THE WAY (Term 1 Week 10 - 3 April 2023)
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Apple Distinguished School Recognition for St Ambrose Catholic Primary School, Pottsville
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FOR ACTION
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WriteOn
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Notification of Working with Children Check Number after Renewal
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FOR INFORMATION
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2023 LEAD
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2023 Youth Ministry Equipping School
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Northern Rivers Survey Sets Baseline for Children & Young People’s Mental Health
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Accreditation at Proficient
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Casual Staff - Casual Payment Approval Process
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7-12 KLA Collaborative Network (Mathematics) - F23LS-712KCN
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Positions Vacant
St Ambrose Catholic Primary School, Pottsville, is recognised as an Apple Distinguished School from 2021 - 2024 for its commitment to a professional learning culture that drives innovation and embeds technology into the curriculum to enhance the student-learning experience. (September 2021)
Apple Distinguished Schools are centres of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. Since 2021 St Ambrose Catholic Primary School, Pottsville, has carried this special title, demonstrating Apple’s vision for learning with Apple technology. St Ambrose is the first Diocesan school to achieve this recognition and is one of 728 schools across 36 countries.
To be recognised as an Apple Distinguished School St Ambrose staff must be committed to ongoing professional learning for all staff to be proficient in embedding Apple technology and continuously exploring innovative ways to engage students. St Ambrose has developed a unique continuum of technology skills that students will learn as they progress from Kindergarten to Year 6 so they can connect, succeed and thrive.
Since receiving this amazing recognition, St Ambrose has creatively engaged students in deeper learning experiences using technology. Through implementing a 1:1 iPad program in Years 3 to 6, learning experiences are crafted using Apple tools to enhance students' understanding in innovative ways. Students collaborate to create engaging stories, iMovie, Keynote, Apple Books, and record Podcasts designed to connect their learning with the world around them.
Students research, collaborate, and present in many different ways across all year groups. Students have agency and ownership over their work and can personalise and show individuality.
‘As an educator, I have been able to create learning environments that engage students in meaningful tasks that intrinsically motivate them to select their means of expression and create products that demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and ideas,’ said Year 5 teacher Grace McMahon.
Students can collaborate using a diverse range of apps that cater to their individual abilities in a fun and interactive manner.
‘I have used my device to work with my classmates in group activities to share our ideas on class projects with the app keynote to display our Religion PBL unit,’ said Year 6 student Sophia.
The St Ambrose staff are keen to continue collaborating, sharing, and learning from other Apple Distinguished Schools. By establishing an Apple Support Network within the Lismore Diocese, they are looking forward to sharing their experiences with other Diocesan schools either currently using iPads, phasing iPads into their school or thinking about it.
Congratulations to the St Ambrose Catholic Primary school community for developing a culture of innovation that strives to instil a love of learning in staff and students.
WriteOn is an annual writing competition open to all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6. This competition provides students with the opportunity to become published authors and showcase their incredible creativity. 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 Syllabus. The WriteOn 2023 competition closes at 4.00pm on Friday, 16 June. How to enter and competition guidelines can be found here.
Staff are reminded of the importance of applying early (within three months of the expiry date) when renewing their Working with Children Check.
The Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) sends out a reminder three (3) months prior to your expiry date. This is the time to reapply and notify the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) of your renewal details. Make sure your details are always up to date with your personal email address.
Don’t leave it until the last minute; the OCG advises allowing at least five weeks for processing of your application for renewal.
Remember you cannot work in Child related employment if you do not have a valid Working with Children Check. Teachers must also advise NESA.
Failure to RENEW your WWC and provide the information to the CSO will affect your employment.
If your expiry date is nearing and you have applied but are awaiting to hear back from the OCG, please provide your APP number and a copy of the receipt of payment via this link so we know you have applied and are waiting for the result.
In March 2023, the annual Student Discipleship event, LEAD, took place at McAuley Catholic College, Grafton, where approximately 180 senior students from across the Lismore Diocese gathered together to experience bold testimonies, inspiring keynote speakers, encouraging small groups and contemporary praise and worship. Click here to read more.
In January 2023, the annual Youth Ministry Equipping School began at Invercauld House, where the 2023 cohort of Youth Ministry Officers gathered from across the Diocese of Lismore to experience formation, fellowship and prayer. Click here to read more.
Our flood-impacted schools were invited to participate in a comprehensive survey in late 2022. Coordinated by Healthy North Coast, 6,611 children and young people from 75 Northern Rivers schools completed the Resilience Survey. The survey was the first step in Healthy North Coast’s Resilient Kids Program, a $10 million initiative funded by the National Emergency Management Agency to support community recovery from the 2022 flood events.
The project is now in the co-design phase. Using information from the Resilience Survey, best-practice evidence, and insights from student and community workshops, mental health and education professionals will come together with young people, family and community members in March and April 2023 to co-design tailored mental health support solutions for young people in our region.
Over the next few months, Healthy North Coast will invite service providers to tender to deliver agreed Resilient Kids initiatives, with the aim of rolling out targeted mental health and wellbeing supports to Northern Rivers children and young people from mid-2023.
For more information about the Resilient Kids program and the preliminary survey results, visit https://hnc.org.au/resilient-kids/.
Congratulations to the following teachers on becoming accredited as Proficient teachers.
- Ellen Seller (Mount St Patrick College, Murwillumbah)
- Jesse Hayden (St John's College, Lismore)
- Emily Wilson (St Augustine's Primary School, Coffs Harbour)
- Jade Tildsley (St Paul's College, Kempsey)
- Kerri Dakin (St Paul's College, Kempsey)
- Georgina Fuller (St Agnes' Primary School, Port Macquarie)
- Liam Dufty Baker (St Peter's Primary School, Port Macquarie)
- Abbie Moss (MacKillop College, Port Macquarie)
- Naomi White (MacKillop College, Port Macquarie)
We acknowledge their great work and that of their Mentors, and the broader support of their school community in this process.
Casual payments are created at the school for the staff member. The full approval process must be completed by 4pm on Friday afternoon for it to make it into the following Wednesday pay day.
Casual payment fortnightly calendar is attached for your reference and also be found on the intranet here.
The 7-12 KLA Collaborative Network (Mathematics) will be held Tuesday, 2 May and Wednesday, 3 May. Day 1 will be facilitated by Stuart Palmer and includes two hours of accredited learning focused on the new curriculum followed by collaborative planning sessions to implement the new Stage 4 Mathematics syllabus. Day 2 will focus on planning for the implementation of the new Stage 5 Mathematics syllabus, and there will also be an opportunity to investigate how to use Smarter Maths in Stage 6.
Follow the link here to register.
Dates: 2 & 3 May - Catholic Schools Office - Clarence (Orlando St, Coffs Harbour)
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 & Safety > Recruitment > Positions vacant – internal site.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
- Human Resources Officer - Tweed (replacement for Lauren Forrest)
- Administration Assistant, Classifications (new position)
SCHOOLS
- Acting Assistant Principal - Mission: St Augustine's Primary School, Coffs Harbour (temporary replacement for Naomi Loader)