FAR WEST ELECTORATE: Natalie Walker (P&CFederation President), natalie.walker@pandc.org.au
MACARTHUR ELECTORATE: Cassandra Jones, cassandra.jones@pandc.org.au
MID NORTH COAST ELECTORATE: Jason Ryan, jason.ryan@pandc.org.au
NORTH COAST ELECTORATE: Isabelle Borrelli, isabelle.borrelli@pandc.org.au
NORTH SYDNEY ELECTORATE: Alan Gardiner (P&CFederation Secretary), alan.gardiner@pandc.org.au
NORTHWEST SYDNEY ELECTORATE: Liga Hegner, liga.hegner@pandc.org.au
RIVERINA ELECTORATE: Saba Nabi, saba.nabi@pandc.org.au
SOUTHWEST SYDNEY ELECTORATE: Hema Fifita, hema.fifita@pandc.org.au
SYDNEY ELECTORATE: Yvonne Hilsz (P&CFederationVicePresident), yvonne.hilsz@pandc.org.au
WEST SYDNEY COUNCILLOR: Wade Marionneaux, wade. marionneaux@pandc.org.au
DETAILS: www.pandc.org.au/boardmembers/
Parent & Citizen Journal
TheJournaloftheFederationof ParentsandCitizensAssociationsof NewSouthWales
T: 1300885982
F: 1800655866
E: journal@pandc.org.au
W: www.pandc.org.au
Contributions and feedback to: E: journal@pandc.org.au
Theviewsexpressedinthejournalarenot necessarilythoseoftheFederationofParents andCitizensAssociationsofNewSouthWales
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Natalie Walker
Welcometothestartofanotherterm.
Thistermwillmarktheofficialendof theP&CFederation’scentenary.Thisbegan inMaylastyearandwillendinMaythis year,asthebestevidencesuggeststheP&C FederationwasfoundedinMay1922.Iam proudtosaywetookasmuchadvantageof thismilestoneaswecould;fromestablishing partnershipswiththeNSWDepartment ofEducationviaahistoricDeed,tothe launchoftheOnlineCommunityforourP&C Associationmembersandtherevampingof theP&CFederationlogo,Iknowthat20222023willgodowninP&CFederationhistory asanotabletime.
forEducationandEarlyChildhoodLearning, SarahMitchell,celebratedthehardwork andachievementsofP&CAssociation volunteers.Wealsoheldnumerouswebinars withexternalstakeholderssuchasthe NSWDepartmentofEducation,theeSafety CommissionerandtheBlackDogInstituteto provideimportantinformationoneducation andparenting.Weintendtocontinueand expandourwebinarprogramthroughoutthis year.
Surveys Iwouldliketogiveabigthankyoutothose whoparticipatedinthesurveyonthe pendingPartnershipAgreementbetweenthe P&CFederationandtheNSWDepartment ofEducation.Thispartnershipisintended tohelpsupportP&CAssociations,and parentsandcarersgenerally,sothat studentscanachievetheirpotentialthrough publiceducation.Thisisnewterritoryfor allinvolved,andthefeedbackwereceived throughthesurveyhelpedguidethe developmentofthisPartnershipAgreement.
IalsothanktheP&CAssociationoffice bearerswhoparticipatedintheP&C Federation’sannualsurveyofmembers, asthefeedbackwereceivedwillhelpus shapetheservicesandsupportweofferP&C Associations.
NSW election On25March,NSWhadastateelection inwhichtheLaborPartywaselectedto government.WecongratulatePremier ChrisMinnsonhiselectoralvictory,andwe welcometheappointmentofPrueCaras thenewMinisterforEducationandEarly Learning.TheP&CFederationhasdeveloped aproductiveandpositiverelationshipwith theNSWDepartmentofEducation,which welookforwardtocontinuing.Wealsothank theformerMinisterforEducationandEarly ChildhoodLearning,SarahMitchell,forher supporttotheP&CFederationthroughout heryearsasMinisterandwishherallthe best.
Webinars LasttermsawtheP&CFederationruna largevolumeofwebinarsforparentsand carers.AsthiswasthetimemostP&C AssociationsheldtheirAnnualGeneral Meetings(AGMs),weheldwebinarson AGMsandanintroductiontoofficebearer roles.On1March,weheldaspecialP&C DaywebinarwherethethenNSWMinister
Inadditiontothesesurveys,theP&C Federationalsomadeasubmissiontothe SenateinquiryintodisruptioninAustralian schoolclassrooms.Weaskedparentsin NSWGovernmentschoolstoprovideus theirfeedbackonthisimportantissue.The responseswereceivedwereeye-opening andhelpedshapethesubmissionwemade totheSenate.(Youcanreadoursubmission at www.pandc.org.au/forms/Advocacy/ disruptionclassrooms.pdf ).Thisinquiry’s workisongoing,andwehopeitwillleadto positiveoutcomes.
P&C Federation election
AllBoardandDelegatepositionsareup forelectionthisyear.Theelectiondecides whowilljointheP&CFederationBoarduntil 2025,andIcannotwaittoseethenewteam ofP&CFederationrepresentatives.
Alongwithoverseeingthestrategicdirection oftheP&CFederation,theBoardwilldrive engagementwithgovernmentsonarange ofissuesrelevanttopubliceducation. TherearemanyissuesfacingNSWpublic
education,fromtheteachershortagesand challengesaroundschoolinfrastructure, totheunderfundingofpubliceducation. Addressingtheseissuesrequiresateam ofpassionateandcommittedindividuals. NominationsforBoardandDelegate
I cannot wait to see the new team of P&C Federation representatives.
positionsclosedon28April.Youcan find moreinformationhere(www.pandc.org. au/pc-federation-2023-election-of-boardcouncillors-and-delegates/ ).
IwishallourP&CAssociationsandtheir volunteercommunitiesagreatTerm2.
President, FederationofParentsandCitizens AssociationsofNSW
Natalie Walker
NatalieWalker P&CFederationPresident
The P&C Federation congratulates the new Premier of NSWChris Minns (left), welcomes the new Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car (centre) and thanks former Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell (right) for her support of P&C Federation during her time as Minister
CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF NSW PUBLIC EDUCATION By Simone Walker
Thisyearmarks175yearsofpublic educationinNSW,atimetocelebrate themanystudents,andtheirdedicatedand skilledteachers,whohavepassedthrough ourgates.
Theanniversarydatestotheestablishment oftheBoardofNationalEducationin1848, whichopenedthe firstpublicschoolsinNSW.
Schoolsaremorethantheirstudentsand teachers.Theyarecommunities,something reinforcedinthelastfewyearsduringtimes ofstressandabsence.Centraltothosecommunitiesareparentsandcarers,asmembers ofmorethan2,000localP&CAssociations volunteeringtheirsupport,creativityand resourcestohelpschoolcommunitiesthrive.
Ananniversaryistimeforcelebration–as wedidduringtheP&CFederationNSW’s centenarycelebrationslastyear–butalso reflection.Thisyear,we’llfocusonacknowledgingandlearningfromourpast,aswe seekconstantimprovement.
After175yearsofpubliceducationinNSW, weknoweducationchanges.Always.Educationwillcontinuetolearnandadapttosuit thetimesanditsstudents.Andaswereflect ontheevolutionofpubliceducationsince
1848,wearealsolookingahead:whatdo ourlearnersoftodayneedfromustoprepare themfortomorrow?
Partnership agreement
We’reworkingcloselywiththeP&CFederationNSWtodevelopalong-termPartnership Agreementtobroadenourstrongandcollaborativeworkingrelationship.Yourperspective andviewsontheagreementareincredibly valuable.
Developmentoftheagreementisledbyour StudentandParentExperience(SPX)Directorateandourcommitmenttoputdiverse needsofstudentsandparentsatthecentre ofdecision-making.
RecognisingtheimportantworkoftheP&C Federation,we’vealsoprovidedadditional fundingof$1.6millionoverthenexttwo years.ThishasalreadyestablishedaParent andCarerEngagementTeamtostrengthen engagement,improverepresentation,create betteropportunitiesforconsultationonsystemandpolicyissues,anddevelopanonline communityandresources.
Teacher supply strategy
Ahighlyqualifiedandsustainableworkforce iscrucialtoimprovestudentoutcomes.Yet, asweallknow,teachersupplyisachallenge facingalleducationsectors.
ThenationalendorsementofourTeacher SupplyStrategydemonstratesthatwhatwe aredoingwiththiscomplexchallengeisworking.Thestrategyisevidence-based,setting outourplantogrowtheteachingworkforce bymakingtheprofessionmoreattractive, upskillingteacherstospecialiseinhigh-demandsubjectareas,andprovidingtargeted teachingsupportintheplacesitisneeded.
Investinginourworkforceofteachersand educatorsisoneofthedepartment’shighest priorities,andthisyearwe’vewelcomednearly900graduatestakingpermanentroles. Lastyear,we filled8,600teachingpositions –50%intheir firstpermanentappointment.
Early childhood education is key Universal Pre-K
Thisisthemajoreducationreformofourlifetime!Evidenceshowsthatqualitypreschool isthebedrockofachild’slong-termsuccess.
GroupDeputySecretary,School ImprovementandEducationReform Group,NSWDepartmentofEducation
Solastyear,aftersecuringmorethan $15billionintheStatebudgettoinvestin earlychildhood,weannouncedtheUniversal Pre-Kindergarten(Pre-K)initiative.Itbuildson ourcurrentsystemofensuringallfamilieshave accesstothebestqualityearlyeducation.
Familieswillaccessno-costearlylearningin theyearbeforeschool,includingmodelsof carebeyond9am-3pmwhenneeded,which willreducebarrierstowork,particularlyfor women.
Importantly,theinitiativeensureschildren withdisability,AboriginalandTorresStrait Islanderchildren,andchildrenfromculturally and/orlinguisticallydiversebackgroundswill receivethesupporttheyneedtothrive.
Thisyearofplayground-basedlearningwill changelives.Youngchildrenwillbeprovided withsupport,learningandmonitoringata timeofmosttangibleandlong-lastingeffect.
New curriculum for K-2 AspartoftheNSWCurriculumReform,we’ve introducednewEnglishandMathematicssyllabusesforKindergartentoYear2.In2022, almost400schoolsimplementedthenew syllabuseswithencouragingfeedbackfrom teachers.Again,wewelcomeyourfeedback.
Wesee2023ascrucialtodemonstrating thatwe’reheretoservestudentsandparents.We’reexcitedtoimprovewhatwehave andprogresscrucialreforms. Ourstudents areattheheartofeverythingwedo,andwe lookforwardtoyoujoiningus.
SimoneWalker
A snapshot from 175 years of public education in NSW: music students at Lochinvar Public School in 1918; and an art class at Yagoona Public School in the 1960s. Photos: NSW Department of Education
NESA NEWS By Paul Martin
WithTerm2nowunderway,wearewell intothe2023HSCShowcaseSeason, celebratingtopmajorworksfrom2022 HigherSchoolCertificate(HSC)students acrossthecreativeandperformingartsand technologies.
