Snapshot of sharing from CSPA Members
Snapshot of sharing from CSPA Members
Following are some stories shared by CSPA Members.
Catholic School Parents South Australia
Term 3 has been a busy quarter for CSPSA. The Executive Officer was pleased to attend the NCEC conference to be immersed in all aspects of education. The EO was able to connect with CSPA National members, having only connect online to date. The personal connections were worthwhile and long lasting – with a range of advice given as the new SA branch becomes established.
On September 20, we hosted our First Parent Engagement Evening for parents and carers of children in South Australian Catholic schools. We were thrilled to have 370 register for the evening, with 130 in person and another 240 onscreen.
The featured speaker was Madhavi Nawana Parker of Positive Minds Australia and she presented on Anxiety and Worry in Children & Teenagers.
Many children experience some degree of anxiety and worry and the presentation was designed to help parents and carers learn to respond in a way that doesn’t further inflame the situation and reduce destructive thinking patterns and improve resilience and wellbeing.
We were very pleased with the evening and look forward to planning our next parent engagement event – Get off that Computer now! A presentation on screen time presented by Mark Le Messurier (Trish Jarvis – CSPSA Executive Officer).
Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council
The Acting President of the Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council, Dr Perpetua (Pep) Turner, was awarded a Catholic Education Commission Tasmania (CECT) ‘Exemplary Contribution to Catholic Education’ Award at the recent CECT 2022 Award Presentations in Hobart. The following is an extract of the covering words said in regards to Pep’s award at the presentation:
Dr Perpetua (Pep) Turner is an Ecologist and mother of four children in Catholic education, is regularly involved in the Bellerive-Lindisfarne Catholic Parish, and volunteers in a variety of different positions with Catholic schools’ Parents and Friends Associations. She works with commitment to improving Catholic education. Her children have attended Corpus Christi Catholic School, St Virgil’s College, and Guilford Young College, and she understands the value of Catholic education.
Anyone who has worked alongside Pep, knows that she has a high level of personal integrity and strong family values. Her volunteering is a massive aspect of her faith, and she has assisted many different committees and groups to help foster growth throughout Catholic education in Tasmania. She is always willing to share her expertise and wisdom with parents and staff and uses her wealth of experience in governance to ensure that funding and support is being used effectively. Her voluntary roles within Catholic education extend to being the first female Chair of the School Board at Corpus Christi Catholic School, the Deputy Chair of the Catholic Education Commission Tasmania (CECT), President of the Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council, and a representative for Tasmanian parents on Catholic School Parents Australia.
Pep has been able to create change and improvement herself by sharing questions, concerns, and suggestions from parents directly to the Archbishop of Hobart and to the Executive Director of Catholic Education Tasmania. Leadership is a massive aspect of her role, and she has positively influenced many people who have been involved with the work she has done. She said, “I try to demonstrate leadership by doing things that you can actually achieve and then maintain a positive outlook and find solutions to problems that come up rather than say, okay that’s too hard.”
Congratulations on your Exemplary Contribution to Catholic Education Award, Pep!
The image below shows Dr Pep Turner receiving her award from CECT Commissioner Elaine Doran, Executive Director of Catholic Education Tasmania - Dr Gerard Gaskin, Dr Pep Turner and CECT Commissioner Michael McKenna.
Catholic School Parents Queensland
Recently Catholic School Parents Queensland (CSPQ) hosted the final of their successful parent engagement days across the state. This was held in the Diocese of Rockhampton.
Parents, carers, principals, teachers and Catholic Education Staff came together to hear from renowned psychologist, speaker and author Andrew Fuller.
Participants spent a full day listening and sharing with Andrew as he provided fascinating and valuable insights around children & tricky behaviours, building blocks for children’s mental health and how to keep children motivated to learn and do well in school.
Participants also attended an important session with Chris Borrell from The Fathering Project. Parents and school leadership were invited to consider introducing The Fathering Project into their school communities where they can learn more about how to better engage dads with their children’s learning. Mr Borrell shared that the Fathering Project supports schools to set up Dad’s groups in the school and provides mentors and resources to support this work.
There was also discussion on parent engagement in the local school and also the Rockhampton Diocesan Parent Council.
Upon closure of the day participants were buzzing that they had a full day of rich information, conversation & connection.
Catholic School Parents Victoria
Catholic School Parents Victoria continue to connect with parents to support them to engage in their children’s learning and wellbeing.
