Welcome to Term 2, and to a very much more positive start than that of Term 1.

The break over Easter was a welcome one and I hope that you all managed to have some special/family time with your loved ones.

Covid-19 restrictions are slowly being lifted which is good news for all and masks are not required to the same extent as before. We see from the news every evening that cases are still quite significant although thankfully the number of people having to be hospitalised seems to be dropping. It should be remembered however that as we move towards winter, it is more important that ever to ensure we are all fully vaccinated if possible, including with the flu vaccine.

As we move towards a more ‘normal’ way of existence, we continue to encourage P&Fs /Parent Groups to reach out to your communities. In particular, we encourage you to reach out to the parents and families in Kindy and Year 7 who will have been impacted by not being able to participate in activities on school sites in Term 1 and therefore get to know the other parents/ carers in their children’s year groups. Many of us developed great friendships and support groups in those transition years which continued on through our children’s journey through primary and then secondary school. For many parents, especially those who do not have family close by, school becomes an important part of their community, and our key role as parent groups is to engage with as many of those in our community as we can. This brings significant wellbeing outcomes to all members of our community, parents, teachers and of course our children and young people.

We are reminded of the important role that P&Fs play in our schools as we look toward Volunteer Week commencing on May 16. Volunteering is such a rewarding experience, both to participate in but which also demonstrates to our children the importance of putting some time by to help others. Further along in the newsletter you will find information about the benefits of volunteering as well as some tips on recruiting volunteers for your school parent group. Thanking those who give of their time, whether it is one hour or ten, is an important part of this, so take time to thank the volunteers in your school community during Volunteer Week!

CSPWA recognise the wonderful work that volunteers commit to in our schools through the presentation of the annual ‘Awards of Excellence in Building Positive School Communities’. The date for this year’s Awards of Excellence event is Friday 5 August and nominations are now open! You will find information on how to participate further down in this newsletter. We urge you to recognise those in your schools who contribute to building positive school communities by nominating them for an award this year!

With just over two weeks to go before the Federal Election, members of CSPWA in collaboration with Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) have been busy meeting with as many politicians as we can to ascertain how they intend to support those families who choose a Catholic Education for their children, as we move forward. In addition, here in WA, CSPWA has been working in close partnership with Catholic Education WA (CEWA) not only in putting forward our requests to our local politicians but also, importantly, ensuring that they are aware of the contribution that we as parents make to the economy of both the State of WA and Australia through choosing a Catholic education for our children. Whilst we continue to be extremely grateful for the financial assistance we currently receive from both Federal and State governments it is important that all are aware of the very real benefits that Catholic Education to the state and national economies. You will find in this newsletter links to several resources which you will find useful should you have the opportunity to meet with your local candidates. It is important that as parents we are aware of the funding arrangements for our schools, which enables us to have meaningful and relevant conversations with our elected representatives. As always, if you need any assistance with this please don’t hesitate to contact the office.

The National Assessment Plan for Numeracy and Literacy (NAPLAN) commences this month for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9. This year for most students NAPLAN will be completed online which provides a more engaging experience for our children. We have included in this newsletter a link to the Autralian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) website which provides information for parents regarding NAPLAN. Importantly it is important to support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just another part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best.

Lastly, but importantly please note the date for the CSPWA AGM has been set for Thursday June 16. The AGM will be a hybrid meeting and those of you who wish to join us on the evening will be able to join us in person (Covid-19 permitting) or online. Additional information will be forwarded to you over the coming weeks.

I hope that you enjoy the wide variety of articles in this newsletter and as always please don't hesitate to contact the office if you would like any further information regarding any of the topic covered.

Enjoy the rest of the term!

Warm regards

Siobhan

Parent/carer support

The National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) commences for students this year on Monday 10 May.

As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents and carers to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Federal, state and territory education ministers agreed to gradually transition NAPLAN online by 2022. NAPLAN online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results.

To access the parent information brochure, please follow the link below -

https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

The federal election will be held on Saturday 21 May. The Catholic education sector, in collaboration with Catholic School Parents Australia, has already commenced discussions with the major political parties and candidates in some electorates, to highlight the key priorities for our school communities. To find out more about the key priorities please follow the link below -

https://www.ncec.catholic.edu.au/federal-election-2022

Additional information can be found here -

As alluded to by Siobhan in her welcome, we are always extremely grateful to both Federal and State government for their ongoing financial support in addition to their support of school choice and the ability for parents to choose the education which best suits their chldrens' needs. However parents should also be aware of the significant contribution that Catholic education makes to both National and State economies. To see how that looks here in Western Australia, please follow the links below,

https://www.cewa.edu.au/publication/building-a-brighter-wa/

https://www.everychildcounts.net.au/

The Council of CSPWA, with the support of the office staff, have been working to update the CSPWA Strategic Plan for 2022 - 2025.

