31 May 2016

Newsletter Articles

A Word from the Executive Director

I firstly want to thank all of the parents who took the time away from their families to attend our Catholic School Parents conference in Rockhampton. Around 180 parents, principals and some of our interstate colleagues joined together to listen to Dr Debbie Pushor provide the keynote thought provoking talk ‘Engaging Parents and Educators in a Circle of Shared Responsibility’. This provided much fodder for our discussions which were led by our facilitator Ms Phil Billington. We also heard more ideas and thoughts on what is currently happening in some of our schools through listening to our local thought provokers. Attendees at the conference were enthused by what they heard, learned and talked about over the weekend and we have had fantastic feedback and many phone calls and emails seeking our assistance to take some changes forward.

We now have a range of rich information provided through our discussions over the weekend that the State Council of the Federation can now work on to change, improve and take forward parent engagement in our schools and assist our local school Parents and Friends to be as effective as possible.

Debbie Pushor then travelled through each diocese in the state providing a range of workshops tailored for each diocese. We also ended the time with a workshop for staff of Universities, The College of Teachers, Catholic Education Leadership, Early childhood leaders, Department of Education, Independent Schools Queensland, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth and other interested people. The purpose of this was to provide different ways of thinking about parent engagement in working with pre service teachers.

We will be providing some video grabs from Dr Pushor’s keynote on our website in due course.

I would like to thank Emmaus College Principal, Mr Eamon Hannan and the staff of the college for the outstanding co-operation we received in holding the conference in their school hall. We thank Bishop Michael for welcoming us to St Joseph’s Cathedral for our conference Mass. Also to The Cathedral College Principal, Mr Rob Alexander and his staff for use of their facilities for our BBQ dinner and use of school buses.

Our heartfelt thanks to Ms Leesa Jeffcoat and her staff at the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Rockhampton for the assistance we were given during the whole planning of the conference and during the conference.

Our next conference will be held in Townsville on 5,6,7 May 2018 and we look forward to welcoming many more parents to this event.

As we head into winter (hopefully it will arrive soon) and the end of term two, I always think what a great family time we can enjoy as the days become shorter and the kids cuddle up with Mum and Dad on the couch. What a great opportunity to talk about school, read with your child or even talk about what you might be watching on TV. All great engagement activities.

GREAT INFORMATION ON P&F WEBSITE

Please Visit:

At this time of the school year, please make sure that your P & F Levy is paid and your contact forms are returned, for further information on why please visit:

We also ask that you ensure we at the Federation office have a copy of your school’s P&F constitution. Please locate yours and send a copy to info@pandf.org.au

National Reconciliation Week 2016

27 May to 03 June
‘Our History, Our Story, Our Future’

Our History, Our Story, Our Future is derived from the State of Reconciliation in Australia Report, which asks all Australians to reflect on our national identity, and the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and rights in our nation’s story.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Goodbye OP (Overall Position) and hello ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank)

The State government says it's one of the biggest changes to senior schooling in more than 40 years. This will reintroduce some external assessment to Senior Secondary and the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). By 2019 Queensland will join other states in using a Australian Tertiary Admission Rank to determine Tertiary Entrance and the OP will be abolished.

This week more than 11,000 Year 11 students participated in a trial of external assessment in English.

It has also been confirmed that it will be compulsory for Year 11 and 12 students to undertake an English subject under the new senior assessment and tertiary entrance framework. Specifically, eligibility for an ATAR will be subject to satisfactory completion of an English subject, although a student’s results in English will not be a mandatory inclusion in calculation of their ATAR.

“Revitalising senior assessment and tertiary entrance in Queensland: A guide for parents and carers”

For updated information head to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority webpage:

FEDERAL ELECTION

Education Front and Centre as Election Campaign Nears

National Catholic Education Commission executive director Ross Fox says with the Coalition's "Quality Schools, Quality Outcomes" policy and the Australian Labor Party's "Your Child. Our Future" policy, the two major parties have placed school education at the centre of this year's federal election campaign. Mr Fox said parents of school students and those who value school education should carefully consider how schools policies will support each student in every Australian school.

Partners in Australia's Future

Catholic education educates 765,000 students in 1,731 schools across Australia, employing more than 91,000 staff. Those schools are inclusive environments, welcoming students and families from all backgrounds.

