Catholic School Parents Victoria represents the important perspective of parents across all Catholic schools in Victoria. As a parent who has children enrolled in a Catholic school you are automatically a member of the parent council. There is no fee to be a member and parents of children attending Catholic schools across Victoria are welcome to apply to join the council as a volunteer through an expression of interest and nomination process. This can be found on the CSPV website at www.cspv.catholic.edu.au/join-us.

CSPV is officially recognised as the peak Catholic school parent body for nearly 500 Catholic primary, secondary and special needs schools, representing parent perspective in Catholic education at a diocesan, state and national level through  affilication with CSPA (Catholic School Parents Australia).

We hope you enjoy the articles we present to further support all parents of children who attend Catholic schools to ensure you are informed of the broader picture in education, any changes and improvements in education and to provide opportunity for parent feedback.

Attention Principals:

CSPV recognise you as enablers in communicating articles we publish with your school communities. Please feel free to copy and paste any of these articles for your school newsletter.
We also encourage you to forward the newsletter link to all members of your learning community including teachers, school leaders and parents to keep them informed and to build understanding of the parent perspective in education.

*Please contact our Administration Officer for further information on how to nominate to be a member of the CSPV council admin@cspv.catholic.edu.au

The term parent in this newsletter refers to all parents of children in Catholic schools and is used to include natural, adoptive or foster parents, guardians and primary caregivers.

Welcome to the August edition of the CSPV newsletter. This term began with the welcoming of Julie Di Noto as Administrative Officer and newest member of the CSPV team. Julie has a broad range of experience in Catholic education as an educator and family-school partnerships cluster leader with Catholic schools in Melbourne. Julie will work closely with our Executive Officer, Rachel Saliba and CSPV council members as we work on developing a strategic plan to guide the work of the council over the next 5 years.

The most immediate issue CSPV have been monitoring is the ongoing discussion related to Non-Government School Funding. In July the Australian Government's National School Resourcing Board (NSRB) released the report on its Review of the Socio-Economic Status (SES) Score Methodology. This report found that the current SES formulae used to determine Commonwealth funding for non-government schools were flawed in a manner that penalises Catholic school systems and limits their ability to distribute funding based on need. The NSRB report confirmed the validity of claims made over the past 15 months by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria about the unfairness of the current SES scoring formulae.

Currently the Catholic education sector is one of the parties involved in discussion with the government about the recommendations of the NSRB report. CSPV will endeavour to keep parents up to date with the ongoing negotiations. You can also read an update in this newsletter.

CSPV will welcome a new member from Ballarat, Mr Rod Lewis at our next council meeting in September. CSPV continue to seek new members for our council to represent the parent perspective of children enrolled in Catholic schools, specifically in the diocese of Sale.

Until next time,

Morgan Murphy
Chair, CSPV

How parents can support learning about sustainability in the home and community

Sustainability is a topic that has been a recurring theme throughout each of my children’s education over the years. Often the children learn about sustainability through their inquiry unit at school and are challenged to build their understanding of how their actions as humans impacts the environment around them. It is an important message they learn in how we can sustain a clean environment for nature on earth to continue to thrive.

Learning about sustainability provides children with the opportunity to not only learn about the environment but also human nature itself and to build their awareness of the flow on effects of the often destructive human footprint on the planet.

The recent documentary on the ABC, ‘War on Waste,’ has highlighted just how much our behaviour impacts the ability for the flora and fauna in this country to remain sustainable. The documentary has provided a great focus for us as a family to build awareness in our own home around the amount of waste we as humans accumulate and the impact this has on the sustainability of our environment.

We often take for granted that we have many parks and wide-open spaces in Australia. We believe these are spaces to be enjoyed by us in our community. My son and I recently took our dog for a walk along our local creek and were able to have great discussions about how much rubbish was being caught by the reeds and trees that had fallen across the creek. The ‘war on waste’ had highlighted the devastating impact plastic bags has on our local fish and wildlife who are trying to survive in their natural habitats with the ever-present threat of human waste and development a constant. As we walked along the creek we discussed how nature has a way of filtering the rubbish as it gets caught along the way but once it rains again, that rubbish will continue downstream and into the bay and eventually into the ocean.

