THE WAY (Term 1 Week 11 - 6 April 2020)
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Whizz-kid Designs Face Masks
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Good News Story - A fun message for students
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Religious Education, Spirituality and School Evangelisation Support (The Daily Soul)
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NESA Information
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Cluster Mentors
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ENTER NOW - 2020 Harmony Day Poster and Song Writing Competitions
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CSSA Forum Membership
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DLCSL Transfer of Employment Documentation
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Technology Support for Staff in the Event of School Closure
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JobKeeper Payments
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Working with Children Check COVID 19 Legislative Amendment
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My Learning
James Beard, Year 7 student at McAuley Catholic College, Grafton: 3D Printing surgical masks
Click on the link below to view the article from PRIME7 News - North Coast.
https://www.prime7.com.au/
A fun message for students from the Principal at St Mary's Primary School, Casino.
Within Blended Learning in the home setting, it is vital to maintain the support of Religious Education, spirituality and evangelisation aspects for students, through staff sharing.
As outlined, Catholic Schools Office SEACS have advanced a staff resource called The Daily Soul-a periodic eBulletin sent directly to all staff three times a week. This resource supports staff and student prayer, worship, reflection, pastoral aspects and spiritual wellbeing.
It will also provide resources (including reflections from the Bishop) that can be used by staff in online RE planning, or sent on to student cohorts. The first edition went out Monday.
NESA has extended the following deadlines to support teachers to focus on teaching and learning during this unprecedented time.
- Proficient Teacher applications
- Maintenance periods
- Overdue fees
No-one will be disadvantaged in the current situation. You do not need to contact them to apply for or confirm an extension. NESA will be in touch when they return to a business as usual situation.
During Term 2 online proficiency submissions can still be processed under the following requirements:
- Submitted via the online portal
- Formal observation of teaching practice face to face with students had occurred prior to 25th March
- Mentors and principals are satisfied with the candidate's proficiency prior to submission
The Catholic Schools Office will reassess the above requirements at the start of Term 3.
(Ref:020/20)
This year's Harmony Day Poster and Song Writing competition theme is: 'Picture a World in Harmony'. Prizes will be awarded in two categories:
- Senior (year 7 – year 12)
- Junior (K – year 6)
Poster Competition Prizes In each category the following prizes are awarded:
- State Winner $500
- Regional Winner $150
- State Winner’s School $500
Song Writing Competition Prizes
In each category the following prizes are awarded:
- First Prize $300
- Second Prize $150
Closing Date: 10 April 2020
Entry Forms and Competition Rules are available at: www.movingforwardtogether.org.au
Prize Giving Function will be held at the NSW Parliament House in June 2020.
Every entrant will receive a Certificate of Participation.
More information from:
- yona.cass@bbnsw.org.au
- Poster@movingforwardtogether.org.au
- Songwriting@movingforwardtogether.org.au
(Ref:046/20)
Renewals Closing Date 27 March 2020
A reminder that CSSA Forum Membership is due now. Please note that your membership will not be activated until you have requested renewal online AND payment has been made. Failure to pay by the due date will result in forum attendance registrations being charged at non-member rates.
The CSSA Forum Division site is for Secondary Schools and Diocesan CSO/CEO offices to register their CSSA membership payments and to register staff attending the CSSA Forums. The site will also hold information regarding Forums. Go to Membership Registrations on the Menu Bar and follow the instructions to generate and print your invoice(s). Please send your invoice(s) to your accounts department.
Go to http://forum.cssa.com.au then put in your username and password. If you don’t have your username and password email us at forum.division@cssa.catholic.edu.au, or phone 9486 3555.
Due to Covid-19 Social distancing requirements advice as to the timing of CSSA Forums for 2020 will be provided in a follow up communication. All 2020 Trial Examination dates remain as earlier advised.
Staff are reminded to complete and sign their Confirmation of Acceptance of Employment and Tax File Number Declaration Form for the Transfer of Employment from the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Lismore (Trustees) to Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited (DLCSL).
Completed forms must be scanned and emailed to returns@lism.catholic.edu.au
Given the current circumstances, staff are advised that an extension has been granted to the previously scheduled due date of 3 April for the return of the transfer of employment documentation. Despite this extension, staff are still encouraged to return their completed documentation as soon as they are able. The team will contact you directly if there are any concerns with your individual return.
Staff members seeking technical or software functional support while working from home, are required to submit a helpdesk ticket detailing the issue/s and including a contact telephone number if necessary. Helpdesk tickets will be constantly monitored, triaged and actioned in a timely manner. In the event of the staff member not being able to log a helpdesk ticket or if the issue is deemed to be of an urgent nature, staff members are advised to call the Catholic Schools Office main number (02 6622 0422) and select option 2.
Calls to this helpline will be managed by Technology Services staff. Details of the issue being experienced will be noted (including contact phone number) and a helpdesk ticket raised on behalf of the staff member. The issue will be addressed by Technology Services staff or the ticket will be assigned to the staff member’s school helpdesk pool to be actioned by the school Technology Officer/s. School helpdesk pools will be constantly monitored by Technology Officers and tickets addressed in a timely manner.
Technology Services staff (including School Technology Officers) have access to Bomgar remote desktop support software to diagnose and resolve issues remotely. Staff members will be directed to remotesupport.lism.catholic.
Technology support will be reviewed as the situation evolves to ensure support is maintained for staff working from home.
The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) has been fielding inquiries from casual employees to ask whether the CSO will be registering as an employer for the JobKeeper Payment. Unfortunately the CSO does not meet the current criteria published by the Government to register as an employer for this subsidy.
We appreciate this is a difficult time for our casual employees. The flier included in last week's edition of The Way outlining avenues for support may provide casuals with some helpful links. Staff can find this information under the heading "Assistance for Parents & Families".
As news about COVID-19 continues to develop, the primary concern for the Office of the Children's Guardian is the safety of children.
A NSW Working With Children Check (WWCC) lasts for 5 years and then needs to be renewed. There are over 100,000 WWCC clearances in NSW that are due to expire in the next six months. This includes teachers and medical staff who require a WWCC and may be restricted in their capacity to go to a Service NSW centre to finalise their renewal application.
On 25 March 2020, the NSW Parliament passed the COVID-19 Legislation Amendment (Emergency Measures) Act 2020 making legislative changes across various portfolios. Importantly, the changes enable the Children’s Guardian to extend WWCC clearances where appropriate, to help prevent any unforeseen disruptions to services as a result of COVID-19.
The Children’s Guardian has extended all WWCC clearances that were due to expire from 26 March 2020 to 26 September 2020 for a further six months unless you have already completed the renewal process. The six-month period applies from the date of the person’s current expiry date. Further extensions may be applied should they be needed.
People who are granted an extension will be advised by email and the system will be automatically updated.
People who need a new WWCC will need to go through the regular application process, which includes attending a Service NSW centre to verify their identity. This is to maintain the integrity of the WWCC and ensure that children are not put at undue risk.
However if you already had commenced your renewal process by applying and paying for your renewal prior to this change being announced, please notify the Catholic Schools Office of your new expiry date by completing this jotform link: https://form.jotform.co/80798498515879
Staff are reminded that individuals are required to register for all professional learning courses through the My Learning site. The site has the facility to recommend courses to others. This will be potentially 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.
Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) Course New Candidates 2020-2021 20LS-AD-HAALTHC
This course will still occur via zoom during the school holidays. Interested staff are encouraged to register.