ARTEXPRESS, Encore, Callback, OnStage, Shape, InTech, TexStyle and Young Writers allprovideafantasticopportunityforschools andthegeneralpublictowitnessthetalents comingoutofourschools–aswellas providinganotherplatformforgraduatesto launchfuturecareersinthe fieldtheyare passionateabout.
Theshowcasesareprestigiousexhibitions andevents–andmanymorestudentsare nominatedthancaneverbechosen.Given theamazingworkbeingproducedatschools throughoutNSW,onlyarepresentativesample canbeexhibited.
InaNSW-first,thisyearwelaunchedthe ShowcaseSeasonatSydney’sSeymour Centreandinvitedmorethan450students andtheirfamiliestojointhecelebration. I’dliketocongratulateallthestudents–thosenominatedaswellasthoseselected foranHSCshowcase–fromallsectorsof theschoolcommunityandfromthroughout thestate.TheHSChasastronghistoryof nurturingartistic,innovativeandcreative talent,andIwilllookoutforthesestudentsin industry,onthebigscreensandmainstages inthefuture.
HSC AND CAREERS EXPOS
LookoutforNESAatthefollowingHSC andCareersExposin2023:
• Illawarra Schools Careers Expo 9May
• Northwest Regional Careers Expo 17May
• Newcastle/Lake Macquarie Careers Expo 18May
• HSC and Careers Expo, Randwick Racecourse 1-3June
• Leeton Careers Expo 14June
• Wagga Wagga Careers Expo 15June
• Albury CareersExpo 16June
• Western Sydney Careers Expo 22-24June
• Coffs Harbour Careers Expo 26July
Teacher accreditation in NSW
Wearecontinuingtoupdateteacher accreditationrequirementsinNSW,withan expandedroleinassessingthesuitabilityof newteachers.
Changesaimtostrengthenanalready rigorousassessmentprocessforteachers seekingaccreditationtoteachinclassrooms andearlylearningcentresandareinaddition tothecurrentWorkingWithChildrenCheck requirements.
Anumberofimprovementshavealready beenimplemented,includingtheintroduction ofaPublicRegisterofteachersandNESA becomingthesoleaccreditationdecision maker.
HSC update Everyyear,NESAevaluatestheHSCtomake sureitcontinuestodeliverhigh-qualityexams thatprovideallstudentswiththeopportunity toshowwhattheyknowandcandoatthe endoftheirhighschoolcareer.
TheHSCorallanguageexamtimetableand personalisedwrittenexamtimetableshave justbeenreleasedinrecentdays.
Receivingtheirownexamtimetableisavery tangiblesignforHSCstudentsthatexams willsoonbeuponthem.Iencouragestudents andfamiliestorememberthattheHSCisan importantandvaluablecredential–butthe healthandwellbeingofstudentsisalwaysthe mostimportantpriority.
PaulMartin,CEO NSWEducationStandardsAuthority
WHAT IS NESA? TheNSWEducationStandardsAuthority (NESA)isanindependentstatutory authorityreportingtoanindependent BoardandtheNSWMinisterforEducation andEarlyLearning.Wesupportthe schoolsectorstodeliverthebestpossible outcomesforstudentsthroughhighqualitysyllabuses,assessment,teaching standardsandschoolenvironments.
NESAisalsoworkingtosupport improvementsinAboriginaleducation; reducetheadministrativeburden onschoolsandteachersrelatingto accreditation;engagewithallstakeholders andschoolsectorsonseniorhighschool reform;andactionrecommendations fromtheQualityInitialTeacherEducation Review.
Wearefocusedonencouragingfamilies andschoolcommunitiestoensurestudents keepagoodbalancebetweenstudyand downtime,enjoyhealthyactivities–and maintainconnectionswithfamilyandfriends. Iencourageallstudentsandtheirfamilies tovisittheStayHealthyHSCwebsite,which offersplentyofhelpfuladviceandwellbeing resources(https://education.nsw.gov.au/ student-wellbeing/stay-healthy-hsc).
Untilnexttime,
Paul
Martin ChiefExecutiveOf
ficer, NSWEducationStandardsAuthority(NESA)
Smiths Hill High School students perform Soccer Mums, part of this year’s OnStage Showcase Season, which celebrates top major works from 2022 HSC students.
Photo: NSW Education Standards Authority
START PREPARING FOR CBP2023 GRANT ROUND CommunityBuildingPartnership (CBP)programisaNSWGovernment communitygrantprogramforsmall infrastructureprojects.Applicationsareopen tolocalcouncilsandincorporated,not-forprofitorganisations.Sinceitsinceptionin 2009,theCBPprogramhasawardedcloseto $400milliontoover18,000projects.
TheoutcomeoftheCBP2022grantround wasannouncedon5December2022.Of the3,086applications,1,519(49%)were successfulinreceivingfunding.Inparticular, 185P&CAssociationapplicationswere awardedalmost$7milliontodeliverawide
CBP GRANT rangeofinfrastructureprojectsincluding upgradestoplaygrounds,amenitiesorsports facilities.
TheCBP2023grantroundwillopenlater thisyear.Whiletheopeningdetailshave yettobeconfirmed,itisnevertooearlyto startdiscussingyourprojectideaswithyour schoolprincipalandtheNSWDepartment ofEducation,asconsentofownersmaybe required.
Pleasenotethatonlyincorporated organisationswithcurrentpublicliability insurancecoverareeligibletoapply.
SUCCESS: SHARE THEIR STORIES Itisoftheutmostimportancethatapplicants donotleaveituntilthelastdaytosubmittheir application.Ifyouhaveproblemssubmitting yourapplication,youshouldcontacttheCBP helplineon0287538144atleast24hours beforetheduedatetoseekassistance. Pleasenotethatlateapplicationsarenot accepted.
Forfurtherinformation,visittheCBPwebsite at www.nsw.gov.au/cbp.Youcansignupfor analerttoreceiveanotificationwhenthe 2023grantroundisopen.
P&C ASSOCIATIONS P&CFederationVice-PresidentandBirchgrovePublicSchoolP&CAssociation President Yvonne Hilsz (picturedatright)explainshowafour-yearplanhelped theirP&Csecurea$50,000CommunityBuildingPartnershipgrantfortheschool
BIRCHGROVE PUBLIC SCHOOL P&C ASSOCIATION Outdoor classroom and playground upgrade: $50,000 CBP grant
Upgradingschoolgroundscanbeacostly endeavour,butsecuringgrantfunding canhelpalleviatethe financialburden.Over theyears,BirchgrovePublicSchoolP&C Association,inconjunctionwiththeschool, hassecuredfundingfornumerousprojects suchasinstallingsoftfallsurfaces,upgrading withnewpreschoolclimbingequipment,and creatingoutdoorclassroomswithextensive improvementstothegrounds.
In2022,ourP&CAssociationreceiveda $50,000CommunityBuildingPartnership (CBP)granttocreateanoutdoorclassroom andlandscapeaplayareainthebottom sectionoftheschoolgrounds,whichhadno playequipmentinit.Weappliedforthefull grantamountof$50,000andwouldhave wantednolessthan$30,000ifwedidn’tget thefullamount.
Ibelieveoneofthekeydriversforoursuccess inreceivingthefull$50,000wasourforward planning,whichincludedworkingwiththe
school’sPrincipaltodesignafour-year fundraisingandcontributionplanfor20222025(see https://bpspandc.com/4-yearplan)andsharingthatwithourlocalMember ofParliamentsohewasacrossourvision. Futureplanningofkeyprojects,alongwith ourrecurringannualcommitmentstothe school,helpsourP&CAssociationforecast fundraisingactivitiesandisnecessaryforthe successofgrantapplications.
Welookedatwhatprojectshadbeenfunded inthepastandconsultedwiththeschool’s parentstoensurethatweweredirecting fundsacrossallyear-groupstagesovera numberofyears.
Ittookseveralmonthsin2021tocreatethe four-yearplan.Whenidentifyingprojectsfor grantassistance,weincludedalotofsmaller projectsthatcouldbecompletedquicklyand whichdidn’trequireasmuchfunding,along withonebigproject–theoutdoorclassroom andplaygroundupgradeforwhichwereceived the$50,000grant.
Thisforwardplanningalsoallowedusto workinstagesforsomeoftheupgradesand tostaggertheworkloadacrosstwoyears tocompletecertainsectionsintheschool
I believe one of the key drivers for our success in receiving the full $50,000 was our forward planning.
grounds.Again,weoutlinedallthisinour plan.
Togetsomeroughcostestimatestoinclude inourfour-yearplanwespoketosomeofour familieswhohaveconstructioncompanies,on theunderstandingthatthepriceofmaterials andlabourcanchange.
WealwayshaveabufferinourP&C Association’sbankaccount,giveourselvesa longtimelineforbig-scaleprojectsandhavea planBtobeabletoprovidethefullfundingin caseourgrantapplicationisunsuccessful.
Tofurthermaximiseourfundingallocation forgrants,wedevisedafundraisingcalendar (see https://bit.ly/BirchgrovePS-fundraisingcalendar)that’salsodesignedtoassistfuture BirchgrovePublicSchoolP&CAssociation teamswithatimelineandideas,andincrease thelikelihoodofsuccessfulapplicationsfor futuregrants.
Supplied by the Community Building Partnership Program team
CBP GRANT SUCCESS: P&C ASSOCIATIONS SHARE THEIR STORIES Thesessionon Writing To Succeed: Top Tips On Writing Successful Grant Applications wasahighlightoftheP&C Federation’s2022conference.P&CFederation’s Patrick Doumani presentsthissummaryofpresentationsby P&CAssociationrepresentativesfrom Concord High School and Canterbury Girls High School ontheirP&C Associations’experiencesandtipswhenapplyingforCommunityBuildingPartnership(CBP)grants.
TOP TIPS WHEN APPLYING FOR GRANTS •Findoutwhattheshortfallsareatyour school.Thiscouldinvolveevaluating thenumberoftoilets,waterbubblers, seating,binsetcavailabletostudents. (NB:P&CAssociationsshouldnothave toraisefundstocovergeneralschool maintenanceorWorkHealthand Safetyissues).
•Reachouttoallsidesandlevelsof politicsto findoutwhatgrantsare available–thisinvolvescheckingwith yourStateandFederalMPs,signing uptotheirmailingliststoreceive notifications,andcheckingwithyour localcouncil.
•Checkwhatgrantsmaybeavailable fromothercommunitygroups(eg, cultural,art,religious,sports)orlocal businesschambers.
School toilet block upgrade: $150,000 CBP grant
In2021,Sydney’sConcordHighSchool P&CAssociationsecured$150,000from theCommunityBuildingPartnership(CBP) program,whichitusedtopartiallyfundan upgradetotheschooltoiletblock.
TheP&CAssociationappliedforthisgrantafter investigatingwhatthestudentsneeded,and discoveringthat:
•Anadditional16toiletswererequiredto caterforthenumberoffemalestudents.
•Outdoorseatingneededtobeincreased by50%.