Our conversations are all about engaging in learning and connecting with each other. These conversations enable children to witness what they are learning at school in action in their own communities, to think about their own behaviours and provide an enhanced learning opportunity that is easy for parents to engage in.

Supporting learning about sustainability in the home can also extend to discussions and taking action around what we are throwing in our bins and what we could re-use or recycle so it doesn’t end up in our creeks and waterways. Another way to engage our children in learning is to build awareness of what items can be recycled by purchasing recyclable packaged products when you do the weekly shopping. A simple activity may be for the children to find these in the supermarket then to separate plastics, cardboard and other items to make sure they are placed in the right bins in the home.

Taking action to encourage a sustainable environment can be as simple as this and parents are able to engage in this learning with their children in a way that also supports and extends what they are learning at school. When we think about parent engagement, it is about seizing these teachable moments with our children in every-day life and providing enhanced learning opportunities that also bring our families closer together when we share conversations and learning at home.

Written by Amanda Lecaude
Organising Students

Many Year 6 students start to think about secondary school as early as the beginning of Term 1. Some students are excited about what is to come and others may have some concerns or worries that they may not necessarily share with others. Students’ concerns are often mirrored in the family, with emotions swinging from excited to unsettled, particularly when a family is going through the transition to secondary school for the first time.

Some students' fears are compounded if there is initial uncertainty over which secondary school they will be going to. When they do find out, their concern shifts to what the school will expect of them. Fear of the unknown can be very powerful and the more barriers that can be removed the more this will allow students to embrace the new adventure and find success.

Common thoughts and feelings from Year 6 students

As a parent, you are no doubt wondering how best to support your child. In general, you will find that the transition is the smoothest when parents and schools (primary and secondary) work closely together to support a child’s learning and development.

It is important to remember that, as parents, it is best not to make assumptions about your child’s expectations. We have a plethora of our own memories, which can sometimes complicate what we expect our children to experience. It’s important to remember that they have never been in this situation before and their experience may be different. For some children, it might feel like walking into an abyss and for others they may be full of confidence.

What we want them to feel is that secondary school, whilst being a new experience, is not something to fear. By reading this article I would like to acknowledge that you are an engaged parent, taking the steps to assist and support your child.

Factors that contribute to a successful transition

Transition works best when the following are present:

1. A supportive family environment with a focus on positive attitudes - emotional stability is really important. Students are more likely to adjust happily to the new environment and be able to handle challenges when parents are interested in and involved with the transition.
2. The ability to adjust socially – resilience and having the skills to form new friendships are crucial to the adjustment to secondary school.
3. Being able to adapt and adjust to the new secondary school environment – again it is important for students to have a strong sense of resilience. Flexibility assists in adjusting quickly to new routines and school life. The more that students and parents understand about what to expect from the specific school, the easier this adjustment will be. School tours and talking with other students at the school will give your child more confidence in what to expect.
4. Having an ongoing interest in the curriculum and learning - the more prepared students are to adapt to more advanced work and new subjects, the more easily students will settle in at secondary school. Students need to be challenged (and usually want to be) so they can build upon their primary school learning.

What you can do to support your child

Communication – always keep the lines of communication open. Start talking with your child if you haven’t already about the positive aspects of going to secondary school and continue to support them as they grow and meet the new challenges and experiences both socially and academically. Once they begin year 7, it’s also important to discuss how they are feeling and regularly check in with them to see how they are coping with the increased level of work and homework.

Encourage independence – encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning which will assist your child to develop their own decision making and self-management skills. It is really important for teens to develop self-advocacy – learning to speak up for themselves and knowing how and who to ask for what they need.

Allow your child to struggle – as parents we all like to see our children succeed and we also have a tendency to jump in to try and solve problems and rescue our children. The greatest learning for all of us comes from mistakes. If we want our children to grow, we need to let them stumble now and again too. It is really important for students to take responsibility for their own learning and the decisions they make across all aspects of their education. They do need support and guidance along the way in some decision making so they know they are not alone and you are able to guide them on the path to achievement.

