Belief in Education - Catholic Education of WA

Circular
Volume 2 • Term Two 2013
Belief in Education
PAGE 4 Parent challenges in 2013 – top tips for parents
PAGE 8 Mapping early childhood development
PAGE 24 Challenges – present and future for education
DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD
INSIDE CIRCULAR
I wrote this introduction for the family edition
of Circular when the preciousness of family was
uppermost in my mind. As Director and a
parent of a Year 6 boy I was privileged to
attend the Thanksgiving Mass for an 11 year
old boy from one of our schools who had been
tragically killed.
Gifted and talented students........................3
Parent challenges in 2013..............................4
Guiding improvement....................................6
Learning in-house...........................................7
Mapping early development.........................8
Green excellence..........................................10
Going green..................................................10
Doors open at Hammond Park....................11
Our excellent teachers.................................12
2000 years+ of service..................................14
Education scholarships................................15
Early learning and caring innovation..........16
Parents & Friends Conference.....................18
Director and parent......................................19
Smart, safe, responsible technology users....21
Supporting our new teachers......................22
Angelico Exhibition celebrates 20 years.....23
Challenges present and future....................24
When I’m Principal.......................................26
Sticky task for young scientists....................27
Reconciliation in the Terrace.......................27
Vatican II 50 years on....................................28
Living, learning and more............................28
Malaysia ANZAC tour...................................29
London calling..............................................30
Someone cares.............................................30
Principal appointments ...............................31
Lifelink Day reaches $1 million mark...........32
At the Mass family was so important. Not only
the family members of the young boy but the
‘family’ of classmates who said goodbye in their
own way, grieving and trying to understand why their friend would not be in class
anymore. The video of them reading letters to him was heart wrenching, painful, yet
beautiful in what they said.
The parish family where the family and young boy were active was also coming to
terms with the loss. Beyond the class was a grieving school family – all had lost one
of their own.
The support from the Catholic Education community was incredible. Schools offered
support to a Principal colleague, teachers, school staff, students and parent
community. Nothing was too much for one of our family members in need. It was a
powerful demonstration that the focus of all in our community is that the child is the
most important part of what we do each day in our schools.
The themes of this family edition are Learning, Engagement and Discipleship and it
gives examples of them in our schools and system. To me, this sad event is another
example of the strength of our learning community to reach out and engage with
others, to respond by actions as disciples of Jesus.
Catholic Education is a strong ecology of families. At its heart is our faith, active
relationships and a shared vision of what we are trying to achieve. As in all families
there is disappointment and conflict and at times we will get things wrong. I believe
that through positive relationships, honesty and humility we will strive for all involved
in Catholic Education to flourish in environments that enhance learning and
engagement and empower young people to live our faith. n
Front cover: CHILDREN, PARENTS, FAMILIES – partners in catholic education
(PhotoS courtesy of Ursula Frayne Catholic College)
Circular Magazine is produced four times a year, including one special edition for families.
Past and current issues of Circular are available for downloading or reading on the
CEO website www.ceo.wa.edu.au/publications/circular_magazine
CATHOLIC EDUCATION OFFICE
OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ISSN 1324-5333 • Not for NEALS
John Clune (Editorial) 6380 5380
Irene Jipp (Design/Publishing) 6380 5211
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ceo.wa.edu.au
Circular is published by the Catholic Education Office of WA and distributed to all
Catholic schools throughout the state. Articles may be reproduced with the editor’s
approval and an acknowledge­ment of Circular. All photographs are used on the
understanding that appropriate compliance with current privacy legislation has been
obtained by the school prior to publication.
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The Carbon Reduction Institute
hereby certifies that the services
provided to the Catholic Education
Office of WA for the production
of the Circular Magazine is
carbon neutral. The emissions
generated from the production
of this magazine amounts to 8.8733 tonnes of CO2.
The appropriate number of verified carbon offsets
have been purchased in order to deliver this magazine
carbon neutral. Through an audited process with the
Carbon Reduction Institute, WORLDWIDE PRINTING
SOLUTIONS is now WA’s only 100% carbon neutral
printing group.
Gifted and talented students
Donna Deed, Consultant, Gifted & Talented and Learning Intervention, CEO
Students from Our Lady of Grace School, North Beach
Gifted and talented children and young people from a range of cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds are part of the diversity of all Catholic schools. They have abilities,
talents and potential for accomplishment that are so exceptional or developmentally advanced
that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. Some gifted students are
twice-exceptional – they are gifted and/or talented in a particular area but may also have another
special educational need or learning disability.
Strategies
Our Catholic schools use three main strategies to address the
educational needs of gifted and talented students:
n Curriculum differentiation ensures that adjustments are
made to the class program to provide more depth,
complexity and abstraction.
Our system of schools is committed to providing challenging
and engaging learning experiences where all students can
reach their potential. Various system wide initiatives to
support Gifted and Talented Education include:
n Consultants to assist schools and educators implement
the Processes and Procedures for the Identification and
Support of Gifted and Talented Students in Catholic
Schools in Western Australia.
n Acceleration enables the student to skip parts of the
curriculum they have already mastered or allows
exemptions for work already covered. Where appropriate
some students may need partial or full grade skipping.
n Learning beyond the classroom provides opportunities
for gifted and talented students to work with like minds.
These may be in-school and out-of-school enrichment and
extension programs such as competitions, inquiry projects
and mentoring.
n System-wide and school-based professional development
and networks for educators.
n Within school and interschool opportunities for gifted and
talented children and young people to work together in a
variety of domains.
n Flexible learning opportunities for children and young
people across schools and tertiary institutions. n
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Parent challenges in 2013
Aquinas College students spell out the ‘No Bullying’ message. (Inset: Dr Michael Carr-Gregg addressing families at Aquinas College.)
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, well-known child and adolescent psychologist, author and commentator
and a foundation member of the National Centre Against Bullying, was invited to speak to parents at
Aquinas College. He outlined to a capacity audience his views on the major challenges for parents
in 2013. Paula Bacchiella, Deputy Principal of Pastoral Care at Aquinas gave this summary of
the address.
While the evening was very entertaining, clear advice was
given outlining his concerns for our youth and some strategies
to use in our parenting to tackle these concerns.
All of this advice was founded on evidence based research
and accompanied by a real life story. If Michael could only
give one piece of advice it would be this: ‘If you can’t change
the situation, change the way you think about it.’
He said that often in many situations eg workplace, school,
home etc we frequently can’t change them and this gets us
down, upset or frustrated. In reality, we frequently cannot
do anything about it but what we can do is change our
thinking. This is a great piece of advice which I put in place
immediately.
It is not news to anyone that our young people are under a lot
of stress. Research is telling us that young people are more
worried than ever before about study, school, body image and
coping with stress. Michael is most concerned because:
n our young people are the most vulnerable generation of
all time
n there are thousands of voices in their ears in 2013
– we have to make sure that our voices are the loudest
n all families have some difficulties.
We were all encouraged to accept life as it is but to really
try to focus on the good bits. Michael recommended the
following nightly ritual: think about three good things that
happened to you today. He also suggested that if you want
to feel good, do good – volunteer. He also reminded us that
there’s more to life when we stop and notice.
What appealed to me was Michael’s advice about the need
for our students to:
n continue to develop their spirituality; they need to know that they belong to something bigger than themselves
n act like gentlemen – manners are really important
n have and live by a strong set of values
n understand the power of forgiveness and to forgive more often
n give time to help others
n develop strong relationships with friends and family.
These points underpin all that we strive to give to our
students and we keep reinforcing these objectives to them.
In the end they are the things that really matter, because as
research shows time and again, these are the attributes that
will help them to flourish now and in the future.
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TOP TIPS FOR PARENTS
from Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
BULLYING
Before you ring the College know what bullying is. Bullying
is not:
n Mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no
power imbalance).
n Not liking someone or a single act of social rejection.
n One-off acts of meanness or spite.
n Isolated incidents of
aggression, intimidation or
violence.
n If your child is bullied – what
are you as parents doing to
help your child?
COMMUNICATION
n You must build resilience in
n Parents need to negotiate and compromise – too much
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
freedom is not good.
The frontal lobe of teenagers is located in their parents’
brains.
Help them find their ‘spark’ – What gets your children up
in the morning?
When kids are angry or upset your default position should
be ‘you’re upset, we’ll talk later’.
Don’t talk too much and listen more – kids have a
1 min 13 second attention span.
Use humour, be light hearted and upbeat, not sarcasm,
not put-downs.
Set very clear boundaries – talk about your values.
Avoid confrontations or ultimatums.
Only argue over things that matter – tidy rooms don’t
matter.
Don’t constantly remind them of past mistakes – move on.
Talk while doing something together.
No I-phones in the car.
Don’t comment on everything – let some things go by,
you don’t have to win all the time.
Vitamin N – ‘Say No’ – there is a serious vitamin N
deficiency across Australia currently.
