Parent Talk 2025 Issue 1
- Welcome to Parent Talk
- Free Webinar for Parents: SchoolSpeak 101
- Dream Big with Beyond
- Term 1 Free Online eSafety Webinar
- 2024 Roger O'Sullivan Award Recipients
- Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope
- 2025 Family Diary Giveaway!
- Take a Minute or Two to Complete Our Annual Parent and Carer Survey
- Have Your Say: Inquiry into foundational and disability supports available for children and young people in New South Wales
- Win a MathsBites Subscription and Help Your Child with Numbers at Home
- Keep School Funding Fair
- Pocket Speechie
- The Importance of Sleep
- Parent Line NSW: Free Telephone Counselling for Parents and Carers of Children
- Transcultural Mental Health Line
- NESA Consultation Open for 7–10 Draft Syllabuses
Welcome to Parent Talk
Welcome to the first edition of Parent Talk for 2025.
I hope the beginning of the school year has been smooth for you and your children are settling well into the new school year. I encourage you to take time to engage with your child’s school through their communication channels including their social media sites, newsletter and website. When you know what is happening in your child’s school, you are better prepared to support them in their learning.
We have been working behind the scenes on our new website, in collaboration with Schoolzine, and we can't wait to launch it a bit later in the year. Watch this space!
Since our last Parent Talk, we have continued to provide leadership, advocacy and support for all parents in our dioceses:
- Supporting healthy tech use as your child transitions into high school (354 registrations), presented by CCSP and the eSafety Commissioner
- CCSP Council and Committee Term 4 meetings and AGM
- Parent meeting at St Madeleine’s Primary School Kenthurst
- NSW Curriculum Reform Parent Roundtable
- Launch of Child and Family Hubs Framework at Centre for Community Child Health,
- Diverse Learning Needs Mass at the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
- NSW Drug Summit
- Respectful Relationships ACU project, CSNSW & CCSP collaboration meeting
- Announced the 2024 Roger O’Sullivan Award recipient, St Joseph’s Eugowra (see the article below)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!
This year is a very special year for the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT. We are turning 30! That’s right, it’s our 30th Anniversary, and we will be celebrating all year with some fabulous events for parents and carers, including free webinars every term. In Term 2, we’ll be taking the show on the road out to our rural and remote dioceses, Armidale, Wilcannia-Forbes, Wagga Wagga and Canberra-Goulburn, with our special guest Dr Justin Coulson, who will present to school communities. We'll let you know more information about our road trip in the coming weeks.
On Saturday 25 October 2025 we’re holding our 30th Anniversary Conference for Parents and Carers in Parramatta. It’s going to be a day for parents and carers to gather, listen to some knowledgeable speakers on parenting and education, and give us a chance to meet you and feed you!
Don’t forget to save this date in your diary!
It's also a Jubilee Year, which is a special time in the Catholic Church calendar that happens every 25 years. So, we’re looking forward to a packed year of activities and events with something for everyone!
TERM 1 WEBINARS
Our Term 1 free online webinars for parents are:
- 25 Feb: SchoolSpeak 101: Learning the Lingo of School (repeated 26 Feb), presented by CSNSW
- 5 March: Dream Big (Primary 3–6), presented by Beyond
- 19 March: Algorithms and Adolescents: The rewards and risks of recommender systems for young people, presented by eSafety Commissioner
See the articles in this edition for how to register, and keep a lookout for reminders on our social media.
MEET OUR MEMBERS
At our 2024 AGM, we were delighted to have Mrs Anne Fehon re-elected as Chair of the Council. You can find a list of our 2025 members and our meeting dates here:
2024 ROGER O'SULLIVAN AWARD RECIPIENTS
Jenny Scepanovic (Executive Officer) and I have visited the top three recipients of our 2024 Roger O’Sullivan Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning this week. We are so grateful for the lovely way we were welcomed at these schools and congratulate all on them on their wonderful communities: St Joseph’s Eugowra, St Cecilia’s Wyong and St Paul’s Moss Vale. See the article below to find out more about the wonderful ways these schools are bridging the gap between home and school, and enhancing student outcomes in faith development, learning and wellbeing of students.
WE'RE KEEN TO HEAR FROM YOU!
We are seeking your help to complete our annual Term 1 Parent and Carer Survey so we can support parents and carers across NSW and the ACT. Your feedback will help us to better support you to engage with your child’s school as well as build capacity in your role as primary educators of their children. Let us know your thoughts and opinions by completing our survey: https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/survey/71
This year we have a federal election, and in our advocacy role, CCSP aims to be a strong voice for all NSW/ACT parents and carers with children in Catholic schools. See the article below, 'Keep School Funding Fair', to find out about our school funding system in Australia and how you can use your voice to let your Member of Parliament know that school choice is important to you.