Students will know what the school expectations are and need to take responsibility for fulfilling those expectations. It is important you as their guide and support that you are also aware of the expectations so that you can support them in achieving their best. An example may be, if they forget to take their homework, this is an expectation they haven’t met and one they need to manage themselves. As their guide and support, your role is to remind them that this is their responsibility and ask them what they will do differently next time.

Be positive – your child is more likely to look forward to starting secondary school if you are positive about it. A student’s mindset is critical to their success. As parents, it is important to foster and increase your child’s self-belief that they are capable of rising to challenges.

Enable students take responsibility for their time – assist your child to manage their time and cope with multiple new subjects and priorities, as well as their extracurricular activities. I strongly encourage all Year 7 students to use a diary/planner (paper or electronic) to assist them with their organisation, time management and tasks they need to complete. In order to manage time, children need to be able to see time and this will assist with that aspect.

Homework environment/s – ensure your child has at least one designated place where they can study, with good lighting, desk space and a good chair. I usually encourage students to have one place where they keep their school work and belongings at home. This is usually on their desk and I recommend using a magazine holder for this.

Be interested and enthusiastic – encourage your child to get involved and take on new experiences and opportunities to expand their interests and talents. If you can familiarise yourselves with activities that the secondary school offers as well as other extra-curricular activities you can encourage your child’s participation at school. Let them know that these are opportunities available to them now and that they can help build their skills and confidence, allow them to make new friends and to have fun at school.

Stay informed and involved – whilst the level of involvement at secondary school can be very different to that of primary school, I strongly recommend that parents be involved where possible. There are various ways to do this like:

• attend parent information evenings,
• volunteer
• get involved in parent groups
• attend parent teacher nights and ask questions about how you can support learning at home.

The secondary school journey is a big change for you and many parents often struggle with this adjustment, particularly if it is their first child who is going to secondary school.

It can be useful to talk to other parents who have been through this process previously as they can often assist to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Best wishes to your child, yourself and your family for a smooth transition into secondary school and beyond. May the experience be one that sets your child on a path for success! The most important thing for them is that they enjoy secondary school life and all that it can offer them.

For more detailed information, visit my website to download my eBooks on Taking the Leap to Secondary School – The e-books are for parents related to supporting your child and another for students on what they need to know in order to prepare themselves for the secondary transition journey.

Amanda Lecaude is an Academic Life coach and Organising Expert who works closely with schools and students to ensure they are equipped with simple and effective organisational, time management and study skills, which are key to their success and enjoyment at school and in life. She regularly speaks and conducts workshops for students from Year 6-12 and in particular with a focus on the transition of students between primary and secondary school.

Across Victoria, many Year 9, 10 and 11 students will currently be going through the process of choosing subjects as they move towards VCE and the conclusion to their secondary education.

Students have many choices but it can often be overwhelming for them to choose subjects when they are not fully aware of what they want to do when they complete their formal education. Often as parents we are not fully aware either of how we can support them through this process. I recall going through this with my own child and not fully understanding what the options were in terms of pathways and opportunities and the impact of subject selection on providing choices for her when she completed year 12.

Many Catholic schools provide subject selection expos so you can go along and discuss the options with the teachers. The students may also be provided with a handbook that outlines subject choices or there may be an information session offered by the school for parents. This is a good way to understand what subjects the school is offering for the students and if your child has any special requests, who to talk with about options for subjects outside of what the school is able to offer and which is the best pathway for your child depending on what they would like to do.

Inner Northern Local Learning and Employment Network (INLLEN) have developed a resource for parents and students to understand their options and to begin planning for their transition to higher education, to work or into an apprenticeship.

The resource provides information about pathways to employment, to working in hospitality with a number of support programs available for students.

Jesuit Social Services, for example, offer a program called Ready, Set, Work to prepare students for entry into the workplace. The Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways prepares students with the foundational skills to enter various fields of the hospitality profession.

Other courses include preparing to enter the retail workforce through a Certificate III in Retail.

The resource provides information for students entering the workforce with a disability with several organisations dedicated to ensuring young people with a disability are able to be equipped with the skills to enter the workforce.

The resource also lists a number of apprenticeship and traineeship providers and pre-education training programs.

