November Newsletter
-
President's Message
-
PSW - Platinum Partner
-
CaSPA Latest News
-
The School Photographer - Platinum Partner
-
CaSPA Board Update
-
Woods Furniture - Platinum Partner
-
CaSPA Social Action 2021 Report: St Patrick’s Technical College
-
NGS Super - Platinum Partner
-
2022 CaSPA Awards & Scholarships - Applications
-
Rory's - Gold Partner
-
Leadership Article
-
CCI - Silver Partner
-
Principal Profiles
-
Education Horizons Group - Silver Partner
-
Caritas Resources
-
FujiFilm - Silver Partner
-
INSTALLING THE SZAPP
Dear Colleagues
It is great news to hear that schools in NSW, Victoria and ACT are returning to school recently. It is also heartening to see restrictions eased for schools in other states and territories. I hope the new arrangements will work well for all staff and students in our all schools around Australia.
At our last CaSPA Board Meeting it was very heartening to hear about the wonderful work being undertaken by the WA Conference Committee in preparation for 2022. My sincere thanks to all involved and I hope that there will be a response when registrations open for Principals and their Leadership Teams.
I am also looking forward a number of CaSPA initiatives including the PIVOT designed survey to gather data regarding Principal experiences and what CaSPA can do to support Principals in Catholic Schools. This is really important and a Caspa initiative which we would ask for your support in completing as soon as possible. It was released on Sunday - will only take 10 minutes to complete and you could win a book prize as an appreciation of your work!
Other initiatives will be more evident in 2022 and this will include the renewal of the CaSPA website, the engagement of a Law Firm to review the CasPA Constitution and continue CaSPA’s partnership negotiations with ACPPA and Ford Health to support Principal wellbeing.
The National Catholic Education Commission CEO Jacinta Collins along with others in her team, met with Stakeholders, to discuss current key issues, particularly, in light of a Federal Election on our horizon. It was emphasised that 20% of Australian families are engaged in Catholic education. With this huge share of the market, support by the Australian Government is appreciated, but could be extended in some areas. For example, increased capital funding across our schools, or a National priority to certain areas, or boost funding focus on positive enhancement of Mental Health and Wellbeing along with more intervention support, would be of great benefit to Catholic schools.
Moreover, we have been invited to support a study called Building Connections Project being conducted by the University of Melbourne. It is a 3 year Project looking at maximising School Facilities with a focus on Schools and Community Collaboration. This study involves many other bodies including RMIT, SA government, Town Planning / Architecture Professors, and other PhD students. In my discussions, I emphasised that every Principal had community engagement at the forefront. They are looking for us to complete a Survey in early 2022.
In attending the AITSL School Leadership and Teaching Expert Standing Committee (SLTESC) Meeting, the major issues discussed included the National Teacher Workforce Strategy, Teacher Shortages across the country eg NSW announced that they are bringing in 560 STEM teachers from overseas, with other areas considering similar. Highlighted matters included the importance also of teacher quality in relation to shortages and finding solutions; Disability Standards final report being released. The Red Tape Report, Teacher Effectiveness, Impact and Reach, Rural and Remote Contexts ( very different and limited at times) all are at the forefront of research and practical focus. Embedding AITSL tools and establishing a Growth Culture in schools, is enhanced by some excellent resources on AITSL website. I would emphasise that the Leadership Development resources are of worthy consideration.
I wish you well for the remainder of Term 4 and hope that the upcoming formalities go well for you and your community.
Blessings to all
Ann Rebgetz
CaSPA President
- PIVOT Consulting – Working with Amanda Bickerstaff from the PIVOT organisation to develop a short survey for CaSPA to be sent to Principals in Term 4 2021. The focus is on Principals’ experiences and feedback of what CaSPA can do to support Principals.
- Teach for Australia – Further Consultation in October to promote leadership Pilot Program for Rural and Remote teachers and schools. Invitation sent to Associations to encourage aspiring leaders in regional / remote areas to participate in the program.
- Sponsoring the ACU / Phil Riley Research – CaSPA is still hoping for a large number of Catholic Principals to participate to build up the Catholic data for 2021.
- VET Review – An invitation to participate in the DESE Survey facilitated by PWC was resent to CaSPA Members via local Associations.
- AITSL – CaSPA participated in the review of the Disability Standards in Education and provided feedback in an online interview recently.
- ACARA Stakeholder Meeting: Review of Australian Curriculum and the Opt In trials for National Assessment Program for Science, Digital Technology and Civic & Citizenship. Materials and further information has been distributed to local Catholic Principal Associations.
Leading Through Uncertainty
This short course provides a unique framework to help you manage turbulence, leverage risk and make more informed decisions. It's made up of 4 modules, each 3.5 hours in duration so there's not a lot of time away from work. The learning is practical, rich and very relevant.
Each module is delivered by experts with extensive knowledge and significant experience.
PROMOTIONAL CODE ‘CASPA’ to receive discounted course fee
- ACPPA – Further discussions have continued regarding areas of partnership / collaboration and discern Catholic Education issues around Australia. Further discussions to be held with Ford Health regarding implementation of the wellbeing program around Australia.
