Having just been elected as the President of CSPWA I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. Originally from Limerick in Ireland, I have lived in Australia for the past twenty four years. I am married to Kellie, a proud Bunbury woman. We have three sons, all have been students at Bunbury Catholic College, our oldest is now a primary school teacher, one is currently studying in the mental health field and our youngest is currently in year 11. I have served on the P&F for eight years, six of those as President and have been a CSPWA councillor for the past three years. Working with the P&F and our wider school community has been incredibly rewarding. In my younger years I was told that service is a gift that you can give to others and to yourself and this has certainty been my experience on this journey.

Our Catholic faith constantly reminds us of the importance of service to our community. We are encouraged to use our talents for the benefit of those around us, to share our God given gifts for the betterment of all. When I was first asked to join the P&F I felt very much out of my depth, being completely honest, I didn’t believe I had the skill set or experience to make a useful contribution to the group. I have since discovered that this is not uncommon and can often prevent parents from getting involved. My strong suggestion to you is to put those doubts aside and get along to a P&F meeting. You will find a group of committed people who will welcome you and your experience with open arms.

With both a Federal and State election due over the next 12 months, it is vital that the Catholic school community stands together and highlights the disparity in current funding arrangements. As parents, we have chosen a Catholic Education for our children and have accepted that school fees are part of our commitment, however we should also expect reasonable support from our elected governments. Parents can play a major role in ensuring that we have a voice at the table, with over 82,000 students in Catholic Education in WA, our voice deserves to be heard. We should take the opportunity to remind our politicians of the importance we place on our right to choose a Catholic education for our children as they seek our votes in the months ahead. If you would like more information on this subject please contact the CSPWA office, the team will be glad to assist you.

September 12^th is R U OK day and the theme this year is “Ask R U OK? Any Day because life happens every day”. The annual campaign is a national day of action highlighting the importance of meaningful conversations. The importance of mental health cannot be overstated and is a subject that we should never be afraid to broach with our children and each other. R U OK encourages Australians to check in with others all year around. Recent research commissioned by R U OK found that people who are regularly asked if they are okay feel more supported, connected and cared about. Let’s make a point of ensuring we check in with each other more often and show our young people that conversations around mental health are a normal and healthy part of our routine.

I hope that the rest of term 3 is rewarding for you and your children, spring is just around the corner as is the end of term break, a perfect time to relax and reset in our beautiful corner of the world,

God Bless

Alan Buckley

Catholic School Parents WA held the first council meeting following the 2024 AGM on Wednesday 7th August. Newly elected President of council, Alan Buckley did a wonderful job chairing and it was great to have him attend in person as his place of residence is the lovely metropolis of Bunbury in the South West.

The meeting provided a great opportunity to welcome our new councillors, and acknowledge our existing councillors who have renominated for another year. We also welcomed back Annette Morey, Deputy Executive Director, CEWA and who is the CEWA nominee on council. The CSPWA Council plays a pivotal role in our organisation, as they are responsible for the governance of the organisation and ensuring that its objectives are met. They do this in a voluntary capacity, for which we are most grateful and of course all are involved in the parent groups at their own children's school whether that be the P&F or the School Advisory Council. This is very important to CSPWA as it ensures that we are always connected to the 'grass roots' parents in our school. The proverb 'when you need something done, ask a busy person' certainly applies to the volunteers at CPSWA and on behalf of all parents in Catholic schools in WA, we thank all of our council members for their support and dedication.

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our newest members of council; Clare Grosser and Simon Keemink. Clare has two children at one of our metro Catholic primary schools and Simon is part of the Nagle Catholic College community in Geraldton. We look forward to working with our newest members and importantly having representation from the Geraldton Diocese. It is very important to CSPWA as a state body that we have diversity on our council, which includes hearing the parent voice from all corners of our state. We would love to hear from someone from the Kimberley diocese who may have time to join us.

We would also like to recognise our existing council members for their ongoing support and representation of parents in Catholic Schools. Thank you to Alan Buckley, Catherine Howarth, Georgie Elle, Richard Bone, Orla Burrows and Renee Bennett.

In addition to Alan being elected as President, we also congratulate Catherine Howarth who was elected Vice President and Georgie Elle who was re-elected as Secretary.