From funding through to policy and curriculum development CCSP represents the interests of Catholic school parents across all areas of education that affect Catholic school families and children. We represent Catholic school parents at government level, industry level and in the media. Find out more about what we do here in our new Annual Induction and Policy Manual:
This year, we pray for joy and happiness. Lord, fill our hearts with the joy that comes from knowing you and walking in your ways.
Stay safe and take care of yourselves and each other, my friends.
Cath Garrett-Jones
Executive Director
Free Webinar for Parents: SchoolSpeak 101
Dream Big with Beyond
Term 1 Free Online eSafety Webinar
2024 Roger O'Sullivan Award Recipients
Congratulations to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Eugowra!
First place in our 2024 awards for family-school partnerships
St Joseph's initiative ‘Homework Club’ was selected as the first place recipient in 2024. St Cecilia's Catholic Primary in Wyong came in second with their project 'Parent & Teacher Collaboration to Strengthen our Children’s Social and Emotional Learning', and in third place was St Paul's Parish Primary School, Moss Vale, for their 'Cultural Story Sharing Morning Tea' initiative.
Chair Anne Fehon, Executive Director Cath Garrett-Jones and Executive Office Jenny Scepanovic visited all three schools in February to present a framed certificate and speak to the school community. Thank you so much to the lovely welcome we received at all three schools - at their school assembly and for afternoon tea! It was so wonderful to see so many parents and carers come to see their school receive the award.
The independent judging panel was extremely impressed with the standard of the entries and the range of school–home partnership initiatives they showcase. They voted unanimously on St Joseph's Eugowra because of the way the school consulted with families and because Homework Club assists parents and kids to improve children’s outcomes – wellbeing, physical and academic.
The 2024 Roger O’Sullivan Award recipients were as follows:
AWARD | SCHOOL | DIOCESE | PROJECT NAME |
1st Place | St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Eugowra | Diocese of Bathurst | Homework Club |
2nd Place | St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary School, Wyong | Diocese of Broken Bay | Parent & Teacher Collaboration to Strengthen our Children’s Social and Emotional Learning |
3rd Place | St Paul’s Parish Primary School, Moss Vale | Diocese of Wollongong | Cultural Story Sharing Morning Tea |
Highly Commended | St Joseph’s Parish School, Condobolin | Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese | Together We Become Strong: The Yarning Circle |
Highly Commended | James Sheahan Catholic High School, Orange | Diocese of Bathurst | MensLine Cup |
Commended | Brigidine College, St Ives | Diocese of Broken Bay (Independent) | Dignity Program |
Commended | St Joseph’s Primary School, Charlestown | Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle | St Joseph’s Writing Fair |
CCSP would like to extend our congratulations to all school communities for creating such positive experiences for parents, carers and students to promote engagement in learning.
In 2025 our school/family partnership awards will have a new look and take on a new name, as voted for by Council at the 2024 AGM: from now on these awards will be known as the CCSP Family Partnerships Excellence Awards.
CCSP visit to St Joseph's Primary School, Eugowra, 20 February 2025
What a wonderful trip out to Eugowra we had! The school assembly was led by the two school captains and attended by many parents and carers as well as community members. We were delighted at the turnout and loved the afternoon tea! Thanks St Joseph's, Eugowra and Mrs Ep!
ABOUT THE HOMEWORK CLUB
'After the devastating flooding event in 2022, parents and students were consulted on ways the school community could best provide support to them as they navigated post-recovery challenges. In response, an after school Homework Club program was initiated. This program runs four days each week during the school term from Monday to Thursday, 3-5.30pm. It encompasses a core academic component as well as physical activities, games and socializing. Its implementation has had a profound impact on our students and whole school community, and family engagement has been remarkable.'
Visit to St Cecilia's Primary School, Wyong, 10 February 2025
CCSPs Chair Anne Fehon and Executive Director Cath Garrett-Jones visited St Cecilia's, Wyong, on 10 February to attend a school assembly led by Principal Marta Marta Chylewska. We chatted with parents and presented a certificate to Mrs Chylewska, Parent Engagement Coordinator Jo Helm and parent leader Adriana Milligan.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
'Our project, now in its second year, focuses on the implementation of the Second Step, Positive Partnerships program, which explicitly teaches Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills. This research-based curriculum, proven in classrooms, supports the creation of a safe and nurturing learning environment within our school. A key aspect of the program is its collaborative nature, built on strong partnerships between families, the school, and, when applicable, the broader community.