Aprioritywastheschooltoiletblock,which datedfromthe1980s,andhadclear maintenanceissues.
TheP&CAssociationinvestigatedthepossibility ofusinggrantmoneytocoversomeofthecosts ofthetoiletblockupgradebyaskingthelocal FederalandStateMembersofParliamentto recommendappropriategrantprograms.The localcouncilalsocarriedamotiontosupport theschool.
TheP&CAssociationalsospent$15,000 tocommissionanarchitecttopreparethe refurbishmentplans.Allthishelpedsecure the$150,000grant.Thankstothisgrant,the toiletshavebeenwhollymodernised. Separatenon-CBPfundingwasusedtototally revampsomeoutsideseatingareasatthe school.
CANTERBURY GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL P&C ASSOCIATION Outdoor amphitheatre sound and lighting installation: $20,000 CBP grant; meeting/storage room upgrade to student wellbeing space: $20,000 CBP grant
CanterburyGirlsHighSchoolP&C Associationhashadanumberof successfulCommunityBuildingPartnership (CBP)programgrants.
In2020,itappliedforaCBPgranttoaddsound andlightstotheschool’soutdooramphitheatre. ThecatalystwastheCOVID-19pandemic, whenitbecamecleartheexistingindoor multi-purposehallcouldnotaccommodate thephysicaldistancingguidance,andthe amphitheatrebecamethealternativevenue. (Theamphitheatrewasbuiltwithfunding
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• Insistthestudentvoiceissoughtand incorporatedinanyprojectdesigns anddecisions.
•Readthetermsandconditionsofeach grantverycarefully.
• Haveaholisticplan.Thisincludes breakingdowntheprojectinto manageablechunks,seekingquotesto assessthelikelycostanddetermining ifit fitswithP&CAssociation objectives.
• Haveastrongpartnershipinvolvingthe P&CAssociation’sExecutive,school principal,andanyotherkeystaff, aswellastheNSWDepartmentof Education’sAssetManagementUnit, fortheprojectyouhaveinmind.
• Ensureanyproposedprojectsalign withyourP&CAssociation’svisionand purpose.
•Considerco-funding,whichisoften viewedfavourablybygrantbodies.
•Maintainaclearrecord(suchasa sharedGoogleDrive)forapplications anddocuments,suchasinvoices, neededtoaccuratelyreportonthe fundedactivitiesandtheexpenditure ofthegrant.
Supplied by Concord High School P&C Association and Canterbury Girls High School P&C Association
Concord High School’s toilets (pictured left, before the upgrade) dated from the 1980s and had clear maintenance issues. New toilet facilities (right) were built with funding from a Community Building Partnership program grant, secured by the school’s P&C Association.
Photos supplied by Concord High School P&C Association
RESOLVING CONFLICT IN P&C ASSOCIATIONS By Patrick Doumani, P&C Federation Member Services and Research Ocer
Inanyorganisation,disagreementand conflictisinevitableandmayevenbe productive.Whenhandledwell,healthy conflictcanleadtosolutions,openour mindstonewideas,andhelpbuildrespect andtrustbetweenpeople.
Conflictbecomesaproblemwhenit leadstodysfunctionandabreakdownin teamwork.ForP&CAssociations,thiscan resultinsituationswheremeetingsbecome unmanageable,wherepeople’sfocusis ontangentialdisputesinsteadofcoreP&C Associationwork,andwheretheoverall dynamicsinaP&CAssociationbecometoxic andfraught.Insomecases,itcancausea P&CAssociationtoimplode,asinfighting drivesawayexistingmembersandcauses otherparentstodecidetheyhavenodesire tojoin.
Fortunately,therearestepsP&C Associationscantaketominimisethe chancesofthishappening,andtoensure thatwhenconflictsarise,theyareaddressed swiftlyandeffectivelysotheydonotbecome along-termissue.
Recognise some conict is inevitable
Thereisamyththatgoodteamworkrequires aconflict-freeenvironment.Thisbelief canevencausemoreproblems,aspeople mayfeeluneasyaboutdisagreeingor raisingconcernslesttheybeperceivedas troublemakers.P&CAssociationsshould alwaysencouragememberstospeak theirmindopenly,providedtheydosoina constructiveandrespectfulway.
Build a collaborative environment
ThereareseveralthingsthatchairsofP&C Associationmeetingscandotofostera positiveandcollaborativeenvironment atanearlystage.Forexample,starting eachmeetingbyacknowledgingtheeffort madebythosewhoattendimmediately beginsthemeetingonapositivenote, andregularlyrecognisingpeople’sefforts andachievementscultivatesapositive atmosphereintheP&CAssociation.
Plan meetings well
TherearewaysP&CAssociationmeetings canbeplannedtoavoiddiscord:
• Keepthemeetingstructuredand orderly.Havingaclearagendaand
stickingtotheagendaitems,rather thanallowingmeetingstomeander,will keepthefocusonthebusinessathand. Itisalsoadvisabletoavoidblindsiding membersinmeetingswithinformation thatwasnotontheagenda.
• DealonlywithcoreP&CAssociation work.Matterstodowithindividual membersorspecificstudentsshould generallynotbeaddressedinaP&C Associationmeeting.
• Dealwithagendaitemsefficiently. Spendingtoolongonagendaitemscan createfrustrationamongparticipants.
Defusing tension Tensionswillsometimesarisedueto differencesinperspectives.Itmaybea minordisagreementthatcanberesolved quickly,oramatterthatrequiresmorework toresolve.Ineithercase,thereareseveral stepsthechairofameetingcantaketoavert mattersescalating:
•Acknowledgetheconcernsofall involved.Evenifyoudonotagreewith whatapersonsays,makingitclearthat youheartheirconcernscangoalong waytodefusingtensions.
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fromapreviousCBPgrant, alsoappliedforbytheP&C Association).
Fortheamphitheatreupgrade, theP&CAssociationapplied for$30,000andreceived $20,000.Thetotalcostof theprojectwas$50,000and theremainderofthecostwas coveredbytheschool.The successoftheapplicationwas helpedbythefactthatthe amphitheatreandhallarealso wellusedbythecommunity, includinglocaldanceschools andprimaryschools.
Althoughtherewerevarious delayscausedby(amongother things)COVID-19restrictions, achangeofprojectscope andweather,theprojectwas completedtwodaysbeforethe 30June2022deadline.
In2021,CanterburyGirls HighSchoolP&CAssociation successfullyappliedfor anotherCBPgrantworth
$20,000toconvertanold schoolmeetingandstorage roomintoastudentwellbeing space.Studentscanusethis spaceforvarioussupport meetings.Externalgroups canalsobookthisspace forstudentservices–for example,theschoolhas partneredwithNSWHealth totrialahighschoolnurse service.Theroomisalsoused byothercommunitygroups suchasHeadspace,theRaise FoundationYouthMentoring Programandothergroups. Itisfurtherusedformyriad otherpurposessuchas studentcouncillorandconflict resolutionsessions.
Theprojectinvolved transformingtheroominto amoreinviting,engaging andrelaxingspace,which includedreplacingtheseats withcouchesandinstalling moreplantsandmodular furniture.
Canterbury Girls High School P&C Association received $20,000 from the CBP program to add sound and lighting to its outdoor amphitheatre (top left and right) and $20,000 to transform a meeting/storage room (above left) into a student wellbeing space (above right). Photos supplied by Canterbury Girls High School P&C Association
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• Ifadiscussioninameetingbecomes moredisorderly,withattendees interruptingeachother,issueapolite but firmrequestforpeopletospeakone atatime.
• Ifameetingparticipantfeelsstrongly enoughaboutsomethingthattheyare talkingatlengthandtakingoverthe meeting,youmayissueapolitebut firm reminderthatotherpeoplemaywishto speakandthattheirpointshavebeen noted.
•Somedisagreementscanberesolved bymovingamotionthatrequiresa simplemajorityvote.Ifamatterrequires furtherdiscussionbutthemeetingrisks goingovertime,itmaybesuggested toholdoffadecisionuntilthenext meetingortocallaspecialmeeting.
Closing meetings early where necessary Iftempersrunsohighthatameeting becomesunmanageable,thechairofthe meetingcanclosethemeetingearly.Ifthe situationisseriousenoughthatpeople’s safetyiscompromised,itmaybenecessary toinvolvethepolice.
Handling formal complaints
IftheP&CAssociationreceivesaformal complaint,thistriggerstheP&CAssociation’s complaintsprocess.Suchcomplaints wouldgenerallybeaddressedoutsideof P&CAssociationmeetings,especiallyifthe complaintsrelatetospecificindividuals. Ifquestionsareaskedaboutcomplaints
duringP&CAssociationmeetings,thebest courseofactionisgenerallytoadvisethat thematterisbeinghandledaccordingtothe P&CAssociation’scomplaintsprocessand willnotbediscussedinthemeeting.Ifyour P&CAssociationdoesnothaveacomplaint handlingpolicy,theP&CFederationhas madesuggestedtemplatesavailableonthe MembersPortal(https://www.pandc.org.au/ members-portal-login/ ).
External mediation IfyourP&CAssociationismakingno progressinsettlingaconflict,enlisting anexternalmediatormaybethebest wayforward.Overtheyears,someP&C AssociationshaveusedCommunityJustice Centrestoachievethis,andstateintheir complaintshandlingprocessthatthisisan optionwheresomeonedisagreeswiththe outcomeofacomplaint.
Satisfactory resolutions
Thekeyaiminaconflictistoresolveit satisfactorilyasswiftlyaspossiblesothat itdoesnotconsumetoomuchoftheP&C Association’stime.Disagreementsina meetingmayberesolvedbyavote,while complaintsmayberesolvedbyexternal mediatorsasalastresort.Ineithercase,the finaloutcomesshouldberespectedandthe mattershouldbeconsideredclosedatthat point.Ifsomepartiesinvolvedattemptto returntoadisputeafterthematterhasbeen resolved,politelybut firmlystatethatthe matterisclosedandwillnotberevisited.
CONGRATULATIONS NEWLY INCORPORATED P&C ASSOCIATIONS CongratulationstothelatestP&C Associationsincorporatedunderthe Parents and Citizens Associations Incorporation Act 1976.IfyourP&CAssociationisnot incorporated,takethetimetoconsiderthe manybenefitsthatincorporationbrings: https://www.pandc.org.au/incorporation .If yourequirefurtherinformationorclarification, contacttheP&CFederation’sMember SupportTeamat mail@pandc.org.au orcallus on1300885982.
P&C ASSOCIATION
P&C FEDERATION ELECTORATE
Girilambone Public School Far West
Hammondville Public School Macarthur
Holsworthy High School Macarthur
Kelso Public School Southern and CentralTablelands
Middle Harbour Public School North Sydney
Paddington Public School Sydney
Pleasant Hills Public School Riverina
ELEVATE YOUR P&C ASSOCIATION WITH A FRESH NEW LOOK! TheP&CFederationisthrilledtoannounce thewinninglogo(picturedright)fromthe P&CAssociationLogoOpinionPoll.