We look forward to sharing more information about all our councillors and staff members in our next newsletter. Everyone is busy getting their bios up to date and sourcing photos.......... so watch this space.

1. $25m in ongoing State Government Capital Funding to ensure students in WA Catholic Schools have parity with other students across Australia.
2. An additional one-off $100m over five years to address the legacy of capital underfunding for Catholic schools in the Kimberley.
3. The State Government meets $2m cost for insurance and risk management in the Kimberley and collaborates with CEWA in cases of uninsured losses.

To familiarise yourself with the requests, please click here:

https://fairfunding.cewa.edu.au/

1. $25m in ongoing State Government Capital Funding to ensure students in WA Catholic Schools have parity with other students across Australia.
2. An additional one-off $100m over five years to address the legacy of capital underfunding for Catholic schools in the Kimberley.
3. The State Government meets $2m cost for insurance and risk management in the Kimberley and collaborates with CEWA in cases of uninsured losses.

To familiarise yourself with the requests, please click here:

https://fairfunding.cewa.edu.au/

As discussed in our post conference newsletter, there was a significant conversation around social media and the current conversation suggesting that the age at which children (and they are children!) can sign up for social media, be raised from 13 to 16. Although we know that 'bans' can be problematic but parents (and schools) are at their wits end about how to deal with this challenging issue. This campaign is more about 'buying time' than banning. It is suggesting that by buying some more time, we can firstly spend this additional 3 years providing education specific to the online environment but also more importantly to call the social media companies to task over the totally inappropriate content that our children are seeing. It is an absolutle disgrace that they are putting financial gain before the wellbeing of our children and young people (and many adults!). 

'36 Months' is the brainchild of co-founders Michael Wipfli aka Wippa, co-host of the Fitzy, Wippa & Kate Ritchie breakfast show on Nova 96.9 Sydney; and Rob Galluzzo, founder of film production company FINCH.

Their key message through this campaign states:

'In order to safeguard their digital future, we think 13yr olds should take another 36 months to get to know themselves before the world does. We’re calling on families, community leaders and educators to advocate for crucial policy change and sign this petition that will be taken to parliament.

Kids need more time to develop healthy and secure identities before they’re exposed to the minefield of social media. We’re urging the government to change policy and raise the threshold for social media citizenship. This means delaying the age teenagers can sign up for social media accounts from 13 to 16 - 36 Months.

Why 16?

We’re raising an anxious generation. Excessive social media use is rewiring young brains within a critical window of psychological development, causing an epidemic of mental illness.

At 13, children are not yet ready to navigate online social networks safely. These years are crucial for them to develop a secure sense of self alongside social confidence. 36 Months aims to create a supportive platform for teenagers to cultivate a secure identity and navigate the digital landscape with resilience and mindfulness.

Each notification, like, or comment triggers a dopamine release, creating a reward loop that keeps teenagers engaged and returning for more. The anticipation of receiving these rewards and the pleasure derived from them can make social media usage addictive and difficult to resist.'

If you would like to read more about, or support this campaign by signing the petition please go to:

36 Months

I hope you've all had a great start to term 3. We have been working away busily in our office, updating resources as we think about parent teacher interviews, kindy orientations, and P&F fundraising events for term 3, and then the Annual Community Meetings in term 4.

Our team has started to work on a kindy pack for new parents joining your school community. The pack contains a mix of general school information and more specific P&F information, and can be used as a template and modified as necessary to suit your schools context. Once this resource is finalised, we will upload it to our website for parent groups to access.

Our office also has run sheets available for some of those regular P&F events, like running a disco or adults only fundraising event, a welcoming Sundowner or movie night, and also a welcome morning tea for new kindy parents. Please feel free to contact me if  if you would like a copy of any of these or would like some tips to assist you with organising your next P&F event. 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that I am available to attend P&F meetings if your committee requires any support or information. We can also provide you with resources on how to attract more volunteers if you are finding it difficult to fill any of your office bearer roles, or are thinking of preparing to handover your role in the next year. My phone number is 9338 9987 and email address is support@csp.wa.edu.au. 

It is a real test of parenting when there is an exam student in the house - the date of the WACE exams can evoke feelings of rising anxiety – in students and in their parents! It can be very difficult to stay detached from all the talk about ATAR, what course your child is hoping to do and at which university.