Through regular home connection tasks, we actively engage parents in the SEL development of their children, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue on skills learned in weekly lessons. The skills within the program focus on Skills for Learning (regulation skills), Empathy, Emotion Management and Problem Solving. The weekly collaboration with parents helps us to reinforce and apply SEL skills, set and work on shared goals and ensure that the social-emotional development of children is nurtured both at school and home. By fostering open communication through weekly newsletters, home learning tasks, parent goal setting meetings and involving caregivers in this journey, we are working together to cultivate an inclusive environment where each child is supported holistically.
This partnership strengthens the sense of community and promotes the wellbeing and success of all our students at home and in school.'
Visit to St Paul's Parish Primary School, Moss Vale, 19 February 2025
Thank you so much to Principal Katie Browne and Bernadette Taylor, along with the school captains, who gave us a lovely tour of St Paul's and spoke so enthusiastically about their school community and their project. It was wonderful to meet you all.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
'Cultural Story Sharing Morning Tea was initiated by the Student Wellbeing Officer in response to important needs identified by the School Principal and was created in a small regional area with significant lack of services to support families moving from overseas who have little to no local connections. The morning tea involves a family from a particular country sharing their culture through food which fosters relationships with other school community families and giving them a sense of belonging and inclusiveness, a way of celebrating and sharing their culture.
Visitors are invited to deliver valuable information and connect with families. A local pop-in centre manager presented a gentle approach to supporting women experiencing domestic violence, the school counsellor has attended to meet new families and provide relevant support material, CatholicCare provide information about services both local and external, the Parish Priest attended to meet families, school staff present cultural storytelling and literature in the vernacular and various languages through a tour of the EALD section in the school library, local parishioners come along as a way to connect and share, and the school principal attends to support the school and community wellbeing connection.'
Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope
The year 2025 is a Jubilee Year for the Church.
A Jubilee is a special year of grace and conversion, involving prayer, pilgrimage and sacramental repentance, held every 25 years, or during other years as called for by the Pope.
This Holy Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis, invites Catholics to renew their faith, engage in prayer and seek spiritual renewal. In Australia, dioceses will host special Masses, pilgrimages, and events focusing on the Jubilee's themes of hope, peace, and reconciliation. The Jubilee also emphasises environmental stewardship and social justice, encouraging the faithful to reflect on their role in addressing contemporary challenges.
This celebration unites Australian Catholics in a global movement of renewal and deepened commitment to Christian values.
Find out more about Jubilee 2025 events here: https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/pellegrinaggio/calendario-giubileo.html
Download the events calendar:
NSW/ACT Diocesan Jubilee Resources
The following links provide information about what the following dioceses in the Province of NSW/ACT are doing to celebrate the Jubilee Year. Most of these links provide information about the sacred places that have been designated by the Diocesan bishops as places of pilgrimage.
- Diocese of Bathurst
- Diocese of Broken Bay
- Diocese of Canberra Goulburn
- Diocese of Lismore
- Diocese of Maitland - Newcastle
- Diocese of Parramatta
- Archdiocese of Sydney
- Diocese of Wagga Wagga
- Diocese of Wollongong
You can also download CCSP's Our Catholic Faith Handbook 2025 here. This guide explains some of the ‘Catholic’ part of Catholic schools so that parents and families know about these traditions and are comfortable to get involved.
2025 Family Diary Giveaway!
A diary to support parents and families of children in Catholic schools in NSW/ACT
to engage in their child’s learning
The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT has created this diary with parents and carers in mind. The pages are organised by school terms with school holidays highlighted, with lots of room to write all the family’s appointments and activities. We’ve included some useful information about parent engagement and how parents and families can support their child’s learning.
There’s also some great tips on how to lead a more faith-filled life including how to create a prayer space and celebrate special days at home, interesting Catholic facts, and even some puzzle pages to keep kids happy in restaurants or waiting rooms.
We are giving away 100 of our CCSP 2025 Family Faith Diaries to our parents and carers!
Just complete the form below - give us your name and postal details and tell us in 10-20 words your favourite way your child's school involved parents and carers in 2024, or your ideas for how schools can engage families.
We hope this diary helps you to keep organised in 2025 and support your child’s learning at home and at school.
Take a Minute or Two to Complete Our Annual Parent and Carer Survey
We value every parent's thoughts and opinions!
