THE WAY (Term 1 Week 7 - 13 March 2023)
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When We Have Each Other, We Have Everything
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FOR ACTION
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NAPLAN 2023 Update
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NAPLAN Student Data
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Student Artwork Display Semester 1 2023
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FOR INFORMATION
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Announcements
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Resignation
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Australian Catholics Subscription
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Information for staff who have experienced discrepancies with their pay
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Rural and Remote HSC Simulated Marking Program
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Catholic Schools NSW Secondary Curriculum Reform Conference 2023
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REGISTER NOW: Preparing for the 2023 HSC PL Workshops
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NESA Courses and Events (Teacher Accreditation)
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HSC Showcase 2022
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The University of Sydney STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy Lismore 2023
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2023 HSC Disability Provisions: The why, how and what happens
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Positions Vacant
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MyLearning
The community of St Joseph’s Primary School, Woodburn, came together for an uplifting night to acknowledge the anniversary of the 2022 Flood. (3 March 2023)
As we mark the first anniversary of the Southeast Queensland and New South Wales floods, many of our schools brought their community together to reflect, connect and heal.
The St Joseph’s Primary School, Woodburn, community came together on Friday evening at the Evans Head campus for a beautiful night to remember, reflect, pray, eat, sing and dance.
A moving liturgy led by the students started the night. Students quietly entered their fantastic new playground area, each holding a beautiful handmade mosaic tile, a sign symbolising a specific memory or intricately hand-painted pebbles.
With pride, each student placed their object at the foot of the altar to create a mosaic cross surrounded by signs and pebbles. The staff and students made the mosaic tiles to remind them of all the small things people have done for the school community.
‘I loved how quiet and calm it was as we all walked in,’ said Year 6 student Charlotte.
The students created a circle around the cross as their families watched the liturgy with hope and joy.
During the liturgy, the students stood and blessed their families, staff and each other. In return, all of the families stood and blessed the children. The extraordinary liturgy concluded with the song ‘From Little Things, Big Things Grow’ reminding us of the power of small things - a smile, kind words, a hug, helping someone out and a prayer matters.
‘This is a wonderful evening and very moving; seeing the children carrying the tiles and signs was lovely,’ said parent Melissa.
The students then collected a handful of pebbles and handed them out to all in the school community to carry as a reminder that you can trust Jesus with your troubles and that the Spirit of Jesus is with us wherever we go.
‘This is a great night to come together with our friends and family. The best part has been the liturgy and handing out the pebbles to our family,’ said Year 6 student Leila.
As the sun set, the families enjoyed a meal and time to relax as the children played, laughed and enjoyed the treat of a jumping castle provided by one of the families; a truly special evening at St Joseph’s Primary School.
From today, Principals and NAPLAN Coordinators can access their student registration data on the online assessment platform to:
- Manage and update student participation,
- Complete final tasks in preparation for NAPLAN.
NAPLAN starts on Wednesday, 15 March, for all NSW students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The student data for NAPLAN has now been added to the Assessment (Assessform) Platform. The NAPLAN Coordinator is asked to check that all students have been included, add new students (if necessary) in the ‘Preparing Phase Create Student’ section and code students who have left the school as No Longer Enrolled in the ‘Manage Student Participation and Disability Adjustments section.
Also required at this time, and prior to the assessments, is the input in regards to any Student Disability Adjustment Codes (NESA and School Approved), Exemptions or Withdrawals from the assessments.
Primary school NAPLAN Coordinators will need to change the participation code for Year 3 students in writing to Alternative Format to reflect the pen and paper assessment.
The NAPLAN Assessments begin on March 15, with writing for all years. Students in Years 5, 7 and 9 may complete the writing on March 16 if there are logistical or technical complexities that prevent them from doing the assessment on Day 1.
For support, the NAPLAN Coordinator (not the Test Administrator) should contact the NESA Help Desk on 1300 119 556 or email naplan.nsw@nesa.nsw.edu.au.
Diocesan contacts are Riki Wood or Andrew Madden and, for technical issues, Rick Sanderson.
Attention Principals and Art Coordinators.
