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 fourth term edition of the CSPV newsletter. This edition is being released at a time when VCE and VCAL students are completing exams. We wish all the students and families all the best for this very busy time of year. We have included in this issue, an article by Patrick Wright on how to support children as they move on from secondary school. This is an exciting time for young people who still need guidance and support as they navigate their way into a new environment away from school and for some, away from home.

This term began with the welcoming of two new members of the CSPV team. Mr Rod Lewis joined CSPV as the new representative from the diocese of Ballarat. Mr Gary Coy will join CSPV prior to our final meeting for the year in November. Gary will be a representative from the southern region of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

The most recent focus of the CSPV has been to plan for the future of the council by developing a new strategic plan. During August CSPV went through the process of interviewing key stakeholders and preparing a new direction for the council. The strategic plan 2019-2023 will be ratified in November at the final meeting for 2018.

CSPV recently launched a new Facebook page to bring further information and build connection with our main audience, parents of children in Catholic schools. This platform will enable CSPV further connection with parents and to build awareness on a broader scale of the issues and topical stories in education. We will also use the platform to share good news stories about the wonderful learning and community building happening in Catholic schools.

Catholic schools across Australia breathed a sigh of relief when the federal government and new education Minister Dan Tehan MP finally announced they would reinstate funding to Catholic schools of $3.4billion over ten years. CSPV acknowledges the persistence of Catholic education authorities, particularly the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria in their unwavering lobbying to ensure parent choice in Catholic education continues.

With the Victorian state election being held this month on 24 November and potentially an early federal election on the horizon, each of the parties are sharing their policies and plans, hoping to gain trust in the parents of children in Catholic schools. CSPV recently welcomed pledges from both the Labor and State opposition leaders. You can read more about these pledges in our school funding update in this newsletter.

CSPV representatives from Victoria, Tracy Connors and Rachel Saliba attended the recent Catholic School Parents Australia meeting in Brisbane. The meeting was also attended by special guests Father Frank Brennan, CEO of Catholic Social Services Australia and Mr Ray Collins, Acting Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission.

CSPV will hold their AGM in November and will conclude the year with 8 members on council, the CECV representative, Executive Officer and Administration Officer. The maximum number on council is 11 plus the CECV representative so we are seeking three more applicants in the new year.
For expressions of interest, please visit the CSPV website at www.cspv.catholic.edu.au.

All the best for the remainder of the term.

Until next time,

Morgan Murphy
Chair, CSPV

Your opportunity 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.

Written by Rod Lewis
Council Member – Ballarat Diocese
Catholic School Parents Victoria

In August CSPV inducted the newest member representing parents from Ballarat, Mr Rod Lewis. In the reflection below, Rod discusses his decision to join CSPV as a parent representative and his first event as a representative, the launch of the Project Rockit Digital Ambassador program.

I chose to join the CSPV as I am passionate Catholic parent of 2 children James aged 10 and Emily aged 12 in the Catholic Education system. In joining CSPV, I hope to provide a positive contribution so that my kids along with other families can continue to enjoy a rewarding, safe and progressive Catholic education experience.  

In the theme of child safety, I recently attended the launch in Melbourne of an exciting
$1 million funded collaboration between Facebook and Instagram called the “Project Rockit Digital Ambassadors Program”.

Project Rockit was launched in 2006 by Rosie and Lucy Thomas, two Australian sisters who saw the opportunity to create real social change by tackling the issue of bullying in school communities.

It is a youth-driven movement against cyber bullying, their passionate and diverse young team is driven by the vision of a world where kindness and respect thrive over bullying, hate and prejudice and all young people are free to realise their potential.

There are 3 stages to the program including:
Stage 1: Events to unite young people
Stage 2: Plug into Online Action Hub
Stage 3: Build Social Movement Against Bullying

Schools can nominate to register for the program next year, nominate student/s to be Digital Ambassadors within their student group and more information can be found via the following link online below:

I also had the opportunity to meet the Honourable Member for Wannon, Victoria and Minister for Education, the Hon Dan Tehan MP who attended the launch.

It was a very positive engagement with the Minister who when speaking at the launch encouraged all schools nationwide to engage in the Project Rockit Digital Ambassador Program. The Minister was very accommodating of his time to speak with me and appreciated the attendance of a CSPV representative so we, as parents, can learn from the benefits of this online initiative between Facebook and Instagram to tackle cyber bullying for the children in our sector of education in Australia.  

