THE WAY (Term 1 Week 10 - 1 April 2024)
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A Message from the Director
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RiTE - Reimagining Teacher Education
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Empowering Student Voice at St Joseph’s Primary School, Kempsey
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FOR ACTION
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Proclaim Lismore Staff 2024
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WriteOn
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FOR INFORMATION
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Bishop Greg’s Easter Message 2024
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Announcements
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Brand Update 2024
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2024 LA RE Congress
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Conversations Across the Diocese of Lismore (CADoL) - Podcast Station
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Podcast to support new 7-10 Mathematics Syllabus
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Student Art Display Semester 2 2023
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EAL/D intranet page
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Inclusion Collaborative Network Meeting
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2024 CSNSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander State Education Conference - Expressions of Interest
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Free eSmart learning program to help kids stay safe online
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Catholic Schools NSW 2024 Professional Learning Opportunities
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Clarified Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) Rules
In the midst of our most sacred season, I write to extend my warmest wishes of peace, love, and hope to you this Easter.
At the heart of Easter lies the essence of our faith; the triumph of life over death, light over darkness, and hope over despair. This sacred week invites us to contemplate the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose unwavering love saw him lay down his life for us. By his resurrection, he overcomes death so that we may share in eternal life.
Holy Week calls us to embrace the transformative power of redemption and forgiveness. It reminds us that no matter how far we may have strayed, we are never beyond the reach of God's infinite compassion. Through his resurrection, Christ offers us the promise of new beginnings and the opportunity to reconcile with him and one another.
As educators in our Catholic community of schools, we are trusted with a profound responsibility to cultivate hearts and minds, rooted in faith, integrity, and love. In 2024, let us embody the spirit of Easter by extending kindness to all and fostering a culture of inclusivity and understanding.
Broader than our own context, we trust that in our world, particularly in countries where conflict and injustice have taken hold, Easter serves as a beacon of hope in times of pain, uncertainty, and adversity. We pray that just as dawn breaks after darkness, even in our darkest moments, God's light shines brightly, leading towards a future filled with hope.
May this Easter be a time of spiritual renewal, but also let it be a time for family and community. Let us draw inspiration from the selfless love of Christ, and may his abiding presence fill our hearts with peace, joy, and everlasting hope.
Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Easter.
Adam
Year 6 Students at St Joseph’s School Primary School, Kempsey, share their learning with their whole community through Fortnightly News Episodes. (11 March 2024)
In a dynamic display of collaboration and creativity, Year 6 students at St Joseph’s Primary School, Kempsey, have led a fantastic initiative beyond the typical classroom experience. They share their learning, report on events, and celebrate the achievements within their school through a fortnightly video presentation.
Since 2022, under the guidance of Year 6 teacher and School Evangelisation and Community Coordinator, Mr Tim May, students diligently gather information on various school events, providing a comprehensive view of the vibrant life within the St Joseph’s community.
‘Video production is a great way to engage students in sharing the good news events within their school. It builds confidence in the student presenters who work hard to deliver their lines to the camera. It has been great to see the students' response to the videos in assembly and the encouragement and support from the wider school community,’ said Tim.
In Episode Two, the students skillfully highlighted four significant events: discussing the implications of new changes in Teaching and Learning, providing updates on Project Compassion, recapping the impactful visit from Wildfire for 10:10 Retreats and Song Writing Workshop, and celebrating recent sporting achievements. The addition of guest interviews from both staff and students infused a personal touch, enhancing the relatability and engagement of the episode.
‘It took some time to put the story together, but it is very satisfying to see it all come together and see the students' response to our work. I really liked interviewing the younger students,’ said Year 6 student Jason.
This initiative stands out not just for its informative content but also for the invaluable skills students are developing in the process. These skills encompass the refinement of research and communication abilities, as well as the cultivation of teamwork and creativity.
‘It was more challenging than I had thought it would be. Presenting on camera has given me more confidence and allowed me to experience new challenges,’ said Year 5 student Indy.
The resounding success of these news episodes is evident in their widespread popularity among students and parents, especially during whole school assemblies. The wave of positive feedback has motivated the team to extend the celebration of their school community's achievements by sharing the episodes across various media platforms.