About your new logo
Thelogohasamodern,cleanand professionaldesignwhichyou’llbeableto customisewithdifferentcolours,andadd yourschool’sname,tomakeittrulyyours.
Thislogoismorethanjustanimage.It’sthe identityofyourP&CAssociationandwillhelp increaseawarenessofyourP&CAssociation inthecommunity.
PleasenotethatthislogoisforP&C Associations.It’sdifferentfromtheP&C Federationlogo,butrelated.
When will I get to use the new logo?
Weknowyouareexcitedtostartusingthe newlogo,butthere’sstillalittleworktobe done.Thenewlogotoolkitwillbedistributed toP&CAssociationsinTerm2andwill includetemplatesandastyleguidefeaturing specifiedfonts,colours,andinformationon howyouwillbeabletousethenewlogo. Theseresourceswillmakeitabreezeto implementthenewlogoandmakeitshine.
So,getreadytomakeanimpactandshow everyonewhatyourP&CAssociationisall about!
Ifyouhaveanyquestions,pleasecontactthe P&CFederationofficeon1300885982or email mail@pandc.org.au. From page 10
We’dliketothankeveryonewhoparticipated inthepollandsharedtheiropinionson thetwologooptions.Yourfeedbackand involvementwereessentialinmakingthis decision.
SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR MORE FABULOUS THAN EVER Afteratwo-yearhiatusduetotheCOVID-19 vpandemic,the2022SchoolsSpectacular returnedinfullforcetoSydney’sQudosBank Arenawith4,700publicschoolstudentsfrom over350schoolsparticipating.Manyofthese studentswereexperiencingthethrillofthe ‘Spec’forthe firsttime.
The2022showfeatureda2,100-personvoice choir,2,200dancers,a100-piecesymphony orchestra,250studentsfromthesigning choir,stagebands,VETcrewandspecialist ensembles,allundertheguidanceof600 teachers.
Inaveryslicktwo-hourshow,theincredible talentsofNSWpublicschoolstudentswere showcased.FromtheinspiringMiminga withtheAboriginalDanceCompany,tothe legendaryD’ArtsEnsemblewithCrowdGo Crazy,totheamazingTigerHanonthepiano, andBenGillardonguitar,everysecondof the2022showwasinspiringanddelighted everyoneintheaudience.
Schools Spectacular 2023
TheSchoolsSpectacularreturnson24and 25November2023,celebratingits40-year anniversary,attheQudosBankArena.
The2023showisthemed Fabulous andaims tobejustthat.Applicationsopenedon 27February2023,andverysoonour dedicatedandpassionateteacherswill begintheworkofpreparingtheirstudents forinspiringend-of-yearperformancesinthe arena.
TheSchoolsSpectacularcontinuestobea
culminationofthecreativetalentsandhard workofthousandsofstudentsandhundreds ofteachers.Irrespectiveoftheirbackground orlocationacrossthestate,studentswillcome togetheragainthisyeartocreatea‘fabulous’ event.
TheSchoolsSpectacularissimplyiconic.It isanopportunitytocelebratethewonderful diversityandtalentfoundinourpublicschools. Equally,studentsareabletoembracea professionalperformanceopportunity.
Forfourdecades,theSchoolsSpectacular hasnurturedanenduringpassionforthe artsinourstudents,aswellascontributingto futuresuccessfulcareersintheentertainment industry.Itremainsauniqueopportunityfor ourstudentsandahighlightoftheschoolyear forstudents,teachers,andparents.
Notonlyisthiseventdesignedtoinspireour studentstofosteralifelongappreciationofthe arts,itaimstohelpeachstudentdiscoverand pursuetheirinterests,passionsandstrengths. Itisareflectionoftheimportanceandvalue ofartseducationinsupportingthewellbeing anddiverseneedsofourstudents,aswellas contributingtoasenseofbelonging.
Again,the2023SchoolsSpectacularwill showcasethousandsofourmosttalented singers,dancersandmusicians,aswellas celebratingdiversity,inclusion,andthejoyof performance.
SpecFest a ‘must see’ Notonlyisthearenashowahighlightofthe year,buttheSpecFesteventontheforecourt
Supplied by the NSW Department of Education
ofthearenaisa‘mustdoandsee’everyyear. In2022,the finalsoftheSurroundSound bandcompetition filledtheairwithmusicand excitement;the flashmob,withschoolsasfar awayasNarrabriparticipating,wassimplya delight;andtheMillenniumMarchingBand captivatedtheaudiencewithitsamazing repertoireandroutines.SpecFestismuch morethanapreshowevent,itisaneventin itselfandcontinuestogrowwithspecialplans forthe40thcelebration.
The2022showwasonceagainproudly supportedbyarangeofcorporatesponsors, includingTelstra,NSWTeachersFederation, SchoolBytes,RØDE,Smartsalary,Teachers Health,andSteinwayGalleries,aswellasevent partnersASMGlobal,NetworkSeven,Ticketek, andStarlightChildren’sFoundation.
Inallofthis,parentsandschoolcommunities havetobeacknowledgedfortheirsupport oftheeventandsupportofpubliceducation studentsfor,withoutthem,theshowwould nothappenyearonyear.Thisyear’s40th celebrationswillbethehotticketfor2023–so watchoutfortheticketsonsaleinJune2023 anddon’tmissout.
FormoreinformationonSchoolsSpectacular 2023,seetheLaunchFilmat https://youtu. be/P5ippkqrxg4 andvisit https://www. schoolsspectacular.com.au/
The 40th Schools Spectacular will be held on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 November 2023 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park.
Scenes from the 2022 Schools Spectacular, featuring a 2,100-person voice choir, 2,200 dancers, a 100-piece symphony orchestra, 250 students in the signing choir, stage bands, VET crew and specialist ensembles. Photos: NSW Department of Education
CHANGING THE GAME IN 2023! Supplied by the NSW Department of Education
Studentsareunlockingthepasttocreate thefutureinthisyear’sGameChanger Challenge.
TheGameChangerChallenge(GCC)isthe NSWDepartmentofEducation’sawardwinningdesignthinkingcompetition.Opento publicschoolsacrossthestate,thechallenge centresondiscoveringsolutionsforarealworld,wickedproblembyapplyingclassroom learning.
Withempathyandcollaborationattheheartof designthinking,GameChangerstudentsand teamshavethepowertocreateanimpactin theircommunitythroughidentifyingproblems, reframingtheseasopportunities,and developingsolutionswithasocialenterprise lens.
GCCstudentsareofferedauniqueopportunity toengagedirectlywithandbementoredbya networkofworld-leadingtechnology,media andinnovationpartnerswhohelpteamsturn gamechangingideasintoreality.
Unlocking the past, creating the future InnovationandinventionbeganinAustralia morethan60,000yearsagowhenAboriginal communitiesandElderssharedskillsand solvedtheproblemsthattheyfacedintheir dailylives.
In2023,theGameChangerChallengeinvites studentstounlockthepastandcreatethe futurebydrawinginspirationfromAustralia’s richhistoryofinnovationandinvention.
InspiredbytheUnitedNationsSustainable DevelopmentGoal9tobuildresilient infrastructure,promoteinclusiveand sustainableindustrialisationandfoster innovation,studentswillexplorehowvalueis created,deliveredandcaptured.
Entries now open
Entrytothe2023GameChangerChallenge isnowopen.EntriescloseattheendofWeek 5,Term2,2023.Thesemi-finalswillbeheld inWeeks4to6,Term3,2023,withthegrand finalinWeek5,Term4,2023.Allgrand finalistsarebroughttoSydneyforthisspecial event,withtravel,accommodationandfood paidforbytheNSWDepartmentofEducation.
Schoolsareencouragedtoenterhere: https:// education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/gamechanger-challenge/enter-your-school orby scanningtheQRcodeatthetopofthispage.
NANGA MAI AWARDS 2022 Supplied by the NSW Department of Education
TheNangaMaiAwardsceremonycelebrates andrecognisesAboriginaland/orTorres StraitIslanderstudents,AboriginalandnonAboriginalteachers,otherNSWDepartment ofEducationstaff,Aboriginalcommunity membersandschoolsthatdemonstrate excellenceacrossadiversityofareas.
NangaMaiisaSydneyLanguageword meaning‘todream’.
The17thAnnualNangaMaiAwardswere presentedattheSydneyOperaHouseon 30November2022.
TheawardsareorganisedbytheAboriginal OutcomesandPartnershipsDirectoratewithin
EducationandSkillsReform,NSWDepartment ofEducation.
The2022awardsceremonywelcomedand celebratedawardwinnersfromallaround thestatewhojoinedwiththeirfamilyand friendsandwithseniorexecutivesfromthe departmenttoshareinthecelebrationof Aboriginaleducation.
Towatchthe17thAnnualNangaMai Awards2022ceremony,includingan AcknowledgementofCountryfrom students,guestspeakersfromour schools,thedepartmentandourpartner, theNSWEducationConsultativeGroup, alongwithstudentdanceandmusical
performances,visit https://bit.ly/NangaMai-2022
2023 Nanga Mai Awards
Whennominationsopenanddetailsare announcedlaterthisyearforthe2023Nanga MaiAwards,informationwillbeavailableat https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-andlearning/aec/aboriginal-education-in-nswpublic-schools/nanga-mai-awards
The 2023 Wicked Problem
Thisyear’sproblemis: Invent or innovate something that will change our world and leave a lasting impact.
Students at the Game Changer Challenge 2022 grand final
From top: Students work through the Root Cause canvas at the Game Changer Challenge 2022 grand final. Game Changer Challenge 2022 Primary Champions from Aurora College. Game Changer Challenge 2022 Secondary Champions from Gymea Technology High
NSW Department of Education staff with performers from the Nanga Mai Awards 2022.
Photo: NSW Department of Education
HOW TO ATTRACT MORE VOLUNTEERS TO YOUR P&C By Patrick Doumani, P&C Federation Member Services and Research Ocer
Strugglingto findvolunteersisamong themostcommonchallengesforP&C Associations.Whilethereisnoquick fixto thischallenge,therearestepsyourP&C Associationcantaketomakeitamore attractiveplacetovolunteer.
Find out the key priorities of your community
Peoplewanttousetheirfreetimedoing thingstheyfeelareworthwhile.This meansparentswillnotvolunteerinaP&C Associationiftheydonotfeelitwould beavaluableuseoftheirtime.AtP&C Federation’s2022Conference,speaker KathyNguyen,fromtheAssociations Forum,madethepointthatmostpeople arenotnaturaljoiners–theywillonlymake theefforttovolunteeriftheyfeelhighly motivatedtodoso.
Thismeansthenextstepshouldbeto findouttheneedsandwantsofparents inyourschool,anddeterminehowthe P&CAssociationcanmeetthem.Personal approachestoparentsareoftenhighly effective.SomeP&CAssociationsalsosurvey parentsintheirschoolto findoutwhatthey wantfromtheP&CAssociation.Designing suchasurveyandtalkingtoyourschool principalabouthowtodistributeittoall parentscouldbeavaluableexercise.