As parents, teaching our children to be strong and persistent in the face of adversity can be challenging. However, it is critical for children to learn to keep trying and not to give up when things become challenging or ‘too hard’.

This skill will guide them as they face different challenges in life. I had a recent discussion with my 12-year-old about the importance of having a positive mind-set. He was trying to problem solve when building a lego model that proved to be quite difficult. Using positive self-talk such as ‘I can do it’ or ‘I won’t give up’ helped my son to refocus. I often need to remind myself to model positive self-talk when I am faced with challenges, as I know my kids are always watching and listening.

The good news is that there are many things parents can do to teach their child persistence. Talking about perseverance and using positive language will help children maintain a positive frame of mind when situations become difficult. It is important for kids to know that it’s okay to make mistakes, as these are valuable learning experiences. Providing opportunities for children to succeed and following these with praise is important, however emphasising the fact that failure is ok is just as important. 

In the article, ‘The art of teaching perseverance to kids,’ Jim Stevens explains how to teach your child to keep trying even if they make mistakes.

As many Year 12 students across Victoria are sitting their final exams, transition to a life beyond formal secondary school awaits them. Many students will experience anxiety during this time.

Patrick Wright explains in this article that leaving school is a time of massive change, but friends and family can help with the transition. By starting conversations and sharing your own teenage experiences, you can connect with your teenager. By being a good listener and non-judgemental, it shows you care.

Supporting our kids in the next phase of their life journey can be difficult, however it is essential so they know they can turn to you when life’s challenges come their way.

Dogs Connect is an Australia-first learning program that helps improve the culture in schools by focusing on student well-being and connectedness.

Former Bendigo primary school teacher and Dogs Connect founder, Grant Shannon, launched the program in 2015 with a passion to make a positive change in schools. 

“After working as a primary school teacher for over a decade, the need for Dogs Connect was born to help students feel more connected and engaged in their school environment,” Mr. Shannon said.

Dogs Connect is based on academic research around student wellbeing and applied learning combined with experience in a broad range of teaching and behavioral management practices.

Unlike the therapy dog programs, this program involves introducing a dog as a permanent member of the school’s community as a teaching and learning tool. The Dogs Connect team work very closely with the school to design a program to meet the specific needs of the students and staff. This could be anything from sadness and anxiety, to not wanting to go to school, hyperactivity, tantrums or being easily distracted. The main learning themes covered in the program are empathy, awareness of others and self, self-regulation and reactivity.

“We are thrilled that ten regional Victorian schools have used the program to help their students feel more connected to their school environment, to help them to cope with negative emotions, to be calmer and happier and achieve deeper learning,” he said.

Program data shows a significant decrease in anxiety and stress, and improvement in school attendance. Further, a substantial increase in students’ understanding of empathy, relationship between heart rate and emotional states, and how to practice regulation. Other results indicate an increase in engagement, attentiveness towards teachers, and a general calming effect for students and staff.

The Dogs Connect program is currently working on a research partnership with La Trobe University Bendigo to contribute to the growing evidence that supports the use of dogs as tools for teaching and learning support in school settings.

“Schools are complex organisations with growing numbers of learners with special needs and challenging behaviors. The Dogs Connect Program utilises dogs as a tool for improving and engaging (cognitively, behaviorally and affectively) students in their learning”, says Dr. Bruce Pridham, Lecturer in Learning Theory and Indigenous Education La Trobe University Bendigo.

“The program helps build learner self-efficacy with a focus on building emotional intelligence and resilience. Through the Dogs Connect Program we have identified improvements in student behavior, attitudes towards learning and their connection to school, he said.

Dogs Connect has been working with a variety of Catholic, State Primary schools and Secondary schools, including schools funded through School Focused Youth Services

Co-ordinators through the Berry Street Child and Family Services Organisation and Kildonan Uniting. This semester seven schools in Victoria have joined the Dogs Connect community.

Andrew Frawley, Principal California Gully Primary School.

