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- Welcome to Parent Talk
- Celebrating the contribution families make to Catholic education
- Tips to help you support your child learning at home or school
- Entry date extended to 20 October for the 2021 Roger O'Sullivan Memorial Award
- Free career planning tool
- Opportunity for parents to provide feedback to NESA
- Optimism and interest can boost a child's academic outcomes
- Are you looking for some inspiration and spiritual nourishment?
- Helping you understand the latest games, apps and social media
- You are invited to the launch of the Social Justice Statement 2021-2022
- Vinnies NSW Family winter Sleepout @Home - postponed until 27 August
- Australian Catholic Super
Welcome to the fifth edition of CCSP's Parent Talk for 2021.
As we near the end of July, I doubt anyone would have predicted that roughly two thirds of students attending Catholic Schools in NSW would be learning remotely from home without a timeline of when students will return to school-based learning. On behalf of CCSP I would like to thank teachers for providing continuity of learning for students. Thank you to the system leaders and school principals for making their key concern the health,safety and wellbeing of all staff, students and their families.
We have created a new page on the CCSP website to assist parents and carers with resources for home based learning.
We have deliberately not included any dates regarding trial HSC exams and potential return to school based learning in this newsletter. Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW) continues to work with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and NSW Health to update guidelines for school operations. NESA is regularly updating the advice for HSC students. Your school will advise you about arrangements for trial HSC exams.
For the second year running CCSP has changed the regional combined meeting if its Council and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee to a Zoom meeting. We hope with the increase of people receiving vaccinations we can schedule and hold the meeting in 2022.
In recognition of the additional burdens placed on teachers and families during remote learning and lockdown, we have also extended the date for school communities to enter submissions to the 2021 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award to 20 October 2021.
I spend a large part of my day on Zoom collaborating with stakeholders on projects. I am a member of a project team formed by Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) tasked with developing additional resources to assist parents in their role as first educators of their children. These resources are scheduled for release in 2022. In the meantime, stay across all that CSPA has been doing via the CSPA Quarterly Newsletter.
Catholic schools across Australia will celebrate Family Week from 8 – 14 August, to recognise the significant contribution parents, carers and families have made to the foundation, growth and continuity of Catholic schools in Australia over 200 years. If you are celebrating in person or over Zoom, CCSP thanks you for your contribution to the first 200 years of Catholic education in Australia.
So, while on the one hand, we are celebrating this great milestone, we are also mindful that we are currently experiencing a time of great challenge for so many, both at home and abroad. Let us continue to keep in our thoughts and prayers all those whose lives have been ended or traumatised by this insidious virus and ask that we may find compassion and courage to do all we can to alleviate the suffering of others.
Please take care, keep well, and stay safe.
Kind regards
Peter Grace
Executive Director
Celebrating the contribution families make to Catholic education
Family Week, which celebrates the vital contribution families have made to Catholic education in Australia coincides with the Feast Day of Australia’s First Saint, Mary MacKillop, who was a passionate educator and advocate for children and families, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Across Australia from 8-14 August school communities will celebrate Family Week.
A range of resources have been developed to assist you and your family celebrate Family Week.
The Prayer for Families Download here
Suggested Activities & Events (PDF)
Newsletter Message template (MS Word)
Draw your family colouring page (PDF)
St Mary MacKillop colouring page. Source Catholic Education Western Australia (PDF)
For more stories and coverage of the bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia you can read the second edition of Faith in the Future education in Australia here.
Tips to help you support your child learning at home or school
Many students in NSW are learning from home. The CCSP website has a list of resources to assist parents and carers to support students in their care whether they are learning face to face or at home. CCSP thanks Catholic Schools NSW for collating and sharing this list.
Entry date extended to 20 October for the 2021 Roger O'Sullivan Memorial Award
The current health crisis is affecting communities across NSW with changes to HSC trials, postponement or cancellation of representative sporting events and, for some, a return to learning from home. In addition to the health and wellbeing of students and staff, supporting learning at home is the key priority for school communities that are "locked down". To enable all school communities across NSW an opportunity to enter the 2021 award we believe it is fair and equitable to extend the closing date for submissions.
If you are close to completing your application, please finalise it and submit it via the CCSP website.
The submission date for entries has been extended to 20 October 2021.
The 2021 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning is awarded to a school community, including parents and carers, that can demonstrate exemplary practice in building partnerships between home and school to enhance the learning outcomes of students. These projects may focus on faith formation, the school curriculum, student wellbeing, or any combination of the three.
At the heart of this award are family, school and community partnerships in which the family and community are authentically engaged.
More than 50 years of research tells us that family, school and community engagement improves student learning outcomes.
Parent bodies and leaders from eligible Catholic school communities are invited to apply for the ROS Award by demonstrating how a partnership-focused initiative has enhanced student learning outcomes. The initiative must be an authentic parent engagement project. Ideally, it will have been parent-initiated, but this is not essential so long as parents have been collaborative partners and authentically engaged throughout the life of the project.
More information and an application form are available here.
myfuture is a government-funded service, supported by industry, that supports students to develop the skills and confidence to make more informed career decisions. myfuture’s tools and resources give students the opportunity to learn more about themselves, explore career opportunities, and expand their knowledge about the world of work in a secure, and private space, at their own pace. myfuture is targeted and tailored to the education community, providing users with free access to trusted, impartial and reliable career information based on research and evidence. Parents and carers are encouraged to see what myfuture has to offer.