‘We are proud of the great work that is being done by Mr May and our Year 6 students to share and promote all the wonderful things happening in our school community, and the creative and engaging platform in which it is presented,’ said Assistant Principal Erin McGovern.
Registrations are now open in MyLearning for staff to complete in the lead-up to these regional events taking place in May.
All full-time staff in Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools (DLCS), including those who are school-based and those who are office-based, are required to attend these formation days to maintain accreditation to Work, Teach and Lead in our Catholic Schools. Part-time staff will attend on a working day that coincides with one of the events. Casual staff will not be required to attend.
Please register for your Regional event on MyLearning to assist with catering and to have your hours of attendance recorded.
School Leaders, please print and display this Proclaim Lismore Flyer and school noticeboards.
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 2024 competition closes at 4 pm Friday, 28 June (Week 9, Term 2). How to enter and competition guidelines can be found here.
Please see attached Bishop Greg’s Easter message.
Appointment
Joel Watson has been appointed to the Construction Supervisor (North) position in the Property and Procurement portfolio and will commence on Tuesday, 2 April 2024. Joel will be based in the Richmond Regional office. He has over 20 years' experience working in building, construction, site and asset management and joins us from School Infrastructure NSW, where he was working as an Asset Management Officer.
We welcome and congratulate Joel.
Resignation
Julie Millar has resigned from her position as Pastoral Care Officer - Tweed Region. Her last day will be Thursday, 28 March 2024.
We thank Julie for her contribution to Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore and wish her the very best in her return to Melbourne.
Karen Evans, Lead, Pastoral Care, will support the Tweed Region Schools while the position is advertised.
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools are streamlining our brand for better cohesion and unity across the Diocese. We will use the logo below and operate under the one name, DLCS - Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools.
This means that the Catholic Schools Office and Catholic Education logos and brand names will no longer be used.
Differentiation between staff roles when required
With the branding update, there's also a shift in how we collectively refer to ourselves. At times it's necessary to differentiate between our office staff and the broader school staff communities, which were previously known as CSO Staff and DIO Staff. Moving forward, the following terms will be used to represent our staff:
- DLCS Office staff (previously CSO)
- DLCS Staff (previously DIO)
- DLCS School staff (if needed for school-based staff only).
Process for updating current branding
Any documents or branding intended for use beyond the end of this year will be identified by the media and DLCS office team and rebranded before 2025. Should you identify any historical documents or resources that require rebranding to remain current beyond 2024, please advise the media team via the email below.
Questions and resources
Please direct questions to media@lism.catholic.edu.au.
At the beginning of this term, 14 leaders from across the diocese traveled to Los Angeles to attend the Religious Education Congress. See the presentation for highlights.
Did you know in 2023, Learning Services launched a podcast station on Spotify?
The podcast station is dedicated to exploring the journey of learning and teaching within our Diocese. Hosted by members of the Learning Services Team, we will dive into the rich tapestry of experiences, insights, and innovative practices that shape our learning environments. Each episode will feature inspiring conversations with passionate educators and leaders who share a commitment to nurturing students to the fullness of life.
You can now access the station and podcast episodes via the Intranet here.
In this episode of Conversations Across the Diocese, Melinda Thompson, Education Officer - Mathematics K-12, discusses the new 7-10 Mathematics Syllabus with Miriam Lees, Secondary Consultant with Mathematics Association NSW (MANSW).
This episode is a review of the discussions at the Mathematics Collaborative Network Meeting in March 2024 and provides an opportunity for teachers and leaders to better understand what was discussed. It included insights into the reasoning behind the new mathematics curriculum in Stage 4 and Stage 5 including what to look forward to and ideas on what to consider when structuring classes, assessments and reporting.
All current Podcasts including this new episode can be located on the Intranet under the Learning tab - Culture.
We are offering the schools the opportunity to provide families, upon request, a copy of the Student Art Display booklet in the form of a PDF.
Please refer to the Arts Site on the Intranet to access the Student Art on Display booklets to share with your families.