“Wellbeing for California Gully Primary School is an area for consistent development and the goals of Dogs Connect aligned perfectly with our current initiatives. Like all schools a continual focus of all children being ‘ready to learn’ sets up positive experiences for all at school. Working with Grant to further develop and build strategies for individual students, classes and our wider community underpins our connection with Dogs Connect.  We recognise the need to build authentic experiences for all and strongly believe that Dogs Connect will significantly support this goal,” said Mr Frawley.

Mr. Tim Moloney Principal of St Francis Primary School, Strathfieldsaye.

“It’s not just about bringing a dog into the classroom, it goes to a much deeper level than that. The benefits to students and staff have been extraordinary.”

Anna Garlick, Wellbeing Worker, St Peter’s Primary School Bendigo

“I had been working one on one with a young man in Grade 5 who was continually displaying harmful behaviors and was disengaged from his classroom.  I had heard about Grant’s work with Sonny and arranged for the young man and I to visit the school to spend some time with them.  Grant spent over half the day with this boy and with Sonny.  The result after such a short time was truly amazing. The young fella made a poster about Sonny and presented it to the class – it was the very first time he had stood up in front of this own class.”

For further information, please contact Grant Shannon on 0438 374 759 or grant@dogsconnect.net.au.

Each year there is a week in May set aside to celebrate the families that make up our communities. Family Week from the 15^th – 21^st May 2019, is an opportunity for your school community to build connections, share stories and celebrate the richness of learning that takes place within families and school communities.

In 2019, CatholicCare will once again be encouraging fundraising for important resources and programs for families, through Family Week activities and events in Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Diocese of Sale.

CSPV, along with CatholicCare, are seeking your input for a theme for Family Week and to encourage your schools to include families in the development of ideas and activities for Family Week. We are encouraging schools also to build awareness amongst families of the broad range of support services that CatholicCare provide for families across all school sectors in Greater Melbourne, Geelong and Gippsland.

Some of these include:

• Family and Relationship Services
• Counselling
• Family Dispute Resolution
• Alcohol and other Drug Family Service
• Family Wellbeing Support Service
• Integrated Family Services
• Geelong Family Relationship Centre
• Relationship Courses
• Pastoral Services
• Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support
• School and Education Support

The theme for Family Week this year was Building Connections; Growing Together. The resources focussed on the dynamic concept of Family Wellbeing – how it can be celebrated and strengthened within a school or parish community, and how CatholicCare programs contribute to the wellbeing of families of all backgrounds. 

The theme for next year will begin with Building Connections ___________ ___________. We are seeking your input to fill in the blanks.

To submit your idea, please send to secretary@cspv.catholic.edu.au by the 12^th November 2018. 

On Friday 19 October three CSPV members attended the first of a series of seminars centred around family engagement.The seminar was hosted by John Stafford, Kaylene McKay, Cindy Bohan and Gillian Baxter whom have all worked in family engagement in children's learning.

The seminar was an invitation to those who are interested in meeting and engaging with others who share a passion for family engagement, to join together to create a community to ignite a commitment to growing this work and sharing with each other examples of good practice. 

The two speakers on the day presented two quite different perspectives of what it means to include families on the education journey with their children. The first presentation explored the use of technology as a means of communicating learning with families. Gill Baxter, Cluster Engagement Leader along with Mareta, the Family Engagement in Learning Leader from St Paul’s Primary School in Sunshine, discussed the use of See-saw as a means of communication of learning with parents.

The discussion was around how teachers use the app as a tool that has a purpose and an outcome. The tool is widely used but not necessarily in a strategic way with intention to improve learning outcomes for children. Whilst the tool has proven to be great for parents who can now see their children’s learning in progress, the research project explores further, strategies around understanding the purpose of sharing learning with families and working through a process to understand how to use these tools more effectively.

The second presentation by Principal of Willaura Primary School, Tammie Meehan explored an intuitive leadership style of developing learning opportunities in the community with students. Tammie discussed how building authentic relationships with people in the community has led to understanding the resources available to the school and how to work together to provide enriching learning experiences for the children.

The children were exploring the history of Willaura and they were given the opportunity to meet with elderly members of the community, to interview them and design their own interactive presentation. They developed their own ‘white night’ light show and displays in the town and invited the community for a viewing of their show. They also experienced a walk through the township to learn about the history of the township and farming community and finished with an overnight camping trip. The whole experience was so engaging for them in learning about the history of their community then sharing their learning with the people of the town.