GETTING ENOUGH
SLEEP
your children.
n Stop outsourcing parenting.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR
CHILDREN HAPPY
n Count your blessings – write down once a week three or four n See life as it is, but focus on the good bits.
n Practise acts of kindness – these should range from the random (let someone in who is ahead of you in traffic) to the systematic – volunteers live longer.
n If you want to feel good – do good.
n Savour life’s joys – pay close attention to momentary pleasures and wonders. Focus on the small things. There is more to life when you stop and notice.
n Invest time and energy in family and friends – having strong personal relationships is the single biggest contributing factor to emotional wellbeing.
n Kids need to learn about obtaining, maintaining and retaining friends.
n Thank your mentor – with a hand written letter .
n Learn to forgive – let go of anger and resentment.
ALCOHOL & DRUGS
n 70% of senior students are
not getting enough sleep on
school nights.
n They require 8.25 – 9.25 hours
sleep per night.
n Dim the lights 45 minutes
before retiring, including
laptop screens.
n Cool down – no hot bedrooms.
n Avoid stimulants and anxiety (drink Chillax).
things for which you are currently thankful – from the mundane to the magnificent.
n 47% of kids who start drinking before 14 become alcohol
dependent, compared with 9% who wait until 21.
n Alcohol consumption in adolescence can permanently
RESILIENCE
damage the wiring of the brain.
n It is illegal to serve
under-aged children
alcohol – support the
College in parties for
balls and dances.
n Use of cannabis
n Building emotional and spiritual resilience enables our
students to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment
and sadness. It is a positive sense of wellbeing and an
underlying belief in our own and others’ dignity and worth.
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is on the decline,
thankfully, but the risk
of permanent damage
remains high.
Guiding Improvement
Jim Green, Project Leader, Quality Catholic Schooling, Catholic Education Office
Extensive surveys of
students, parents and staff
are part of a long term
project to monitor and
guide school and system
improvements. Information
from the surveys plays an
important role in assessing
progress.
Quality
CatholiC
SChooling
gives information about how supportive the leadership is, how
clear everyone is about their role, the level of engagement in
the work of the school, and whether there is a commitment to
learning at all levels of the school.
The survey also sought perceptions of student behaviour,
team-based practice and teaching and learning. Students were
asked about their engagement in learning and with their peers.
They were asked about their behaviour and perceptions of
bullying in the class and the playground. Parents were asked
about stimulating learning, behaviour management, student
motivation and connectedness to school, as well as the school’s
focus on improvement.
As 2013 is the second year of the surveys, schools can compare
this year’s results with last year’s. This is particularly valuable for
schools as they can track the effect of initiatives put in place
since the last year. As the surveys will be conducted annually,
schools will be able to build an ongoing picture of their culture
to help their improvement processes.
School Review &
Improvement Framework
National benchmarking
Survey results for schools are benchmarked against all schools
in Australia that have completed these surveys. These include
all government and Catholic schools in Victoria and a number
of dioceses in other states. One strength identified by this
comparison with other states is the behaviour of our students.
Despite occasional media reports to the contrary, our students
are significantly better behaved than their counterparts in other
states!
Given the value placed on the survey data by school staff, it is
important that high response rates to this confidential survey
are achieved. Whilst staff and student response rates were high,
there was a drop in parent response rates in 2013. As each
school receives 60 surveys for distribution to randomly selected
parents, it is important that those selected complete the survey.
A higher response rate from parents in 2014 will ensure a
stronger sense of ownership of the school culture by the school
community.
Our schools have always had a focus on self-improvement. In
recent years the Catholic Education Office (CEO) has taken two
major initiatives to support each school’s improvement efforts.
In 2010 it introduced a school improvement tool called the
Quality Catholic Schooling Framework (QCS). All schools now
use the Framework to examine how well they are performing,
using evidence gathered at the school. Over a number of
years all aspects of the school will be examined and plans
put in place to address those aspects where improvement is
needed.
Surveys
In 2012 the CEO introduced a survey of each school’s climate
or culture. The data gathered from all staff and a sample of
students and parents has provided schools with a picture of
the health of their culture. The reports that schools receive
When the QCS Framework was introduced, it was recognised
that an independent review would be needed early in its
implementation cycle to determine how well it was assisting
schools to improve. This review is currently being undertaken by
a panel of experts and will result in a set of recommendations
to the CEO about how the Framework could be further
strengthened as a school improvement tool.
An exciting future
Our schools are now using a consistent framework to systematically review their work and as a base for their improvement
actions. They are increasingly using high quality evidence to
gain insight into the culture of their school and how it can be
strengthened over time. We can be heartened by the work
done by schools and their communities to create the best
possible learning opportunities for our students. n
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L-R: Jennifer Lindsay, Christina Re and
Elizabeth Muddle took part in the Learning
Carousel at Newman College.
Learning in-house
Karen Prendergast – Dean of Curriculum
Meredith Roe – Assistant Dean of Curriculum
Ongoing learning, professional development and enrichment are essential for today’s teachers. In
schools across the country staff participate in professional learning and enrichment opportunities
offered by external providers. This year at Newman College we decided to use the expertise and
knowledge of our teachers to develop in-house learning opportunties and trialled a Teaching and
Learning Carousel.
Teacher driven
In 2012, on the secondary campus, the Teaching and
Learning (T&L) Group was formed with the aim of
developing and supporting best practice across Years 7-12.
The group draws voluntary membership from teachers
who represent different departments.
After extensive discussion, the T&L Group decided on a
project to focus on providing quality, contextualised
professional enrichment that addressed the needs of
Newman secondary staff. To achieve this it was decided to
offer a number of mini-workshops, delivered by college
staff and focused on aspects of teaching and learning of
interest to staff.
Twenty two staff volunteered to run the workshops on topics
about which they were confident, knowledgeable and
experienced. The topics fell into broad categories:
professionalism, organisation, pedagogy, classroom
practice, preparation and pastoral.
The workshops were presented by staff with different levels of
experience, including members of the leadership team and
teachers new to the profession. A list of topics was circulated
to staff, who each chose three to attend. After the carousel,
presenters were asked to share their resources, research,
handouts and presentations with all staff by uploading them to
the College Learning Management System. Presenters were
also asked to suggest resources for the college to purchase to
support those who had attended their workshop. Some
presenters created templates of teaching and learning
resources that they had used in their presentation, and class
sets created to share.
Feedback and outcome
More than 80% of participants rated the presentations as
extremely valuable and 100% said they would support similar
events in the future. Topics staff said they would like to know
more about included online lesson creation, managing difficult
conversations, integrating IT into lessons and making the most
of Duties Other than Teaching (DOT) time.
Comments included:
‘Today’s Carousel has been a shining example of collegiality
and the manner in which something relatively simple in terms
of the concept, can have far reaching and long lasting impact.’
The Carousel has been a great impetus for more teacher
driven initiatives which focus on the development of teaching
and learning and the T&L Group has committed to running a
similar event annually. n
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Mapping Early Development
Gillian Kirk, Consultant, Early Childhood, Catholic Education Office
Studies in Australia and overseas have established that quality early childhood education and care
are fundamental to positive educational and life outcomes. Long term, investing in early childhood
programs produces benefits for the individual and their communities.
In response, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG)
endorsed the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) as
a national progress measure of early childhood development
to provide important markers of children’s welfare. Data
collected provides information that enables educators and
researchers to examine ecological or environmental influences
and to inform policy, planning and action.
Key Findings
When schools partner with local early years services in using
findings, the developmental aspects of early childhood
education are promoted, supporting children before and
throughout their school years.
National Findings
AEDI data demonstrated that a lower proportion of children
in WA were developmentally vulnerable across three areas
(domains) in 2012, compared with 2009, and higher in the
areas of social competence and communication and general
competence.
Nationally the data revealed that in 2012 children were
performing better in all areas except physical health and wellbeing, which remained unchanged at 9.3%.
The AEDI
The AEDI, piloted in 2002-03 in Perth, resulted in the
Australian Government committing to fund the roll-out in
2009. In 2012, AEDI data was again collected using the same
approach as in 2009. Evidence is collected in children’s first
year of formal full-time schooling using a combination of
teacher completed checklists and demographic information
provided through school enrolment forms.
The five areas of early childhood development that are
measured are:
n physical health and wellbeing
n social competence
n emotional maturity
n language and cognitive skills
n communication and general knowledge.
The 2009 AEDI data collection involved 261,147 children,
97.5% of the estimated five year old population. The 2012
AEDI surveyed 289,973 children; of the 96.5% enrolled to start
formal full-time school 30,631 were from WA.
These data sets offer a near total national coverage of school
entrants. The large sample sizes provide unique opportunities
to examine population trends, the influences of policies
and interventions and the occurrence of vulnerable subpopulations (http://www.rch.org.au/aedi/).
8 CIRCULAR
proportion of children developmentally vulnerable
by AEDI domain and state/territory in 2009 and 2012
Physical
health and
wellbeing
PER CENT
COUNTRY
2009
Australia
2012
Social
COMPETENCE
PER CENT
2009
EMOTIONAL
MATURITY
PER CENT
2012
2009
2012
LANGUAGE
and COGNITIVE
SKILLS
PER CENT
2009
2012
COMMUNICATION
and GENERAL
KNOWLEDGE
PER CENT
2009
2012
9.39.39.59.38.97.68.96.89.29.0
State / Territory
New South Wales
Victoria
8.68.38.88.57.46.25.94.89.28.5
7.77.88.48.18.37.26.16.18.38.0
Queensland
11.011.612.111.511.0 9.315.6 9.110.510.7
Western Australia
10.19.87.78.48.88.3
12.08.68.99.1
South Australia
10.0
10.2
10.1
11.3
10.39.36.16.88.08.9
Tasmania
10.09.98.78.28.58.17.77.17.06.6
Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory
9.4
10.68.98.69.07.25.73.98.98.1
18.715.017.914.915.413.522.520.817.514.4
Note: A lower number in 2012 (compared with 2009) means there has been a decrease in the
proportion of children developmentally vulnerable.
