CSPWA End of Term 1 Newsletter 2021

Welcome to week 8 of our first term of 2021.We can hardly believe it is almost the end of Term 1!

Thank you to all of you who have taken on new positions in their P&F and to those who have returned to roles to support their school communities to achieve its goals.

The CSPWA office have been taking lots of calls in recent weeks regarding the best ways to conduct P&F meetings. Many parent groups are hosting their meetings as usual whilst offering the option for those parents who cannot attend in person to join via Zoom or other virtual  platforms. This method certainly provides the opportunity for more parents to engage with meetings. However it is important that if this is the way your P&F decides to go, you will need to be mindful of including those online in the meeting. For further information on how to manage this and other processes in the most effective way, please do not hesitate to contact the office. The office staff are always available to assist and offer support.

This is also the time of year when office bearers details change, therefore, we ask that you get those details to us as soon as you can so that we can ensure you receive information from us in a timely manner. There are many times throughout the year that we need to contact parent groups however we can only do so if we have your details.

If you are unsure whether we have your contact details, please call us and we can confirm whether or not we have them.  They will be added to the database which will make it easier for us to keep in touch.  You can either send them to admin@csp.wa.edu.au or go to our website at www.csp.wa.edu.au where you will find an office bearers form on the front page. Additionally if there are parents at your school who would like to hear from us and who are not office bearers they are more than welcome to send their details to the admin address above.

We thank sincerely those school parent groups who have paid their affiliation fee for 2021. This will ensure that we can continue to provide a support service to all who need it.  This year the invoices were accompanied by a flyer clearly showing what you get in return for the $3.50 per student.  If you have not seen a copy of your invoice or the flyer, please call the office and we can arrange for a copy to be forwarded. 

This term saw two new staff members join the team. Jennifer Cotton has joined us as Finance Officer and Nicole Beresford has taken on the role of Admin Officer. We welcome both new staff members and look forward to working together in the best interests of parents and P&Fs. 

CSPWA hosted the annual induction evening on February 18. It was great to see so many parents (and principals and school staff!) come along to find out more about our online induction resource. This is a great way for parents new to roles on the P&F to find out a little more about what the role may entail. 

With the holy season of Easter almost upon us, we urge you to participate in the many parish activities that will be taking place over the next week, starting with Palm Sunday this weekend. Easter is the most important feast in the Catholic calendar and brings with it the message of hope, something we all need a little of this year.

Please enjoy the upcoming holidays and remember not to eat too much chocolate!!

God bless and stay safe

Catherine Howarth

11 March 2021

CSPA supports Education Minister’s reform agenda

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) supports the reform agenda outlined by the Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge MP in his speech at the Menzies Research Centre earlier today. 

In response to the Minister’s address, Jacinta Collins - Executive Director, National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) notes that national priorities developed by NCEC to support the continual improvement of educational outcomes for all students in Australia’s 1,751 Catholic schools align well with those outlined by Minister Tudge.

“CSPA works in close partnership with NCEC,” notes CSPA Chair - Karl Rodrigues, “and we greatly value our opportunities to work with other educational bodies such as ACARA and AITSL.  Our families want the best possible learning for their children and parent voice being part of the constructive discernment of these key education agencies is vital”.

Minister Tudge made reference to parents several times in his address, noting the important r

ole that parents play in a child’s life and also in relation to the planned development of a repository of assessment tools that parents may access to see how their children are performing.

“CSPA has been focussed on building on the more than fifty years of research on parent engagement,” notes Mr Rodrigues, “research that consistently shows how family engagement in their children’s learning positively impacts their children’s achievements.  CSPA enthusiastically supports any school reforms that motivate families to further engage in their children’s learning.”

Across 200 years, many families have placed great ‘faith in the future’ in seeking out a Catholic education for their children.  The wonderful partnerships between many millions of parents and carers and Catholic schools have assisted Catholic education to grow from strength to strength.  CSPA thanks all education authorities, especially those in government, in valuing the voice of parents and carers in this most critical of enterprises, the education of our children.

Theme: Changes, Challenges and Accomplishments in Child Injury Prevention over the last 40 Years

Date: Tuesday, 18 May 2021
Venue: The University Club of Western Australia (UWA, Entrance 1, Hackett Drive, Crawley)
Catering: Morning tea and lunch provided

About the Event

Kidsafe WA’s inaugural Child Injury Prevention Symposium is back on in 2021!

Are you a professional working in injury prevention, health promotion, healthcare or child development?

Come join us as we explore the changes, challenges and accomplishments in Western Australian child injury prevention over the last four decades.

Injury is a major cause of preventable death and disability that affects Australians of all ages. Over 27 West Australian children die each year from preventable injuries, while a further 7,000 are hospitalised.