Create your free My career profile to start exploring today. http://bit.ly/MyCareerProfile
Opportunity for parents to provide feedback to NESA
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is continuing to consult with stakeholders as they embark on projects arising from the NSW Curriculum Review. Parents with students in the Catholic and Government school sectors were represented at the May Curriculum Reform Parent Roundtable meeting. Some of the discussion related to how NESA is redeveloping the way teachers, parents and students can access syllabuses online.
CCSP parent representatives are providing NESA with early feedback on the design ideas for the new webpages.
There also has been a discussion about how to better support students and parents with student subject selection. Refer to another article about the myfuturewebsite for guidance in career planning.
You are invited to have your say: Draft K–2 English and Mathematics syllabuses.
The evidence based draft syllabuses and support material will be released on Monday 2 August for a three-week consultation period. From Monday 2 August you can access material here .
Optimism and interest can boost a child's academic outcomes
Mothers' optimism, coupled with an interest their child's reading and maths, can improve student outcomes.
A recent research study conducted by Australian Catholic University found that mothers can improve student outcomes in primary and secondary school by taking an interest in and being optimistic about their child's ability. The study also reported that teachers have an important role in developing their students' self-belief and building their motivation. You can read the full article here.
Are you looking for some inspiration and spiritual nourishment?
Podcasts are a convenient way to gain new ideas and perspectives on a wide range of topics. There is a wide range of free podcasts developed by Australian Catholics, including reflections for families, youth, exploring Catholic teaching and homilies, prayers and reflections.
For people unfamiliar with podcasts it is just like listening to your favourite radio show when and where you want. You can listen to a podcast on a computer, phone or tablet, or any device that has an internet connection. You can link your device up to headphones, home sound system or car speakers. You can stream a podcast, that is, listen to it straight from the internet, or, to save mobile internet charges, you may download the podcast onto your device.
A recent article in the Bridge produced by the National Centre for Evangelisation, Australia provides an overview of Australian Catholic podcasts.
Helping you understand the latest games, apps and social media
“Can I download this new app? All my friends have got it. It is safe. I don’t want to miss out”.
To assist you to decide if an app or game is age appropriate and suitable for your child, visit the eSafety Commissioner website to learn about the latest games, apps and social media.
The eSafety Commisioner website has a section specifically geared to providing advice and practical tips for parents and carers.
Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner, provides some handy hints to help keep your children safe online.
If you would like further information click here for a link to an online safety book developed by the eSafety commisioner. The book is available in five languages.
You are invited to the launch of the Social Justice Statement 2021-2022
In a tradition reaching back to 1940, the Australian Catholic Bishops release a major social justice statement each year in time for Social Justice Sunday. These statements encourage the Catholic community to reflect and act on social, economic and ecological issues. They remind us of the social dimension of the mission of the Church. The annual Social Justice Statement is the only statement where all the Bishops of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) release a joint reflection on a particular topic. This year it focuses on why it is so important that we as a community respond to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor.
All are welcome to the online national launch of the Social Justice Statement 2021–22: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor on 5 August at 5:30pm AEST. The Bishops proclaim: “It is not just a matter of awareness or changing our minds, but a shift at the level of the heart and will that results in changed action.” Join the launch of this foundational document for the conversion of the Australian Church to become wholly sustainable.
You will hear from guest speakers including Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv, Chair of the ACBC Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service. He will respond to the launch speaker and you will have the opportunity to ask your own questions about the statement and the inputs provided at the launch.
The statement, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor, focuses on building the theological foundations of caring for our common home and our human family. It will also serve as a launch pad for the ACBC’s 7-year journey towards the Laudato Si’ Goals, creating a wholly sustainable Australian church.
Social Justice Sunday will be celebrated in Australia on the last Sunday in August. To bring the statement to life, prayers, reflections, an action card and other resources are available for parishes, schools, communities and dioceses to use in their contexts.
You can read more about the Social Justice Statement here.
Vinnies NSW Family winter Sleepout @Home - postponed until 27 August
From our friends at Vinnies NSW:
As we have seen, the impact of COVID-19 continues to change the way we do things. In response to recent restrictions and the challenges placed on families, Sydney Catholic Schools have made the decision to change the date of this year’s Family Winter Sleepout @Home to the 27August 2021.
For those who haven’t yet heard, the Family Winter Sleepout is an event inviting students and families within the Catholic School Community to join together in their own homes to share a prayer, reflect on homelessness and donate what they can to Vinnies NSW.
This means that if you would like to get your school involved it is not too late! Head over to https://my.fundraise.vinniesnsw.org.au/fundraise-your-way/family-winter-sleepout-home-1 and register now.
You will be able to set up a personalised fundraising page for your school, access a range of resources and join in this state-wide effort to shine a light on the issue of homelessness in NSW. You can also choose to have the funds raised by your school designated to your local conference to help fund projects in your own region.
If you have any questions at all, please reach out to olivia.andrews@vinnies.org.au.
CCSP encourages participation in this initiative. It is a family-school partnership designed to support a most worthy cause.
We thank Australian Catholic Superannuation for the generous support they give our national body, Catholic School Parents Australia, and for their ongoing commitment to the parents and carers of children and young people in Catholic schools.
For more information about their services and offerings, please visit catholicsuper.com.au.