Promote your P&C Association’s role and activities
AttheP&CFederation’s2022Conference, KathyNguyennotedthatamongthemost commonreasonspeoplegivefornotjoining avolunteergroupisthattheywerenotaware ofitsexistence.Therefore,itiscritically importantthatyourP&CAssociationpromote itswork,achievementsandsuccessstories asmuchaspossible.Thisworkoften includesthefollowing:
• Operatingtheschoolcanteen,uniform shop,out-of-hourscareorbandprogram –alltheseservicesdirectlybenefit parents’children.
• Variousfundraisingeffortstopayfor thingsthatarenotintheschool’s budget.
Positivelypromotingthisworkisalways important,anditcouldbepointedoutthat theP&CAssociationneedsvolunteersfor thisvaluableworktocontinue.
TherearemanywaystopromoteP&C Associationwork,including:
•Organisingasocialevent,suchas amorningtea,specificallytomeet parentsandinvitethemtovolunteer.
•Holdingadiscofortheschool’s studentsandinvitingparentstostay forabarbecue,hostedbytheP&C Association,wheretheycanmeet andchattoeachotherandtheP&C membersandofficebearers.
• Approachingparentsatschoolevents totalkabouttheworkandvalueofthe P&CAssociationandinvitingthemto becomeaP&CAssociationvolunteer.
• Gettingtheschoolprincipalonboardto promotetheP&CAssociation.Thiscould involveorganisingtohavearegular spaceintheschoolnewslettertoreport onP&CAssociationactivities.
• Havinganactivesocialmediapage whereP&CAssociationactivitiesare regularlypromoted.
•Planninganeventwiththeschool toengageparentsintheschool community.
Itmayalsobenotedthatthereareseveral consequencesofnothavingaP&C Associationinaschool:
• P&C Association money will leave the school: IfaP&CAssociation dissolves,theConstitutionfor
Stockimage:rawpixel.com/Freepik
incorporatedP&CAssociationsstates thatitsfundsmustgotoa“kindred organisation”–whichessentiallymeans aP&CAssociationinanotherschool. ThemoneytheP&CAssociationhas raisedwillnotgototheschool.
•No say on merit selection panels: Ifaposition(eg,schoolprincipalor teacher)goestoameritselection panel,thepanelmustincludea parentrepresentative.Iftheschool hasaP&CAssociation,itchoosesthis representative,butifthereisnoP&C Associationtherepresentativewillbe chosenbytheP&CFederation.Ifthe P&CFederationchoosesthisparent representative,thepersonisless likelytobesomeonefromtheschool community.
•Grant opportunities: Schoolsoften valuegrants,astheycancoverthecosts ofprojectsthattheschool’sbudget can’tfundHowever,publicschoolsare oftenineligibletoapplyforgrantsas theyarepartoftheStateGovernment, whichiswhyP&CAssociations frequentlyapplyinstead.WithoutaP&C Association,thisopportunitydoesnot exist.
OnceparentsunderstandhowmuchaP&C Associationcontributes,andhowmuch
IMPROVING DIVERSITY IN YOUR P&C ASSOCIATION By Hema Fita
Oneofthestrengthsofpublicschoolsin
NSWisthediversityoftheirstudents andtheeffortsofeducatorstopromote inclusion,whereeverychildisseen,heard andvalued.
HemaFifita, P&CFederation
SouthwestSydney Councillor; StrathfieldSouth HighSchool
P&CAssociation Secretary; GranvilleBoys HighSchool
P&CAssociation Secretary
ForP&CAssociations, oneofthechallenges isensuringyour membership reflectsyourschool community,wherethe parentsofstudents fromcultural,social andneurodiverse backgroundsare alsoseen,heard andvalued.This essentiallymeans findingawayto engagewiththose voicesthatyour P&CAssociationis currentlynotreaching. Ifthisisnotdone, P&CAssociations riskneglectingor overlookingimportant issuesthatcouldmakearealdifference tothesocial,wellbeingandeducational outcomesofstudents.
Whileembracingthefulldiversityofyour schoolcommunitycanbedifficult,theseare someofthestrategiesthatIhaveusedinmy ownrecenteffortstoimproverepresentation inthetwoP&CAssociationsthatIam involvedin.
Approach and ask
Gettingnewparentsonboardcanbeas simpleasapproachingthemandlettingthem knowthattheirvoicematters.Suggesting thatnewparentsjoinasub-committeeof interesttothemcanbeasoftentryintothe P&CAssociation.
Bestrategicinyourtimingandapproach.It didnotsitwellwithme,asP&CSecretary, thatStrathfieldSouthHighSchoolhasthe largestnumberofsupportunits(hearing andautismsupport)inNSW,butnoparents ofthesestudentswererepresentedatour P&CAssociationmeetings.IchoseYear7 orientationdaytoproactivelyapproachnew parentsofthesestudentsandconnectthem withotherparents.Theresultatourrecent meetinginMarchwaseightnewparentsand newvoicesatthetable.
Understand your community
The firststeptoimprovingrepresentationin yourP&CAssociationistounderstandwhat isimportanttoyourschoolcommunity–not onlythestudentsandparents,butalsothe teachers.
RecentlyjoiningGranvilleBoysHigh SchoolcommunityasP&CSecretary,I sawawonderfulcommunityembracingits diversitybycelebratingEid(tomarkthe endofRamadan,theMuslimholymonthof fasting)andDiwali(India’sbiggestandmost importantannualholiday).
OurvisionaryPrincipalalsosawtheneedto collectivelytacklethecommunityissueof
youngmalesleadingstatisticsindrowning. Thisissuehasbeencollectivelyembraced bytheschool’sparents,withtheP&C Associationleadingthewaytobuildan indoorswimmingpoolnotonlyforstudents tolearntoswim,butalsoforwomento attendoutsideschoolhours,withan enclosedsafearea.
Embrace the dierence GrowingthediversityofyourP&C Associationmembershipisnevereasy,but inclusionmatters.Inthepursuitofdiversity, somepracticalstepscanhelpyourP&C Associationmakearealdifference.Bydoing thisyearonyear,yourP&CAssociationcan eventuallybecomelarger,richerandmore representativeofyourcommunity.
SHARE YOUR STORY The Parent & Citizen journalispublished fourtimesayear(onceeachterm)andis agreatwaytoshowcasewhatyourP&C Associationandschoolcommunityisupto.
StorytellingaboutourP&CAssociations andvolunteersthroughoutNSWhighlights theimportantroleofparentssupporting localschoolsinoneofthelargesteducation systemsintheworld.
Youcansubmitstoriesandphotosaboutyour P&CAssociation’sactivities,initiatives,challenges facedandthecontributionyourP&Candits volunteersaremakingtopubliceducationinNSW viathispageontheP&CFederation’swebsite at https://www.pandc.org.au/stories-of-our-pcsthriving-through-challenges/
From page 14
wouldbelostifitnolongerexists,theyare morelikelytovolunteertheirtimeforit.
Make volunteering enjoyable NomatterhowimportanttheP&C Association’sworkis,peoplearestillunlikely tovolunteerifitisnotenjoyable.Therearea fewstepsyourP&CAssociationcantaketo maketheexperiencemorepositive:
• Recognise and celebrate members’ efforts: Makeahabitofrecognising theeffortsofvolunteersandthanking themforit.Thisgoesalongwayto creatingapositiveenvironmentforyour P&CAssociation.Thiscanbeassimple asmakingsuretothankallattendeesat generalmeetingsforbeingthere.
Youmayalsoawardcertificatesof appreciationorlifemembershiptoP&C Associationmembersinrecognitionof theirwork.
• Make time for all members: Forany numberofreasons,somepeopledo notalwaysfeelcomfortablespeaking inpublicatP&CAssociationmeetings, whichmaymeanvaluablevoicesdonot getheard.Ifthereareanyparticipants inaP&CAssociationmeetingwhoare notspeaking,itcanhelptocheckif theyhaveanythingtheywouldliketo add.Eveniftheiransweris‘no’,taking thesestepscanhelptomaketheP&C Associationamorewelcomingplacefor moreschoolcommunitymembers.
• Plan P&C meetings according to members’ needs: P&CAssociation meetingsshouldaccommodateasmany membersasisreasonablypossible.This meanstheyshouldbeheldatatime thatmemberscanreasonablyexpectto befree.Youmayalsoconsiderhaving hybridmeetings,wheresomepeople canattendinpersonandotherswho cannotbethereinpersoncandialin virtually(suchasthroughZoom).
IfyourP&CAssociationisanenjoyableand productiveplacetobe,theword-of-mouth aboutitwillbepositive.Overtime,thismay increasethenumberofpeoplewillingto volunteertheirtime.
EXTENDED SCHOOL HOURS PROGRAM: PARENT & CARER VIEWS Supplied by the NSW Department of Education
In2022,theNSWDepartmentofEducation soughtfeedbackandperspectivesfrom parentsandcarersaboutanextendedschool day.Theonlinesurveywasdistributedthrough P&CFederationchannelswithover2,200 responses.
Parentsandcarerssharedtheircurrent experienceofthechallengesandopportunities ofmanagingtheirchild’sschooldayand balancingthiswiththeirbroaderfamily routineandcommitments.Theseinsights alsoincludedcurrentarrangementsfor participationinextracurricularactivitiesand viewsonaccessingservicesaspartofan extendedschoolday,before9amandafter 3pm.
Thesevaluableinsightscontributetothe broaderlearningsbythedepartmentaswe continuetoexploreandtestdeliveryofan extendedschooldayundertheSchoolHours ResearchPilotwithselectedschoolsaround NSW.Thepilotschoolshaveteamedupwith nationalandlocalcommunityandsporting organisationstodeliveroptionalextracurricular activitiesoutsideschoolhoursthatmeet studentneedswhileprovidinggreater flexibility forworkingparents.
What we asked
Weaskedparentsandcarersquestionsbased onthefollowingtopics,tounderstandhow anextendedschooldaycanbettersupport familiesandstudents:
1.Parentalandcarersupportforan extendedschoolday.
2.Challengesandopportunitiesofextending theschoolday.
3.Currentparticipationinextracurricular activitiesandbeforeandafterschool arrangements.
4.Demographicquestionswerealso includedtoensurerepresentationacross differentfamiliesinNSW.
Survey sample
• 38%ofthesamplewerepaidmembersof aP&Cassociation.
• 19%offamilieshadoneworkingadult, 78%twoworkingadults.
• 77%offamilieshadtwoorthreechildren, 15%hadonechildand8%hadfouror morechildren.
• 72%offamiliesreportedtheirhighest levelofeducationwasabacheloror postgraduatedegree.
• 19%offamilieshadachildwitha disability.
• 17%offamilieshadalanguage backgroundotherthanEnglish;5%of familiesidentifiedasAboriginaland/or TorresStraitIslander.
Survey ndings
Onaverage,57%ofparentssurveyed supportedanextendedschoolday.The followingtypesoffamiliesreportedhigher support:
• Femaleparent,orbothparents,working fulltime.