For those seeking to move into VCAL pathways, there are a number of alternative school settings who provide courses to prepare students for entry into an apprenticeship, traineeship or further study at TAFE. Check these with your school careers advisor and discuss the best options for your child and their interests.

The guide is very comprehensive and provides further options for students to build their understanding of pathways available to them should they not wish to move on to university straight from school or to assist in their decision making process.

You may also wish to visit the Jobs For Youth website for further information on entry-level employment opportunities for young people.

The Jobs For Youth website provides many more resources for young people to help them to be ready for work. You will find sample cover letters, resumes, interview techniques through the Real Industry Job Interviews program as well as other resources for teachers to use to identify strengths and help prepare students for the workforce. There are useful templates for goal setting that parents can also use with their children to work through what their plans might be for their future career path.

Click here to view a video of students talking about Real Industry Job Interviews program

During this time of subject selection and decision making there can be some uncertainty, but it is helpful to know that there are many useful resources and organisations willing to help young people make the transition from secondary school to work or further study as smooth and easy as possible.

Further resources for parents are available on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) website and the CSPV website – www.cspv.catholic.edu.au

The National Education Initiative is due to launch in late 2018. The Initiative, led by beyondblue with the support of Early Childhood Australia and headspace, will help educators know what to look out for when kids start to struggle, where to turn for help, and how to look after their own mental health.

The initiative includes online and on-the-ground professional development, support, and advice on how to build a mentally healthy school and early learning service community. It will also help schools to support those experiencing a mental health issue and provide crisis support in the event a secondary school community experiences a suicide.

With one in seven children in Australia experiencing a mental health condition in the past 12 months, and half of all mental health issues emerging before the age of 14, this webinar will be useful for anyone involved in education delivery and policy, including professional educators, parents, and carers.

beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman will provide information on the initiative and take questions. The webinar is free for ARACY Members, $25+GST for non-members.

Summary

The National Education Initiative: Building the most mentally healthy generation of young Australians

Presenter: Georgie Harman, CEO, beyondblue
Date: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Time: 12.30-1.30pm AEST
Price: Free for ARACY Members / $25 +GST for non-members

Note that registrations close at 10.00am on the day of the webinar, Tuesday, 28 August 2018.

No doubt you will have heard by now that they latest game among many other online trends for children is Fortnite. If you’re like me and you have a son, you will have inevitably had the conversation about the game and the possibility of playing this along with all the other children who seem to be on this game at school. Many children are playing this game in primary school and even though as parents we want our children to fit in and be able to socialise online with other children, in primary level our children don’t necessarily have the maturity or the self-management skills to be able to manage this new trend. There is constant pressure on children to get the latest gadget or be a part of the latest game and it can become a nightmare for parents to manage themselves. It is a minefield our own parents never had to navigate so we are left to work it out without fully understanding the consequences.

A recent article by Dr Kristy Goodwin provides facts rather than alarmist commentary on the game to enable parents to make informed decisions rather than taking advice from others that may not be based on fact.

Dr Goodwin states, “In its simplest form, Fortnite is a shooting and killing game. The purpose is to literally survive by killing other players- be the last person standing and you’re declared the winner. In order to win, players need to build infrastructure to protect themselves and accumulate additional weapons to attack. Unlike other shooting games, with Fortnite Battle Royale, once you are dead, that is it. You cannot be ‘respawned’ nor given a second life, as is often the case in other games.”

She says the appeal of the game is the cartoon-like characters and the other quirky features such as dance moves and other challenges. Players can engage in dance moves in the game, making it quite light-hearted and fun. Some of these dance moves have transferred off-screen and have ‘gone viral’ with most parents having seen (maybe even attempted) the ‘floss’. This social appeal makes the game even more appealing and adds to the social capital that the game has cleverly established.”

The challenge for parents is in understanding this new social environment and how this impacts their child’s capacity to engage and build online friendships with others. It impacts both their online socialising skills as well as offline. When all other children are playing the game and discussing it at school, those who are not playing the game are left out or not able to participate in discussions. This can then impact their social wellbeing. “it’s the multi-player aspect that’s really why this game has had mass appeal. Kids are biologically wired for relational connection,” says Kristy.