We would like to invite schools to contribute student artwork for display in Catholic Schools Offices - Richmond, Catholic Schools Office - Clarence and Invercauld House, Goonellabah. Each school may contribute eight original art pieces. The artwork will be catalogued in a booklet and distributed to Lismore Diocesan schools, Parish offices and national Catholic School Offices.
Please complete the EOI form 2023 Semester 1 Student Art Display by Friday, 17 March (Term 1, Week 7) so that Jan Seymour can coordinate the collection of art from your school before Friday, 24 March (Term 1, Week 8).
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
Tracey Catling has been appointed to the temporary position of Acting Lead, Digital Technologies in the Learning Services portfolio commencing 13 March 2023. Tracey has been employed with the Diocese since 2018 and is acting in this position whilst JJ Purton Jones is on maternity leave.
We congratulate Tracey on her appointment and welcome her commitment and expertise to the position.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
Lauren Forrest, Human Resources Officer (Tweed) in People & Safety, has submitted her resignation to take on an opportunity with AirPhysio as Manager, Human Resources. Lauren’s last day of work was Friday, 3 March 2023.
We wish to acknowledge and thank Lauren for her contribution to Catholic Education in the Diocese.
See attached for more information.
Please see the attached factsheet for staff who were impacted by the Term 1 pay issues.
The program provides a unique professional learning opportunity for rural and remote Stage 6 teachers to engage in a simulated HSC marking experience online.
Program Overview
A range of one-day workshops is available.
Participants will:
- improve their understanding of HSC exam marking processes
- deepen their understanding and application of marking guidelines, improving consistency in teacher judgement
- use specialised marking software to practice marking student responses from previous years
- collaborate with markers and other teachers around the HSC results analysis package (RAP)
- apply the skills and knowledge learned during the workshop to Stage 6 classes to enhance student learning outcomes.
Workshop details
Each workshop will be facilitated and delivered online by NESA officials or their delegates.
2023 HSC simulation marking workshops
- Business Studies (Core) Extended Response - Tuesday, 9 May 2023
- Business Studies (Core) Extended Response - Wednesday, 10 May 2023
- English Advanced (Paper 2) Module C - Tuesday, 9 May 2023
- English Advanced (Paper 2) Module C - Wednesday, 10 May 2023
- Mathematics Standard and Advanced – Short Answers - Tuesday, 9 May 2023
- Mathematics Standard and Advanced – Short Answers - Wednesday, 10 May 2023.
Applicants need to seek approval from their Principal to apply to ensure that the cost of casual relief will be covered by their employer.
Participants for this professional learning will be selected according to their rurality and location. Teacher eligibility to apply for the program will be determined by the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA+) External link.
Teachers in schools with a higher ranking to indicate remoteness will be prioritised for this program.
Apply from 9 am Thursday, 2 March at 2023 HSC Simulated Marking application. External link.
Applications close Thursday, 23 March 2023.
The NSW Curriculum Reform has been a time of reflection, consultation and change. This reform aims to ensure that our young people are well-prepared to make a contribution to our society and to the world. The reformed NSW syllabuses are the roadmap to this future. Now is the time to seize this once in a generation opportunity to optimise learning and engagement, enhancing our practice across the secondary curriculum.
Please see the attached information sheet for further details.
Catholic Schools NSW Secondary Curriculum Reform Conference 2023.pdf
Simon Crook and Crooked Science present their flagship program Preparing for the 2023 HSC PL workshops, all of which are NESA Accredited. Access the flyer here.
View the full list of upcoming workshops below:
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Physics Exam – Tue 14/3, Week 7
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Physics Exam (Strathfield) – Tue 27/3, Week 9* (repeat)
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Physics Exam – Tue 9/5, Term 2, Week 3 (repeat)
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Chemistry Exam – Sat 11/3, Week 6
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Chemistry Exam – Wed 15/3, Week 7 (repeat)
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Chemistry Exam – Sat 20/5 Term 2, Week 4 (repeat)
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Biology Exam – Fri 17/31, Week 7
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Biology Exam – Fri 31/3, Week 9 (repeat)
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Biology Exam – Fri 12/5 Term 2, Week 3 (repeat)
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Science Extension Exam – Fri 17/3, Week 7
Preparing for the 2023 HSC Investigating Science Exam – Fri 31/3 Term 1, Week 9.