• Single-childfamilies.
•Familieswithyoungerchildren(early primaryyears).
• ThoselivinginmetropolitanNSW.
•Familiesthatusebeforeandafterschool careservices.
•Familiesfromlanguagebackgrounds otherthanEnglish.
Themaindriversofsupportforanextended schooldayare:
• Opportunitiesforchildrentoenjoynew activitiesandsupportmentalandphysical wellbeing.
•Accesstostructuredextracurricular activitiesonschoolsites.
• Betteralignmentwithparent/carerwork schedule,convenience, flexibilityand savingontransporttime.
Femaleparentsandcarersare68%more likelytoplaceimportanceonextracurricular activitiestogeneratemoretimeforcareand work.
Familieswhowanttheirchildrentoparticipate inextracurricularactivities,butcurrently don’tparticipateorareunabletoparticipate, showastrongpreferenceforon-schoolsite extracurricularactivities(73%).
Somefamiliessurveyed(27%)werenot supportiveofanextendedschooldaynoting:
• Theschooldaywaslongenough.
• Alackofavailabletransportationafter school.
•Theirchildrenwerealreadyinvolved instructuredextracurricularactivities outsideoftheschoolday.
Conclusion
Overall,thesurveyresultssuggestagoodlevel ofsupportandinterestforanextendedschool dayamongstNSWparentsandcarers.
Thedepartmentwillcontinuetotestnew andinnovativeapproachestoextendingthe schooldaywithourpilotschoolsthroughout 2023.Thedepartmentextendsitsthanksand appreciationtoeveryonewhofoundtimeto completethesurveyandhavetheirsay.
For more information
Tolearnmore,watchtherecordedwebinar, co-hostedbytheP&CFederationandthe NSWDepartmentofEducationat https:// www.pandc.org.au/extending-the-school-dayrecording/
FormoreontheExtendingtheSchoolHours Pilot,visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/publicschools/school-hours-pilot
The Extended School Day pilot schools have teamed up with national and local community and sporting organisations to deliver optional extracurricular activities for students outside school hours. Photos: NSW Department of Education
INTRODUCING MURRUMBATEMAN PUBLIC SCHOOL P&C ASSOCIATION A withofficebearersof MurrumbatemanPublicSchool P&CAssociation
Q: Why did your school community want to start a P&C Association?
A: Withaprojectunderwaytobuildthe schoolinMurrumbateman,theNSW Governmentandothercommunitygroups werelookingforasharedandcentral pointofcontacttorepresentcommunity requirementsandexchangeinformation. ThenewlyappointedschoolPrincipal, LizBeasley,waskeenforcommunity engagementonmatterssuchastheschool logoanduniformsandsoughtengagement fromourcommunity–wewereverypleased tobeinvolvedwithsuchanopportunity.
TheP&CAssociationwasestablishedprior toournewschoolopeningatthestartof 2023tohelpourestablishedcommunity connectwiththenewschoolandtoensure ourchildrenwerecomfortabletransitioning therewiththebenefitsofstrongcommunity connections.
Q: Has there been a P&C Association at the school before now? If not, why?
A: No.Wehaven’thadalocalschoolin Murrumbatemansince1973.Thisisanew school.
AT A GLANCE School: MurrumbatemanPublic School
Location: Murrumbateman,NSW School opening date: 2023
Number of students: 100
P&C Association formed: 21June 2022
P&C Association oce bearers: FoundationPresident:KathrynOlsen(21 June2022–23February2023)
FoundationVice-President:Kimberley Slocum(21June2022–23February 2023)
FoundationVice-President:StuartBrown FoundationTreasurer:CourtneyMason FoundationSecretary:CatherineBrown President:KimSlocum(from23 February2023)
Vice-President:RhondaArnold(from23 February2023)
P&C Association members: 31
Q: What are your P&C Association’s plans/goals for the next 12 months?
A: Ouraimistounitetheschool withourcommunityandto helpsupporttheschoolwith directinput,labour,effortand fundraising.Wealsowantto connectlocalpeople,families andbusinessessothatwecanall contributetomakeourschoolthe bestthatitcanbe,forourkids. Ourgoalissimplytosupportthe schoolandestablishanetworkof peopletoshareinformationandhelpout wherepossible.Wewanttocreateafun andcreativeenvironmentforourmembers, encourageasocialatmosphereandprovide supporttoeachother.
OUR TOP 3 TIPS FOR OTHERS STARTING A P&C ASSOCIATION Q: Were there any challenges in starting the P&C Association and, if so, how did you overcome them?
A: Everythingwedoisthrougha‘testand adjust’approach.Eventhebestplansneed tobe flexibleandsowehavebeenresilient andremainedavailabletoourstakeholders.
Asanewcommittee,weneededtoestablish agroupofinterestedpeopleand fillrelevant rolesforofficialsandgeneralcommittee members.Nothavinganexistingschool communitymeantwehadtoappealto peoplewhowereworkinginpaidjobsand alreadyinvolvedinothercommunitygroups. Byunderstandingwhypeoplehavejoined ourcommittee,wecanworktokeepthem engagedandplaneventsandstrategiesthat recognisetheirinterests.
Therewerealsosomechallengesbecause familieswereunsureaboutmovingtheir childrentothenewschool,particularlywhen theyweren’tsureiftheschoolwouldactually be finishedfor2023.
Wehavehadlimitedpeopleexperienced andinterestedinrunningacommittee.The moreactivevolunteersonourcommittee havebeenhighlyvaluedastheyhaveplayed amajorroletoensurewehavelogically assessedourrequirementsandestablished correctprocessesthatfollowthroughonthe adviceoftheP&CFederation.
Anotherchallengewasnothavingaregular venueinwhichtomeetbeforetheschool
1. Connectwithyourschool’s principalandhaveaunitedvision forsupportingtheschooland connectingpeople.
2.Beapresenceinthecommunitywith volunteeringorrunningcommunity eventssothatpeopleconnectand getinvolved,eveniftheyarenot intheP&CAssociation.Thisoften meansexpandingintoexisting communitygroupsandbeing availabletocollaboratewithother groups.
3.Resilience–bepreparedforarange offeedbackandcriticism.Youwillbe rewardedwithnewopportunitiesand richerexperiences.
opened.Wetriedseveralstrategies, includingonlinemeetings,buttheymadeit difficulttodevelopmeaningfulconnections witheveryone.Itwasalsohardtoaskpeople toprovidetimeforfundraisingactivities whentangibleoutputsoftheeffortwerenot immediatelyapparent.
Q: Was the P&C Federation’s support helpful in establishing your P&C Association? If so, in what way?
A: P&CFederationwasinvaluableinhelping ustoestablishproceduresandpoliciesand setupinsuranceandmembership,including accesstothehardshipfund.Theyareour‘go to’whenweareunsurehowthingsshould runortolookatwaystorunthingsbetter. Thetemplatesandformsonthewebsiteare
Murrumbateman P&C Association office bearers (from left): Foundation Vice-President Stuart Brown, Foundation Treasurer Courtney Mason, Foundation President Kathryn (Kate) Olsen (to 23 February 2023), President Kimberley Slocum (from 23 February 2023) and Foundation Secretary Catherine Brown. Absent: VicePresident Rhonda Arnold
INTRODUCING COFFS HARBOUR SENIOR COLLEGE P&C ASSOCIATION A withLeahFitzgerald,President, CoffsHarbourSeniorCollegeP&C Association
Q: Why did your school community want to start a P&C Association?
A: OurschoolisYear11and12only,so wewantedtobringcommunityandparents back,gettingtheminvolvedwiththeschool. Astheschoolyearsprogress,parentsoften stepawayfrombeingsoinvolvedwith theschool,inpartduetothestudents’ independence.Wearetryingtoembrace theireducationandcreateaspacefor parentstocometogetherandsupporteach otherasthestudentscomethroughtheirlast twoyearsofstudy.
Q: Has there been a P&C Association at the school before now? If not, why?
A: No.Ibelieveitwasalwaysonthe‘to do’list.Butwithachangeinprincipaland parentsrequestingtobemoreinvolvedover thepast12monthsitwasraisedonthe
AT A GLANCE School: CoffsHarbourSeniorCollege
Location: CoffsHarbour,NSW
School opening date: 1995
Number of students: 503
P&C Association formed: June 2022
P&C Association oce bearers: President:LeahFitzgerald Vice-President:MelissaCroucher Treasurer:BrigidGuest Secretary:TashAlexander&Natasha Young
P&C Association members: 33
agreathelpandprovideasoundbaseto developpoliciesandproceduresforourP&C Association.Idon’tthinkourP&CAssociation wouldbefunctioningsowellifweweren’t connectedtotheP&CFederation.
TheP&CFederationhasalsoconnectedus tootherparentandcitizengroupssupporting otherschoolsacrossNSWsothatwecan benefitfromlessonslearnedandaccess relevantnewsandinformation.
agendaagain.Wealsoneededadditional fundingforthestudentstocompletemajor workswithintheartunits,sowewantedto beabletosupportthis.
Q: What are your P&C Association’s plans/goals for the next 12 months?
A: LikeanygoodP&CAssociation,wewant tobeabletosupportthestudentsand openthelinesofcommunicationbetween communityandteachers/school.Wewant tobeabletoassisttheschoolinproviding fundingforthestudentswherefundinggaps maybepresent.
Q: Were there any challenges in starting the P&C Association and, if so, how did you overcome them?
A: Wehavebeenveryluckytohavenotonly parents,butteacherswantingtogetactively involved.Withamazingsupportfromthe principal,vice-principalandstafftherereally hasn’tbeentoomanyissues.
Q: Was the P&C Federation’s support helpful in establishing your P&C Association? If so, in what way?
A: Unbelievablysupportive,everystepofthe way.Theyareorganisedandhaveplansand guidelinesinplacetogetyouthroughthe processstepbystep.Wecouldn’thavedone itwithoutthem.
Q: Do you foresee any challenges over the next 12 months?
A: Buildingourcommunity,makingourselves moreseen,increasingthenumberof volunteersandgettingthefundraisingevents onthecalendar.Wedon’thaveacanteen orauniformshop,wearepurelybasedon fundraiserscurrently.So,weneedtoworkon thisandcomeupwithsomeamazingideas.
OUR TOP 3 TIPS FOR OTHERS STARTING A P&C ASSOCIATION 1. Theysayittakesavillagetoraise achild,butwebelieveittakesa communitytostartasuccessfulP&C Association.
2.Itstartswithconversations, communicationandawillingnessto notonlybeheard,buttolisten.
3. Consistencyandmakingsureyou havetheschooltohelpyouarealso important.
Q: Do you foresee any challenges over the next 12 months?
A: Asanewgroup,wearestillbuilding relationshipsandestablishingournetworks. Ourprocessesandprioritiesaredeveloping andwehavea flexibleapproachasthe schooldevelops.
Aswemature,wewillcontinuetobe resilient,developandlearnaswetakeon feedbackandimplementpositivechangesto ouroperatingmodel.