Our three pillars are partnerships, advocacy and communication
Partnerships Update
SchoolTV, Lifesaving Victoria, Catholic diocese, Victorian Assessment and Curriculum Authority (VCAA), The Allannah and Madeleine Foundation and Daniel Morcombe Foundation are a few key partners we connect with to support parents to engage in learning and wellbeing. Through sharing information and providing resources, we are building the capacity of parents to be engaged and to actively participate in their children’s learning.
Some of the activities we’ve provided are:
- Webinar for Catholic school parents to inform and share information about the new Victorian Senior Secondary Certificate changes that will begin in 2023.
- Sharing resources from SchoolTV to enable and strengthen parent capacity to support the wellbeing of their children
- Sharing resources from Allannah and Madeleine and Daniel Morcombe Foundations strengthen parent capacity to guide and support the safety of their children
Advocacy Update
This November in the State of Victoria we will have an important election. CSPV are working alongside CECV to determine what each party is planning to offer and how it will impact Catholic education. CSPV are also working through priorities that may impact Catholic school families, particularly when it comes to ongoing funding and upgrades to our many older Catholic primary schools
In August, Chair Matthew Williams and Executive Officer Rachel Saliba met with the Chief of Staff Chief of Staff Office of the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP, Robert Larocca MP, and discussed the priorities for Catholic school families and the acknowledgement of them as a major part of education system in the state of Victoria, with almost half a million parents who are taxpayers in the State of Victoria.
We will continue to inform parents of the pledges from each party and how they may impact Catholic school families.
Communication Update
In July in line with our new marketing and communications plan, CSPV launched a new suite of communication material including a new online newsletter CSPV Parent Connect and CSPV Connect flyers for schools to include in newsletters as well as new social media posts to share, inform and inspire parents to stay on the journey with their children.
The response has been positive and we are endeavoring to continue to keep parents informed and provide opportunities for feedback and participation in webinars and other forums so parent voice is heard and acted on.
Find out more through CSPV Connect for September – click on the links below.
Catholic School Parents Western Australia
As the end of a very busy Term 3 drew near, Catholic School Parents WA (CSPWA) embarked on its first ever Parent Pilgrimage on Sunday September 18.
We often hear about the importance of looking after ourselves first in order to better look after the others in our lives. Although all school terms are busy and have their challenges, Term 3 in WA is a busy one with Book Week, Science Week, the Performing Arts Festival, School Sports Carnivals in addition to all the ex-curricular activities our children and young people engage in. Many of these activities depend heavily on the involvement of parents - who doesn’t love Book Week and the creation of all those wonderful costumes!!!
Keeping this in mind, the idea of a pilgrimage was put forward as an opportunity to renew in a spiritual way. The experience of the ancient faith tradition of pilgrimage provides a wonderful way to recharge the batteries and have some time to encounter God, ourselves, others and nature.
The Camino Salvado is a pilgrimage which runs from Subiaco in West Perth to the monastery town of New Norcia, approximately 160 kms north east of Perth. New Norcia was founded in 1846 by Dom Rosendo Salvado, a pioneering monk from Santiago in Spain. The pilgrimage follows in the footsteps of Dom Salvado and provides an inspirational way to connect with country.
The pilgrimage organised by CSPWA walked the first section of the Camino Salvado from St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco at the head of the trail to Bardon Park in East Perth, a walk of approximately 10 kms. The pilgrims were blessed with a beautiful day and were guided ably by Ms Mandy Connor, Director of Teaching and Learning at Catholic Education Western Australia. Mandy is an avid Camino walker and her enthusiasm for this tradition had a positive effect on all who took part. On a relatively short walk through the lovely city of Perth, Mandy pointed out many of the connections to our Catholic faith, including the pro cathedral of St John the Evangelist on our way to St Mary’s Cathedral in Victoria Square.
As the group stopped and restarted at the various landmarks relevant to our faith, it was lovely to fall into step with someone different each time. Although all participants live in Perth, they encountered beautiful pathways and tracks they had not walked before. God’s wonderful creation was certainly in evidence as they walked along the Swan River on a beautiful spring day with pilgrims sometimes chatting and sometimes walking in silence.
Although the group was not a big one, they look forward to continuing the Camino Salvado next year, moving on to the next section of the track. CSPWA also look forward to encouraging more parents to join in this unique experience and taking the opportunity to meet some new people while celebrating God’s creation and reflecting on the journey of our lives.
Council of Catholic School Parents NSW
Below is a statement from the new Executive Director of the Council of Council School Parents NSW/ACT (CCSP) - Catherine Garrett-Jones.
I began my career as a teacher of science and biology in 1988 moving out of the classroom and into a role in Family Engagement in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office in 2012. During this time, I worked with the diocesan peak parent body and developed a new model for parent and carer engagement that has, as a focus, an emphasis on authentic parent and carer engagement in learning.