Preparing for the 2023 HSC EES Exam – TBC
All workshops NESA accredited 5 hours each at Proficient.
*Face-to-face (all other workshops via Zoom)
Contact Crooked Science Directly at simon@crookedscience.com for further information.
NESA has updated the Courses and Events page on their website for PD, available until the end of Semester 1, 2023. NESA offers online information sessions about initial teacher accreditation, working in a casual or part-time role, understanding Proficient Teacher accreditation, and understanding higher levels of accreditation. NESA also offers self-paced learning modules, including:
- Accreditation Supervisor Orientation Course
- Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) Orientation Course
- Proficient Teacher Orientation Course.
The Lismore Diocese HSC Showcase celebrates and captures the talents of our 2022 HSC students, reflecting their creativity, innovation, technical skills and conceptual development. These projects represent the culmination of months of diligence and commitment by students, planning and designing, developing their skills and applying them to the task of creating inspirational and engaging works.
Spotlight On …
McAuley Catholic College Grafton (Industrial Technology)
Student: Amelia Kroehnert
Title: Children’s Cot
Statement: My project has been hand crafted from Red Cedar and Tasmanian Oak. The contrasting timber that I used has allowed for a contemporary yet individualistic design. A real feature of the Cot is the laser etching on the drawer base, as well as the use of knockdown fittings which enables the cot to be deconstructed and transported easily. I have finished the cot with a natural oil, enabling it to be safe for children and enhancing the beautiful grain of the chosen timber. This cot will make an excellent contribution to any baby's bedroom.
The University of Sydney STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy is supporting six schools, both primary and secondary, from the Diocese of Lismore this year. The Academy offers programs enabling teachers to make real changes in their classroom teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The program includes the following:
- introducing and supporting exciting and effective approaches to learning, enhancing teachers’ knowledge of content and approaches to teaching integrated science, mathematics, and technology
- developing a community of practice for participating STEM teachers, with ongoing support and engagement through mentoring, online forums, newsletters, seminars and events
- developing teachers’ awareness of relevant STEM-related applications to society and career pathways.
Our primary participating schools that attended the first of the professional development days are:
St Joseph's Primary School, Port Macquarie
St Finbarr’s Primary School, Byron Bay
St Francis Xavier Primary School, Ballina
St Mary’s Primary School, Bowraville
St Joseph’s Primary School, Alstonville
St Mary’s Catholic College, Casino, is participating in the secondary program.
By attending this online workshop, teachers, executives, and learning, support personnel will have a better understanding of the Disability Provisions Program. They will be able to evaluate more clearly the need for submitting an application for individual students and to ensure their applications provide appropriate supporting documentation. This workshop is recommended for teachers, executives and learning support personnel. We are encouraging schools to send a school executive member along with their HSC Disability Provisions Coordinator(s). Please follow this link to register and for more information.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
- Professional Practice Adviser (new position)
- Youth Ministry Development Officer (replacing Rachael Karma).
7-12 KLA Collaborative Network (English) - F23LS-712KCN
The 7-12 KLA Collaborative Network (English) will be held Tuesday, 28 March, and Wednesday, 29 March. This is for Leaders of Learning English and one other English teacher. Day 1 will include two hours of accredited learning focused on the new curriculum, followed by collaborative planning sessions to implement the new Stage 4 English syllabus. Day 2 will focus on planning for the implementation of the new Stage 5 English syllabus and Extension English.
Dates: 28 & 29 March - Clarence Office (Orlando St, Coffs Harbour).
7-12 KLA Collaborative Network (Technology - New Curriculum Network) - F23LS-712KCN
Network meetings to support planning for the implementation of Technology (New Curriculum) have been added to the KLA Network dates for 2023.
Dates:
09 May - Stage 6 Enterprise Computing & Software Engineering
10 May - 7-10 Computing Technology.
7-12 Literacy Coaches Collaborative Network - F23LS-712LCC
The Secondary Literacy Coach Network for Term 1 will be held on Thursday, 30 March. The meeting will focus on strategies for providing descriptive feedback to progress writing outcomes for students, Learning Walks and Talks and a sharing of literacy coaches' practice.
The link to register is on My Learning.
Date: Thursday, 30 March - St Joseph’s College, Banora Point.