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- Porta Fidei Staff Retreat - Bonny Hills
- Porta Fidei Staff Retreat - Goonellabah
- Porta Fidei Staff Retreat - Coffs Harbour
- Going Deeper
- Proclaim Lismore
- Announcements
- Why governments fund non-government schools
- Supporting Student Digital Wellbeing - Free Professional Learning
- 2019 Student Attendance (STATS) Data Collection
- Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM)
- Google Certified Teacher Level One Accreditation - Information Session
- Revised Child Protection Policy and Procedures - 2019
- WHS in Focus - Emergency Management
- My Learning
- Reminders
This week we move on from the love that teachers can show toward students and focus upon the love that students can bring into the educational climate of your school.
The documents state ‘When students feel loved, they will love in return. Their questioning, their trust, their critical observations and suggestions for improvement in the classroom and the school milieu will enrich the teachers and also help to facilitate a shared commitment to the formation process.
In a Catholic school, even this is not enough. There is also a continuous vertical interaction, through “Prayer”: this is the fullest and most complete expression of the “Religious Dimension” (The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School 111)’.
When young people feel loved and safe, any school can be transformed, when students are loved they are more likely to make a contribution to the school community. This is a form of reciprocal interaction, the love of teachers towards students creates a transformed educational and social climate.
Through prayer we asked for the Grace to love as we are Called to love.
To learn more click here.
STAFF 2019
THREE WEEKS TO GO! - 28 May to 4 June. All staff are reminded to register for the Proclaim Lismore Staff 2019 event in their cluster. Registrations via My Learning.
PORTA FIDEI STAFF RETREATS
As part of the Proclaim Lismore focus on staff formation, these successful staff retreats will again be offered in three locations this year:
- 20-21 June: The Francis Retreat, Bonny Hills
- 1-2 August: Invercauld House, Goonellabah
- 12-13 September: Aanuka Beach 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.
ACCENDERE YEAR 4 RETREAT
These retreats are being held in various locations in July and are on the dio-PD calendar. For more information refer to Parish Schools Circular 2019-5.
IGNITE CONFERENCE 2019
Parish Secondary Schools are invited to send students to this event in Brisbane from 26-29 September 2019. Information will be emailed to Principals and LOSE.
CSO Appointments
Kate Jones commenced at the beginning of Term 2, 2019 as SEACS Education Officer (Primary) for the Tweed and Coastal Clusters. Kate will be working in the role for 3 days per week until the end of the 2019 school year. Kate is on leave from her teaching role at St Finbarr’s Primary School, Byron Bay.
Kelly Winters has been appointed to the role of Inclusion Officer (Richmond), Learning Services, CSO for 3 days per week during Term 2, 2019. Kelly is replacing Viveca Larcher who is on leave. Kelly will retain her teaching role at St Mary’s Catholic College, Casino for 2 days per week during term 2, 2019.
Jacquelyn Purton Jones has been appointed to the role of Digital Technologies for Learning K-12, Learning Services, Catholic Schools Office (CSO), Lismore and will commence on 11 June 2019. Jacquelyn comes to us from Auckland in New Zealand where she has worked most recently as Digital Learning Specialist with ACG Education. Jacquelyn has extensive experience in leadership, strategic direction and implementation of digital technologies for learning.
Why governments fund non-government schools
Many people ask why governments fund non-government schools - including parents who send their children to Catholic and other non-government schools.
There are many good reasons why commonwealth, state and territory governments fund non-government schools to some degree. They include:
- AFFORDABLE CHOICE: A school education costs more than $11,000 per primary student and more than $14,000 per secondary student each year, regardless of sector. Most Australian families could not afford this cost, especially if they have two or more children. There is no real ‘school choice’ in Australia if only wealthy families can afford to choose.
- IT’S FAIR: All families pay taxes and therefore deserve some taxpayer support of their children’s education. A fairly funded non-government school sector ensures families can afford a school that reflects their values and beliefs – an important feature of a pluralist society.
- IT SHARES THE LOAD: One-third of Australia’s 3.9 million students attend a non-government school. Government schools are already stretched in many areas. Without non-government schools, taxpayers would need to build (or buy) and staff enough schools to accommodate an extra 1.3 million students.
- HEALTHY COMPETITION: Given that schooling is compulsory, it is sensible to have a network of affordable schools to provide healthy competition and improve all schools.
- TAXPAYERS SAVE: On average, Catholic school communities pay almost 30 per cent of the annual cost of their children’s education and almost 90 per cent of capital works. In 2017, our schools raised $3.6 billion in fees and $1.27 billion in capital costs – a huge saving to taxpayers.
- TAXPAYERS FUND NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES: Governments also fund other private sector activities that have social benefits and high underlying costs such as GP visits, medicines, hospitals, aged care, child care and private bus services. All schools are a public good and deserve taxpayer support.
Supporting Student Digital Wellbeing - Free Professional Learning
This Office of eSafety program includes three hours of professional learning through live webinar participation and the completion of a quiz. All participants, and related staff, who complete the program will receive a summative infographic containing key learnings and a participation certificate.
To register go to: https://esafety.gov.au/
2019 Student Attendance (STATS) Data Collection
As recently advised individually to schools by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training the 2019 Student Attendance (STATS) Data Collection will take place this year in the newly redesigned SchoolsHUB.
