December 2020

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

WELCOME TO THE FINAL EDITION OF CCSP eNEWS

Hello Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the December edition of CCSP eNews. This is the place to find out all the latest about CCSP activities and items of interest to parents and carers of children and young people in Catholic schools. We encourage you to share our newsletters with your school community and we welcome feedback and suggestions for future articles of interest. If you would like to share any thoughts with us, please contact Clare Dunstan, our media and communications officer on 02 9287 1516 or clare.dunstan@ccsp.catholic.edu.au

If parents or carers from your school would like to find out what their state-level representative body has been up to, please direct them to the CCSP website where they can subscribe to our newsletters:

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December is an exciting and busy month. As we enter the Advent season and the Church’s new liturgical year, we start preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Amidst the bustle, I hope you and your families have time to reflect on the momentous year we have all experienced. We pray for a safe and peaceful year in 2021.

I am delighted to bring you up to date on some initiatives that have been realised in the last few months.

The CCSP Special Needs Working Party has produced a booklet, Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools – NSW/ACT. This guide has been written by parents for parents. The booklet was created to fill a void for parents and carers with children who have additional needs. Each diocesan schools office has received a copy of the booklet.

In preparation for the 2021 school year, each Catholic school in NSW and ACT will receive a hard copy of the booklet. The booklet is also available for download from the new CCSP website.

The judging of the annual Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award took place in October and November. I thank the judges for the time and effort they contributed to this process.

I was delighted to visit St Joseph’s Primary School, Uralla, on Tuesday 1 December to present the Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award. Judith Elks, the principal of St Joseph’s, accepted the award on behalf on the school community.

The award ceremony was attended by the CCSP Chair, Narelle Burke, as well as Chris Smyth, Director of Schools, and Catherine Ible, Parent Engagement Officer from the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Armidale. A number of local news media outlets covered the award ceremony. Thank you to the school community for welcoming us so warmly.

It was wonderful to have the current CCSP Chair, Narelle Burke, and two previous Chairs, Catherine Ible and Kerry Biddle, present at the award ceremony. 

While on awards, we congratulate the community of St Paul's College, Kempsey, on being the national winner of the School Pathways to VET Award at the Australian Training Awards. The NSW Catholic schools sector continues to provide opportunities in vocational education and training, facilitating a range of post-school options for students. On this theme, this edition of CCSP eNews includes an item on Australian Government initiatives to support school leavers to make decisions about the next steps after leaving school and to equip them with resources to be better informed about education, training and work options.

In November, I hosted morning tea for Emily Swinburn from the University of Notre Dame, the 2020 recipient of the CCSP Pre-service Teacher Scholarship, and Joshua Kim, Development Manager UNDA. Read about this in the newsletter.

We have been reviewing our communications and we have decided to combine CCSP eNews and Parent Talk into one publication. Therefore, this is the final edition of CCSP eNews. Next year, Parent Talk will adopt a new look in keeping with our refreshed look and feel. Parent Talk will be published eight times per year. Past issues of both CCSP eNews and Parent Talk are accessible from the new CCSP website.

On this point, the new CCSP website is now live. I look forward to any feedback about the new site.

We held our AGM and Term 4 Council Meeting at the end of November. I look forward to introducing our new representatives and office bearers in the February edition of Parent Talk.

I hope you and your family have an enjoyable Advent season and have an opportunity to relax and refresh yourselves for 2021.

Wishing you and your family a safe and holy Christmas.

Regards,
Peter Grace
Executive Director

2020 ROGER O’SULLIVAN MEMORIAL AWARD PRESENTED TO ST JOSEPH’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, URALLA

On Tuesday 1 December, the CCSP Chair, Narelle Burke, and Executive Director, Peter Grace, presented Principal Judith Elks, St Joseph’s Primary School Uralla, with the award and $4000 prizemoney for first place in the 2020 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning.