Summary of findings from the 2012 data
Comparative results
n Nationally, the majority of children are doing well on each
of the five domains. Generally Western Australia recorded
a decrease in vulnerability in these domains.
n Overall, 22% of children were developmentally vulnerable
in one or more domain/s; 24% of the WA cohort fit this
category, improving on the 2009 figure of 24.7%.
n One in five (22%) of children enrolled in their first year of n A little more than four in 10 (43.2%) indigenous children n 10.8% of children are developmentally vulnerable on two
or more domains.
than girls on all domains.
n Boys are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable on
two or more domains (14.8%) than girls (6.8%).
n The majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children were developmentally on track on the five
domains. However, indigenous children are more than
twice as likely to be vulnerable as non-indigenous children.
n There are children who only speak English but are
reported as not proficient in English – they are more likely
to be vulnerable on all domains. 15.6% of WA children
beginning first year of formal full-time schooling had
Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE)
backgrounds.
n Girls are less likely to be developmentally vulnerable on
one or more domains than boys. However, boys show a
greater change (2%) over their 2009 results compared with
girls (1.1%).
were vulnerable on one or more domains in 2012 compared with close to five in 10 (47.4%) in 2009.
n Nationally, a lower proportion of children were develop-
n Boys are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable
formal full-time school were developmentally vulnerable on one or more domains in 2012 compared with 23.6%
in 2009.
mentally vulnerable across the five domains in 2012, compared with 2009, except in the physical health and wellbeing domain, which was unchanged at 9.3%.
Conclusion
The 2012 data indicates that the nationwide proportion of
children developmentally vulnerable in each AEDI domain
decreased from 2009. This suggests that the focused local
planning and service delivery decisions made possible
through AEDI data have begun to positively influence child
development outcomes.
Early childhood outcomes will continue to improve when
AEDI data is utilised by school and local early years services
partnerships to inform policy, planning and action for health,
education and community support. n
References
1. Australian Government, 2013. A Snapshot of Early Childhood
Development in Australia 2012. Australian Government
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
2.Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) available: http://www.
rch.org.au/aedi/
The Catholic Education Office thanks all teachers who took time to participate in the AEDI data collection for 2012.
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Green Excellence
Environmental stewardship and sustainability are important focus areas
in Catholic schools around Western Australia – as shown by these two examples.
Bunbury Catholic College students
with one of the projects that is
part of its 2012 Excellence Award
winning environmental stewardship
and sustainability program.
Objectives of the school-wide program are to
increase awareness of problems related to the
earth’s ability to sustain all living creatures and to
encourage effective and persistent stewardship
of its resources. Initiatives include an aquaponics
system, growing fruit, vegetables and herbs and
recycling.
Further details are in the 2012 Excellence Awards
article on page 12 n
Going Green
Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi with students and the recently
established vertical garden at Mercedes College.
In the centre of Perth, Mercedes College has
used a grant from the City of Perth to establish
a vertical garden as part of its environment and
sustainability efforts.
Making Mercedes greener
strategy introduced to date by the committee. The garden
will reduce waste by providing produce for use in the college
kitchen canteen and also be a valuable resource for students
studying plant growth and sustainability.
Change of attitude
Since 2010 the ‘Making Mercedes Greener’ committee, which
is made up of students, and strongly supported by staff, has
introduced a number of activities to increase recycling and
reduce the use of resources.
Principal Sheena Barber said the establishment of the
committee has been instrumental in changing the attitudes
and behaviour of the college community and leading it to
consider the environment and taking responsibility for the use
of energy and other resources.
The vertical garden was established after the college successfully applied for a Perth Council grant and has been installed
on an outside wall of the college. It is the most significant
In her 2013 World Environment Day message Perth Lord
Mayor Lisa Scaffidi included the vertical garden as an example
of sustainability and environmental initiatives. n
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The only thing better than moving into a new home
and smelling all that fresh paint is moving into a
new school and smelling all the fresh paint!
Doors open at Hammond Park
Hammond Park Catholic Primary School, the newest Catholic school in WA, opened on-site in Term 2.
It is the 159th Catholic school in the state and the opening marks the end of one phase in the
school’s history and the beginning of another, as Principal Chris Cully reports.
Now that we are here in Hammond Park
all the issues with Council, building delays
and environmental concerns seem to fade
away and are no longer our focus. The
direction has changed and now our
thoughts and energy drive us to create
a welcoming and stimulating learning
environment in this new school complex.
We are very lucky indeed, especially with
the elements at our disposal. The classroom design works
well and the large glass doors allow students to move from
learning inside to learning outside with ease. The parents of
our kindergarten class continue to remark how delighted they
are with the classroom and the open play space available to
the children. The boys are particularly enamoured with the Le Mans
inspired bike track, that is, when they can get the bikes from
the girls!
Beautiful trees
Our classrooms are named after the trees or shrubs native to
the area. The architects were able to skillfully place buildings
in and around some magnificent jarrah and sheoak trees. The
presence of these beautiful trees gives thought to us having
been here for longer than we have been. Our kindergarten
class is in Room Jarrah and the office is still in temporary
accommodation in Room Wattle. Room Wattle will eventually
morph into a pre-primary classroom but for now I’m enjoying
the biggest office I’ve ever had!
Still to be completed for stage one are the administration
centre and the covered assembly area. All three buildings –
the administration centre, the six junior learning classroom
block and the covered assembly concourse have a signature
design stone feature entrance. The stone design links all three
buildings and with the timber cladding a sense of congruence
with the natural bush surrounds is achieved. Stage Two
The next stage of the building program will most likely
commence in 2015 for the opening of classrooms to
accommodate Year 2 and Year 3 in 2016. The interest for
enrolments at Hammond Park has increased as a result of our
now being on-site and I’m sure the school will enjoy a rapid
growth rate in the coming years. I invite you to monitor our
journey by following us on Twitter@HammondParkCPS n
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OUR EXCELLENT TEACHERS
2012 Awards of Excellence winners (l-r) Clare Magee, Liwara Catholic Primary School; Julie Halvorson, Mary MacKillop Catholic
Community Primary School; Patricia McGregor, La Salle College; Denise Conway, Aranmore Catholic College and Kelli Jo Schmitt,
Bunbury Catholic College.
The 2012 Awards of Excellence were presented at the annual breakfast for school staff in Term 1.
Five awards were presented with the judging panel basing its decisions on proven outcomes for
students, sustainability of initiatives, initiatives that other schools would consider and endeavouring
to go beyond normal expected practice. Award recipients (and the panel’s commendations) are:
Truth and Justice for all ...
especially the most vulnerable award
Learning Adventure Award
Liwara Catholic Primary School – Clare Magee
(Reach Program)
Clare is the coordinator of the program which has operated
since 2005 and continues to evolve to meet the needs of
all students from Kindy to Year 6. Its focus is on reasoning,
endeavour, analysing, challenge and higher order thinking.
Strong links were made to the Australian Curriculum and all
staff are involved. The school has worked with internationally
renowned thinking skills consultant, Graham Watts. The
program involves Gifted and Talented Children Extension
(GATE) which begins at Year 3. On average there are 12
students from each year group. Students who just fail to get
into the GATE program go into a matrix program which has
more hands-on extension classes.
In Years 1 and 2 the Stretch enrichment program is available
to students with high literacy skills. Students are exposed
to diverse speakers as part of the Inspire program. The
program has seen the school achieve many successes in
awards. Nomination referees endorsed the program benefits
and commented that: ‘it shows it is okay to be smart’, ‘selfconfidence has grown’, ‘hard work makes me happy’, ‘it’s a
place to learn who you really are’ were cited as outcomes from
the program.
Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School
– Julie Halvorson
Julie is the Coordinator of the St Joseph Centre, a support
facility for students with disabilities and their families. The
centre supports some of the most disabled students in our
system and was said to be a haven for students and their
families and a beacon for teachers needing information and
support when working with these students.
The objectives of the centre are to enhance the learning of
each child, whatever their disability, and develop communication, independence and social comfort in their school
environment. Julie collaborates with staff and individual
programs are put in place. She has established a three stage
matrix for teaching new skills to students that ensures
consistency of adult behaviour. Parents are informed of new
skills developed and these are then reinforced at home. Data is
collected and used to monitor students’ progress.
Julie challenges staff, students and parents to ensure students
are given the justice they deserve. This challenge is supported
with information and any assistance required to meet the
needs of the students. Her ability to gain better outcomes for
these students has led to an improved family life.
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Embracing the Diversity of the Earth and all its
people award
La Salle College – Patricia McGregor
Patricia is the Learning Area Coordinator of Education
Support. Many educational support students experience
varied success in mainstream classes. The Enterprise Program
was set up to allow students needing education support to be
able to express themselves individually and to work as a team.