Unfortunately, parents often unintentionally add to this stress by allowing themselves to become consumed with the whole process – or on the other end of the scale by being too laid back which may come across as not caring. What’s needed here is a balance and realistic expectations.

When the WACE exams are just around the corner all parents can do is to support their children, reinforce our confidence in them and make it very clear that we do not think they are defined by their exam results.

Calmness:

• Easier said than done… A calm environment for study is comfortable, well-lit with natural light (if possible), well ventilated and quiet. If possible don’t arrange ‘playdates’ for younger (or older siblings) during this couple of weeks pre and during exams.

Perspective:

• It is exceptionally important that we reiterate with our children that we will love them no matter what and that unexpected exam results will not change that. There are many ways in which they can achieve their goals and WACE exams are only one of those ways.

Routine:

• Keeping to a normal routine is important for both parents and children. Parents who take time off work to ‘be there’ can add to the anxiety by placing an added layer of angst. As for your child, he/she will still enjoy the bus-trip home from school, catching up with friends and taking their mind of studying for a short period.
• Having said this, parents being available to provide some additional practical support at this time such as a lift somewhere or a comforting word will do no harm. And food, don’t forget the healing power of food!
• It is also a good idea to encourage your child to continue to attend school until exam time. They may use excuses like ‘it’s easier to study at home’ but realistically they are probably better to be at school where they will have the support network of their peers and teachers.

Venting:

• As is common with most people who experience times of stress, your child will be more likely to let off steam by venting on those closest to them, often their parents (and siblings!). This should not be taken personally so try to be the parent who walks away, takes a deep breath, and lets it slide. Be kind and take care of yourself, it will all be over sooner than you think!

Vulnerability:

• Keep an eye out on how your child deals with the ‘mock’ exams as this may provide some indications on how they will deal with the WACE exams. Most children will deal with the stress of exams, although some will fare better than others. It is worth being aware however that problems may arise if your child has had additional trauma in the year leading up to the exam such as loss, relationship breakdown or difficulties with friends. Mock exams will alert you on how to approach the WACE exams. Reaffirm that exam results do not define who you are.
• A good life balance is essential and important to teach your child for their future mental health. The benefits of exercise and spending time with friends are well supported by research to contribute to their wellbeing and help alleviate the stress.
• There is positive stress that motivates you to study and do well and negative stress that is demotivating and is overwhelming. Too much stress can stop them from reaching their potential by affecting the way their brain recalls and applies information.

Sleep:

• A good night’s sleep is paramount (and not just at exam time). Even if your child normally has a device such as a phone in their room at night (never a good idea for anyone) suggest that it is left in another room during this time. The distraction of technology at night is not conducive to a good night’s sleep. Suggest some ways for your child to wind down before bed are having a warm bath, reading a few pages of a book (other than a textbook)
  meditation or prayer.

Brain food:

• A balanced diet is essential for our children all the time but vital at exam time. Diets including lots of brain food like nuts, seeds and oily fish are particularly beneficial. As parents we can prepare in advance by ensuring that there are healthy snacks available within seconds (!!) as this will stop the constant trek to and from the biscuit barrel.

Resources for more information:

• Reach Out: a great online resource for all things mental health, with specific information on exam stress. https://au.reachout.com/study-work-and-money/exam-stress
• Head to Health: another online resource from the Australian government that has information for everyone on anything mental health. You or your child can research for help and advice. https://www.headtohealth.gov.au/
• Headspace: https://headspace.org.au/young-people/how-to-reduce-stress-and-prepare-for-exams/
• Kids Helpline: https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/exam-stress

And remember that although exams may be a necessary evil, they do not
and never will define who your child is – please make sure your child knows
this. Even if they don’t get the result they want or miss out on a placement,
there is always another option.

The CSPWA office team recently attended an online workshop for parents and guardians, to get a refresher on some of the important roles for parents when it comes to Working with Children Checks (WWC) in WA.

One area from the workshop we wanted to highlight to parents, is when they engage a self-employed tutor, disability support worker, nanny, or party hire entertainer for their child in a private arrangement. In these instances, the workers do not have an organisation monitoring their Working with Children Status, so the Working with Children Screening Team recommends parents ALWAYS ask to see a WWC card when engaging these types of services and supports. If the employee can not provide a card or doesn't have a WWC, then they urge you to be cautious and possibly look for an alternative service. You are able to check the status of an individual's WWC application via the WWC website, if you have their application number: https://www.workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au/application-status-check.