Non-government schools are required to provide the Department of Education and Training with attendance rates for the students at their school. This is an obligation under section 77(2)(f) off the Australian Education Act 2013 and sections 56(c) and 56 (d) of the Australian Education Regulation 2013.
The Diocese has submitted an Acknowledge Obligation declaration but each school needs to submit Semester 1 and Term 3 attendance data by 2 August and 18 October.
At completion of the reporting periods, the department forwards attendance rate data to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) who reports the information publically on the My School website. Each school’s attendance rate is reported and disaggregated by Indigeneity for:
- Students in Years 1-10; and
- The proportion of students at the school in Years 1 to 10 whose attendance rate was equal to or greater than 90 per cent.
Attendance rate data is also publicly reported in the ACARA National Report on Schooling in Australia and the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services.
Files need to be uploaded by each school as a csv file by the due dates to the SchoolHUB site. If the person responsible for this has not accessed SchoolHUB prior to this, they will need to register and request access.
Those schools using Schoolworx can access the relevant csv file NGS Student Attendance Report located under the tab Other-Additional Searches, Reports and Listings-Attendance.
Read LessScience Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM)
In the final year of the Diocesan STEM strategy, the focus will be on showcasing student engagement with STEM, teacher professional learning in STEM, school-based initiatives and partnerships with external organisations.
Two STEM grants will be given to each cluster of up to $7000 each. Grants can be spent on a project or initiative which engages students and teachers from across the cluster which are designed to:
- Showcase learning within the cluster in STEM related areas
- Involve students in a cross-cluster project or challenge where they apply their STEM skills and understanding
- Engage organisations such as Universities, industry, science or engineering organisations or other partners external to the Diocese.
To find out more about this exciting opportunity, please see the overview and guidelines documents on the following page:
Read LessGoogle Certified Teacher Level One Accreditation - Information Session
An information session has been scheduled on Thursday 23 May at 3.30pm for any staff interested in learning more about the Google Certified Teacher Level One Accreditation.
Two staff members will present an overview of the content, resources and activities staff will need to engage with in order to be eligible for the credential. They will also be available for questions.
Any staff member who is interested in attending should join the ZOOM presentation using the link below.
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://lismcatholic.zoom.us/j/155838041
Read LessRevised Child Protection Policy and Procedures - 2019
Please see the link to the new Child Protection Policy and Procedures. This policy sets out the expectations required of employees in the Catholic Schools Office and in Catholic systemic schools. This document is to also inform and remind employees engaged or employed in Catholic systemic schools in the Diocese of Lismore of the standards of behaviour, duties, obligations and other requirements that must be adhered to when working with children. Principals will be working through this document with all staff.
WHS in Focus - Emergency Management
Please be advised or reminded, that to achieve the requirements for the Australian Standard (AS 3745) each school should have assembled an Emergency Management Team.
Training for this team is provided at MySafety/ Training/ Emergency Training.
Please contact Nigel McIntyre with any concerns.
ACCREDITATION TO WORK, TEACH AND LEAD: CATEGORY C ATWTALC1
FOR STAFF WHO HOLD A POSITION OF ADDED RESPONSIBILITY NEW TO THEIR SCHOOL AND/OR NEW TO THEIR ROLE
Category C Leadership Formation programs are scheduled for:
- 11 & 12 June - Invercauld House, Goonellabah
- 13 & 14 June - Invercauld House, Goonellabah
- 27 & 28 June - Bonny Hills
REGISTRATION AND ACCREDITATION (TAS) TERM 2 RAATT22
The Term 2 meeting is an opportunity for TAS Leaders of Learning to review and evaluate programs and KLA handbooks for a trial audit process.
- 5 June - McAuley Catholic College, Grafton
GOOGLE DRAWINGS GDTUST07
The Underutilised Google Suite Tool 2019
This online credentialled short course is conducted over a two-week period and is open to all staff and will provide eligible teachers with THREE hours of accreditation with NESA.
Online Course Commences: 10 May
Online Course Finishes: 24May
ZOOM CONFERENCING (Virtual Excursions and Real World Class Connections) 2019 ZCVEARW07
This online credentialled short course is conducted over a two-week period and is open to all staff and will provide eligible teachers with THREE hours of accreditation with NESA.
Online Course Commences: 20 May
Online Course Finishes: 3 June
REMINDER: INTRODUCTION TO TEXTHELP
Register now to secure your attendance.
- 29 May – Tweed, Coastal and Richmond Clusters – Invercauld House, Goonellabah
- 30 May – Hastings and Nambucca Cluster – Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie
- 31 May – North Clarence Cluster - Coffs Harbour Annex
PEER 2 PEER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
This professional learning is for 7-12 teachers who wish to become trained observers in the Peer 2 Peer Learning Environment. It is best suited to teachers who have been identified as having high quality and effective communication and behaviour management skills.
- 22 May, 23 May & 20 June - St Joseph's Regional College, Port Macquarie
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO ATTEND – 2019 BBI RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM: Moving from Theory to Practice: Religious Education in the Classroom
BBI is hosting a National Symposium on 12–13 September at the International Conference Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Interested participants are invited to respond to Neil Graham on 02 6627 6215 or neil.graham@lism.catholic.edu.au by 31 May 2019.