The program was established to make students independent
thinkers and to promote social, personal and business skills
which are essential to function in the workplace.
In Years 7-9, students produce a viable product and in Years
10-12 focus on business management. Students keep track
of money, stock and supplies. They are involved in the design
phase and the program caters for students’ individual needs.
Through creativity and innovation, students have expanded a
card business as well as sewing book bags, wine bottle covers
and scrunchies. As one student said: ‘It’s fun and amazing.
I like creating.’ A referee said the Enterprise Program involves
all students in all stages of production and gives a sense of
purpose and ownership.’
Denise’s motivation, as a proud Noongar woman, has been
that Indigenous students in her care should share a pride
in and respect for, the history, the traditions and cultures of
Aboriginal Australians.
The program has a multi–faceted approach underlined by
the six principles articulated in the College’s policies. The
approaches include an Aboriginal boys’ leadership camp,
three days working with the Wirripunda Foundation to assist
in team building capacities. The boys were also given mentor
training and exposure to the Moore River native settlement.
This program has now been extended to Aboriginal female
students.
The program also has non-Aboriginal boys partnering
Aboriginal boys as part of the Partnership, Acceptance,
Learning and Sharing (PALS) program. The outcomes have
been respect for self and history, leadership at school and
bonding. As one referee commented: ‘Denise has used
education as the cornerstone to providing empowerment for
these students.’ n
Capturing the joy in the Mystery of the created
universe award
Bunbury Catholic College – Kellie Jo Schmitt
Kellie, a science technician, manages the Environmental,
Sustainability and Stewardship Team (BESST) at Bunbury
Catholic College. This program has been in operation for
two years and is about sustainable education. It promotes
awareness of problem areas in relation to the earth’s ability to
sustain God’s creatures and the call to be effective stewards.
The team committee involves staff, stewardship captains
and interested students. The program links to the Australian
Curriculum through the science strand, general capabilities
and critical and creative thinking. It has been responsible
for food and herb gardens, reduced paper use, worm farms
and constructing fruit orchards. The activities are linked to
Catholic Teachings on Stewardship and Mastery of Creation in
religious education classes in Year 8.
Other outcomes have been the construction of an aquaponics
system by Year 10 students, a Seed to a Tree program and
establishment of a student Green Team. In 2013 the college
will offer a Year 8 elective on sustainable practices and
learning about global systems (see Green Excellence, p10).
Walking together in a spirit of Reconciliation
and forgiveness award
Aranmore Catholic College – Denise Conway
Denise is the Coordinator of the Aboriginal Students
Education Support Program/ Aboriginal Teaching Assistant.
For ten years, the college has developed a strong curriculum
to meet the educational need of Aboriginal students.
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Capturing the joy in the mystery
of the created Universe
2000 years+ of service ......
Staff who have given 30 years or more service to Catholic Education were also recognised at the
breakfast. Sixty seven staff members from around WA were named and while all could not be there,
each received a certificate of recognition and appreciation (pictured above).
Tanya Atherton, a teacher of
Gifted and Talented students
(left) was one of the recipients
and gave this address on
behalf of her colleagues.
‘I am honoured and delighted
to be here representing
the recipients of 30 years
of service to Catholic
Education.
We have all seen enormous
changes in our profession
in the last 30 years. Do
you remember when you
could take a child’s photograph without having to have
signed permission? We have gone from using gestetners
to photocopiers, from chalkboards and overhead projectors
to Ipads and Smart Boards, from open page 22 of your text
book to Schoology and Edmodo.
We have lived through Curriculum Framework, the age
change of children entering school from January to July,
children starting formal education earlier, Year 7s moving to
secondary schools and NAPLAN. We have gone from a time
where parents respected the teacher’s version of events, to
having to explain ourselves.
‘Accountability’ and ’helicopter parents’ are words our
job now knows well. Change is a part of life, whether we
think the changes are positive or negative, most of us have
embraced the changes, been flexible and got on with doing
the best job we could for the children.’
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MAD ??
Some say you must be MAD to teach these days! I beg to
differ, yes I am MAD – MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!
How blessed are we to be in a job where you know you
are making a difference!?!
A personal story .... I recently received an email from an
ex-student who tracked me down via my daughter’s
Facebook. She is now 39 and wanted to let me know that
she was a Year 2 teacher in Sydney and that she had
recently spoken to her class about my influence on her life
and how my guidance and friendship made her choose
teaching as a profession. I am sure each one of you out
there could share many stories of being ‘MAD’.
My first day at Sacred Heart assured me of why I had
taken up the challenge of secondary school. There was a
boy I had in Year 2 who had not been nominated to join
my G&T program. He hardly did any work, seemed angry
and did not socialise much. However, he tested on the
99th percentile.
I had the pleasure of witnessing a gradual, but long lasting
change in him. In Year 7 at our Night of the Notables
he decided to look at the life of Lenard Cohen and never
having played the piano before, taught himself over a
EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
Recipients of Catholic
Education Commission
scholarships to study education
at the University of Notre Dame
Australia in Fremantle were
presented with certificates at
the Catholic Education Office
in Leederville this term. Seven
Year 12 graduates from last
year received the scholarships
which are each worth $10,000.
The scholarships are a shared
initiative of the Commission
and University to foster interest
in education as a career and
to assist young people to
complete their studies.
At the presentation were (L-R) Professor Michael O’Neill, University of Notre Dame Australia; Gina
Natale, Santa Maria College; Bethany Tucker, Iona Presentation College; Dr Tim McDonald, Director
of Catholic Education; Professor Celia Hammond, Vice-Chancellor; Hannah Kolbusz, Iona Presentation
College; Bonnie Power, Mercedes College; Joseph Kinder, John XXIII College; Emily Driscoll, John
XXIII College and Tori Johnson, Mandurah Catholic College.
Catholic secondary college, having visited over 30 Catholic
schools each year with my G&T testing – it is obvious the
moment you walk in the door that everyone is working for the
common good and the students’ welfare is paramount.
Whilst each school has its own culture, the pastoral care shown
for staff and students alike in these Catholic communities sets us
apart. The focus on developing ‘the whole child’ and putting
Jesus as central to our communities has been our guide and
enabled us to see our children flourish.
Values
couple of months to play Hallelujah for us. I was so proud of
how, with the support of all his teachers, he had grown so
much. It brought tears to my eyes watching this amazing,
deep thinking, happy, successful boy entertain the audience.
On my first day at Sacred Heart, this boy, now a Year 11,
called out ‘Mrs A’ from across the quadrangle. He came over
to see me with a huge grin on his face, welcoming me to
Sacred Heart. I let him know that I knew he was Dux last
year and I was back to see him graduate from Year 12.
Relationships that ‘Make a Difference’ have never changed
in teaching!
Having had the pleasure of working in primary education in
five Catholic schools and now enjoying the challenges of a
At Padbury Catholic Primary School we recently revisited our
core values. The staff identified community, respect, personal
best and sacredness as central to our motto of Love One
Another. Our focus on sacredness means focusing on the special
moments that happen every day. A child succeeding in something for the first time, sharing their lunch with a friend, a staff
member saying to another ‘you look tired today let me do your
duty’. These every day events make us who we are. For me –
and I am sure I speak for my colleagues when I say it is an
absolute privilege to work with the families, staff and children in
our communities.
In concluding, I would like to say I am ‘MAD’, I recognise that
every day I am working with ‘somebody’s angel’ and
I embrace the quote by a philosopher who said ‘Find a job you
love and you will never have to work a day in your life!’. n
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Early Learning and
Holy Name Early Learning and Care Centre has been established to provide a Christ-centred early
learning and outside school hours care service for Carlisle and surrounds. It is the first of its kind in the
Catholic Education system and is designed to help meet growing community needs for Long Day
Care, Outside School Hours Care and other services. It has quickly become a flourishing and growing
community.
Early days
The site was originally Holy Name Catholic Primary School
which amalgamated with Notre Dame Catholic Primary School
in 2009. Consultation with the local community and others
resulted in the decision to establish an integrated service on
the site. Extensive renovations were made to meet licensing
requirements and to ensure children have a quality learning
environment.
dedicated cook who prepares meals throughout the day in
the fully equipped commercial kitchen, which also caters for
particular dietary requirements.
Most equipment is natural, with as little plastic in the
environment as possible. The tones in the room are neutral
with the equipment, children’s art and the children themselves
providing the colour.
In September 2012, Holy Name commenced its After School
Care program. Since then the Before School Care and
Vacation Care programs have followed. Enrolments in the
OSHC programs have steadily increased with the programs
proving very popular.
Holy Name OSHC cares for children from St Augustine’s
School, Notre Dame Primary School, Ursula Frayne Catholic
College and partnerships are also being developed with
Carlisle Primary School.
The Long Day Care program began in November and
has grown from 10 children and four staff to now having
more than 80 children and 12 skilled staff. The centre has a
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Parish and community
In February, Centre staff received a blessing from Fr Greg
at the Holy Name Church as part of the regular Mass. Over
60 families from Holy Name participated in the Mass and a
family BBQ and fun activities for the children attended by
parishioners and families from the Centre.