So as a parent, what choices do you have? Do you prevent your child from connecting with others online, therefore impacting their offline social interactions, or do you allow your child to join in and follow the crowd? These are the dilemmas facing parents in their often hectic family lives. Many parents worry their children are becoming addicted as they demand to be on the games more often so they don’t let their teams down. Many a parent would be cursing these games for their design in how they force children to have to be on them every day.

However, parents do have a choice in what environment they would like their children to be learning in. Dr Goodwin suggests, “Families each need to use their own moral compass as to whether this is something they’re comfortable with and also determine if their child has the emotional resources and maturity to process such content.”

“We need to remember that kids have mirror neurons meaning that they are wired to imitate. So for younger children, typically under eight to ten years, who are still learning to distinguish fiction from reality, playing these types of shooting games can be problematic as they copy what they’re watching and playing. We need to ensure, regardless of their age, that we have ongoing conversations with kids and teens about appropriate and socially-acceptable behaviour off-screen.”

Ultimately it is worth identifying the pros and cons and understanding your child and what impact this type of game can have on them. Is it impacting their home life, their school work, their ability to socialise off-line and is it worth all the arguments? You also need to assess the level of maturity of your child and lead by example by following the recommendation that the game is not for children under the age of 12.

If your child is old enough to play the game, Dr Goodwin suggests you:

• Set time limits
• Use parental controls
• Turn off voice chat
• Encourage your child to play the game in an area of the home where you can see them and monitor what is happening.
• Play with your child to build your understanding of the game and show interest
• Restrict access at night and before school in the morning
• Have ongoing conversations about violence and online safety

As your child grows older no doubt there will be another new game or online trend they will be interested in but at least you will have had conversations and set expectations around what your child is ready for and how often they can play.

Supporting your child following separation and divorce

During our lifetime each of us is faced with the challenge of loss whether that be during childhood or in our adult lives. CatholicCare provides a program for parents to help them manage themselves and their family through the experience of loss, whether it be a death in the family, a separation or divorce.

As a parent it can be a difficult time to not only process your own emotions but also those of your children and in being a support for them during difficult times.

The Seasons for Growth® Parent Program has been developed to meet the needs of parents supporting children and young people through family change and loss. The program provides an opportunity for parents to better understand the experience of death, separation and divorce from a child’s perspective, and to explore ideas and strategies that they may wish to consider as they support their children’s transition through family change.

Many schools have facilitators, called 'Companions,' who are trained to conduct Seasons for Growth sessions. Please enquire at your local school to see if you have a facilitator available to run parent sessions.

The Family Relationship Centre in Geelong will be offering a new program for parents this term.

Seasons for Growth Parent Program:
Supporting your child following separation or divorce

The program provides an opportunity for you to reflect on the experience of separation and divorce from your child's perspective, and to explore ideas and strategies that might help you support your child/ren through the changes happening in your family.

The Seasons for Growth Parent Program: Supporting your child following separation or
divorce is a small group program for 4 -8 parents that will be held over 2 x 2 hour sessions and is for parents only.

Date: Tuesday 11th and 18th September 2018
Location: Family Relationship Centre
27-31 Myers Street, Geelong
Time: 6-8PM
Cost: $30 (includes participant manual)

For more information or to express your interest taking part in the Seasons for Growth Parent Program, please contact the Family Relationship Centre on 5246 5600.

National Child Protection Week: 2-8 September 2018

White Balloon Day is recommended in Outcome 6 in The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020 and endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments.

Bravehearts, now in its 22nd year, is Australia’s leading voice for child protection. White Balloon Day is Australia’s longest running annual national awareness campaign for the prevention of child sexual assault.

With 1 in 5 children sexually harmed in some way before their 18th Birthday, your support for White Balloon Day is an important step toward protecting the children in their communities.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Register for National White Balloon Day
Friday 7 September 2018

You can help Bravehearts National Child Protection Campaign by encouraging your school to participate by registering at whiteballoonday.com.au.