The presentation highlighted how there is a flow on effect when we get creative and draw on those people around us for inspiration. One idea leads to another and the intuitive leadership style enables this when we are open to new opportunities and experiences and making them happen for students. 

For further information about future seminars, please contact John Stafford at jstaffo27@gmail.com 

Written by Amelia Matlock
Parent Representative
Catholic School Parents Victoria

Having a child with a learning difference is unexpected for most parents and comes with a myriad of adjustments for the family. Our journey started out as a time of confusion, grief, anger and sadness. Our beautiful and amazing child was going to face some tough hurdles through his educational life.

Like many before us, coming to know the complexities of dyslexia, we discovered a determination and need to understand and learn as much as we could to help our child’s journey through school be successful, enjoyable and positive.

Children with learning differences face challenges inside and outside the classroom. Dyslexia affects not only the ability to engage and access the academic curriculum, but also self-esteem, confidence, social engagement and emotional regulation.
All of which impacts a child’s friendships and learning. For parents, it’s overwhelming and difficult to know how best to help.

We decided to build our knowledge. We read articles, joined support groups and spoke with therapists and teachers. Armed with knowledge and being an expert in our own child, we needed to find a constructive voice with key staff at school to ensure we all worked together to achieve our son’s goals. We approached this by creating an environment of open communication with the teacher and school leadership team.

Many families in our situation have regular planning meetings with their school called Program Support Group meetings.  At these meetings everyone involved in the child’s educational journey is invited to create a plan for the child. These meetings are most beneficial when they are structured with clear documentation.

Before the meeting we think about our goals for the term and the year. We discuss these with therapists who might be working with us. We are then able to walk into a meeting at school, confident we know where we are currently and where we are heading.

We wanted our child’s school journey to be a positive experience and this inspired me to join our School Education Board. I saw a need to have the voice of children with diverse learning needs at the table. Having that voice would benefit the broader community particularly when 10% of Australian children are dyslexic. Every school has dyslexic students, they may just not be formally diagnosed.

I recently joined Catholic School Parents Victoria, a decision inspired by my positive experience on our school education board and to bring the parent voice of children with additional learning needs to a system and state level.

Children achieve more when parents and educators collaborate, communicate and genuinely work together to support each child. Our experience has led us to truly see that conversations we have with our children’s educators are critical and parent knowledge must be listened to and acted on when it comes to supporting children’s learning needs.

Simon Stevens is the new Education Officer at Catholic Education Melbourne whose role focuses on work with school boards. On a recent trip to Boston, while visiting the John F Kennedy School of Government, he took time to talk to Dr Karen Mapp from the Harvard Graduate School of Education about the role of parents in education.

Dr Mapp has been to Australia a number of times and her insights into the Australian context are reflective of her own experience as a consultant on family engagement to the United States Department of Education in the Office of Innovation and Improvement. Her view, in short, is that there is still a lot to do in developing family engagement initiatives that build capacity among educators and families to partner with one another around student success.

At CEM, the notion that “a Catholic school community includes learners, their families, their teachers and other staff at the school – all of whom come together to form a connected and organic learning environment for the benefit of students” is firmly expressed in Horizons of Hope, the education framework for the Archdiocese of Melbourne

Dr Mapp outlines in her Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family–School Partnerships that both the school and families have their own capacities to build so that the distinction fades in relation to the greater goal of charting a path toward effective family engagement efforts that are linked to student achievement and school improvement.

Parents sharing in the educational journey of the school, in a myriad of possible ways, develops the dual capacity of the entire school community to enhance engagement by both the school and families in the students’ learning. Dr Mapp’s research and experience demonstrates that this engagement is a significant factor in improving outcomes for all. Educators and parents sharing in the school strategic journey in an integrated, sustained relational manner can make the difference.

Governance, through the work on a school board, is the strategic process through which the school builds its intellectual, social, financial and spiritual capital and aligns them to achieve its goals. Parents need to be a part of that journey. 

Simon can be contacted at sstevens@cem.edu.au.

For more information on School Boards, please contact 9267 0228 or email schoolboards@cem.edu.au

How much do you know about VET?