The English as an Additional Language or Dialect, (EAL/D) intranet page is now live. This page can be found in the Learning tab, under ‘Connecting Curriculum through’. The page includes valuable information to support leaders and teachers including support staff for New Arrivals, professional learning, forms and proformas and supporting resources. This page will be updated throughout the year. Please see the page linked here.
The Inclusion team will be holding Collaborative Network Meetings for Inclusion Leaders on Monday, 13 May.
North - Ballina RSL Club
South - Kempsey RSL Club
Please register for the appropriate schedule on MyLearning by following this link.
Expressions of interest are now open to attend the 2024 CSNSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander State Education Conference. The conference will be held on 22-24 October at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.
Please see the attached information sheet for further details.
All schools nationwide are encouraged to sign up to access free eSmart learning and teaching tools, which will boost the digital skills of young Australians.
Developed by the Alannah & Madeleine Foundation, the curriculum-aligned Digital Licence+ program supports students aged between 10 and 14 years to build digital skills and intelligence.
All schools can access the program for free as a result of Government funding, which helps students learn how to stay safe online, including how to identify digital scams and report cyberbullying.
Digital Licence+ also teaches students how to balance the use of technology to avoid negative impacts on relationships, physical health, and mental wellbeing.
The Media Literacy Lab—which helps 12 to 16–year–olds develop critical thinking about online content—is also freely available to every school through the government’s commitment.
Teachers and school leaders interested in registering for the Digital Licence+ program – or those who want access to the Media Literacy Lab – can contact the Alannah & Madeline Foundation.
For more information, visit: www.esmart.org.au
Catholic Schools NSW continues its Professional Learning offering in 2024 with a suite of high-quality, affordable and free offerings to support excellence for each and every student through quality teaching, formation and best practice governance.
A range of professional learning opportunities are available in person, online, and on demand. The full 2024 Professional Learning Catalogue is available online here.
These opportunities address a range of key areas for teachers, leaders, administrators, and governing boards, including:
- Governance training
- Employment relations
- Education Law
- Data and Assessment
- Curriculum
- Diverse Learning
- Early Years, and
- Wellbeing.
Already this year, CSNSW has delivered successful events, with the ‘Connected Catholic Communities’ symposium, CSSA Writing, and Managing Behaviour at Schools, among others.
Other major events for the 2024 calendar include the AI in Education Symposium, the Education Law Symposium, the Curriculum Reform Conference, and the ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Conference: Spirit on Country.'
The Avila Leadership Programme for new and aspiring principals will also be run again, commencing in December 2024.
If you would like further information on our Professional Learning offerings, please contact Danielle Cronin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer: danielle.cronin@csnsw.catholic.edu.au
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has clarified Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) Rules for schools and students.
The clarified rules will apply to students commencing HSC courses from October 2024, students sitting HSC exams in 2025, and students receiving the RoSA from October 2024. NESA is releasing the clarified ACE Rules a year in advance, so schools and sectors have time to prepare. Clarified ACE Rules are on the NSW Curriculum website.
The NSW Curriculum website is the single source of truth for the clarified ACE Rules. The website makes it easier for schools to navigate the rules and better understand their obligations.
NESA welcomes online feedback on the functionality of the website.
Clarifications to ACE Rules
NESA has clarified ACE Rules to make it easier for schools to understand their obligations. The clarifications include:
- removing ambiguous, outdated or duplicated material
- strengthening the enforceability of a rule (for example, using ‘must’ versus ‘may’ to distinguish between enforceable content and discretionary powers)
- framing rules around the roles and responsibilities of schools and NESA
- moving most non-enforceable advisory content to NESA’s website and providing links to other ACE Rules and web pages.
ACE Rules for the 2023 and 2024 HSC
The current ACE Rules on ACE Online remain in place until October 2024. This means schools must comply with ACE Online rules for the HSC in 2023 and 2024.
Once the clarified rules are mandated in October 2024, ACE Online will be decommissioned, and the mandated ACE Rules will continue to be hosted on the NSW Curriculum website.
To find the right contact for enquiries about ACE Rules, visit the ACE Rules contact page: https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/ace-rules/contact.