CCSP would like to know how involved/engaged you feel you are in your child's learning at a NSW/ACT Catholic school, how connected you feel in your child's school, and your thoughts on how schools could enhance family-school partnerships.
This data informs our parent learning program and provides us with valuable information about how our dioceses and schools are engaging with families.
Thank you so much for taking time out to give us your feedback.
Have Your Say: Inquiry into foundational and disability supports available for children and young people in New South Wales
A NSW Parliament select committee has bee established to inquire into and report on child development, early childhood intervention services and other foundational and disability supports available for children and young people with developmental concerns, delays, differences or disabilities in New South Wales.
Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, can be found on the committee's website: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/listofcommittees/Pages/committee-details.aspx?pk=331
As part of the inquiry, the committee is seeking online submissions from NSW residents through the following questions.
Responses are due by Monday 31 March 2025.
Responses may be used in the committee's report. Names and contact details of respondents will not be published.
he questionnaire will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Individual contributors can complete an online questionnaire or make a submission.
Submissions about individual experiences will inform our thinking about foundational and disability supports available for children and young people in New South Wales. However, this inquiry will not be conducting investigations or reviews of individual cases.
Download a copy of our Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools guide.
Win a MathsBites Subscription and Help Your Child with Numbers at Home
Supporting Your Child with Numeracy
We’re giving away 14 CCSP Hands-On Numbers Packs with MathsBites Subscriptions Worth $99 Each!
The first 14 entries will receive this great giveaway!
MathsBites: small, easily digested tutorials for busy parents
Parents are their children’s first and foremost educators and research has proven that when parents are engaged in their child’s school education and show an interest in their learning and development this improves learning outcomes.
What parents do with their children at home to support their child’s learning is the most important influence on academic outcomes. But when you’re helping your child with maths at home you might hear them say, ‘That’s not how we do it at school!’ Sound familiar?
Parents and carers often struggle to support their children with maths and therefore their maths homework because of differences in teaching methods and terminology. The maths landscape has evolved significantly, and it can be challenging for parents and carers to keep up with the latest approaches.
CCSP has created some free numeracy resources you can download with great tips and information PLUS we’re giving away 14 subscriptions to MathsBites: small, easily digested tutorials for busy parents!
A subscription to MathsBites gives you access to the entire catalogue of numeracy videos for your primary school-aged child for the school year. It doesn’t matter what topic they are covering in class, MathsBites will be a 24/7 guide, walking with you to provide targeted, accurate support so that you can help your child with numbers at home.
MathsBites videos unpack what your child is learning, how they are learning it, why they are learning it in the manner they are and gives you the mathematical language around this learning. The importance of the content and concepts is explained, as well as providing practical ways you can help support your child at home.
And we'll include a fabulous pencil case pack of maths counters, cards and linking cubes to give your child hands-on experience with measuring, shapes, counting and calculating area. These come with an easy-to-follow video you can watch on your phone or computer.
MathsBites creator: educator Penny McGann
Penny McGann, owner of MathsBites, talks about how parents play a pivotal role in helping their children with maths:
'Parents can, and do, influence how a child feels about maths. We would never say that we hated reading or that we were weren’t any good at it, but we do with maths. We may not say the words, but our attitudes are picked up by our kids.
As parents, we only know what we know. We don’t remember when we learnt these things and it is often the algorithms and formulas that we use, because they are efficient, but if we introduce these to our children before they are ready, we are doing them a disservice. We are not allowing them the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of the underlying concept – the why behind the how. As an example, did you know that the symbols of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and the equals sign are all slowly introduced during Stages 1 and 2?
Your encouragement and support, using their ways, their language and their strategies will be the best thing you can do to support them, and MathsBites is here to support you.
Complete the entry form to receive one of 14 MathsBites subscriptions and a CCSP Hands-On Numbers Pack, including a link to a 'how-to' MathsBites video!
Free resources to download
Keep School Funding Fair
Parents and the community are invited to support means-tested school funding system so families can continue to choose the school which is best for their child.
Find out more at keepfundingfair.org.au
Learn what makes Australia's school funding system fair
Watch the video to find out how it works
Pocket Speechie
Pocket Speechie: Text Based Information for Preschool Aged Children continues in 2025!
Pocket Speechie is a health promotion project developed by the HNEkids Community Based Speech Pathology team following a First 2000 Days grant received in 2022. Written by speech pathologists, Pocket Speechie delivers helpful information and activities to parents, carers, and educators via SMS. The messages are aimed at improving health and literacy outcomes, and to provide tips to help children get ready for kindergarten. The strategies may be new or simply offer a different way of doing something.