Once registered, you will have access to FREE resources to send a vital message to families, schools, institutions and organisations that they are committed to preventing this crime that affects 58,000 Australian children every year – that’s one child every 90 minutes.

Bravehearts provides FREE resources to promote White Balloon Day in the media and across social media and online platforms to help build child safe communities.

These resources can also assist in informing local institutions of Bravehearts’ specialised online child safety information, resources, education and training programs.

In 2018, with your help, we can reach more Australian’s in more communities than ever before with this vital child protection message.

In 2018, we hope you will join us and invite your families to support the campaign by registering to promote child safe communities in multiple ways:

• Provide a news story on your website or within an e-newsletter to your members about White Balloon Day
• Participating members issue a media release to local media - Utilise the pre-prepared media release available from our website.
• Promote White Balloon Day in industry media – Invite support for White Balloon Day and National Child Protection Week to promote your support for child safe communities.
• Display posters in the workplace – Download White Balloon Day and Bravehearts’ posters featuring Bravehearts child safe messages for display all-year-round.
• Utilise White Balloon Day assets across all your communications – share on your website, newsletters, e-newsletters and social media platforms –
• Hold a White Balloon Day event for your staff - Inform staff of the need to create child safe communities.
• Conduct a fundraising activity – Invite staff to wear purple or white for White Balloon Day and help Bravehearts continue our vital work to improve child protection throughout Australia.
• Feature Braveheart’s ‘Parent Tip Sheet’ on your website and distribute to members – Feature a link to download Bravehearts’ FREE Personal Safety Parents’ Guide bravehearts.org.au/personalsafety
• Promote child safe messages on your website – Link to Bravehearts’ website all-year-round to provide members with online access to Bravehearts’ specialised resources and services bravehearts.org.au
• Conduct Child Safe Training for staff who may work with children - Bravehearts offers training solutions at bravehearts.org.au/what-we-do/education-and-training.

Every Australian child has the right to feel safe and every adult and organisation has a responsibility to help protect the children in our society. With your support in promoting White Balloon Day to your members, you’ll be helping to make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child.

Please support this child protection initiative and register to download our FREE resources today.

On 15th August Mr Karl Rodrigues (CSPA Chair), Ms Carmel Nash OAM (Deputy Chair) and Mr John O'Brien (CSPA Executive Officer) met with Federal Education Minister, Simon Birmingham to discuss recognition of CSPA as the national peak parent representative and advocacy body for parents of children in Catholic schools nationwide. The meeting was also timely as the Minister makes his way across the country consulting with Catholic education authorities and stakeholders to determine final arrangements for non-government school funding.

CSPV anticipate that the meeting will be a positive step forward in recognising the contribution of parents to the national Catholic education sector and the determination of the parent representative council to ensure parents continue to have the choice to send their children to Catholic schools throughout the country.

The next CSPA meeting will take place in Sydney at the end of August where we look forward to hearing guest speakers, AITSL CEO Lisa Rodgers and National Plenary Council facilitator Lana Turvey-Collins.

CSPA continue to work through several key strategic priorities and developing a valued presence in the national political landscape. CSPA is in the process of developing a nationwide, cross-sectoral parent engagement toolkit along with Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) and the University of Southern QLD following completion of the research phase of the project in 2017. The research findings will be made public towards the end of 2018.

What does choice in education mean for parents?

The ongoing challenge in Catholic education in these times of uncertainty with the federal government, is in securing equitable funding arrangements for non-government schools across Australia to enable parents to choose a Catholic education for their children. With the impending federal government leadership challenge this week there are now questions around who will be the new federal Education Minister and will they be willing to continue negotations with the Catholic sector to resolve the funding issues.

The recent release of the Chaney report from the National Schools Resource Board (NSRB) indicated that the relentless campaigning led by Catholic Education authorities in Victoria along with the National Catholic Education Commission were not in vain as the NSRB moved to agree that the method used to calculate SES scores was flawed and that there needs to be a change to the model currently in place.

CSPV understands that with continuous pressure being placed on the federal government, they have had no choice but to come and meet at the table with Catholic authorities including Catholic Bishops, parent groups and system leaders in each state and territory to discuss future arrangements and to see from a Catholic education perspective how the current funding model, should it remain, would impact many families in our schools as well as future enrolments.

