P&C Voice Term 3, 2022

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provide meaningful development opportunities P&C VOICE WHAT’S INSIDE

The National Schools Chaplaincy Program Meet our Voices of the Future Conference Sponsor Acknowledgment Conference 2022 to

Presentation: Student wellbeing: Insights from the Speaking Out Survey 2021

@WACSSO2022 Term 3 Edition 1 facebookcom/WACSSOinc WACSSO

It is all systems go for the WACSSO team as we work on the delivery of our 88th Conference next month. Conference highlights include: Workshop stream: Containers for Change, for the trailblazer and changemakers in your P&C! Learn how to get your P&C saving millions of 10c containers from landfill whilst raising funds to support your school community! Walk away with handy tips and resources to boost your impact and kick start your school’s Containers for Change program Containers for Change WA are a platinum sponsor of Conference 2022 Courage Under Fire Keynote Address: Rabia Siddique Rabia is an international humanitarian lawyer, retired British Army senior officer, former war crimes and terrorism prosecutor and hostage survivor Using her incredible story of resilience and survival, and by sharing her truths and vulnerabilities with the audience, Rabia will explore what it means to be a truly great and authentic leader

The Speaking Out Survey involved 16,532 children and young people across WA and looked at their perspectives on physical health, mental health, education, safety, community life, and their hopes for the future It also provided an insight into how WA children and young people are faring

Other conference presenters will include the Minister for Education and Training, the Director General of the Department of Education, and the WACSSO

From the President’s Pen Message from the Minister of Education & Training Climate Collaborations Vaping and Young People

Alongside the workshops and presentations, we are excited by our student panel line up, which includes young people from Albany Senior High School, Bob Hawke College, Jolimont Primary School, and Willetton Senior High School Wanneroo Primary School, John Forrest Senior High School, and Wanneroo Secondary College will all be providing entertainment, in the form of music and dance Conference 2022 is not to be missed!

President Workshop streams include topics as diverse as designing nature play areas, effective grant writing, career conversations with young people, online child safety, sustainability in schools, the effects and impact of vaping, and strategies for building resilience and alleviating anxiety in children

The new Commissioner for Children and Young People, Jacqueline McGowan Jones will provide an overview of the results of this survey with a focus on student wellbeing

Climate Change Agriculture Colleges School Psychologists

In addition to preparing for Conference, your State Councillors have actively engaged with the Department of Education and other stakeholders to ensure WA parents, carers, and P&Cs' voices are considered in public education WACSSO have attended meetings and events discussing:

Pania Turner

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PEN

Build a strong culture of working together with respect, care, and enthusiasm Have a clear understanding of the objectives of the P&C. Everyone knows why we are here and what we do. Operate with good governance.

The countdown is on for WACSSO's 88th Annual Conference, and as with every year, there is pre conference excitement across the WACSSO team State Councillors and staff are eager to welcome our P&C delegates and share in a weekend filled with inspiring speakers, informative and hands on works shops, and networking in the exhibitor's hall

National School Reform Agreement

Whole School Healthy Eating Program Minister's Student Council

Violence in Schools

When I reflect on resilient P&C committees, there are some key characteristics that resilient committees demonstrate. Resilient P&Cs: Hello to all P&C members, and welcome to Term 3.

Student Health and Wellbeing Policy COVID 19 Cyber safety supports

Childrens’ School Crossings National Volunteer Strategy

Strengthening the road to resilience is the conference theme As I reflect on the journey we have all travelled in recent years, I believe it is fair to say that WA school communities supported by their P&Cs have demonstrated resilience and strength Showing resilience does not mean that times were not challenging. I acknowledge the impacts felt by our P&Cs as they have navigated each obstacle The goal of Conference is to recognise your work, rebuild connections, and refuel tanks for the roads yet to come.

I encourage P&Cs who have members attending to review the workshops and presenters as a committee and request that your delegates raise the issues impacting your schools Task your representatives to be gatherers of knowledge, and have them bring back as much information as they can to share with your P&C.