Our schools and their families have worked through unprecedented times in recent years that have only emphasised the importance of deep communication between our families and schools.
Plenty of research exists to highlight the importance of the partnership between families and their school and the critical impact this has on their child’s learning.
I have always considered the partnership a little like “jumping into a canoe together” with each of us paddling to reach our common destination - the same one we all share, best outcomes for our children. At times, parents and carers may find paddling difficult, but that’s ok, as a caring community, we have their back, offering compassionate and understanding support. At other times, teachers and schools may find the padding a bit challenging, that is when our families can do so much to help schools, build them up, affirm them and encourage them with their empathetic communication.
I am looking forward to continuing to strengthen the collaborative and forward-thinking Council, helping to shape an approach that is reflective of the needs of parents and carers across NSW and the ACT.
I am excited about the opportunity to build the capacity of our parents and carers to engage more deeply in their child’s learning. I am equally enthusiastic about supporting schools to develop and build their ability to engage with families to ensure meaningful connections that contribute to strong partnerships, enhancing learning for our children and young people.
Romans 12:4-5
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another”.
2022 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning.
CCSP would like to acknowledge, thank and congratulate the school communities for their effort and commitment to building partnerships between home and school to enhance the learning outcomes of students.
Congratulations St Joseph's Primary School, Coraki, First Place in the 2022 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning.
The independent judging panel noted the first place submission is a result of advice obtained in a survey of the community and supports students' learning of local knowledge and understanding as well as environmental growth.
L-R Brendan Moloney, Len Moran, Catherine Garrett-Jones and Christine Morrison.
Christine Morrison, Deputy Chair, CCSP, Parent Assembly Cluster Coordinator, Diocese of Lismore and newly appointed CCSP Executive Director, Catherine Garrett-Jones, presented the award and prizemoney to the community of St Joseph’s Primary School, Coraki, in the Diocese of Lismore, on September 20.
Ms Jenny Allen, Acting Director of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Lismore, sent a special message for the community of St Joseph’s Primary School, Coraki, which was delivered by Janita Thomson, Lead, Family Partnership, Diocese of Lismore.
"School/Family/Community partnership and engagement is a key priority for our system of schools not only because of what the research tells us about its positive impact on young people but also because of the concept of communio in our Catholic tradition."
In the linked video below, that was part of the submission, Len Moran, member of the CCSP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parent Sub-Committee, speaks about the project.
School Captain Rasharnie Smith led the community in prayer
Pictured L-R Brendan Moloney, Principal, Travis Schaefer, School Leader, Rachael Dawson, Teacher, Jo Kelly, Parent Assembly Cluster Coordinator, Rasharnie Smith, School Captain, Cath Garrett-Jones, Executive Director CCSP and Len Moran, Indigenous Education Worker.
AWARD RECIPIENTS
2022 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning.
2022 First Place
St Joseph’s Primary School, Coraki, Diocese of Lismore, for their School Improvement Plan Visual Appeal, Meeting of the Waters.
2022 Second Place
St Mary’s Grafton, Diocese of Lismore for their Family Faith and Fun Night initiative.
Highly Commended Award
St Michael’s Primary School, Dunedoo, Diocese of Bathurst for their St Michael’s parent engagement in the faith formation of the child initiative.
Finalists
Holy Family, Catholic Primary School, Lindfield, Diocese of Broken Bay for their Amazing me initiative.
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Mona Vale in the Diocese of Broken Bay for their Faith and Learning Walks initiative.
Loreto Kirribilli, Archdiocese of Sydney for their Mentoring and networking program.
Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Parent Representative Model under Review
Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn have been seeking the views of parents and carers on how parent representative groups can improve school governance through a review of School Boards and Community Councils.
A Working Group comprising of Principals, Parents, and representatives from Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn have developed a range of ideas in an Issues Paper which has been open for consultation for the past month.
Director of Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn, Ross Fox, says parents and carers bring valuable knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm to these forums.
“School governance is generating much discussion in Catholic school systems across Australia,” Mr Fox says. “This discussion stems in part from the changing expectations of parents, regulators, and governments about the role that parents, carers and members of school communities can and should play in the context of our schools, and the increasingly complex regulatory environment in which schools operate.
“So far, we have had a number of excellent responses offering thoughts, comments and perspectives on the issues paper and accompanying questions.”
The Council of Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CSPACG) look forward to supporting the implementation of the recommendations which will be presented to the Catholic Education Commission later in the year.