- CaSPA Online Board Meeting – 14 October - decision made to review the CaSPA Constitution to ensure it is compliant and contemporary. Russell & Kennedy Lawyers have been offered the opportunity to conduct the review.
- Ford Health – CaSPA has decided to continue negotiations with Ford Health to discern how the Board can promote the wellbeing checks for Catholic Secondary Principals around Australia.
- Negotiating a contract with PIVOT – Final draft of the survey for Principals regarding Principals ‘experiences especially in Remote and Rural schools has been completed.
- CaSPA Website – Work has commenced on rebranding and restructuring the CaSPA website to make it more contemporary. Work on this should be finished by the end of November 2021.
- Data Project – Structure and categories of the spreadsheet continue to be redeveloped to be updated and relaunched later in 2021. Infographic slides of the Data Project will be available in the redevelopment of the CaSPA Website.
Profiles of all the CaSPA Board are available on the CaSPA Website: https://caspa.schoolzineplus.com/current-and-past-board-members
CaSPA Social Action 2021 Report: St Patrick’s Technical College
The Grant that makes a Difference
This year St Patrick’s Technical College was most fortunate in receiving funding through CaSPA as part of the Social Action program. The purpose of the grant was to enable the college to further deepen connections with the work of their local Vinnies, in the Elizabeth region. The funding has been well used giving students the opportunity to put into practice one of the core values of the college – Service.
As a technical college we are always looking for ways for our students to demonstrate the range of trade and personal skills they are developing as young adults at the college. Through the funding, we were able to purchase a BBQ which is used for the weekly service we provide outside the Elizabeth Vinnies Shop. Each lunchtime on a Thursday, our Year 11 students cook a BBQ. Although this service has been affected by COVID once again this year, when operating, our students provide a weekly lunch for over 40 people. The BBQ now ‘lives’ at Vinnies and can be used by the Fred’s Van food service which operates from the same facility.
Fred’s Van provides a hot meal service from their dining room. Unfortunately, the demand is much greater than the space available. A few years ago, the college came to the rescue and assisted in constructing an outdoor dining area to cater for the overflow of guests. This year, we were asked to make some repairs to this area and extend it further through the addition of extra tables. Through the CaSPA funding provided, our Year 11 Construction students designed and carried out these improvements, including adding some much-needed lighting.
The college has also supported the work of the local Vinnies Conference in preparing and cooking over 400 meals which were then frozen and distributed to those in need. The CaSPA funding has enabled us to purchase quality ingredients for these meals. As part of their Health course, all Year 12 students learn about nutrition and some basic cooking techniques. By preparing these meals for Vinnies, students feel a great sense of satisfaction that they are doing something of great value and service to others.
St Patrick’s Technical College greatly appreciates the support of CaSPA this year as it has enabled us to continue to do what we believe is fundamental to why we exist as a school – to help our young people understand that they have a responsibility to serve others. By doing this they can come to better understand the inequalities of our society and know that they can make a difference to the lives of others.
John Neate | Community, Spirituality, and Identity Coordinator
2022 CaSPA Awards and Scholarships
The Scholarship applications closed on the 30th October. We will publish the successful applicant in due course.
The 2 Awards close on February 28th 2022 and we encourage you to apply by clicking on the below link.
CaSPA is very proud to announce the launching of the 2022 Scholarships and Awards.
Nomination Forms have been sent to all State and Territory Catholic Principal Associations and can be viewed at the following link on the CaSPA website: https://caspa.schoolzineplus.com/introduction
Please remember that all awardees to be eligible are expected to attend the 2022 Conference to receive their award in person.
Schools shouldn't focus on learning losses after COVID: Yong Zhao
By Yong Zhao
Community contribution / September 23, 2021
Educators and education policymakers are mired in the dangerous trap of learning losses when schools return to “normal” as COVID-19 gets under control.
A number of reports have highlighted what students may have lost due to school closures and remote learning during the pandemic. These estimates have caught the attention of policymakers and educators. Governments, school leaders, and teachers are all concerned about the learning losses and are likely to work on minimising them, which can be a waste of resources and lead post-pandemic education in the wrong directions.
Governments may decide to launch standardised assessments to track the learning losses, which is the worst way to collect such data. Firstly, any standardised testing given to all students will have a limited scope, with the typical focus on maths and reading. Education has many desirable outcomes. These outcomes can be short-term or long-term, cognitive and non-cognitive, instructional and educational. Short-term, cognitive, and instructional outcomes do not necessarily translate directly into long-term, non-cognitive, and educational outcomes. For example, test scores have been found to have a negative correlation with student confidence and wellbeing.
They also have a negative correlation with economic development and entrepreneurial confidence and activities. Test scores do not predict the future of individual successes very well and non-cognitive skills may play a bigger role.
We are used to assessing maths and reading and ignoring the other school subjects and non-cognitive and long-term educational outcomes. If standardised assessments of learning losses are only in maths and reading, attention will be paid on these and efforts will be directed to improving these two subjects, which can be disastrous because all other important educational outcomes will be ignored.