Vaping in Schools

President Pania Turner

The Fathering Project Health and Nutrition support for School Canteens

A further $182 million has been allocated to WA’s Specialist Learning Programs for students with autism spectrum disorder, with this successful program to be expanded to eight more schools

The Challenge closes next month, with prizes available for students who read the most books, as well as those who have shown a significant improvement in their reading habits I wish you well for the remainder of the school year, and I thank you for your ongoing commitment to supporting the work of local schools

The first half of this year brought significant challenges, but I am hopeful that pressures related to the COVID 19 pandemic will ease as we move forward

The role of our parents in maintaining successful schools is vital and I thank you for the work you continue to do to support your schools throughout this period

Our schools remain well prepared and equipped to provide the highest quality education for WA students, in the safest possible way

The Government is also continuing its work to implement our election commitments and support the construction of new school infrastructure and improvements around the state We will continue to roll out our significant program of works so Western Australian students can learn in the best possible environments.

The 2022 23 Budget also includes an allocation of $2.5 million over five years to develop the literacy and numeracy skills of all students This new initiative will assess and support the development of students' phonics skills from an early age, helping them to read and write by using the sounds of spoken language Additional support will also be available for teachers so they can give their students any extra help they may need with phonics, early in their schooling

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E M I N I S T E R F O R E D U C A T I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

The Specialist Learning Programs are specifically designed to cater for students who can engage with age appropriate curriculum, but have significant social, emotional or behavioural barriers to learning that are directly attributable to the impact of ASD.

There are a number of school buildings that require ongoing maintenance, and the Department of Education is currently undertaking a state wide building condition assessment review of maintenance needs This will give schools the opportunity to provide feedback and contribute to the process

The McGowan Government continues to place a high priority on education and training, and I am pleased to let you know that this year’s State Budget includes significant funding across a number of key learning areas. This includes an additional $319 million investment over four years to expand the educational adjustment allocation, to enable schools to support the needs of students with undiagnosed disabilities and learning difficulties We estimate more than 15,000 students will benefit from this

The Hon Sue Ellery MLC Minister for Education and Training

Finally, I was pleased to join with the Premier at the relaunch of the Premier’s

Hon Sue Ellery MLC

Reading Challenge earlier this year The Challenge aims to inspire children to pick up books throughout their lives and show children that a love of reading can open the door to a world of opportunities Of course, the obvious benefits of reading will also help to improve literacy skills.

Welcome to Term 3, 2022.

WACSSO is proud of its purpose, to be the voice of parents and citizens to positively influence the direction of education so that every student has the best opportunity to realise their potential which sits at the heart of our operations.

WACSSO State Councillors Anne Fairbanks and Jenny Blair discovered an appetite for discussion and development in the broad area of sustainability when talking to their affiliates. Seeing the trends in terms of questions and concerns emerge, they bought together representatives from their two electorates to talk about how P&Cs could be involved in sustainability projects in schools In keeping with the various perspectives of affiliates, sustainability was discussed from environmental and community wellbeing perspectives Bringing together groups of people led to knowledge transfer, brainstorming and resource sharing

Sustainability discussions at both Conference 2021 and P&C gatherings were enhanced by the participation of teacher Rachael Roberts, who has been embedding sustainability discussions across curriculum areas This not only encourages young people as agents of change, but it empowers them to understand their role in the future of the climate and how they can make a difference As Jenny articulated in her presentation to the Inquiry

CLIMATE COLLABORATIONS

The opportunity to further discussions on sustainability in schools will be presented to delegates at the WACSSO Annual conference in September One of the workshops will bring together experts from Curtin University, Monash University and the Australian Association for Environmental Education All panel members are interested to hear the ideas and challenges facing P&Cs in the sustainability space In this co constructed event, delegates and panellists will consider some of the major challenges when it comes to embedding sustainability into the curriculum and into school operations, as well as some of the ways we can facilitate change

“The capacity to link different parts of the curriculum with real life, tangible projects that children can engage with, see their learning come to life, see their leadership skills rise to the fore, see those teamwork skills that we know employers are talking about needing from young people with those to have a sustainability bent I think is really, really powerful.” The belief held by many is that bringing sustainability into all areas of curriculum will have hugely positive effects on children’s wellbeing, sense of community and hope for the future, and will provide the chance for schools and parents to work together

A tangible example of this advocacy role has been playing out over the past few years and will offer an opportunity for further development at Conference 2022 Sustainability in schools, communities and curriculum is a hot topic. The vision around sustainability differs slightly in the various P&C groups, with some focused directly on the environmental aspects, and others concentrating on the positive impact a focus on sustainability can have on young people, communities and wellbeing.