Movingtoanewschoolishardforanyone,so tosupportourchildrenweneedtobekindto eachotherandtheP&CAssociationhasan importantroleinhelpingthathappen.
Fromourbookdonationdrive,toour communitypicnicandpotentialparents’ events,hopefullywecanhelplessensome ofthechallengesforourwholeschool communityin2023.
Coffs Harbour Senior College P&C Association office bearers (clockwise from top left) President Leah Fitzgerald, Vice-President Melissa Croucher, Co-Secretary Natasha Young and Co-Secretary Tash Alexander. Not pictured is Treasurer Brigid Guest
‘MAGICAL LESSONS’ THESUCCESSOFONLINEAND SMALLGROUPTUITION Supplied
by
the NSW Department of Education
Thepastthreeyearshavebeendifficult foreveryone–particularlystudents whohavehadtheirlearninginterruptedby COVID-19andperiodsoflearningfromhome. Respondingtothesedifficulties,inparticular thepandemic-ledlockdownsexperiencedby schoolstudentsthroughout2020and2021,in March2021theNSWGovernmentannounced acontributionof$337milliontowardsaCOVID IntensiveLearningSupportProgram(COVID ILSP).
In2021,andwiththisfunding,theCOVID ILSPwasdevelopedandmeantthatteachers acrosstheStatecouldensurequalitylearning continuesonline,despiteperiodsofdisruptions toface-to-facelearning.Nowinitsthirdyear, theprogramcontinuestodeliveroutstanding resultsforstudents’learningoutcomes.
Beinganevidence-informedprogramwith strongresults,itwasannouncedinlate2022 thattheCOVIDILSPwouldbeextendeduntil theendof2023.Theprogramcontinuesto bedeliveredonline,andnowisalsodelivered face-to-facetostudentsofNSWDepartmentof Educationprimaryandsecondaryschools.
Delivering intensive learning support
TheCOVIDILSPonlineteamplans,programs, anddelivershigh-qualitylessonsalignedwith theuniqueneedsofstudentsaroundtheir progressioninliteracyandnumeracy.
COVIDILSPteachersdeliversmallgroup lessonsliveviaMicrosoftTeams.Theydeliver
thecontent,interactwithstudents,haverealtimeaccesstostudentresponses,andbuild bespokeliteracyandnumeracylessonsto meetindividualneeds.
TheCOVIDILSPprogramalsoextendsoptions forlessondeliveryandenhancesstudents’ ‘multimodal’learningexperiencethrough interactivelessons,activities,videos,and gamification.Amultimodal,ormixedmodes, approachallowslearninginavarietyofways tomeetdiverseneeds.Importantly,theCOVID ILSPminimisesbarriersandmaximisesaccess tolearning.
Connected communities
Remotecommunities,includingthosewith schoolsinhighprioritystaffingareas,receive supportviaaccesstodepartment-delivered onlineintensivelearningsupportbyfully qualifiedteachers.Theteamvisitsremote schoolstoassesstheirknowledgeand competencywithdigitaltechnologies,helps withthesetupoftechnology,andbuilds relationshipswithschoolstaffandstudents.
Bespokelessons,wherestudentscan demonstratelearningusingaccessible methodsandtoolssuchastext,audio,video anddrawing,haveincreasedengagement.
AsaresultofCOVIDILSP,teachershave reportedanaverage,positivegrowthof 49.8%inlearningoutcomesinliteracyand numeracyacrossallConnectedCommunity
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CASE STUDIES WOY WOY SOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOL
COVIDILSPidentified16groupsof studentsinYearsK-6fromWoyWoySouth PublicSchool,eachwitheightfocusareas acrossliteracyand/ornumeracy.Students withthegreatestneed,inlinewiththe SchoolVisionandStrategicDirection, hadindividualplansdevelopedbasedon identifiedstrengthsandneeds.
Teacherobservationsarerecordedin eachlearningcycle,aswellasstudents’ learninggoals,growth,andachievements. Theschoolusesongoingformative assessmentstomonitoreachstudent’s progressusingtheliteracyandnumeracy progressionsandPLAN2*(*seep21for details)tomanagedata.
Educatorsdeliveringsmallgroup tuitionkeepalearningsupportplan foreachstudentwhichissharedat fortnightlymeetingswithteachersand communicatedtoparents.
GLENDALE TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL TheschoolusedCOVIDILSPfunding tosupportaHeadTeacherStudent Improvementrole.TheHeadTeacher thencreatedaCOVIDILSPteamandused existinglearningandsupportprocesses foridentifyingandreferringstudentsfor inclusionintheCOVIDILSP.
Theschoolimplementedtwoprograms:
• AliteracyprogramwhereYears7-10 studentswerewithdrawnfromregular classestoparticipateinintensive learninginsmallgroupswithtargeted teaching,learning,andfeedback,and
• Anumeracyprogramwithlessons duringnormaltimetabledmaths lessonstoavoidimpactonthewholeof-schooltimetable.Existingschool datawasanalysedtodecidewhich classestotargetandstudentstofocus onforthisapproach.Anumeracytutor wasallocatedtoeachtargetedgroupto providesupport.
Theprogramresultedinahighpercentage ofstudentsmovingapproximatelytwo indicatorsintheprogressionsspecified bythePLAN2*monitoringsoftware. Progressionsrefertoattainingskillsand knowledgebasedonlevelsofdifficulty andcomplexityinaspecificareaof learning.
PLAN2*growthdataismonitoredand sharedviacelebrationwallsatGlendale TechnologyHighSchoolanddisplayedfor allstaff.
NSW public school students engaged in small group tuition in the Intensive Learning Support Program.
Photo: NSW Department of Education
From page 20
schools.COVIDILSPcomplementsthe department’sDistanceEducationprogram, whichprovidesfull-timeenrolmentfor studentsfrompreschooltoYear12.
Small schools TheSmallSchoolsProgramandRural LearningExchangehasenabledsmall schoolstojoinfromdistantlocations, includingthoseneartheQueensland border,tothefarwestofNSW,andatthe SouthAustralianborder,withstudentsfrom KindergartentoYear6.
Sharingsmall-grouponlinelessonsinliteracy andnumeracybypoolingfundinghasmeant studentscan:
•interactwithstudentsfromotherremote schools •accessmoreteachingsessions
• begroupedaccordingtotheirunique learningneeds,and •connectwithstudentsofsimilarability acrossNSW.
School of the Air
TheCOVIDILSPincludesSchooloftheAir students.Onlineteachersviewstudents’ screensandprovidefeedbackinreal timeandimmediatesupport.Virtual reality,viaDistanceandRuralTechnology (DART),hasbeenofparticularinterestto students,allowingthemtotakevirtual excursionstoexploreliteracyandnumeracy concepts.UsingDART,thedepartmenthas collaboratedwithexternalstakeholdersto enablestudentstovisitmuseums,galleries, researchinstitutes,zoosandeducational organisations,andinteractwithscientists, writers,athletes,musicians,andmanymore.
Creating real impact
The figuresspeakforthemselves!In 2022,over750studentsparticipatedin approximately7,500onlinelessonsover three10-weekcycles.Thereliabilityand qualityofCOVIDILSPeducators,andthe supportofmanynewlyappointedAssistant Principal,CurriculumandInstructionroles acrossNSW,hashelpedbuildpositive relationshipswithstudents,parents,and carers.
FormoreinformationontheCOVIDILSP,visit https://bit.ly/covid-learning-support-program
*FormoreinformationonPLAN2(Planning LiteracyandNumeracy–thedepartment’s softwareusedtosupportteachersin monitoringstudentlearningusingthe NationalLiteracyandNumeracyLearning Progressions)andliteracyandnumeracy resources,visit https://bit.ly/About-PLAN2
LIGHTNING RIDGE SCHOOL JUMPS ON OPPORTUNITIES Supplied by the NSW Department of Education
Determinednottoletitsremotelocation standintheway,LightningRidgeCentral SchoolonYuwaalaraayCountryhasembraced someprettycleverapproachestoboost recruitmentandstudentparticipationinthe arts.
Push for performing arts
LightningRidgeCentralSchool(LRCS)hasa strongfocusoncreativearts,havingpreviously accessedhiphopandAboriginaldance workshopsthroughthedepartment’sArtsUnit andrunface-to-faceworkshopsonAboriginal dancewiththeGomeroiDanceCompanyas partofNAIDOCWeek.
Morerecently,LRCShasrundanceprograms viawebcamwiththeSydneyBrolgaDance AcademybasedinDubbo.StudentsinYears3 to6enthusiasticallyparticipatedinthedance sessions,whichfocusedonGamilaroi/Gomeroi storytelling,creativemovement,Yandool choreography,and finishedwithadance performance.
Nextterm,theschoolisplanningtorun workshopswithBangarraDanceTheatre (Bangarra).JoshDoctor,graduateand2020 SchoolCaptain,nowdanceswithBangarra.
Hisformerprincipal,RichardFinter,saidthe schoolwasgivingthearts“arealpush”, inspiredinpartbyJosh’ssuccess.Hehopesto attractJoshbacktohishometowninthefuture toconductworkshopswiththeschool’s330 students,halfofwhomareAboriginal.
It’sbeenquiteajourneyfortheyoungdancer. Joshhadnoformaldancetraininguntilhe joinedTheNationalAboriginalandIslander
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ILSP GETS TOP MARKS FROM SCHOOLS, STUDENTS, PARENTS PositivefeedbackontheCOVIDIntensive LearningSupportProgram(COVIDILSP)has comefromschools,principals,teachers, studentsandparents.Here’saselectionof theircomments:
Principals and teachers
“Thisprogramhasbeenawesome;my studentslookforwardtologgingintoeach lesson.Theyremainfullyengagedforthe durationofeachlesson.Existingstudents talktheprogramuptonew,andsometimes reluctant,students.TheILSPstaffare amazing,andtheprogramdeliveryhasbeen enthusiasticandengagingformystudents. Thecontenthasbeenappropriateforthe levelmystudentsareworkingat.Thankyou verymuchforyourtimeandeffort,youhave alldoneanamazingjob.”
“Theonlineteacherssuccessfullyplanned anddeliveredaprogramalignedtothe uniqueneedsofourstudentsbasedonthe literacyandnumeracyprogressionsand deliveredlessonsusingthelatestonline engagementstrategies.Theyeffectively
monitoredprogressusingaselectionof formativeandsummativeassessment strategiesthatweretrackedusingPLAN2*.”
“Thiswashighlyengagingfromthe beginning,anditwasbrillianttoseehow interactiveitwasforthestudents.”
Students “IliketheonlinelearningbecauseIseeMiss Knight,JezzandElizaandIliketoplay‘time toclimb’.”
“Wegettomeetnewpeople.”
“IliketheteachersbecauseIdon’tknow themandit’ssomeonenewforme.”
“Theactivitiesareexciting,andIcanlearnin adifferentway.Icanaskforextrahelpand theteachersupportsme.”
Parents “Iasked[child]thisafternoonwhatshe wouldlikeherTeamslessonstobecalled andshesaid,‘MagicalLessons’.Shemust belikingthem!”.
