CSPWA End of Term 3 Newsletter 2021

A very warm (literally – don’t you just love the first 28-degree day of spring!) welcome to our second newsletter for Term 3.

The year is going by extremely quickly and as for everyone else this term, has been super busy for the staff and council here at CSPWA.  We have been involved in lots of exciting things one of which was the State Conference held in August and which from the feedback received, was a great success. You will find a round-up of the two days further down in the newsletter. However, I am very pleased to let you all know that Laura Allison, who presented at the Conference Opening Dinner on the Friday evening, giving us a preview of the new CEWA Wellbeing Strategic Framework – Faith to Flourish, is back on her feet again and looking great. Laura, as those of you present are aware ended up in surgery later that night. Laura’s presentation was a highlight of the conference for many, and to know that she was so ill on the night is a testament to her professionalism. We thank her most sincerely for her commitment to parents. We would also like to thank the members of CEWA and also the members of the CECWA who gave up their Friday night to be with parents at the dinner, it is much appreciated.

According to delegate feedback another highlight of the conference was the panel session ‘Respectful Relationships’ held on Saturday afternoon. All panellists provided thoughtful insight into the conversation, in particular the two student panellists. These two highly articulate young people, Ben from Trinity College and Lily from Mercedes College were outstanding with their honest and transparent responses to the questions tabled. These young people are a credit to their families and their schools - the future is certainly in safe hands with young people like Ben and Lily.

Towards the end of Term 2 we received the very exciting news that CSPWA has been formally recognised by the Catholic Education Commission of WA as the peak body representing and advocating on behalf of parents who choose a Catholic Education for their children in WA. As many of you know, CSPWA have always had a strong working relationship with CEWA not dissimilar to that which exists between schools and their parent groups. However, to have the partnership recognised in this manner is not just a very positive outcome for CSPWA but in fact for all parents who are members of our organisation through their affiliation. To that end, although some of you will have seen this letter through your own school, we wanted to share it with you here also. Please take a moment to read it further down in this newsletter.        

Recognition of the positive role that parents play in the education of our children and young people, through formal recognition at local, State and Federal level, demonstrates that governments and education systems value parent input into the conversations that matter. It is important that parents are aware of the work that both state and national parent bodies engage in on their behalf and that they take the opportunity to have input when requested. It is essential therefore that you as parents remain connected with CSPWA so that when we are requested to provide feedback on particular matters we can ensure your voice is part of that feedback.

As you can see the newsletter this time is jam packed with information about events happening in the busy world of Catholic education and beyond. I hope that you manage to participate where you can, including exercising your ‘People’s Choice’ vote for your school if they have nominated for a QCE Award or attending one of the ‘Spirit of the Arts’ events taking place next week. Information about both can be found further down in the newsletter and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Spirit of the Arts Festival Concert next Monday evening at the RAC Arena. Hope we’re allowed to sing along!!

Enjoy the rest of the term!

Warm regards         

Siobhan Allen 

BREAKDOWN SAFETY:

Many of our young people are learning to drive and with the tragic passing of a young man on our roads recently, we are reminded to speak to our young people not just about how to drive, but about safety.  Circulating on Facebook is the following safety information for the steps to take in case of a breakdown on our freeway from Main Roads.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Jack McCormack and all those touched by the tragedy. 

TOWING ASSISTANCE:

Did you know, if your vehicle has stopped on a freeway or main road and is obstructing traffic or in a hazardous location, you can call us on 138 138 to arrange having your vehicle moved to a safer location, FREE OF CHARGE.

If you breakdown or are involved in a crash, you should:

1. Switch on hazard lights.
2. Make every effort to exit freeway or highway.
3. Move to an emergency lane or to the side of the road, if possible.
4. Call emergency services if required or injured.
5. Only exit your vehicle if safe to do so.
6. Never try to cross a freeway or highway.
7. If waiting for assistance in your car, keep seat belt fastened.
8. Call roadside assistance, if you are a member.
9. For further assistance, call Main Roads on 138 138.

As mentioned in Siobhan's introduction, CSPWA has been formally recognised by the Catholic Education Commission of WA as the peak body representing and advocating on behalf of parents who choose a Catholic Education for their children in WA. Please see a copy of the letter from Debra Sayce, Executive Director CEWA, and Siobhan Allen.

The CSPWA Awards of Excellence Conference Dinner and “Put Your Own Mask on First” Conference was held on Friday 6^th and Saturday 7^th of August 2021. Both events were a wonderful way to celebrate the great work of Catholic School Parents around WA and provide the opportunity for parents to network and share ideas. Close to 120 people attended the dinner at the Astral Ballroom Crown, and over 50 attended the Conference the following day. We have received very positive feedback about both events from both the parents and CEWA representatives who attended.