The new model being explored, as mentioned in our previous newsletter, is an SES model based on Parent Income Tax (PIT data) that would be obtained not through schools, but through the Australian Taxation Office. Parent capacity to pay would then be determined on the gross income tax data of each family as well as the resources required by each school.

As discussions and negotiations continue, CSPV last week wrote to the current federal Minister for Education, Simon Birmingham to encourage him to provide clarity as soon as possible in what the future plans are and how they will impact parents of children in Catholic schools and their ability to choose Catholic education for their children. We are also encouraging the Minister to meet with Catholic school parents who are the key stakeholders impacted in this debate, to listen to their concerns about a new policy implementation.

CSPV advocate for school choice for Catholic school parents. But what does that mean in terms of future choices in education in general?

According to Australian Catholic University Issues Paper 2; Choice and Values, “School choice has different connotations in different national political contexts. When choice means the opportunity to choose between public and private schooling, as it generally does in the Australian debate, it can be ‘one of the most hotly contested governance issues among education researchers and policymakers worldwide’ (West and Woessmann 2008). Various objectives are sought by governments in adopting choice policies but the overarching objectives are to improve school performance, reflect the values of parents, and allow for religious and educational difference.”

This is what the debate has been and continues to be about, providing the people of our democratic nation with options in where they wish to educate their children, not to be forced into systems that don’t provide religious education, the broad range of experiences, values and quality of education parents are seeking.

The report goes on to say, “according to economic theory, introducing choice and competition in public services, including schooling, brings extra pressure for performance, raising quality, increasing efficiency and also contributing to the well-being of the population by allowing individuals greater freedom and control over their own lives.”

This last point is one that perhaps resonates most for parents, the ability to have freedom and control over their own lives and to have the choice to be able to continue to provide an affordable Catholic education for their children when increasingly funding for government schools in Victoria is on the increase, while capital funding for Catholic schools is not currently meeting the demand. 

We encourage you as parents and carers of Catholic school children to continue to be positive advocates for Catholic education and to demonstrate why it’s so important for children to have the choice of a Catholic education here in Victoria and throughout Australia and why our children deserve a high standard of facilities and resources as any other children in Victoria, ‘The Education State’.

CSPV will continue to monitor the progress as to which funding model the potentially restructured federal government is planning to implement and the impact this may have on Catholic school families.

We encourage you to share updates with parents in your schools to keep them informed of the bigger picture in Catholic education and to present the facts around funding so they are aware of what the expectations will be in the future around funding for Catholic schools.

Opportunity for you to participate in the future formation of the Catholic Church in Australia

Around Australia people are invited to engage in reflection and discussion about God and the future of the Catholic Church in Australia. The last time the Catholic Church in Australia held a Plenary Council was more than eighty years ago - much has changed since!

The Australian Plenary Council 2020 has developed several facilitator and discussion guides available for download so you can prepare your own group discussion to reflect on the future of the Catholic Church.

Your local Parish may be organising a Plenary 2020 group discussion or you may wish to organise one at your school. The guides on the website provide information for facilitators of the discussion and the opportunity for students to also have their say in the future of their Catholic Church.

Click here to learn how to be a facilitator for the Plenary discussions

In this video, CSPV council member, Rhyannon Elliott discusses the role of the facilitator and how to run a discussion. Rhyannon discusses the importance of a facilitator being the group manager rather than a participant in the discussion.

There are three things a facilitator needs to do during the discussion:

• Engage the group
• Manage the group - Set the direction of the conversation
• Close the group

CSPV encourage parents to take a leadership role in organising a group discussion either in their school along with the Principal and school leaders or to participate in their local Parish.

The Holy Father Pope Francis recently appointed Most Reverend Bishop Peter Andrew Comensoli of the Diocese of Broken Bay as the ninth Archbishop of Melbourne.