Over time, it became clear that sustainability in schools is a common topic of interest for P&Cs, which provided an advocacy opportunity for WACSSO who took the comments and ideas of affiliates and turned them into one of the five areas of the WACSSO State Election Position Paper. The inclusion of this topic in the paper put the ideas generated by affiliates and WACSSO Councillors on the radar, allowing WACSSO to represent parents more broadly in a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Climate Change in Schools. The Report from this Inquiry makes use of many WACSSO generated points, meaning serious attention is being paid to the ideas and concerns of parents “What Anne and I really liked about taking the sustainability discussions to the State Parliament was that it provided a fantastic opportunity to pick up the interests of our affiliates and take them forward for real change,” reflects Jenny Blair, WACSSO Senior Vice President and Councillor for Perth North. “There is an incredible amount of passion for this idea and some frustration that change is slow to happen By bringing together the voices of many and advocating on their behalf, on a topic that is also important to WACSSO, we gained real traction.”

The Department of Education and the Department of Health have published several resources designed to help parents and schools understand the trend of vaping. Vaping has been proven to be addictive, especially when the vape (or e cigarette) contains nicotine. While e cigarettes containing nicotine are illegal in Australia without a prescription, many stores still sell them over the counter, and they are available online The nicotine in 1 vape is the equivalent of 50 cigarettes E cigarettes are often flavoured with fruit vapours such as watermelon, caramel, and bubble gum, making them appealing to young people. They are also brightly coloured and are often easy to conceal, with many looking like other objects such as highlighters and USB drives While the long term impact research is still evolving, vaping has been linked to serious lung disease and vapes can contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, weed killers, and insect spray It has also been found that vapes can lead to an increased risk of depression and anxiety. The media coverage of vaping in schools has been widespread, particularly over the last few months.

VAPING AND YOUNG PEOPLE

The uptake of vaping in young people appears to be increasing and research shows that in WA 13.5% of school students aged 12 17 have tried an e cigarette Young people who vape are 3 times more likely to take up smoking cigarettes As vaping is becoming more common in schools, young people may see it as ‘the thing to do’, or as safe and acceptable. It is important for parents to have access to the information they need to discuss vaping and e cigarettes with their children.

Delivered by Paul Searle, Principal Consultant (Alcohol and Drug Awareness) at the Department of Education, this session will explore current information relating to e cigarettes and vaping, including WA laws and the prevalence of vaping among young people Paul will also cover how schools are addressing vaping and the role of parents This will be a not to miss session for those who are looking for more information and resources on this important issue impacting young people and their families.

It is well understood that vaping in schools is a challenge for many, with parents, school leaders and health specialists all looking at ways to address the emerging trends in this area

At Conference, WACSSO is pleased to offer a workshop stream on the facts and impacts of vaping on young people

Do you support funding for equal opportunity employment in public schools for every position, regardless of a person’s faith?

onPsych Chaplaincy Scripture Union WA (SU WA) YouthCARE

The program is funded by Local, State and Federal governments and managed by the State Education Departments, according to a signed agreement. According to the website, “NSCP chaplains work with school communities to provide: In their role working with school communities, NSCP chaplains: Western Australia has amended the selection criteria for chaplains so that they can be of any or no faith. To access the funding, schools cannot employ their own chaplain but they use a service provider The service providers in WA are: Of these suppliers, two are faith based and one is secular. he two faith based suppliers provide chaplains for the majority (around 95%) of WA schools that make use of this program

Pastoral care Programs such as breakfast clubs and workshops

Not all schools in WA participate in the National Schools Chaplaincy Program (it is not mandatory) but many schools take advantage of the funding available to increase the pastoral care services available.