The SMS service will continue throughout 2025 with topics including:
- Typical speech sound development
- Vocabulary and language development
- Book sharing
- Hearing and the links with speech and language
- Transition to school and school readiness.
If you think Pocket Speechie is an initiative you would like to explore for your local service, or to request an information flyer, please email the speech pathology team at HNELHD-HNEKidsSpeechPathology
HNELHD-HNEKidsSpeechPathology@health.nsw.gov.au
Sign up to Pocket Speechie at https://qars.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/Survey?p=1EC24201 or by scanning the QR code below.
The Importance of Sleep
Did you know that approximately 70% of teenagers experience insufficient sleep?
Most experts recommend 8-10 hours per night for our students, for optimal learning and mental health, but many children fall well below this. There is growing evidence that poor sleep among teenagers can negatively affect their mental health and even lead to the onset of mental illnesses later on in life.
Is your child getting the sleep they need? We’ve included some tips from Lisa Maltman at The Sleep Connection for ways you can help them improve their sleep and better support them in the term ahead. Lisa is passionate about teen sleep and mental health. For further information please visit The Sleep Connection.
Why sleep is important
Sleep plays a vital role in boosting immune function and helping us deal with stress. For our teens, getting enough sleep is important for:
- Learning and academic performance
- Mental health and resilience
- Behaviour and decision making
- Physical health
Top reasons teens don’t get sufficient sleep
The top four reasons students generally give for not getting the sleep they need are:
- Technology/FOMO (social media, gaming, Netflix, YouTube)
- Homework/study
- Time management/procrastination
- Stress
Also, teenagers are experiencing changes in their circadian rhythm (body clock). The hormone melatonin, which promotes sleep, is secreted later during puberty than in children and adults. This delay temporarily resets their circadian rhythm (which is like an internal biological clock), meaning your teen will want to go to bed later at night and get up later in the morning.
Key tips for improving your child’s sleep
- Have a conversation with your child around sleep and if they feel they get enough sleep.
- Discuss the impact sleep may be having on their learning and stress levels, along with their physical and mental health.
- Explore and then focus on their motivations for improving their sleep.
- Find out together what’s stopping them getting the sleep the need. Focus on 1-2 improvements they could make, under the key areas stopping them sleep.
For example:- Start to prioritise sleep and have a bedtime to aim for
- Have a one-hour break between study/use of electronics and sleep
- Make their bedroom an electronics free zone at night, including not relying on mobiles as an alarm clock
- Constantly assist your child to review their time management
- Encourage consistent bedtime during week and on weekends
- Implement a wind-down period and stress reduction techniques
For further information, see Smart Sleep Tips.
Primary and secondary schools can contact The Sleep Connection to ask about implementing the Sleep for Better Health, Resilience and Performance program.
Find out more on the Sleep Connection website: https://thesleepconnection.com.au/
Contact Lisa Maltman
lisa@thesleepconnection.com.au
Parent Line NSW: Free Telephone Counselling for Parents and Carers of Children
Parent Line NSW is a free telephone counselling, support and referral service for parents and carers with children aged 0 to 18 who live in New South Wales. Parent Line also an information service for professionals working with children and families.
Whether you need some help or just want someone to talk to, the qualified and experienced counsellors are available seven days a week to support you.
What Can I Talk to Parent Line NSW About?
The service receives calls from parents, carers and professionals who have questions or concerns about babies, children, or teenagers. Parent Line counsellors can help to support you, offering advice and guidance on concerns such as…
- Child and adolescent mental health
- Friendship issues and bullying
- Social media and increased screentime
- Anxiety in children
- Child and behaviour development
- Managing stress and anxiety
- Support during family separation
- School transitions
- Family violence
Call Parent Line NSW on 1300 1300 52 to access free and confidential counselling. Open Monday to Friday (9am to 9pm) and Saturday & Sunday (4pm to 9pm).
You can also visit parentline.org.au to find parenting resources and tips.
Transcultural Mental Health Line
NESA Consultation Open for 7–10 Draft Syllabuses
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) advises that a number of elective 7–10 draft syllabuses are now available for viewing and comment.
NESA values your experience and expertise and encourages all parents and carers to ‘Have your say’ by completing online surveys to share your feedback.
The surveys will close on Monday 7 April 2025.
View the draft syllabuses and surveys here
All feedback from the ‘Have your say’ period will be used to inform the development of the final syllabuses.
Up-to-date Curriculum Reform information is now available on nsw.gov.au/NESA.