At the heart of the Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award are family, school and community partnerships, in which families and community are authentically engaged. The “St Joseph’s School Sheep Manure Business and School Garden Project” is an excellent example of parent engagement benefiting student outcomes.

The project commenced in 2016 after the school identified a need to further support students’ learning needs by involving them in a practical yet meaningful project.

While all students can participate in the Sheep Manure Business, the core group is usually comprised of students whose learning needs an added “boost.” The “business” operates with a student “CEO” under the guidance of a teacher’s aide who assists the group to communicate with their customers and to organise collection and delivery of bags of sheep manure. The students learn to keep track of expenses and ensure a profit to be donated back to the school.

The “Snack Patch Garden” is fully funded by the profits of the sheep manure business. It enables students to pick and eat healthy snacks such as strawberries, snow peas and beans during breaks, and harvest fresh produce to take home for their families.

For more details about the project you can watch the YouTube video. CLICK HERE TO VIEW

This project could be replicated in many rural schools and adapted for use in city schools by substituting the sheep manure with other biodegradable waste or compost.

The key is finding common ground between parents’ skills, children’s interests and the support of school staff. In this intersecting space, children’s learning takes on a new dimension with wonderful benefits for all stakeholders – home, school and community.

Some of the press coverage received so far for the school:

HIGH STANDARD OF SUBMISSIONS FOR 2020 ROGER O’SULLIVAN AWARD

In recognition of the high standard of submissions received for the 2020 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award, the judging panel recommended two new awards.

Congratulations to the community of St Catherine’s Catholic College, Singleton, on receiving a Highly Commended Award for the project, “A Night on the Green.”

The community of St Joseph’s Primary School, Laurieton, also received an Encouragement Award for their project, “Digital Family Prayer Kit.”

CCSP Executive Director, Peter Grace, thanks the judging panel and congratulates all communities on their initiatives to improve student learning outcomes.

Each entrant received detailed feedback from the judging panel. It is hoped the communities will continue to build on the initiatives and make a submission in 2021.

CCSP AWARDS 2020 PRE-SERVICE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP

In 2019, CCSP established a scholarship for a pre-service teacher studying at the University of Notre Dame Australia to promote and support parent engagement.

Congratulations to Emily Swinburn, the 2020 recipient of the CCSP Pre-service Teacher Scholarship.

Emily is a Bachelor of Primary Education student, whose interest in parent/teacher engagement prompted her to apply for the scholarship.

“I was thrilled to receive the scholarship and very honoured and humbled to be chosen out of all the other applicants. I plan to put it towards supporting my students when I begin teaching full-time.”

Emily has observed first-hand the impact that the parent-teacher relationship has on a child’s learning.

“I was pleased to find a scholarship that supports the vital relationship between parents and teachers in creating an encouraging community learning environment.”

“Last term, I noticed the correlation between the success of the students’ learning in the class and the relationship my supervising teacher had with their parents.”

CCSP Executive Director, Peter Grace, presented Emily with the scholarship on 24 November.

SUPPORTING DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS

CCSP has recently launched a guide to assist parents of children with additional learning needs. Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools – NSW/ACT: A Guide by Parents for Parents.

The friendly tone and approachable language in the resource is deliberate; the intent is parents will understand and frequently use the guide to assist them in optimising their children’s learning opportunities.

This resource has been developed with input from psychologists, experts in the education of students with disability, and, of course, parents.

A copy of the booklet will be sent to each NSW/ACT Catholic school in 2021. You can view the booklet and download a copy or individual sections from the CCSP website.

WIDE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

At the Term 4 CCSP Council meeting, Gerard Delany, State Manager, Education Policy and Programs, Catholic Schools NSW, delivered an informative presentation about Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Post-School Pathways.

Gerard referenced the NSW Post-School Destinations and Experiences Survey, which collects information about students’ main destination in the year after completing Year 12 or leaving school early. The latest report and resources can be found at the link below:

Students who attended Catholic schools had significantly higher representation in some degrees, courses and apprenticeships than students who attended government schools.