We are now happy to announce that this work has been completed and we attach here a copy for your interest. Although our key role is still to provide advocacy, service and represention for parents who choose a Catholic education for their children, we have also chosen to highlight the work we do in building partnerships with others in Catholic education, such as school advisory councils, school leadership teams, CEWA and those schools who now sit outside the CEWA goverance structure. We work on these partnerships to ensure that the parent perspective can be heard in all of the conversations that matter.

Whilst all school parent groups will receive a hard copy in the coming weeks, you can have a first look here: https://cspwa.schoolzineplus.com/about-cspwa/strategic-plan-2022-2025

Web Article

Being able to read is a vital life skill. From filling out forms, to opening bank accounts to reading the newspaper or being able to enjoy the recent 'bestseller,' being able to read is essential. Teaching children to read is a joint responsibility between parents and their children's teachers. Teachers bring the expertise in developing the skills that children need to learn how to read and parents provide the opportunity at home to practice those skills. Even in the ever busy world that we live in, we as parents should prioritise time every day to read with our children and to encourage them to enjoy the world that reading opens up to them. Reading with our children does not have to stop once they are competent readers. Hopping into bed with your teenager and reading a chapter of their book with them is a great way to keep connected with them.

The Premier's Reading Challenge is a great incentive for children to put the gaming device down and picking up a book. Please take the time to check the information below and help your child to get organised for the Challenge.

Be their reading legend. Reading just 10 minutes each day makes a difference.

Reading takes you anywhere, and by making time each day to either read with your child or children, or by encouraging them to read, you are making a huge difference to their literacy.

We are excited for you to join the Premier's Reading Challenge and be your child’s reading legend.

Get started

Sign up and create an account using your email address and details.
Complete your child or children's details to register them for the challenge.
Let your child select an avatar.

You can register more than one child at a time.

The challenge

In your account you will have access to your 2022 Premier's Reading Challenge where you can:

access your child or children's reading challenge account.
find more than 7,000 book titles from our booklist.
log your child’s books - these can be books from our booklist or new titles (these include recording foreign language material and books read in a different format).
encourage your child to add a review or 'like' the book.
view your child's bookshelf, to see the books you have logged during the challenge.
track your child's progress in the challenge.

You will need to log at least 12 books your child has read over this challenge, but feel free to keep adding more titles as they read.

By logging your child's books, they will be in the running to win some fantastic prizes, including family holidays and experiences across Western Australia.

A reading record is available if you cannot access an online account.

We want everyone to have access to books, in any format this is needed. We have partnered with the State Library of Western Australia to try and have as many of the challenge books available, and in as many formats possible. Your school library may also have these books.

The 68th CSPWA Annual General meeting will take place on Thursday 16th June 2022 from 7-8pm. Parents from all Catholic Schools across WA are invited to attend. If you have any items you would like to place on the agenda, please forward them to admin@csp.wa.edu.au by Friday 3 June.

Each financially affiliated school parent body is entitled to two votes. These votes will be held by delegates. Where there are more than two delegates from an eligible school, the additional participants are observers and have no voting or speaking rights.

Members from schools who are financially affiliated with CSPWA are also invited to consider nomination to Council at the AGM.

Registration information will be provided in the coming weeks, and the agenda and nomination for council forms will be forwarded after registration.

Nominations to CSPWA Council:

The Council of Catholic School Parents WA Inc (the Council) is responsible for the governance of the organisation and ensuring that its objectives are met. Elected members of the Council represent all parents of children in Western Australian Catholic Schools.

Council members also have the opportunity to represent CSPWA on national, state and Catholic education sector committees and working parties as it fits with their personal circumstances and availability, area of expertise, interest and knowledge.

If joining our council is something you might be interested in or if you would like to find out more, please contact Siobhan Allen, Executive Director CSPWA on 0409 025 683.

The Awards of Excellence in Building Positive Catholic School Communities is a rewarding part of work that Catholic School Parents WA does in acknowledging and celebrating the wonderful work that is carried out within our Catholic school communities.