Community is a focus and partnerships have already begun
to be developed. LotteryWest was the first partnership with
a generous grant provided to the Centre for a unique range
of equipment. Local Catholic and government schools have
engaged with the OSHC program which has become an
extension of the children’s school day ensuring a positive
start and finish to the day.
Curtin University quickly came on board to engage with
research and future allied health provision. In October Holy
Name will host educators from Singapore as part of the WA
ECEC conference for which Catholic Education is a principal
sponsor.
Catholic Education is proud of this exciting initiative for the
system and it is the intention that Holy Name will become a
centre of excellence, demonstrating high quality practice across
all areas of early learning and care in an integrated model.
d Caring Innovation
early childhood director of the year
The award nomination included the following comments:
‘Nicole has overseen all aspects of the Early Learning Centre
development at the school, including policy development,
licensing requirements, equipment/resource purchases,
hiring and training of staff, client relationships and the
establishment of all operational systems.’
‘Nicole and her team have developed an innovative child-led,
indoor and outdoor program. They have made a commitment
to be rated as a Centre of Excellence within the next three
years and Nicole believes the St Simon Peter Early Learning
Centre is leading the way for all centres under the Catholic
Education banner.
‘Nicole has a strong focus on training and professional
development for herself and her team. Their focus this year
is on improving reflective practice and intentional teaching
strategies to provide better learning opportunities for the
children.
Nicole is presented with her award in Sydney.
Nicole Harley, Manager, Early Learning Centre at
St Simon Peter Catholic Primary School in Ocean
Reef, is WA’s Early Childhood Director of the
Year for 2013.
Nicole received the award at the Australian Family magazine
national Early Education and Care Awards presentation in
Sydney recently. The award included an all expenses trip
to Sydney to attend the presentations and professional
development opportunities.
A Childcare Parent Advisory Group has been set up and
meets once a month with staff to discuss all aspects of the
Centre from a parent’s perspective. This helps the team to
gain vital feedback regarding practices and provides the
parent community important contact points.’
Dr Tim McDonald, Director of Catholic Education in WA, said
the achievement of Nicole and her team is another example
of the great caring, learning and teaching which is happening
throughout our system. ‘We should share and celebrate this
and participation in education, community and other awards,
is one way of doing this,’ he said. n
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Parents & Friends Conference
The Parents and Friends
Federation of WA (PFFWA)
plays an important role in
school communities around the
state. Its annual conference
discussed education and social
issues and concerns. Shelley
Hill, Chief Executive Officer
of the PFFWA and a member
of the Catholic Education
Commission, reports on the
2013 conference.
The conference and awards dinner
brought together parents from across
the state to share experiences and
celebrate the significant contribution
Catholic school parent communities
make in their schools.
Parents from primary and secondary
schools attended the conference which
had the theme Parental Engagement,
The Power, The Potential. The
presenters and participants noted the
importance of the annual event which
provides parents with an opportunity to
listen to guest speakers and participate
in a Q&A Forum.
Shelley Hill
and acknowledge and celebrate their
contribution in Catholic schools.
The new Director, Dr Tim McDonald,
began the conference with an inspiring
look at his vision for Catholic Education
in the 21st century and his desire for
schools to provide an excellent learning
environment for our children and that
school communities will ‘flourish’.
Awards
Issues
A highlight of the awards dinner was an
address by Police Commissioner Karl
O’Callaghan on alcohol and youth. The
Commissioner shared his commitment
to changing the community’s view on
alcohol availability.
Keynote speaker Nina Funnell gave an
insightful presentation into the research
around the challenges facing teenagers
in the 21st century and provided useful
strategies for parents to communicate
with their children in ways other than
those that perhaps they grew up with.
The Awards of Excellence in Building
Positive School Communities were
presented in four categories. Denise
Corfias from Servite College received
the Parent Award for her work in
revitalising the Servite Development
Committee over the last four years.
In the Principal category, Joseph Hoyne
from John Paul College in Kalgoorlie
and Carmel O’Shaughnessy from Sacred
Heart School in Mundaring shared the
award for their commitment to their
school communities.
St Mary Star of the Sea P&F in Carnarvon
won the regional category for its fantastic
community building events and Notre
Dame Catholic Primary School won the
metropolitan category for the unique
structure of its Parent Representative
Council and the community spirit it has
built since the amalgamation of Notre
Dame and Holy Name Schools in 2010.
A new category this year, P&F/Parish
collaboration, saw the regional award
also go to St Mary Star of the Sea
Catholic School for its unselfish giving
and sharing of fund-raising monies with
its Parish. Our Lady of Fatima P&F and
Parish in Palmyra received the metropolitan award for their close collaboration
and wonderful community spirit. n
In the context of understanding where,
how and why teenagers communicate,
she also spoke about providing children
with the space and trust to explore
new environments, including the online
social media space but within clearly
communicated and agreed boundaries
and expectations.
Mara Basanovic, CEO of Volunteering
WA, gave an information packed
presentation on how to engage and
retain volunteers in our schools. She
provided great examples and ideas
that can be used by school parent
communities to attract volunteers
St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School in Carnarvon received two PFFWA awards.
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Director .... and Parent
In an address to the 2013 PFFWA conference, Dr Tim McDonald, who became Director of Catholic
Education last November, spoke as an educator and a parent.
This is an edited version of his address:
Thank you for the invitation to be with parents of children
in our Catholic schools. In the time we have I would like to
explore with you my aspiration for Catholic Education and to
allow time for us to discuss important issues facing Catholic
Education in Western Australia.
What is my aspiration and vision for
Catholic Education?
I want Catholic Education to be a system where all people
flourish. For our schools to flourish they must be places
where:
n every student and staff member has a sense of belonging
– Indigenous, refugee, disabled, vulnerable
n everyone has the opportunity to answer Jesus’ invitation
to be in a relationship with Him
n everyone learns they have talent
n everyone realises they have power to learn to act
responsibly
n there are opportunities to be generous, to give back to
the community and to realise that life has a great purpose.
I want our students to thrive, to be:
n able to reach their potential to be the best citizens
possible
n fully integrated human beings
n moral and ethical people
n curious learners who are resilient
n learners who have the capacity to problem solve,
collaborate, negotiate to connect with others
n independent self-starters who are responsible
n tolerant and welcoming of diversity
n faith filled people who experience Christ in their life and in
Tim McDonald and family at his commissioning as
Director of Catholic Education in Western Australia.
the life of others.
I want our teachers to grow and learn, as people and
professionally, and to:
n grow as Catholic teachers witnessing to their faith
n deeply impact on the learning of students
n have the capacity to weave the values of our faith into the
everyday
n be people who love, care, have compassion and forgive.
I want our parents to positively develop in their role as primary
educators and to:
n build capacity for them to guide their sons/daughters in faith
n help nurture their children to be moral and ethical members
of society
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe and Tim McDonald at the 2012
Principals Thanksgiving Mass at the Catholic Education Centre.
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s
n support their children’s learning.
Director ... and Parent
Pictured at the 2013 students’ networking and leadership day: L-R: John Bormolini, Principal, Emmanuel Catholic College; Cassidy Marino, La Salle
College; Tim McDonald, Director of Catholic Education in WA; Tegan Judd, Emmanuel Catholic College; Peter Collier, Minister for Education;
Lorraine Pestell, member of the Leadership WA Alumni and Wayne Bull, Principal, La Salle College.
Good News
Flourishing
Our Gospel message is to flourish. We are people of
the Good News – let’s tell it. Christ was about people
flourishing ... ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it
abundantly’ ... and he came to love, serve and heal.
We can apply ‘Flourishing’ to every person and level of our
system. At the core of course is student learning. For me it
comes down to the ‘Charlie Test’, named after my youngest.
I use it to bring perspective to making decisions by asking
these simple questions: How well is Charlie known? What is
done to engage him? Is Charlie learning? Is this decision in
the Office assisting Charlie to learn? Will this system initiative
enable Charlie and the thousands of other students in our
schools to learn?
I am a committed stakeholder to this vision. What I want is
for my children to flourish in our schools. What I want for
our students, leaders, teachers and staff in our system is
what I want for my five children. I have 13 years of children in
Catholic schools to go and am driven to achieve this vision as
I am a stakeholder in my Directorship!
Student learning in all areas – spiritual, cognitive, emotional,
physical, moral – is central and we do not want to get blown
off course by a whole range of worthwhile programs or ideas
that don’t target student learning.
Our moral imperative is to set up the conditions for success
for all learners to learn in all settings. To do this we need to
have a strength based, solution focused approach where
people matter – we will not grow in a deficit mindset. To have
a thriving system people are the most important factor in my
leadership.
I will make mistakes and fail but will use them as a source of
personal and professional learning opportunities. I hope that
these mistakes are made in the belief of giving hope and
enabling people to flourish.
I hope that as parents you feel that you belong to our
system and that together we can build upon the wonderful
foundations we have in Catholic Education to make our
system even greater. I look forward to our journey together. n
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Smart, safe, responsible
technology users
eSmart Schools Program Coordinator
Brent Hedley with students.
Parents, students and staff engagement has resulted in Corpus Christi College being the first school
in WA to achieve eSmart School status.