Over the past 40 years, Western Australia has achieved significant gains in the prevention of many types of childhood injuries including burns and scalds, poisoning, drowning, falls, safe sleeping, road traffic accidents as well as the areas of product safety and injury surveillance. This has required collaborative action from government, not for profit organisations, industry and the community to maximise the reach, efficiency and effectiveness of injury prevention initiatives. As we look towards the future of child injury prevention Kidsafe WA would like to also reflect on how far we have come, the challenges and accomplishments that got us here.

Our presenters:

• Colin Pettit, The Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia (Keynote)
• Lanie Chopping, A/Commissioner for Consumer Protection WA (Keynote)
• Professor Gervase Chaney, Dean, The School of Medicine at Notre Dame University (Keynote)
• Russ Milner, Department of Health
• Rachel Murray, Royal Life Saving WA
• Lisa Martin, Perth Children’s Hospital Burn Injury Research Unit
• Jacinta Freeman and Penelope Strauss, Telethon Kids Institute
• Anne-Marie Lynch, WA Poisons Information Centre

How to get Tickets:

• The event is free but seats are strictly limited. Morning tea and lunch provided.
• RSVPs close on 11^th May 2021.

Book tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/kidsafe-wa-child-injury-prevention-symposium-tickets-93868006735

Some kids move through their school years happily slurping up learning and challenges. They are genuinely interested and look at new ideas and skills with a sense of wonder and awe. Meanwhile, other kids are disengaged and it’s a daily battle. Often, there is no difference in ability, so what’s going on?

Kids are like us… complicated! They take their experiences, expectations, and emotions to school. Those three ‘Es’ can be holding them back or propelling them forward. However, parents are not powerless, you can set your children up for more successful learning.

How do we do that?

Read Linda Stade, Education writer's article HERE

The findings from the 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005 have been released.

CSPWA, as an advocate for equitable education outcomes for people with disability, made a submission through CSPA to this review. Thank you to all parents and carers who provided us with valuable feedback on the issue.

To see the report summary or full report, visit: https://www.dese.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005/2020-review-disability-standards-education-2005

We were delighted to recieve this great article about the St Patrick's Day fundraiser that the Friends of St Paul's in Karratha recently held! Looks like a fun night was had by all in attendance! If your school parent group would like to share a story about a recent event please email the article and some phiotos through to admin@csp.wa.edu.au

With St Patrick’s Day upon us, it would seem quite reasonable that a cheeky back flipping Leprechaun was in town, wouldn’t it? Well, those lucky enough to secure a seat at the St. Pat’s Community Quiz Night on Saturday 13^th March can report just that. Held by the Friends of St Paul’s School on site at the school’s idyllic undercover area.

The 300 attendees were treated to a great fun filled night that kept everyone engaged and fully entertained. Beyond the quiz itself the fun atmosphere was fueled by the flamboyant MC and a willing audience involved in all manner of table & floor games, Irish Jigs, and side jokes to boot. Attendees walked away with just under $5000 in prizes including $1600 to the winning table in a nail-biting finish.

The FOSPS committee exceeded their fundraising goal which once again highlights what a remarkably supportive community we live in. Gratitude and thanks to sponsors, supporters, and volunteers.

Post event feedback indicates that this annual event is here to stay and is one that Karratha needs to mark on its worthy planning calendar!

By: Rose Costello

President

Friends of St. Paul’s School (FOSPS)

Fierce Girls is ABC'c award-winning kids podcast which tells the extraordinary stories of Australian women, told by amazing ones.  And in the sixth season of the podcast, it is featuring a fantastic bunch of diverse and wonderful women and girls.

The subjects for the latest season span the worlds of writing, politics, sports, space, motoring and fashion.    

On Monday, March 8 (International Women’s Day), ABC released the story of the INCREDIBLE word warrior Oodgeroo Noonuccal, narrated by Indigenous writer and podcaster Marlee Silva. 

You’ll be able to listen to it by going to the Fierce Girls website.

There will be a colouring in poster of Oodgeroo to download there at the same time, plus there are also a whole lot of other fierce and wonderful stories of Australian women and girls there to choose from.  

For previous series we’ve also created: 

• A series of really fun posters that can be downloaded and printed out.
• A series of images that can be coloured-in.

They can all be accessed via this page.

Sadly I am moving on from my role as Liaison Officer with Catholic School Parents. I want to thank the amazing staff and council at CSPWA for all their support over the last five years-it has been an incredible journey! I have always been inspired by the fantastic work that parents do to support their schools throughout our Catholic school communities in WA. I feel very privileged to have shared in some wonderful visits to both our rural and remote schools, and our local metro school parent group meetings. It has been an honour to meet so many enthusiastic and committed parents who really value the difference that they can make in their children's educational and faith journey.

I know that Catholic School Parents WA will continue to represent, advocate for and support all parents throughout Catholic school in WA and I wish everyone the very best wishes as you continue to do the inspiring work you do!

Goodbye and God Bless!

Theresa McDonnell

CSPWA staff and council wish you all a joyful Easter.

Enjoy this special time with you families and we look forward to seeing you all in Term 2