The Catholic community celebrated the appointment of Archbishop Comensoli on 1 August at St Patrick’s Cathedral in a mass of reception ceremony that was a joyous celebration for the Archdiocese. The new Archbishop was welcomed by the Victoria lay congregation along with priests, nuns, bishops and other clergy and a choir that filled the cathedral with magnificent singing. The ceremony recognised Paul’s journey to Rome and the Archbishop likened this journey to his own from Broken Bay to Melbourne. Originally from Woolongong, Archbishop Comensoli demonstrates a warm, engaging personality and genuine Australian character that many Melburnians will relate to.

Along with being the Archbishop of Melbourne, from November 2018 he will take up the appointment of Chair of the Bishops’ Commission for Life, Family and Public Engagement, and membership of the Bishops’ Commission for the Plenary Council.

Click here to view the full mass of reception for Archbishop Comensoli

Prior to the new appointment, Archbishop Denis Hart resigned after 17 years as Archbishop of Melbourne. CSPV wrote to Archbishop Hart to thank him for his dedicated service and his support for parents being recognised in Catholic education when he, along with each diocesan Bishop requested a parent representative council be formed in 2005. CSPV and all past members continue to be grateful that Archbishop Hart recognised that parents had a place at the decision-making table and that their voice and perspective should be heard in Catholic education.

Click here to view the message from Archbishop Comensoli for the people of Melbourne

(Reference: http://melbournecatholic.org.au/News/pope-francis-appoints-bishop-peter-a-comensoli-the-ninth-archbishop-of-melbourne)

To celebrate their 10-year anniversary, Catholic Schools Guide are hosting the inaugural Educating for the Future Expo.
Parents are invited to this one-day event which will take place on Sunday 31 March 2019 at Catholic Leadership Centre Melbourne.
Come along to see over 50 Catholic Secondary schools in Victoria.
Catholic Schools Guide are a proud sponsor of Catholic School Parents Australia.

Educating for the Future Expo – Catholic Leadership Centre

Sunday March 31st from 9-5pm

Applications now open for $45,000 Teaching Award

Applications are now open for the 2019 Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.

Offered through a partnership between the Commonwealth Bank and national charity Schools Plus, the Awards recognise and celebrate great teachers and school leaders who go above and beyond to make a difference and shape a brighter future for their students and their schools, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

This year, 12 outstanding educators will receive a $45,000 Teaching Fellowship, including $30,000 for a project at the Fellow’s school, $10,000 for professional development, and a group study tour to a high-performing education system valued at $5,000. Fellows will also receive unique opportunities to develop skills and networks, learn from leading education experts and become part of an alumni group helping to shape Australia's education future.

Now in their third year, the Awards are open to teachers and school leaders from all Australian schools, from all sectors (government, Catholic and Independent).

Applications are open from 27 August to 27 September 2018.

The website also features profiles of previous award winners from throughout Australia.

Opportunities for new council members to join our team from Sale Diocese

Catholic School Parents Victoria are currently seeking expressions of interest for parents to join the council as a volunteer member in 2018-2020. This is a unique opportunity for parents of children in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale to join a team of parents in advocating various issues in education at a system and state level.

The volunteer role involves a commitment of a two-year tenure that includes four meetings per year (in person or via video or telephone conference) and an ongoing consultative role in providing feedback and parent voice across five key areas of advocacy:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing
• Parent Engagement
• Catholic Identity
• Curriculum
• School Funding

Other opportunities include writing articles for various publications, attending professional learning seminars or conferences, nominating for a position on a steering committee or working group, the Executive team or the national parent council (CSPA), and some travel (for those nominated for a position on the national council, Catholic School Parents Australia).

Most of all you will have the opportunity to contribute Catholic school parent voice on various improvements in education in Victoria.

We are currently seeking 2 members from any schools in the diocese of Sale.

If you would like to express your interest in this unique parent leadership role in education, please contact Julie Di Noto at admin@cspv.catholic.edu.au or visit the link below to download a CSPV Prospectus and for more information about how to join.

We look forward to keeping you informed and providing relevant and useful resources throughout the remainder of this year.

Rachel Saliba
Executive Officer and Chief Editor
Catholic School Parents Victoria
secretary@cspv.catholic.edu.au
03 9267 0458

Julie Di Noto
Administration Officer
Catholic School Parents Victoria
admin@cspv.catholic.edu.au
03 9267 0458