The program is available around
Australia from the national charity, ‘The
Alannah and Madeline Foundation’,
named after six and three-year-old
Alannah and Madeline Micak who, with
their mother and 32 other people, were
killed in the shootings at Port Arthur
in Tasmania in 1996. It is committed to
protecting children from violence and
its effects.
Deputy Principal Ian Hagen outlined
the eSmart program and what it has
meant to the college community.
There has been a noticeable difference
in students’ understanding of the
importance of being smart, safe and
responsible users of technology and has
demonstrated the school’s seriousness
in addressing student welfare.
After the initial start-up we reassessed
our progress last year and realised more
involvement from the wider school
community was needed to reach the
next phase so we formed our eSmart
committee, made up of students,
parents and teachers. It was very
beneficial getting more parents involved
in the committee as it gave them the
opportunity to contribute to a range of
revised policies and procedures
concerning the wellbeing of our
students. Once we had more involvement, enthusiasm began to build across
the whole school. This resulted in an
honest and open line of communication
between parents, teachers and students.
Communication
A key element that supported this was
the introduction of Corpus Concerns,
an intranet platform developed by our
Director of Learning Technologies Trevor
Galbraith to promote the reporting of
incidents and student concerns. This
provides students the opportunity to
address any wellbeing concerns they
have, such as cyberbullying, via Corpus
Concerns, with ease and in the privacy
21 CIRCULAR
of their home. Since the introduction of
Corpus Concerns we have been able to
effectively and professionally deal with
wellbeing concerns and include the
parents of students involved. Moving
forward into the sustaining phase of the
system and maintaining the involvement
of parents will be an ongoing focus.
At yearly forums with an IT focus and
various school information nights, we
will strive to project what we have learnt
and achieved from eSmart Schools to
our parents. This will remind parents
they have the right to play the role of
the responsible adult when it comes to
technology. For example, they can ask
their child to turn off their smartphone
and put it in another room overnight,
or monitor their internet usage.
It has been extremely beneficial to have
more parents and students actively
involved in contributing to revised
policies and procedures. The students
have become leaders in the positive
culture change and eSmart becoming
part of the whole-school vocabulary. n
Supporting our new teachers
Georgie Wynne, Leadership Consultant, Catholic Education Office
learning workshops with enthusiasm
and a strong desire to make a difference
for the students. So far this year the
key areas of professional learning have
focused on:
n what it means to teach in a Catholic
school
n positive behaviour management
n assessment for learning
n building positive relationships
n dealing with challenging students
n integration of technology into
teaching and learning strategies
n opportunities for self-reflection
n sharing action earning experiences.
Embarking on a teaching career can be a very exciting, yet
stressful endeavour. It is important that Early Career Teachers
feel supported and nurtured in their first few years of service so
that they can develop professional skills and practices and feel
effective in their work. Catholic school teachers, through their
significant role in the development of their students, make an
important contribution to the mission of the Church.
Considerable research has been undertaken into the challenges that Early
Career Teachers face and the high
levels of stress they experience as a
result of managing competing priorities.
The problem of teacher retention has
intensified in Australia, particularly in
rural areas. Australian research has
shown that attrition rates for young
teachers have been significantly
reduced by the development of quality
structured induction and mentor
programs linked to Teacher Professional
Standards.
The Early Career Teacher Program,
introduced by the Catholic Education
Office, endeavours to familiarise
and assist participants to attain
the proficient level of the National
Professional Standards for Teachers
which is also linked to graduate teachers
gaining their full teacher registration.
Through participation in the professional
learning workshops, there are opportunities for Early Career Teachers to
conduct personal reflections on their
strengths and areas for growth in their
teaching. The program objective is to
assist graduate teachers to transition
into the profession and keep them in it.
Pilot program
A pilot program that began this year
with 35 graduate teachers from Perth
and regional schools will form the basis
of the two year foundation program
due to be launched for all new teachers
employed in the system in 2014.
The pilot group participants have
engaged in each of the professional
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The program has generated many
discussions about the transition process
the teachers are going through. They
must be grappling with demands of
implementing effective teaching and
learning strategies and the development
of critical relationships with members
of the school community – students,
support staff, colleagues, school
leadership team, the parish community,
teacher assistants and of course, parents
and carers.
Key discussion areas have included:
n Early career teachers are keen to
develop positive working relationships with parents/carers early in the
school year.
n The value and importance of regular communication with parents/carers – seen as a key element to ongoing working relationships.
n When approaching reporting times ensuring that there are no nasty surprises for parents/carers!
n Working with parents/carers to build
realistic expectations of a child’s
progress.
n Providing balanced feedback without
over using educational jargon.
n Developing confidence in relating
to parents/carers with honest yet
sensitive feedback.
n The importance of knowing the
students well.
n Dealing with school behaviour
incidents and communicating with
parents as soon as possible.
n Having examples of school work
as evidence to explore and explain
student progress.
There is no doubt that Early Career
Teachers are keen to develop positive
relationships with parents and carers
and see the value of productive
partnerships between school and home.
They also reported some apprehension
when they first encounter parents/carers
in the early part of the school year and
having to develop skills to communicate
effectively with the broad range of
parents and carers they come into
contact with.
It is no secret that ‘good teachers make
all the difference’. Consistent high
quality teaching, supported by strategic
teacher professional development, can
and does deliver dramatic improvements in student learning. We need to
identify, value and grow those who are
strong influences on learning.
Participants undertake the Early Career Teacher Program at the
Newman Siena Learning Hub in Doubleview.
The development of the Early Career Teacher program is crucial as part of a
formalised process of identification and development of potential school leaders.
The program will equip Early Career Teachers to handle the rigours of the
profession, enhance their resilience and inspire them to remain as educators and
possibly aspire to leadership. n
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
The 20th Angelico Art Exhibition is being held this year. Since the first exhibition
it has grown to become a permanent fixture in the art calendars of many Catholic
secondary colleges, with 24 schools taking part and 140 entries being received
this year.
The high quality of the entries cover a variety of art forms and awards are presented
in seven categories.
The exhibition is named after Fra Angelico, patron saint of artists. At the launch of
the 2013 exhibition those who initiated the exhibition and who have supported it
over many years were recognised for their contributions to the fostering of young
artists in Catholic schools.
All entries this year will be exhibited in the Central Park building in Perth in August.
Further details are available at www.catholicarts.wa.edu.au n
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John Nelson
examines the
influences
changing and
challenging
parents,
teachers and
schools.
Challenges
present and future
John Nelson, Senior Research & Policy Consultant,
Catholic Education Office
Rapid change
Not since the Whitlam era
of the early 1970s has the
Australian education landscape
seen such dramatic change
under the current Australian
Government. Apart from
major capital programs such
as the Building Education
Revolution, Trade Training
Centres and School Computer
Scheme, there have been a
number of initiatives aimed at
developing school, leadership
and teacher capacity. Many of
these changes will be enshrined
in proposed new funding
arrangements.
On balance, most of what the
government hopes to achieve is
good in principle. Its ideas will
help to improve teacher quality,
build leadership capacity, and
help to develop effective whole
school improvement processes
– all of which underpin raising
opportunities and achievement
for students. The government’s
aim to create a world class
education system – with
outcomes to match – is long
overdue. The bigger issues,
however, relate to the level
of ‘intrusion’ and compulsion
of government in education,
as well as the cost of
implementation for schools and
education systems. Like many
government education polices,
the level of support funding is
inadequate.
Curriculum and Assessment
Through the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
an Australian Curriculum is being implemented in all schools. Parents should be
aware that this will not fundamentally change the type of education for their child.
It will, however, add the elements which other high performing world education
systems use, as well as providing a level of consistency across states and territories.
Courses in Years 11 and 12 will change slightly but states and territories will continue
to administer their own assessment and certification regimes for senior secondary
studies. Catholic schools in WA have commenced implementing the Australian
Curriculum with ongoing support from the Catholic Education Office.
NAPLAN testing and the publication of results on the My School website – a major
platform of the Australian Government – remains a contentious issue. The real issue
is understanding what the results show – and more importantly, do not show. All
kinds of reliable diagnostic testing has a place in education. Understanding that
NAPLAN is just that – a short, point in time, curriculum-sampled, diagnostic test –
is important.
The results need to be understood and represented in that context. Catholic schools
understand that the tests provide some useful information but that spurious ranking
and inter-school comparisons are unhelpful and well outside the brief of such tests.
Judging schools solely on the basis of NAPLAN results is inappropriate as they
do not tell the full story about the school cohort and the challenges the school
faces. It is disappointing that in the past the Government has linked some funding
to such results. A challenge for Catholic schools, and all schools, is to ensure that
the government’s accountability regime does not lead to more widespread use of
NAPLAN as a resource allocation trigger.
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Staff development
Through the Australian Institute for
Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL),
the Government has rolled out a set of
Australian Professional Standards for
Teachers. These acknowledge that the
most important basis for students’
learning and welfare is superior classroom practice. The seven standards
describe the characteristics of teachers as
they make the transition during their
career. The standards can be used in a
number of ways including providing a
plan for teachers to develop professionally and for schools to provide the
appropriate support. Schools will be
required to undertake annual performance reviews of teachers using the
standards and official registration of
teachers will also refer to the standards.