Lightning Ridge Central School has a strong focus on creative arts, especially Aboriginal dance.
Photo: NSW Department of Education
SkillsAssociation(NAISDA)DanceCollegein 2021after finishingYear12.
He’snowinhisthirdyearatNAISDA, studyingforaDiplomaofProfessionalDance PerformanceforAboriginalandTorres StraitIslanderPeoplesandundertakingan IndigenousDanceInternshipwithBangarrain partnershipwithNAISDA.
Josh’sinterestinAboriginalcultureand dancewassparkedinYear6whenhebegan attendingworkshopsandperformingwith MoorambillaVoices,amulti-artsprogramthat travelstoremotetownsinNSWanddevelops culturalstoriesintooriginalsongs,dancesand visualartsco-createdwithyoungpeople.
Whiletherewerelimitedartsopportunities intheremoteoutbacktownwhererugby leagueisthefavouredactivity,Joshremained determined.
“Ikindofsensedtheartswereforme,”he said.
“Iwasengrossedbylearningvariousstories fromMoorambillaVoicesandunderstanding thosestoriesfrommanydirections.
“Iwantstudentsinremotecommunitiesto havethatoptioninthearts;havethatcareer whetherit’sadancer,musician,singeror writer;topublishtheirownbooks,havetheir
Joshandhisformerprincipalhopetoraise awarenessamongremoteIndigenousstudents aboutopportunitiesavailableinthearts.
Mining a wealth of recruitment options Meanwhile,LightningRidgeCentralSchoolis alsousingarangeofrecruitmentstrategiesto attractnewteacherswithgreatsuccess.
Fourteenteachersattheremotenorth-west NSWschoolarenewappointments,recruited usingacombinationofstaffingstrategies.
Theschoolhappilyhostsinitialteacher educationstudentsfromuniversitiesforrural practicums,withstudentsabletoaccess financialsupportfromtheNSWDepartmentof Education.
IthasaspecialrelationshipwiththeSydney ConservatoriumofMusic,lastyearhostingfour universitystudentsonprofessionalplacement, mentoredbyaLightningRidgeCentralSchool musicteacherwhoisagraduateofthe‘Con’.
MrFinterleavesnostoneunturnedtoattract stafftotheoutbackschool,startinghis recruitmentdriveinTerm2forthefollowing year.
Heusestraditionalmethodssuchas theJobFeedServicetoshareavailable opportunitiesathisschool,expressionsof interest,meritselectionandthestate-wide transfersystem,aswell asspecificrecruitment strategiesofferedby theNSWDepartment ofEducationincluding theRuralExperience ProgramandtheGraduate RecruitmentProgram, socialmedia,personal connectionsandword-ofmouth.
owncareersandbusinesses,”Joshsaid. ThisinterestandambitionissomethingMr Finterhopestofosterinotherstudentsover thecomingmonthswiththevirtualdance programs.
“We’resoincrediblyproudofJosh,”MrFinter said.“He’sanoutstandingrolemodelforall ourstudents,Aboriginalandnon-Aboriginal;he wasareallyhard-workingstudentwithastrong connectiontohisculture.”
Thesestaffingstrategies supportschoolsinarange oflocationsthroughout NSW,inadditionto generous financial incentivesforteachers keentoworkinruraland remotepublicschools.
WhentheWesternDivisionschoolsreturned thisyear,thenewteachersatLightningRidge CentralSchoolaccountedforone-quarterof theteachingstaff.
“I’mquiteproudofthefactthatwhenI find theseteachers,weoftenkeepthem,”MrFinter said.
The14teachersfortheKindergartento Year12school,whoincludeexecutivehead teachersandcasualreliefteachers,have beenrecruitedfromallaroundNSW–from Sydney,theCentralCoast,theSouthCoast, SouthernHighlands,NorthernRivers,the RiverinaandfromHebelinQueensland.Last yeartwoteacherswererecruitedfromGeelong inVictoriaandNhulunbuyintheNorthern Territory.
MrFinterisalwayslookingforschoolstaff committedtoruralandremoteeducationinthe longterm,orthosewhowanttohaveatasteof outbackeducationinthefamousopalmining town.
“Irelyonthegoodwillofprincipalssotheir teacherscangetexperienceinremoteareas. Theyhaveastrongattitudeofworkingforthe system,notjustfortheirschool,”hesaid.
Therearehusbandandwifeteachingteams andteacherswhomovedtoLightningRidge whentheirpartnerwastransferredthere,such astheIrishteacherofEnglishwhosehusband isthelocalpolicesergeant.
MrFinterisafanofFacebooktotargetspecific teachingareas.Lastyearheaskedacolleague topostonanationalFacebookpageforfood technologyteacherswhenhewaslookingfora HospitalityVETteacher.
“Within fiveminutesofposting,I’dhada messagefromthisbrilliantteacherwhohad runherownrestaurantinGeelongandwasan experiencedteacherinVictorianeducationand TAFE,”hesaid.
“I’malwaysthinkingofnewwaysto findstaff andIgetgreatsupportfrommyDEL(Director, EducationalLeadership)ChrisJackson,and thedepartment’sschoolworkforceteams.”
Findoutmoreaboutruralandremoteteaching at https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-andlearning/regional-rural-and-remote
Students from LightningRidge Central School are enthusiastic participants in one of the school’s many dance sessions. Photo: NSW Department of Education
Thikkabilla Vibrations Dance Group held a workshop for Lightning Ridge Indigenous students to learn traditional dance. Photo: NSW Department of Education
SCHOLARSHIP HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE RISE TO THE CHALLENGE Supplied by the Public Education Foundation
TheGlobalRiseChallenge(Rise)isthe world’slargestscholarshipforyoungpeopleaged15-17.Applicationsforthe20232024cohortwillopeninlate2023(seebox atrightformoredetails).
Riseidentifiesyoungpeopleinthisage groupfromaroundtheworldandisdesigned toencouragealifetimeofserviceand learningbyprovidingsupportthatincludes scholarships,careerservices,andfunding opportunitiestohelptheseleadersserve othersfordecadestocome.Thescholarship valueofRiseisupto$500,000foreach ofthe100annualglobalwinnersoverthe courseoftheirlifetime,withthebroader intentofbuildingalifelongcommunityof students,teachers,andinstitutionsacross sectorswhoaimtoserveothers.
Applicantsintroducethemselvesthrough videos,createanindividualprojectthat demonstratestheirtalentsandbenefitsfor theircommunitiesandpeerreviewother applicants’projects,amongotheractivities.
Theprogramwasestablishedin2019byEric andWendySchmidt’sSchmidtFuturesinitiative,inpartnershipwiththeRhodesTrust.
Sinceitsinception,Risehaswelcomed morethan150,000peoplefromover170 countriestoitscommunityandselected200 winnersfrom69countriesoforiginwhohave showcasedtheirbrilliance–frommakingeducationmoreaccessibletomitigatingglobal warminganddevelopingtoolstobetter detectcancer.
SchmidtFuturesrecognisesthattalentis createdequally,butopportunityisnot,which iswhytheRiseprogrampartnerswithmore than30globalorganisations,includingAustralia’sPublicEducationFoundation*,to find brilliantyoungpeoplewhoarepassionate aboutbuildingabetterworld.
Todate,therehavebeenfourAustralian winnersofRise:
Aditya Ghai,ayoungtechnologyinnovator whowantstocreatemedicalaidsfor thoseinneed,especiallythoseinunderresourcedcommunities.ForhisRiseproject, Adityamadeabrain-controlledprosthetic thatbringsbetterfunctionality,increased
personalisation,lessdehumanisation,and lowercoststoupperbodyprosthetics.
Jessica Yao Guo,anAustralian-born activistnowlivinginChina,whohopestouse technologytocombatenvironmentalissues. ForherRiseproject,Jessicadesigned asustainably-renovatedhouseinher hometown.Hergoalforthefutureistobuild sustainablehousesforruralareas.
Louisa Balechion,whoispassionate abouttheinclusionofwomeninscience, technology,engineeringandmaths(STEM) andworkstoencouragegirlstopursue traditionallymale-dominated fieldsof education.ForherRiseproject,shecreated anappthatmatcheswomenwithvarious opportunitiesinSTEM fields.
Rahul Kumar,whoaimstousetechnology toimproveemergencyserviceand healthcareaccessforall.ForhisRise project,hecreatedanappthatprovides resourcestomarginalisedcommunitiesin Australiatoaccessemergencyservices, healthcare,andothersupportquicklyand easily.
RiseGlobalwinnerswillreceiveindividualisedand flexiblesupporttoachievetheir goalsastheyworktoserveothers.All applicants,regardlessofwinnerstatus,receiveaccesstotheRiseglobalnetwork,free onlinecourses,andcuratedopportunities frompartners.
“Weareexcitedtocontinueexpandingthis networkwiththe2023cohortandcan’twait toseewhatthesetalentedteenscanaccomplishwhentheyworktogetherinservice forothers,”saidWendySchmidt,co-founder ofSchmidtFuturesandPresidentofthe SchmidtFamilyFoundation.
“Riseisanextraordinaryopportunityfor peoplefromeverycorneroftheworldto embarkonalifelongjourneyofserviceand impact.Whereveryouare,weencourageyou toapply.Youonlyknowwhatyoucanachieve whenyoutry,”saidElizabethKiss,CEOof theRhodesTrust.
*ThePublicEducationFoundationisanot-for-profitorganisationdedicatedtoprovidinglife-changing scholarshipstoyoungpeopleinpubliceducation, aswellastheirteachersandprincipals.
RISE SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS AllRiseGlobalWinnersreceivethe followingbenefitsuponselection:
Residential summit: Afullyfunded, three-weekresidentialsummitwithother membersoftheRiseGlobalWinners cohort.
Global Winners network:Accesstothe RiseGlobalWinnersnetworktoconnect oncommoninterests,makeservice commitments,launchenterprises,and collaborate.
Counselling and career support: Adviceandsupportforapplyingto universityandselectingacareer.
Programming: Accesstospecialised programs,courses,andother opportunitiesthroughRisepartners.
Higher education scholarships:Afouryear,post-secondaryscholarshipatany accrediteduniversity,includingtuitionand alivingstipend,basedonneedandwhere notalreadycoveredby financialaid.
Technology:Atechnologypackage,such asalaptoportablet,tobedetermined annually.
ApplicationsfortheRiseScholarship’s 2023-2024cohortareexpectedto openinOctober2023.Ifyouhave anyqueriesintheinterim,email info@publiceducationfoundation.org. au,orvisittheRisewebsiteat www. risefortheworld.org.
Anystudentaged15-17yearscanapply forthescholarshipdirectlyviatheRise onlineapplicationpage( https://bit. ly/apply-to-Rise)ratherthanthrougha partnerorganisation,andcanjointhe Risecommunityviathewebsite( www. risefortheworld.org)atanytime(even oncescholarshipapplicationshave closed).
DISCOVER WHAT LW REID CAN DO FOR YOUR SCHOOL 