Governments are major providers of funding for the 765,000 students in 1,731 Australian Catholic schools, with Catholic parents also paying fees to support students' learning. It is important for Catholic school parents to understand that government funding should not be taken for granted

Click on the links below to view the 5 Funding Facts Videos

PARENTING

Musical.ly – What parents really need to know!

Susan McLean
Director – Cyber Safety Solutions

As a parent/carer it can be almost impossible to be aware of all the apps and sites that kids are on. As soon as you are on top of one, it is oh so yesterday and there is a new app on the block. It is not so much the name of the app (some are very misleading) but what the app actually does that a parent should be concerned with. By knowing how an app works and what it does will go a long way to helping you make an informed decision about whether or not to let your child use it. Don’t be fooled with the hollow cry of, ‘But everyone else has it’, because I can assure you they don’t. Anyway who cares? If everyone were on the roof jumping off you would allow your child to do it as well?

Empathy, Kids and Nature

We must widen… “our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” - Albert Einstein

“Feed the birds, Mom. Don’t forget today,” E tells me with fervor on one of the last freezing cold days of Winter while the birds chirped longingly for Spring. He heard them on our short walk to our car before school and recognized their need for food. And I appreciated the prompting. Empathy, though crucial to our very survival, is not unique to human beings. Researchers have documented the origins of empathy in numerous animal species and if you have ever had a pet dog or cat, you likely have experienced this firsthand. When a family member is crying, a cat will come over, sit on the person’s lap, purr and generally, offer comfort. Empathy, our ability to feel another’s feelings and take another’s perspectives, is evidenced from our earliest days when infants cry at the sound of another’s crying.

Participate in the MYNAP Study

An international research team, including researchers from The University of Queensland and Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, is undertaking a study to look at the effectiveness of Melatonin in helping children who have a diagnosis of ADHD, are currently treated with stimulant medication and are experiencing sleep difficulties, particularly getting to sleep.

If you are interested in taking part in the study contact Dr Jane Nikles via email: mynap@uq.edu.au

GRANTS

QATSIF QCE Scholarship Program 2017- 2018

The scholarships provide two years of funding to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students commencing in Year 11. Financial assistance of up to $1000 per student per year is available to help cover the costs of senior education.

Program Opens Wednesday 22 June 2016
Applications close Friday 26 August 2016

FOR YOUR P&F

One Platform | Complete Communication

Following on from our 2016 Catholic Schools Parents Conference ‘Engaged Communities for the Future’ Schoolzine has an exciting offer to all P&F Associations ‘3 month 100% Money Back Guarantee’

Sirromet Wines school event and fete package

Sirromet Wines have developed a school event and fete package especially for all Catholic Schools in Queensland.

NEW School Volunteer Recruitment & Management Course

Volunteers are the biggest challenge facing most school parent bodies and tuckshops around the state. In response to this feedback, a new volunteer course has been launched by the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops.

The full day course has an interactive program providing simple to use tools, templates and strategies that are based on best practise and from schools that have had success. The course is suitable for anyone in your school responsible for managing volunteers, not just the tuckshop convenor, and on completion of the course participants will have developed a comprehensive plan to manage your volunteer workforce including recruiting and selecting volunteers, training and maximising the retention of volunteers.

Regional Tuckshop Network Meetings, Term 2

Local network meetings for tuckshop convenors, volunteers and P&F representatives are happening in Term 2 and provide a great opportunity to interact with others who understand the issues faced in a tuckshop and to share ideas. To help implement changes in Smart Choices announced in Term 1, participants in this term’s meetings are asked to bring along a successful recipe idea and their menu for discussion. Each session is facilitated by a QAST representative knowledgeable on Smart Choices.

QTMB 3 Point Car Package

Schoolzine

Schoolzine is proud to be a digital partner and supporter of Parents and Friends Federation.

Schoolzine has been an industry leader in digital school communications for 14 years. They are dedicated to customer service, product development and understanding the school landscape that keeps them at the top of the industry. Schoolzine’s Parent Engagement Platform consists of 3 packages, an eNewsletter, Mobile App and Website offering. Purchased separately or together, they guarantee each package will make engaging with parents easy and even enjoyable for a school of any size. Schoolzine addresses the need for media-rich, interactive content that engages parents.