Teachers who are certificated at the two
highest levels of proficiency (Lead
Teacher and Highly Accomplished
Teacher) will be well placed to deliver
high quality instruction and to act as
mentors for other staff.
A challenge for Catholic schools is to
develop processes whereby teachers can
undertake the certification process which
must follow national guidelines. While
this will be a challenge in terms of time
and resources, the Catholic system is fully
committed to improving the instructional
capacity of all staff and sees the standards
as an important part of this process.
The Australian Government has also
released a package to assist schools in
the overall improvement process and
planning through the Australian School
Improvement Tool. Catholic schools
have been implementing the Quality
Catholic Schooling (QCS) Framework
for three years. This is similar to the
assessment tool and allows schools to
measure their improvement across 24
components. It provides schools with
the basis to develop a strategic plan to
raise quality and outcomes for students.
The QCS framework in schools was
developed from extensive research and
in consultation with an international
expert and all schools. It is recognised
as a high quality framework which will
provide an important reference point
and process for schools to plan for
improvement.
Other government priorities, such as
supporting more independence and
individual decision-making in schools,
has been an ongoing feature in Catholic
schools.
Resourcing Catholic schools
Catholic schools receive funding from
both the Australian and State Governments. While exact details of the recent
review of school funding chaired by
David Gonski have not been made
available, modelling has indicated that
AITSL has also produced a set of
Australian Standards for Principals which
serve a similar role to the standards for
teachers. These provide descriptions of
higher performing leaders and provide
guidelines for support and professional
development. The Catholic Education
Office is well placed currently to implement these standards and other support
for principals. A suite of leadership
programs is provided by Catholic
Education for aspiring principals through
to experienced principals. Other
government reforms such as encouraging greater autonomy for principals
have been in place for Catholic schools
for decades.
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schools in Western Australia will be
worse off compared with their interstate
counterparts.
Further, moving to a resource standard
which will be linked to a school’s
‘capacity to pay’ means that some
schools who are charging modest fees
may have to increase fees to cover the
expected shortfall in Australian
Government support. Resource
loadings for some country schools also
appear to be inadequate.
The Australian Government appears
to have not adequately recognised
the geographic, demographic and
economic characteristics of WA which
means that a considerable proportion of
education funding needs to be directed
to smaller – and often uneconomic –
country and remote schools.
In terms of the school funding debate, it
also needs to be recognised that State
and Australian Government funding
applies only to recurrent costs. This
covers items such as salaries, resources,
utilities, cleaning, insurance, repairs
and maintenance, debt servicing etc.
No funds are available for the purchase
of land and building of the school.
Depending on the location, a six
hectare site in Perth in a developing
area is around $10 million and the full
cost of the build for a larger Year 7–12
school, around $55 million. All of this is
supported by the Catholic Education
Office and the school through loans.
s
Leadership development
Supporting school
improvement
Challenges
present and future
education as there are so many variables.
Notwithstanding this, the funding agency
– government – has every right to expect
schools to deliver better outcomes for
students.
Demand for Catholic schools
The demand for Catholic schooling
continues to increase. This applies to
existing metropolitan and country
schools as well as emerging population
growth areas. New schools are planned
for Hocking, Forrestdale, Baldivis,
Hammond Park (commenced 2013),
Byford, North Australind and the
expansion of Holy Cross College in
Ellenbrook to a K–12 school.
As mentioned, the challenge for
Catholic schools is to be able to acquire
the land – cost wise and availability –
and to be able to build the school. The
State Government makes available $15
million per year through low interest
loans and this figure has not changed
for over 20 years. The all up cost of the
new school program above will be close
to $300 million which emphasises the
serious challenge to the system.
Many existing schools in built up areas
are also under pressure to expand. This
is greatest in the north west metropolitan corridor but exists in many
metropolitan Years K-6 and 7-12
schools. Land for expansion is not
available in nearly all cases and small
school sites make expansion very
difficult. Expansion is also challenged by
the variable local council requirements.
Government schools are not subject to
most of these requirements.
The challenge for the Catholic system
is to try to provide sufficient places for
parents seeking a quality Catholic
education.
Accountability agenda
Overall, one of the driving directions of
the Australian Government is to hold
schools more accountable. It has always
been difficult to measure the effectiveness of areas such as health, justice and
The key question is where on the
spectrum of accountability – government
control or full school self-regulation –
should policy be founded. It seems that
the Australian Government wants to
move closer to the former and is tying
many school reforms for improvement
to funding agreements. ‘Naming and
shaming’ mentalities by the inappropriate
use of the My School website and soon
to be introduced parent and stakeholder
public surveys is not the way forward.
The Catholic system has implemented
a number of accountability measures for
Catholic schools which span across
Catholic identity, education, community
relationships and sound governance. The
other conundrum for the government is
that improving student outcomes – which
is closely related to building instructional
capacity of teachers – requires specific
funding for that purpose. The Gonski
funding model does not address this.
Parents can be assured that in the
context of current Australian Government
education reforms, and the many
challenges posed, Catholic schools are
well placed and many of the reforms have
been addressed for some time. n
When I’m Principal ...
Majella Catholic Primary School Year 6 student Kiyshirah Ah-Thew
was ‘student principal for a day’ earlier this term.
The school took part in the ‘student principal for a day’ event arranged by the
Principals Australia Institute, a support organisation for principals around Australia.
The day was designed to give students a first-hand leadership experience.
‘I had great fun and learnt that many different things can happen in one day for a
principal. It has made me think that I might like to be a principal in the future,’
said Kiyshirah.
Principal Lina Bertolini said Kiyshirah showed great leadership capacity and
engaged with energy and enthusiasm in the activities and that she was proud and
inspired by the day she shared with Kiyshirah. n
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‘Principal for a day’ Kiyshirah Ah-Thew
Sticky Task for
Young Scientists
Learning by sharing was the objective when Year Six
students from 10 Perth coastal schools from Karrinyup
to Nedlands met at Holy Rosary School in Doubleview.
Their task was to investigate a sticky problem posed by science
specialist, Tanya Skinner – devise and conduct experiments to
determine the best way for a sign company to affix its signage.
The gathering was part of the ‘Days of Excellence’ program which is
designed to increase the enrichment opportunities for children across
a range of curriculum areas. It provides children with opportunities
to engage in high level thinking skills and problem solving in an
atmosphere that is often difficult to achieve in the regular class. Event
coordinator Libby Dimmer, Assistant Principal at Holy Rosary, hopes
it was only the beginning of more sharing by schools of their talents
and resources.
‘Having seen how Tanya’s science program has enhanced this area of
the curriculum at Holy Rosary, we wanted to share her skills with other
schools in our region,’ she said.
‘Iona Presentation College in Mosman Park has already committed to
hosting a day focusing on the Visual Arts later this year and it is our
vision that other schools will share the talents of their staff in other
areas of the curriculum in the future.’ n
Reconciliation
in the Terrace
Schools and Catholic Education Office banners were
flown in St Georges Terrace as part of Reconciliation
Week during Term 2.
St Mary’s College, Broome and Trinity College,
East Perth were two of five schools from around
WA selected in a Department of Aboriginal Affairs
competition to have their banners displayed in the
Terrace. The message on St Mary’s banner was:
‘Moving forward with listening hearts, we work
together to understand and accept each other’s
culture and identity.’ ‘Reconciliation is the sharing
of mind, hearts and spirit. It is continuing the
journey towards forgiveness and understanding’
was the message on the Trinity College banner.
The CEO collaborated with Caritas to sponsor a
joint banner with the message ‘Reconciliation:
Making it Everyone’s Story’. The banners were
among dozens on display in the Perth CBD to raise
awareness of the event and reconciliation issues. n
Science specialist Tanya Skinner with students at Holy Rosary School.
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VATICAN II – 50 YEARS ON
Fifty years ago the Vatican II Council called by
Pope John XXIII resulted in the most sweeping
reforms to the Church in generations.
During the Term One holidays, 250 Year 11 and 12 students
from 16 Archdiocesan schools and three schools from the
Bunbury Diocese attended a seminar exploring the influence
of Vatican II which continues to provide guidance to the
Church today.
Religion and life
The seminar at John XXIII College was designed to assist
students who will be sitting Religion and Life exams as part
of the Religious Education program. It began with an address
by Monsignor Kevin Long PhD, Rector of St Charles Seminary,
who recalled his experiences of the pre-Vatican II church, the
upheaval caused by the changes it recommended and the
development of post-Vatican II practices.
His descriptions of childhood experiences of the Mass in
Latin, education by religious orders and the exclusivity of the
church were in stark contrast to the church experienced by
people today where, here in Australia, the liturgy is in English,
lay teachers are the norm in schools and ecumenism through
dialogue and interaction with other churches is encouraged.
Participants received a history lesson on the rich background
of the life of Pope John XXIII and his desire to break down the
barriers between the world and the church. He described the
pre-Vatican II church as ‘A city on a hill surrounded by a big
wall to keep out the rest of the world’.
This contrasts, he said, with the post-Vatican II church of being
‘… leaven for the world, taking its place in working for the
betterment of all people’.
Students also learned the background to Vatican II, the
external factors that led to it, and its significance in the life of
the Catholic Church and the world today.
