16 August 2017
Newsletter Articles
- Pope Says He's Saddened By 'Perfect' Catholics Who Despise Others
- Christians Are Oriented Toward Light, Hope, Pope Says At Audience
- ACSP 2017 Conference Resources
- APPA Principal Wellbeing Symposium- Out of Balance the Workload Never Stops
- APPA 2017 Conference Forum: High Performing Leaders thrive when…
- $25,000 on Offer for Catholic Educators to Research Teaching Topics
- Graduate and Grow Program
- Mental Illness the Elephant in the Staffroom
- NSW School on the Wrong Side of $500,000 Fall
Pope Says He's Saddened By 'Perfect' Catholics Who Despise Others
God did not choose perfect people to form his church, but rather sinners who have experienced his love and forgiveness, Pope Francis said. The Gospel of Luke's account of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman shows how his actions went against the general mentality of his time, a way of thinking that saw a "clear separation" between the pure and impure, the pope said Aug. 9 during his weekly general audience. "There were some scribes, those who believed they were perfect," the pope said. "And I think about so many Catholics who think they are perfect and scorn others. This is sad." Read On
Christians Are Oriented Toward Light, Hope, Pope Says At Audience
The ancient practice of orienting church buildings East to West — with the entrance facing West and the altar toward the East — was symbolic of the connection that exists between light and hope, Pope Francis said. "What does it mean to be a Christian? It means looking toward the light, continuing to make a profession of faith in the light, even when the world is wrapped in the night and darkness," Pope Francis said Aug. 2 at his weekly general audience. Read On
ACSP 2017 Conference Resources
Thank you again to all who attended the conference and responded to the feedback survey which will help in the planning of the 2019 Conference to be held in Sydney. We are currently in the process of organising a meeting for the new committee to meet with the out going committee for hand over and for the new committee to start to plan the next conference. A big thank you to all the Principals who donated their backpacks to Sims Cambodia. Please see below how the backpacks have helped in such a poor community
Film Clips to use with Staff
APPA Principal Wellbeing Symposium- Out of Balance the Workload Never Stops
The APPA Symposium on Principal Health and Wellbeing: Policy to Practice was held on Tuesday 1st August in Adelaide presenters on the day were – Dr Phil Riley, Norm Hart, Gabrielle Leigh, Bob Willetts, Robyn Evans and John Bird. Many of our school leaders, departmental and system executives, and invited guests were able to attend and work on what is a critical issue for our primary schools in all sectors, in all states and territories. Their contributions to the workshops will build on the results of the APPA Policy to Practice Survey and feed into APPA's work in this area. Our next steps are to identify and develop what is needed to see a healthy and high performing leader in every school. Part of this will be to develop further the Framework, presented at the Forum, which aims to build the social capital needed to support principals in their role.
APPA 2017 Conference Forum: High Performing Leaders thrive when…
to be held on Tuesday 12 September 2017 (1pm – 3pm) at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane
APPA's Principal Health and Wellbeing: Policy to Practice Final Report will be launched at the Forum. Following the launch, Forum participants will then consider the recommendations of the report, confirm the key elements that grow and sustain high performing primary school leaders, and affirm the Primary Principal Health and Wellbeing National Statement for endorsement at the Conference. Should you wish to attend (places are limited) or have any questions, please email Phyllie Behm at ea@appa.asn.au by Friday 25 August.
APPA proudly acknowledges the Teachers Health Fund and Camp Australia for their continued support of principals' health and wellbeing.
$25,000 on Offer for Catholic Educators to Research Teaching Topics
Catholic school educators are invited to apply for an opportunity to travel overseas to research a subject that will help schools meet a present or future challenge. The annual Brother John Taylor Fellowship provides up to $25,000 in travel and accommodation for an employee of a Catholic school or an associated body who successfully nominates a topic that will help Catholic schools address teaching priorities or challenges. Now in its fourth year, the Fellowship - offered by Catholic Education Commission NSW (CECNSW) - is building a body of research for the teaching profession in the Catholic context. “The Fellowship was established in 2013 to promote excellence from within the Catholic teaching profession,” CECNSW acting Executive Director Ian Baker said. “We want experienced educators to take the lead and identify topics for research that will benefit their fellow Catholic school teachers.
To date, the Fellowship has funded research into:
- the importance of play in developing pre-schoolers’ cognitive abilities
- increasing the number of students studying maths at higher levels and
- using Makerspaces - virtual and physical spaces where students can tinker, invent and learn in a practical, hands-on way with mentors, experts and the latest ‘edutech’ tools.
Mr Baker said the Fellowship honours John Taylor - a Christian Brother - and his lifelong dedication to education and the ideals of equity and access. “John made his mark on NSW education over three decades as a teacher, principal and Executive Director of CECNSW and as a member of key statutory boards for NSW schools,” he said. “The Fellowship that carries his name is an opportunity to honour his legacy and enable somebody in Catholic schooling to produce lasting research that can make a difference for generations of students and teachers.” Applications for the Brother John Taylor Fellowship must be submitted by 29 September 2017 using the online form at the link below. CECNSW represents the state’s 591 Catholic schools, which educate some 258,000 students and employ 27,000 teaching and support staff.
http://www.cecnsw.catholic.edu.au/
Graduate and Grow Program
I am pleased to present an exciting SPECIAL OFFER to you and your Principal association members! For the month of August we can offer you our Graduate and Grow workshop for $250 (saving of $50!) The price includes the Graduate and Grow kit as well as the workshop facilitated by an experienced Professional Services Coordinator and Principal. This 3 minute video highlights the importance of this high quality and much needed and requested resource! As this is a special deal for PAI Forum members (and their associations only) please email Kerryn Colmer directly kerryn.colmer@pai.edu.au and quote #PAIforumoffer17 in the email subject line. We will send an invoice to you. Read More
Mental Illness the Elephant in the Staffroom
We all use the jovial reference to the invisible but ever present ‘elephant in the room’, but what about the silent illness that lurks in the lives of people, including those of teachers? In this case I am referring to the elephant being mental illness. How do we know that mental illness is present in every staffroom? Skilled researchers gathered this infor¬mation; in a way that many Australians who were diagnosed with mental illnesses had no apparent awareness of this diagnosis. The 2017 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing is recorded by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as stating that one in five Australians aged between 16 and 85 years of age will experience a mental illness every year. They in fact believe this figure is more realistically one in four every year. Think about this prevalence now in terms of your staff team. The smiling happy annual staff photo can now be explored with caring honesty if we take the results of evidence-based research seriously. Mental illness is a real experience in your staffroom.
NSW School on the Wrong Side of $500,000 Fall
An autistic student at a NSW public school has been awarded $491,275.00 in com¬pensation after falling some six metres from the roof of her school building. The decision comes after almost four years of litigation and has sent shockwaves through the education community. The case perfectly illustrates the challenges that schools face in discharging their duty of care obli¬gations to students and in particular, their special needs students.
Schoolzine
Schoolzine is proud to be a digital partner and supporter of ACSP NSW - Association of Catholic School Principals in NSW Inc.
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