Eight awards were presented during the dinner. Five of those were the Awards of Excellence, presented to people in the school community who demonstrate positive outcomes for students, families and the wider school community. The winner of the Parent Group award was The Friends of St John Bosco Piara Waters, the winner of the Parent award was Holy Rosary Derby, the winner of the Principal award was Toni Kalat from Mater Christ Yangebup, the winner of the Parish award was Our Lady of Fatima Palmyra, and the winner of the Agnes Weymouth award was Peter Constable from St Brigid’s Primary School Middle Swan.

Three past members of CSPWA council were conferred with Life Membership on the evening. Life Membership is open to those who have served for in excess of 10  years on council and who have contributed significantly to the organisation during that time. Receiving Life Membership on the evening were Helen Anderson, Joe Monterosso and Agnes Weymouth. They were presented with their acknowledgements by Shelley Hill who is the inaugural Life Member of CSPWA. Many congratulations to all these outstanding contributors.

The Conference on the 7^th at Mercedes College included presentations from Linda Stade “Navigating Friendships” and Claire Eaton “Resilient Parents” and a panel discussion on building respectful relationships. We were lucky enough to have a student from Mercedes College and a student from TrinityCollege feature on the panel and provide their student perspective.

We thank everyone who attended and supported the CSPWA dinner and conference. We hope that those who attended had as much fun as we did and we’re happy to receive your feedback on how we can make it even better next time. Thank you also to Mercedes College who hosted us and provided support as needed leading up to the Conference, and on the day.

EVENT OVERVIEW

The newly imagined, Spirit of the Arts Festival to be held in September 2021, brings together Catholic school students from across the state to participate in an inclusive, uplifting celebration of the arts.

In a milestone year for Catholic Education with the commemoration of 200 years nationally and 50 years for our united CEWA system, this year also marks 32 years of Catholic Arts.  In honour of our special commemorations, we’re taking our creativity to the next level with an innovative approach to our Performing Arts Festival.

SPIRIT OF THE ARTS FESTIVAL EVENTS

Performing Arts Festival Concert – Monday, 13 September 

Carnevale Lunchtime Concerts – Tuesday, 14 to Thursday, 16 September 

Carnevale – Friday, 17 September 

The Festival will run over one week and includes opportunities for every Catholic school in WA to get involved.

The showpiece of Catholic Arts 2021 is the Spirit of the Arts Concert on Monday, 13 September 2021.  This new event will star over 1,500 students from Catholic schools and Colleges across the state, showcasing some of WA’s most inspiring rising stars in a three-hour celebration of choir, orchestras, bands, dancers and soloists.  A compilation of performances that have received Outstanding Award recommendations and Shield nominations from the Performing Arts Festival will be featured.  This will be a truly inclusive and uplifting show. To book your tickets, go to: https://www.spiritofthearts.com.au/tickets. 

Over 3 days, students from across the State will showcase the exceptional gifts and talents of our creative Catholic education community with lunchtime concerts in Yagan Square and Forrest Place.

The high profile, community-focus Carnevale in Forrest Place is a marketplace style event showcasing performance, visual arts, a Spring fashion parade and stalls including hospitality, jewellery, homewares, craft and gifts to mention a few.  This colourful, high impact event is set to be a feast for the mind, body and soul.

MASSED CHOIR SONGS

The massed choir songs that have been chosen include Faith in the Future which has been written to commemorate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia and Hearts of Courage a new composition for the Bicentenary of Catholic Education and promotes a message of inclusion, participation and engagement.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN "FAITH IN THE FUTURE" ICONIC VIDEO OPPORTUNITY

Schools unable to travel to Perth for the concert had the opportunity to record their own version of the Faith in the Future song in their relevant, iconic Western Australian location and submit for inclusion in a compilation video to be shown on the night of the concert.

"Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Angelico Art Exhibition for 2021. This year there was again an incredible range of creative work that reflected the interesting and profound student perspective on the world around them. Each year, CSPWA awards a student from Year 7-10 an Encouragement Award – an award to encourage the student to continue to pursue their artistic endeavours. The theme CSPWA looks for in the artwork is generally a parents and children theme, which sometimes extends to the broader theme of family. The winner for this year is Amy Oaten in Year 10 at Santa Maria College. Amy writes, “This portrait is of my grandfather who has worked the land all his life and is an incredibly important figure to my family.” Congratulations Amy!"