Workshop sessions assisted students on how to use the
knowledge they had gained to address the Religion and Life
Syllabus which requires analysis of the role religion plays
in human affairs and consideration of the challenges and
opportunities religions faces. n
Living, Learning and MORE
For parents of Year 12 students planning to go to university, accommodation can be a concern if
they live a long way from campus. Tom Mitchell, head of St Thomas More College at the University
of Western Australia (UWA), says the college is an option that offers a unique experience.
St Thomas More College is a Catholic
residential college that welcomes
students of all faiths and cultural backgrounds from Australia and around the
world in recognition of the richness of
learning that is enabled through
diversity. There is, however, an expectation that all will acknowledge, respect
and support us in our faith witness.
We provide an environment conducive
to bringing out the potential of our
young men and women in all aspects of
their growth as adults and future leaders
in our community. The intellectual, social,
sporting and spiritual domains of the
college provide opportunities that other
students at the University will never
experience. In our community lifelong
friendships are forged with people from
around the world. Our staff members are
resolutely committed to the provision of
the safest and most exciting environment
possible.
Affectionately known as Tommy More,
our college is home to 175 students
primarily studying at UWA. Imagine
living in a community where you are
surrounded by people who are
passionate about their academic dreams,
engaged in all aspects of university life
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and possessing the ambition to make a
difference in their world.
This is Tommy More.
Reaching out
Our mantra is Living, Learning and More.
While the More part is a play on our
patron’s name, it defines us as a college of
young adults seeking to have a positive
impact on the world. In 2012, 23 college
residents volunteered to travel to
Cambodia together to spend three weeks
helping children in schools. This year over
40 have expressed interest in being
involved and fund raising is a major focus
across the college.
MALAYSIA ANZAC TOUR
Clayton Yeats of Mazenod
College was one of ten
students who took part in the
2013 Premier’s ANZAC tour
to Malaysia. The focus of the
tour was the experiences of
Australians in Malaysia during
World War II. This extract is
from an article Clayton wrote
about the tour and its impact.
ANZAC Day was the most important
day on the tour. The atmosphere built
as we made our way to Quailey
Memorial. We had an incredibly
humbling service against the backdrop
of the rising sun. It was my first dawn
service and I found it very moving.
The sites of the Ranau POW camps and
replicas of POW huts really had an
impact and helped us to understand the
living standards of the POWs and how
such a beautiful, peaceful environment
must have been hell on earth for them.
The next day was one I had been really
looking forward to. It was hard to
believe that we would actually walk a
small portion of the track that had
claimed so many Australian and British
Clayton Yeats pictured at one of the sites visited on the Anzac tour.
lives. We trekked through extremely dense jungle, on paths just wide enough for
one person. We all arrived tired and sore after completing just 7.8 km of the 260 km
track from Sandakan to Ranau. It was impossible to comprehend how the hundreds
of sick and starving POWs had made it to the end, and easy to understand why the
rest had not. It made me incredibly proud to be Australian. I still cannot fathom how
difficult the march must have been for the POWs.
The tour truly was a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ and one I will never forget. I have
some great memories and made great friends. I feel very privileged to have been
given this opportunity to represent Western Australia and learn about Australia’s war
involvement in Malaysia. n
St Thomas More (1477–1535) rose from
a modest background to be one of the
most significant figures in Tudor England
whose authority was second only to King
Henry VIII. He was a man of deep faith
and committed to learning and coined
the word utopia (from his book with the
same title about the perfect society).
When More refused the King’s demand
that he support the annulment of his
marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his
claim to be the supreme head of the
Church in England, he was convicted
of treason and beheaded. More is the
patron saint of Catholic lawyers,
university students and politicians. His
example is a guide for all at the college
as they uphold the virtue of integrity in
their own lives.
Students from Tommy More in Cambodia.
I encourage you to visit our website at www.stmc.uwa.edu.au and discover what the
only Catholic University College in WA offers its residents in care and support and
learning opportunities. Our building program will see the college grow with
wonderful new facilities over the next two years. But most of all, I hope you get the
sense that the college community is based firmly on the teachings of Christ and the
respect that we must show one another. We encourage our students to put their
faith into action and the Cambodia mission is but one manifestation of this. n
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LONDON CALLING
Youth Science Forum
Clare was an active and effective participant in the National
Youth Science Forum (NYSF) a 12 day residential program run
in Canberra and Perth in January. To attend the NYSF, Clare
competed for selection nationally for one of 432 places with
2,000 applicants. These applicants had all been identified as
top science students at their school.
New perspectives
‘A chance to attend LIYSF is incredible,’ said Clare. ‘Before I
attended the NYSF, which opened so many new perspectives
and options for me, I could not have dreamed of being a part
of this amazing opportunity.’
‘In the next couple of years I will be making some careershaping decisions, so to have the chance to experience
cutting edge science at an international level is a fantastic
springboard into the future.’
Clare Bradley
A thirst for knowledge and a passion for science
have led to Clare Bradley, a Year 12 student at
St Norbert College, being one of only 10
students from around Australia to be invited to
attend the London International Youth Science
Forum (LIYSF) for 2013.
The time in London will provide a real understanding of
science in action on a global scale. Participants also have
a unique opportunity to network with peers and leading
scientists from all over the world and to travel and build intercultural awareness, on their own initiative.
Founded in 1959, the LIYSF aims to give a deeper insight into
science and its applications for the benefit of all mankind and
to develop a greater understanding between young people
of all nations. Participants will visit Oxford and Cambridge
Universities, research and scientific establishments and attend
lectures by prestigious guest speakers. n
Someone Cares
Family, schools, friends, local businesses and
parishioners rallied to help a Whitfords Catholic
Primary School student in his quest to do
something for Perth’s homeless.
Eight year old Vincent Pettinicchio, after learning of the tough
life of homeless people, decided he should do something
about the situation.
He set out to gather items to put in packs for distribution
to the homeless during the winter months. The generosity
of people surprised him with enough donations of items,
including blankets, pillows and toiletries, to make up 185
packs which were collected by the Vinnies.
Students from several schools helped Vincent make up
the packs which included a note ’Just to let you know that
someone cares.’ Vincent’s mother Pina said he had been
amazed by the result and was very grateful for the help given
by so many people to achieve his objective.
Vincent Pettinicchio with the packs for the homeless
‘We just wanted Vincent to see that all initiatives and ideas
can be achieved and that there are people willing to help,’
she said. n
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Principal Appointments
JOHN BORmolini has been appointed
Principal of Chisholm Catholic College,
Bedford and will take up the position in
January 2014. John is currently Principal of
Emmanuel Catholic College, Success.
George Firns has been appointed
Principal of Sacred Heart School, Mundaring
and will take up the position in Term 3, 2013.
George is currently Principal of St Maria
Goretti Catholic School, Redcliffe.
Stephen Gibbs has been appointed
Principal of St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary
School, Port Kennedy from Term 2, 2013.
Stephen was previously Principal of Our Lady
of Mount Carmel School, Mullewa.
Joy Ketteringham has been
appointed Principal of St Joseph’s
School, Pinjarra from July 2013. Joy was
previously Principal of Birlirr Ngawiyiwu
Catholic School, Ringer Soak.
Robert Marshall has been appointed
Principal of Irene McCormack Catholic
College, Butler and will take up the
position in January 2014. Robert is
currently Deputy Principal at Chisholm
Catholic College, Bedford.
Kerrie Merritt has been appointed
Principal of Assumption Catholic Primary
School, Mandurah from Term 2, 2013.
Kerrie was previously Principal of
St Joseph’s School, Pinjarra.
Kevin Sheehy has been appointed
Foundation Principal of Forrestdale
Catholic College and will take up the
position in Semester 2, 2014. Kevin is
currently Principal of St Joseph’s School,
Northam.
Declan Tanham has been appointed
Principal of Aranmore Catholic College,
Leederville and will take up the position in
January 2014. Declan is currently Principal
of Nagle Catholic College, Geraldton.
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Lifel
Lifelink day launch at Corpus Christi College
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe launched LifeLink Day 2013 at Corpus Christi College earlier this term.
The launch was attended by more than 1600 students and staff from the college and neighbouring
Yidarra Catholic Primary School.
One million dollars
Since 1999, when LifeLink Day was introduced, schools in the
Perth Archdiocese have raised a million dollars for LifeLink and
the church welfare agencies it supports.
At the launch Archbishop Costelloe announced that Holy Cross
College and Aquinas College were joint recipients of the 2012
Spirit Award. The award is given to a school or schools which
show outstanding support and participation in LifeLink Day.
The Archbishop quoted a saying from St Mary McKillop,
Australia’s first saint, ‘Never see a need without doing something about it. It’s a really simple saying but it actually captures
something which is at the centre of what it is to be a Christian,’
he said. ‘In fact, I would be prepared to say that you couldn’t
really call yourself a Christian that is a follower of Jesus unless
you were at least trying to live this way.’
Students at the launch enjoyed a question and answer session
with the Archbishop. One student asked ‘Will there be a
Vatican Council III?’ There was not time for all questions to be
answered but the Archbishop invited students to send them to
him so that he could reply. n
Students were keen to take part in the question and answer session.
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