WWCs also apply to online contact. For example, if you are engaging a tutoring service, and the tutor is based in another state, they are required to hold a Western Australian WWC and you are encouraged to ask them to see their card.

If an employee has had their WWC suspended due to an offence, they are required to surrender their WWC card and stop child-related work immediately. There have been instances in the past where some self-employed individuals have continued working with their invalid card, and have faced legal action. The WWC screening team suggests parents also take note of the particular card number of the employee, and check it regularly online to make sure it's still active. This can be done through the WWC website: https://www.workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au/card-validation.

Aside from the WWC, the screening team also suggests parents ask for a National Police Clearance, and for references when engaging someone to work with your child in a private arrangement.

For more information on who needs a check and who is exempt, and where you can go if you have any specific questions about your situation, please see the WWC website: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/working-children-check.

One of the most common questions we get asked at CSPWA is how to attract more volunteers. There are many reasons why people do or don't volunteer, however the fact remains that they are an enormous asset to our school communities particularly in the area of 'friendraising'  

Fundraising Directory has recently published the "Practical Volunteering Handbook for School and Club Volunteers" drawing on decades of experience and research to pull together everything you need to know about finding and keeping volunteers. The book is set out in chapters and covers a range of challenges that volunteers face, (which can then help you to think about strategies to overcome them), crucial aspects of volunteer recruitment and management, and practical tips and strategies to help you build a strong and dedicated volunteer base. 

Topics include:

• Make It Fun
• Welcoming New Families
• Communication is Key
• Sense of Purpose
• Recruiting Volunteers
• Thanking Volunteers
• Volunteering Challenges
• Succession Planning

Please click here to view the resource and work your way through the chapters:

The Practical Volunteering Handbook

Catholic School Parents WA are proud supporters of Catholic Arts - Spirit of the Arts.

We know that participating in the Performing Arts provides very positive benefits and in fact support learning in other areas. Spirit of the Arts provides opportunities for children of all abilities, whether that is singing, playing a musical instrument, creative arts or recitation. We know for instance that learning to play a musical instrument can enhance mathematical ability!

We encourage parents to support their children in these pursuits and we know that many do, through the assistance with costumes, make up, ferrying children to and from events and lots of other activities. By doing this your children can see firsthand the importance you place on this part of their education. Volunteering in this space is also a great help to those running this festival so keep up the good work everyone!

Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools & Colleges in Western Australia was established to help the students of Catholic schools and colleges experience the spirit and tradition of the performing arts.

The Festival seeks to provide students with specific ‘performance platforms’ where they have the unique opportunity to give of their very best and perform to a public audience. Open to both primary and secondary school students, the performance categories encompass choral, drama, musical, instrumental, vocal and dance aspects of the performing arts. Approximately 18,000 students enter the festival each year. The Festival commences with an Opening Mass Celebration and concludes with a Final Concert showcasing Shield and Outstanding Award recipients.

When Mater Christi CPS, Yangebup, Parent Kate lost her son Hunter to Leukaemia in September 2021, after a five year battle, she was overwhelmed with the support and practical help she received from her family, friends and wider community, not just after his passing but throughout the family’s long and challenging journey. Kate recognised that they were very fortunate to have this support when many others do not. To not just provide a legacy for Hunter but also to help alleviate the pressure on other families who sadly experience childhood cancer, Kate founded the Hero Hunter Foundation (HHF).

Subsequently in term 2 this year Mater Christi CPS hosted a fabulous ‘Hero Hunter Day’ fundraiser where the children had the opportunity to either wear free dress or to come to school dressed as their favourite ‘Super Hero’. The event not only served to raise awareness of the very difficult journey some families embark on when they have a sick child, but also to raise funds to provide practical help to those who have to have time away from work or from their other children, and who do not have the support networks that others have. The Hero Hunter Foundation supports these families by providing healthy meals which are delivered to carers in hospital, professional home cleaning and maintenance, fuel vouchers and much more.

The Mater Christi CPS community raised a whopping $1,515 for the Foundation, contributing to the $85,000 that the Foundation has raised since it’s inception in 2022.

For more information about the Hero Hunter Foundation and how you can get involved, please go to https://www.herohunter.org/register-2025