Rebecca Furfaro, CSPWA Councillor and Awards Judge.

Don't forget to vote for the Quality Catholic Education People's Choice Award which recognises the remarkable efforts and dedication of Catholic school communities, staff and students across our state. Voting closes Sunday, 12th September. Click on the link following to cast your vote:

https://awards.cewa.edu.au/vote/

1st Annual Western Australia ADHD Conference 2021

Saturday 6th November 2021

Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

This Conference will feature nationally and internationally renowned expert speakers and a fantastic range of exhibitors and will be perfect for parents, educators, adults with ADHD and anyone with a connection to a child, teen or adult with ADHD.

For more information on pricing, speakers and exhibitors, and to view the agenda, please visit: https://www.myspecialchildonline.com/western-australia-adhd-conference-2021/

Happening online on Tuesday 5^th October (second week of the school holidays for WA) is the Miss-Connection summit aimed at those with Tween and Teen girls.  There are a total of 9 speakers over the day with lifetime access to recordings in case you can’t watch continuously, or you want to rewatch.  The line-up is:

• Resilience and Building Her Confidence -- with Turia Pitt
• Anxiety and Depression with Jodi Richardson
• Self-Harm with Michelle Mitchell - Author, Speaker, Educator
• Loving your body! with Taryn Brumfitt
• Alcohol and substance abuse - with Paul Dillon
• Friendships and drama cyclones - with Rebecca Sparrow
• The Father-Daughter relationship with Madonna King
• Dealing with Puberty and Periods with Ginni Mansberg
• Screens and Teens with Martine Oglethorpe
• and Miss-Connection with Dr Justin Coulson - Australia's leading expert on happy families.

The Early Bird Price is $99 and it's available now, full price is $149.

Here's the link to book your ticket!

https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/miss...

With term 4 looming, we start to think about transition for our students, looking forward to next year and a move into the next school year.  Transitions can be hard for our students and for us as parents, as we navigate the anxiety and fear that can sometimes happen with change. A fantastic resource is the CSPA “Parent Engagement”, which our own Siobhan Allen has helped develop.  The resource is split into primary and secondary parents and primary and secondary principals, plus a case studies section.  This resource provides a module on transition in both the primary and secondary space and is well worth a look, providing some really concrete and practical advice.  It is worth having a good look through this free resource, as it has many worthwhile tips for becoming engaged in your child’s learning.

Here is the link to the resource:

https://parentengagementcspa.edu.au/

A link to the primary parent module on transition:

https://parentengagementcspa.edu.au/for-parents-primary

and a link to the secondary parent module on transition:

https://parentengagementcspa.edu.au/for-parents-secondary

Our year 12 students are at the end of their high school journey and will soon start their final exams.  This can be a really stressful time for both parents and students (and siblings!).  It is always interesting to hear from students who have recently completed this journey and are on the other side looking back.  Here is an article from Deakin University, written from the perspectives of university students looking back.

Another fantastic resource is Reach Out, which is a website that covers a whole range of health and well-being issues.  There is something in the website for everyone, but it also has fantastic advice on exam stress tips and videos of students sharing their stories of how they coped with exam stress:

Subject selection can be daunting whether you are in year 8, 9 or 10, and helping our children to start considering a career direction at a young age can seem overwhelming.  A fantastic resource to help you and your child to start exploring ideas is www.myfuture.edu.au, which has a section for students to start building a career profile through looking at areas such as their interests, values and work conditions.  There is also a section for parents and carers as well as teachers and career practitioners.  We would encourage you to discuss this with your kids and focus on what they enjoy doing rather than trying to pin down a career.  The website contains articles on how to help your child choose a subject also also has an interactive career bullseye to help generate ideas. We have provided the links to these sections below:

Help your child choose school subjects | myfuture

https://myfuture.edu.au/bullseyes

School holidays are just around the corner and we are bringing back our series of popular workshops for you and your children to enjoy! Delivered by real-life Telethon Kids Institute researchers, the jam-packed program includes fun games, exciting experiments and hands-on activities for your junior scientists to get involved in - there's more for you to enjoy than ever before!

These school holidays, join the Telethon Kids Institute Discovery Centre to grow germs on slices of bread, build a circuit to learn about the neurons in the brain, make a stethoscope to learn about healthy heartbeats, create a grounding block for self-care and so much more.

Each workshop runs for an hour and a half, costing just $15 per child.

Book your spot: https://discoverycentre.telethonkids.org.au/news-and-events/2021/september/term-3-school-holiday-workshops/