The awards celebrate those within our school communities who contribute to and demonstrate positive outcomes for students, families, and the wider school community. There are five award categories. These include an award for an 'Individual Parent', 'P&F /Parent Group', 'Parish', and 'Principal'. The fifth award is 'The Agnes Weymouth Award' and is awarded to any individual / team within a school community who contributes to building a positive school community. The criteria for each award are listed below and the nomination forms are available to download from the CSPWA website at: https://cspwa.schoolzineplus.com/CSPWA-awards-of-excellence

Criteria for Parent award -

works collaboratively with the Principal, staff and other parents
actively works for the benefit of the school, its parents, and students
promotes and affirms the work of the school in the education of the children
creates opportunities in the school to build community

Criteria for P&F/Parent Group award -

works collaboratively with the Principal and staff
organises and /or promotes social initiatives to encourage community involvement
promotes and affirms the work of the school in education of the children
takes the time to listen to and support school requests
provides good networking opportunities in the school to build community

Criteria for Parish award -

works collaboratively for the benefit of both the school community and the parish
actively engages with social initiatives
promotes and affirms the work of the school and the parish
provides good networking opportunities in the school and parish to build community

Criterial for Principal award -

works collaboratively with the school community
actively engages with and supports P&F/ Parent Group initiatives
promotes and affirms the work of the P&F/ Parent Group in their school
takes time to listen to the parent perspective
supports the building of community and networking opportunities

Criteria for Agnes Weymouth Award -

any member of school community is eligible for this award - especially if they sit outside one of the four previous categories (Nominees could include, but are not limited to teachers, maintenance teams, administrative staff or those staff members who commit to extra-curricular activities.)
supports the school by working in partnership for the best outcomes for all

Pilgrimage along the Camino Salvado

REGISTER NOW!

The members of CSPWA Council and Staff would be delighted to have you join us for our first ever Parent Pilgrimage.

The Camino Salvado is a pilgrimage from Subiaco to New Norcia WA in the spirit of Dom Salvado, a pioneering monk from Santiago in Spain. The pilgrimage generally traces Dom Salvado's footsteps in 1846 when he founded Australia's unique monastery town of New Norcia.

The CSPWA pilgrimage will follow the first section of this pilgrimage route. It will commence at St Joseph's Church in Subiaco, go through the city to St Mary's Cathedral and along the river to Bardon Park in Maylands (a distance of approximately 8kms).

On Pilgrimage, we encounter God, ourselves, others and nature. The CSPWA pilgrimage will be an opportunity for participants to learn more about, and to experience the ancient faith tradition of pilgrimage, while spending time with others from our Catholic Community.

If you would like to attend, please book your place via this Trybooking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CBKXV.

National Volunteer Week will be held between 16 – 22 May 2022, with this years theme being Better Together. Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone.

You may like to visit the Volunteering Australia website for ideas on how to get involved and how to thank the volunteers in your community: https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/get-involved/nvw/

CSPWA has several resources available on our website with tips on how to engage volunteers, and the benefits of volunteering. Please see: https://cspwa.schoolzineplus.com/resources.

We will also be posting resources and stories on our Facebook page so please make sure you are following us: https://www.facebook.com/cspwesternaustralia

Has someone shared a nude image of your child or young person without their consent?

This is called image-based abuse and it’s never OK.

This is a confronting conversation for both young people and their parents, however, sadly one that needs to be had.

Watching the harrowing story of 15yo Tilly Rosewarne on 60 Minutes recently has prompted us to remind all young people and their parents of the existence of the eSafety Commissioner and the recently legislated Online Safety Act.

Even if you or your young person feels sure that no nudes have been shared unfortunately ‘fakes’ that have been made to look like someone else can be the cause of massive anxiety and distress.

If this has happened to you or one of your children, you are not alone and there is a lot of practical support out there including help to have these images removed.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has welcomed the commencement of the Online Safety Act, which provides additional protections for Australians in the fight against online harms.

“The Online Safety Act has now come into force and makes Australia’s existing laws for online safety more expansive and much stronger,” said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

“These new laws cement eSafety’s role as a world leader in online safety. They place Australia at the international forefront in the fight against online abuse and harm – providing additional protections for Australians in the fight against online harms through our approach of prevention, protection, and proactive change in the online space.”

For the past year, eSafety has been planning for the commencement of the Online Safety Act, issuing a series of regulatory guidance pieces to prepare industry and other stakeholders for how eSafety will be implementing the new legislation.

Now the Online Safety Act has commenced, eSafety can receive reports which fall under the new legislation through their website.

Every situation is unique and every matter reported to eSafety will be considered on a case-by-case basis. eSafety will be able to offer support, information and advice, even in situations where they are unable to take regulatory action under the new laws.

To access some tips on how to take action and get help.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/my-nudes-have-been-shared

Welcome to Term 2 2022

Parent/carer support

Get started

The challenge