There has been increased local media attention to the topic of the NSCP recently, following a survey of parents at Maylands Peninsula Primary School. The survey, initiated by the school’s P&C, was triggered by parent questions on the term account, where a charge was included for chaplaincy services After some investigation by the P&C as to how the service was funded, and discovering that most chaplains in Australian schools, including public schools, are or must be religious, the P&C asked their parents two yes/no questions: Survey respondents provided overwhelming support for both questions, leading to Maylands Peninsula P&C bringing an agenda item forward for consideration at WACSSO Conference 2022 A copy of the Conference Agenda Item can be found on the WACSSO website

The coordination of volunteer activities within the school community do not provide religious instruction or religious counselling may be of any faith must not proselytise must respect, accept and be sensitive to other views, values and beliefs must comply with State and Territory laws and policies in relation to child protection matters must have relevant and valid State and Territory working with children or vulnerable person checks meet the minimum qualification requirements must undertake the cyberbullying Professional Learning Package”

Do you support MPPS P&C asking our peak representative body, the WA Council of State Schools Organisation (WACSSO), to advocate for all pastoral care positions to be open to all applicants regardless of their faith?

THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM

WACSSO Conference provides all affiliates with the opportunity to bring issues and topics of contemporary relevance to the attention of delegates and Councillors We look forward to discussing this agenda item in detail at Conference and acknowledge the efforts of Maylands Peninsula P&C to put forward this motion Conference is the pinnacle event in the WACSSO calendar, providing not only the opportunity for learning and development but also, through agenda items like this one, providing the opportunity to harness the power of a collective voice to advocate for positive change that will make a difference

The National Schools Chaplaincy Program was developed by the Federal Government and designed to support student wellbeing initiatives in Australian schools.

Ajia Crosby Ajia is currently completing Year 12 at Albany Senior High School. She will speak on mental health in teenagers, in particular body image struggles and eating disorders Ajia is also interested in how school plays an important role in educating on mental health and supporting students who are struggling.

M E E T O U R V O I C E S O F T H E F U T U R E

We are thrilled to introduce the student panel, who will present at Conference 2022!

Asha Reid Asha is a Year 6 student at Jolimont Primary School who is inspired to help people and the environment in her local community, across Australia and internationally Asha will speak about her experiences of fundraising for charities beyond the school environment, what inspires her to do this work and why schools should get involved

Ruby Habib Ruby is a Year 9 student at Bob Hawke College. She was a member of the first ever student board at the school and was a house leader the following year She is currently involved in the college’s first school musical, model United Nations and a range of other extra curricular activities. Ruby will speak about the experience of learning at a brand new school and how students can help shape the culture Ruby will also talk about being born with a congenital limb difference and her passion for disability ability Shivani Panneri Shivani is a Year 7 student at Willetton SHS. At the age of 10, Shivani raised $2000 for Autism WA, in support of a friend, by painting and auctioning off 25 pieces of her artwork She was recognised in 2022 as Young Community Citizen of the Year At age 11, Shivani wrote and published a book called ‘Luke and the Cheese of Hope", the sales of which will go to the Kids Cancer Project Australia Shivani will speak about her experience as a young author and her passion for working hard, following her dreams, giving back, and taking care of others.

Major Sponsor Regional Rural and Remote Silver Sponsors WACSSO is supported by Platinum Sponsor T H A N K Y O U T O O U R C O N F E R E N C E S P O N S O R S Gold Sponsor Sundowner Sponsor

President: Pania Turner 0477 644 000 Electorate: Councillor: CANNING East Scott Mosey 0401 637 716 Canning North Nominations Required Canning West Chelsea Walker 9264 4000 Fremantle Nominations Required Goldfields Esperance Katherine Loader 0408 949 847 Great Southern Julie Brooks 0429 016 253 Joondalup East Rob Fairholme 0435 779 801 Joondalup West Tony Osborne 0419 925 701 Midwest Paula Steenson 0409 076 476 North West Leanne Ruston 0407 477 283 Electorate: Councillor: Peel North Dannielle Crawford 0407 717 555 Peel South Vivienne Cantem 0447 297 156 Perth North Jenny Blair 0488 990 729 Perth - South Anne Fairbanks 0411 256 079 South West Esmond Delaney 0409 370 016 Swan - East Nominations Required Swan West Indah Yildiz 0412 595 576 Warren Blackwood Nominations Required Wheatbelt North Tanya Gibson 0427 976 880 Whaetbelt South Kate Hayes Thompson 0458 830 000 WACSSO State Councillors Contact the WACSSO office on (08) 9264 4000 if your P&C would like to nominate someone to represent a vacant electorate or if you would like further information on the roles and responsibilities of a State Councillor

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