Secondly, standardised testing will inevitably put pressure on students, take time away from learning, and cost a lot of money. It may not be wise to place students, who have just experienced a terrible pandemic, in a situation of unnecessary pressure. The money spent on testing can be much better used as well.
Thirdly, the idea that the learning loss can be recovered without a sacrifice in other areas is not realistic. It is possible that whatever is lost in learning during the pandemic can be gradually recovered in the long run, but it is not possible that students can make up the losses in the short term. Time is a constant, and spending more of it on reading and maths would certainly take time away from other school subjects.
Instead of being trapped by the learning losses, we should do the following:
Meet the students where they are. Instead of treating them as one homogenous group, we should treat them as individuals. Teachers should use their professional judgment to work with each and every student, to teach whatever is necessary rather than what is expected by the government, and to build relationships with all students.
Pay attention to all educational outcomes. Human society is in a time of uncertainty and the future is unknown. Historically speaking, it may be an accident that the pandemic took place in 2020, but the massive technological changes are real. We cannot predict what knowledge and skills are exactly needed in the future. We also know that students have different talents, experiences, and passions.
Engage learners as partners of change and owners of their learning. Students are not passive recipients but active creators of learning. COVID-19 may have affected many students negatively, but this new experience may also have helped students develop more independence, resilience, and a broader sense of society and learning. This would be a great time to engage students with personalising their learning experiences and help them become self-determined learners.
Keep families engaged. Families play a significant role in learning and the pandemic has seen an increase in family involvement in education. Schools have developed more ways to connect with parents and parents have spent more time on their children’s education.
Keep online/remote learning. Almost all schools have developed forms of online or remote learning opportunities for students during the pandemic. While not all programs have been as successful as face-to-face teaching, it is however a major innovation. Online/remote learning can expand our thinking about education and expand learning beyond the physical classroom.
Source: EducationHQ; This story appeared in the September 2021 edition of Australian Teacher Magazine.
Name: Kate Rayment
Current School: St Scholastica’s College, Glebe
Previous Position: Principal, McCarthy Catholic College, Tamworth
First Year as a Principal: 2009
My big picture for my current school is: Excellence
The Joy of Principalship is: Student growth and achievement in all facets of their development.
Favourite Book: (I don’t have one)
Favourite Food: Anything Italian
Interests / Hobbies: Music, art and hiking
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Time with family
Advice for a Beginning Principal: Listen
Favourite Leadership Quote: “To change what you are getting, change what you are doing.”
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: “Listen and attend with the ear of your heart” (from the Prologue of the Rule of St Benedict)
Name: Damien Judd
Current School: Samaritan College
Previous Position: Principal/CEO Australian Technical College (Spencer Gulf)
First Year as a Principal: 2006
Year of Birth: 1970
My big picture for my current school is: to ensure it is ‘set up’ for future principals and staff and students long after I leave i.e. structures, processes and facilities. Future-proofing the school to cover all the challenges that Whyalla will face.
The Joy of Principalship is: the variety of roles to be done and the variety of relationships formed (students/staff/community/other leaders) especially in an R-12 college
Favourite Book: Problem of Cell 13 and Stop Sweating the Small Stuff
Favourite Food: Pasta
Interests / Hobbies: watching football (North Melbourne)/cricket/NFL and watching my children’s sports and events and doing as little as possible
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: see above and simply allowing time for nothing – switch off – nothing good ever happens from checking emails after 6pm.
Advice for a Beginning Principal: be prepared for anything – nothing should be a surprise. See challenges as opportunities and know that even the worst situations will pass. Stay calm – your demeanour will impact others. Keep a sense of humour.
Favourite Leadership Quote: “Leadership is your ability to hide your panic from others.” Laozi “Challenges creates opportunities”
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: “Bring it on!”
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name: Michael Williams
Current School: Nagle Catholic College – Geraldton W.A.
Previous Position: Vice Principal – Aranmore Catholic College
First Year as a Principal: 2020 as an ongoing Principal. One year secondment at St Luke’s College in Karratha W.A.
Year of Birth: 1976
My big picture for my current school is: Providing a personalised pathway for each student appropriate to their goals and ambitions.
The Joy of Principalship is: Seeing positive change in your community that you have help instigate, celebrating successes and seeing others grow and develop professionally.
Favourite Book: Any cricket autobiographies to read over the Christmas break.
Favourite Food: You can’t beat a good Indian takeaway!
Interests / Hobbies: Sport, especially golf, soccer and cricket and spending time with my family.
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Being active and turning off devices.
Advice for a Beginning Principal: Spend plenty of time listening and learning about your school’s unique story and context.
Favourite Leadership Quote: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: If it won’t be a problem in a month, it isn’t a problem!
New Caritas Resources for your Teacher and Students
Find out about them through this video https://vimeo.com/639321493/cc0c47c56a
Please pass these links onto your RE Team and teaching staff for curriculum use and planning.
Caritas Australia School Resources
Catholic Earthcare Schools Program
Fratelli Tutti animation video
Social Justice Calendar for 2022
Ecological Justice Calendar for 2022
Advent Resources (Coming soon)
Join the Justice Education Facebook Page to receive updates on release of new resources.