There are many pathways available for secondary students. Vocational learning helps secondary students explore the world of work, identify career options and pathways, and build career development skills. Vocational learning is also delivered within the broader school curriculum.

School-based apprenticeships and traineeships are available to all students in Years 10, 11 and 12 in NSW. They allow students to commence an apprenticeship or complete a traineeship while still at school. A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship combines paid work, training and school. In addition to an industry recognised national qualification, students can gain credit towards the HSC.

St Paul’s College, Kempsey is an award-winning example of a NSW Catholic school offering students vocational training opportunities. On 20 November, the school was named the National Winner of the School Pathways to VET Award at the Australian Training Awards. CCSP congratulates all members of the St Paul's community on this wonderful achievement.

If you would like more information about Vocational Education and Training, visit the CCSP website at

For information specific to your child, please contact your school.

SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS

Transitioning from school can sometimes be challenging and COVID-19 has presented some additional challenges. The National Careers Institute has developed a kit to help support school leavers to make decisions about the next steps after leaving school and to equip them with resources to be better informed about education, training and work options.

The School Leavers Information Kit has been especially developed to help school leavers understand the education, training and career opportunities and pathways available to them in 2021. The Kit includes:

• Resources to support school leavers to make decisions about the right career and best pathway to get there post-school;
• Information on work and education options such as university, vocational education and training (VET), apprenticeships, volunteering and community service;
• Tips and resources to help update resumes and apply for jobs;
• Resources outlining government funding support and subsidies available to you.

The National Career Institute has also set up the School Leavers Information Service. This is a free support to help navigate the School Leavers Information Kit and the NCI’s Your Career website, as well as an opportunity to engage with a personalised career guidance session with a qualified career practitioner for up to 45 minutes. You can contact the service by phone on 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337), by texting ‘SLIS2020’ to 0429 009 435 or by email at schoolleavers.nci@dese.gov.au.

You can visit the School Leavers Information Kit at the link below

myfuture has a new look! myfuture’s updated website continues to provide access to high-quality and reliable career information from official sources, but its tools and resources have been restructured to make them easier to explore.

As a government-funded service, myfuture provides free online resources and tools to support students to develop self-knowledge for career decision-making.

Explore the recent updates:

TIPS TO HELP PARENTS AND CARERS START CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING

The NSW Education Department has updated the parents and carers section of their website. New resources on teaching and learning, wellbeing, going to school and pathways after school may be helpful for Catholic school parents.

Parents and carers can access a variety of new resources. What works best: 2020 update contains tips to help parents and carers start conversations with their child about their learning.

The Parent and carers: ‘essentials’ toolkit is a directory of parenting books, parenting apps, parenting podcasts, parenting websites and, importantly, self-care tips for parents.

You can access it here

There is also a specific section on learning that contains hints and tips to support your child’s learning and development and to help them prepare for tests and exams. It can be filtered by topic and year level.

The Hon Sarah Mitchell, NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, has a message for parents and carers about how to support their child’s learning at home.

ENHANCING THE FAITH CULTURE AT HOME

Children’s Liturgy of the Word @Home

To encourage families to gather together in prayer, Proclaim: The Office for Mission Renewal in the Archdiocese of Melbourne has developed a series of 15-20 minute videos for children.

“One of our aims is to promote God-talk in the viewer’s own house,” said Jacqui Giuliano, series writer and formation specialist.

Each video explains the gospel in language that is easy for children to understand. The videos have been planned to generate discussion with the family.

The first video was streamed on Sunday 18 October and a new episode will be released each week in the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas Family Prayer Resource

The end of year celebrations and liturgies may be restricted in many communities, but our prayer and connection with family, friends and colleagues is especially important.

The National Catholic Education Commission has produced a Christmas Family Prayer for school and education office staff, students and families, which can be downloaded and/or printed.

Download the Christmas Family Prayer below

Schoolzine

Schoolzine is proud to be a digital partner and supporter of Council of Catholic School Parents.

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.