students will build upon their enterprise and STEM skills in connection with the $20 Boss Entrepreneurial Skills program.
Dominic has been involved with CSIRO Professionals in schools since 2006. Assisting young people to think about what they can achieve with STEM in their life has proved to be a very rewarding experience for Dominic.
If you are interested and would like to learn about the program, please visit STEM Professionals in Schools.
CSNSW 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 the 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 in developing 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 the 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 an 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.
From 11 to 13 October 2022, Catholic Schools NSW and the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta will co-host the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Education NSW State Conference in Leura.
The Conference brings together education and community practitioners to share unique perspectives on building systems and practices that allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families to thrive. Keynote speakers include Aunty Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, Hon Linda Burney MP and Isaiah Dawe.
The Conference’s theme ‘Transforming with the Spirit' is directed towards more impactful action in ‘Closing the Gap’ and making a real difference in the lives of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
REGISTER HERE.
For Children’s Week, the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People, together with the NSW Children’s Week Council, is inviting entries for the NSW Children’s Week 2022 Art Competition. Children’s Week runs from 22 October – 30 October 2022.
Information on employment opportunities within the Diocese of Lismore is available via Positions Vacant.
Existing staff should apply through the Internal Positions Vacant page on the intranet; select People & Saftey > Recruitment > Positions vacant – internal site.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
- Chief Executive Officer / Director of the Schools
- Administrative Assistant (maternity cover position)
SCHOOL
- Principal - St Joseph's Primary School, South Grafton
- Principal - St Francis Xavier Primary School, Woolgoolga
- Assistant Principal: Learning & Teaching - St James' Primary School, Yamba
- Assistant Principal: Mission - St James' Primary School, Yamba
- Assistant Principal: Mission - St Brigid's Primary School, Kyogle
- Assistant Principal: Learning & Teaching Primary - St Brigid's Primary School, Kyogle
- Assistant Principal: Mission - St Ambrose Catholic Primary School, Pottsville
- Leader of Student Services - St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour.
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 is 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.
HR Administration Days 2022
Available to Principals, Assistant Principals and key Administration Staff. Please enrol here:
- Port Macquarie - 25 August
- Coffs Harbour - 26 August
- Tweed Heads - 30 August
- Lismore - 31 August