Every parent wants to see their child succeed in all aspects of their life, including choosing the right career path. What parents do for a living; where they live; their education, knowledge and skills; what they earn; and how they spend their time and money, have a huge influence on their child’s career decision making.

There are many options for young people to choose from so it is important to build awareness of the opportunities that are available for them.

VET stands for Vocational Education and Training and is often overlooked as a less than stellar option for students to become qualified and move into the workforce. However, did you know that VET

• Equips students with real world skills
• Helps students find their place in the workforce
• Gives students industry experience needed by employers

It is important to remember that the career development process begins long before the adult years so it’s vital we debunk common misconceptions about VET pathways.

Vocational Education and Training is one of the most progressive forms of education available to students, yet as demonstrated by our ‘test’, there is a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed.

I recently had the privilege of attending Catholic Education Melbourne’s STEM Making A Difference (MAD) Showcase at the Catholic Leadership Centre in East Melbourne.

The Showcase is designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate how students in Catholic schools take action that matters.

There were over 40 schools, including both primary and secondary schools, with 60 teams of students exhibiting.

The design brief was to develop a product, service or innovation to help others and that will ‘make a difference’ (MAD).

The main aims of the event were to:

• CELEBRATE students taking action that makes a difference
• SHOWCASE deep learning
• ENGAGE schools in effective STEM based multidisciplinary inquires
• PROMOTE high quality STEM education for future focused learning
• CONTEXTUALISE STEM in the core curriculum
• ENACT SOCIAL JUSTICE for the Common Good

Some of the innovations included a mobility walking device, original app designs, stair climbing wheelchair, an arcade game and an elephant ball. It was a fantastic exhibition of innovative thinkers and problem solvers, who represent Catholic School students.

State Government announcement for VCE/VCAL literacy and numeracy attainment 

Following concerns that too many students are graduating with below standard reading, writing and maths skills, the state Minister for Education James Merlino last week announced the introduction of a GAT (General Achievement Test) for both VCE and VCAL students.

From 2021, students undertaking one or more Unit 3/4 studies in VCE will, as part of their General Achievement Test (GAT) results, receive information about whether they have demonstrated new literacy and numeracy standards.

VCE students will not be required to sit a new test. The GAT, which is already completed by students studying a Unit 3/4 VCE study, will be extended to include assessments of both literacy and numeracy.

VCAL students will be expected to sit the GAT in the final year of their program of study.

Current arrangements that apply for adjustments and authorised absences from the GAT will continue to apply.

The GAT statement of results will indicate if students have either ‘demonstrated’, ‘demonstrated at a high level’ or ‘not demonstrated’ literacy and numeracy standards.
The standards will be based on nationally recognised benchmarks.

There is no change to the current qualification requirements for the VCE and for VCAL. Students who meet these current requirements will continue to be awarded either the VCE or the VCAL.

This change to the GAT does not require any change to student subject choice.

Teachers, students and parents will be aware of students who may be at risk of not demonstrating the literacy and numeracy standards through regular school-based assessments and Year 7 and Year 9 NAPLAN results, and so will be able to plan appropriate support strategies.

“State Education Minister James Merlino said Victoria had been the only state that did not explicitly include, or plan to include, literacy and numeracy standards in its senior secondary reporting. We don’t want a situation where a student is completing their schooling without being able to meet minimum literacy and numeracy standards. This is a change that has been called for by employers for some time, and with this additional support we will give every student the opportunity to be job ready.”

The Education Minister James Merlino also announced an additional 700 teachers for government school secondary students as support for those who are falling behind.

To submit any feedback or questions you may have about the GAT, please send to secretary@cspv.catholic.edu.au by the 12^th November 2018.  

Click here for the recent media release from Minister James Merlino

Catholic schools across Australia had a final reprieve when the federal government and new education Minister Dan Tehan MP announced they would reinstate funding to Catholic and independent schools following the recommendations from the National Schools Resource Board.

New funding will be based on a new PIT (Parent Income Tax) model rather than the current SES model. Use of 2011 or 2016 Census data plus transitioning for funding for some Catholic schools to the SRS will extended from 6 years to 10 years This equates to $3.4 billion over ten years for Catholic schools. 

Prior to the announcement, CSPV wrote to Minister Tehan urging him to continue negotiations with Catholic education directors and come to a decision to provide parents of children in Catholic schools with peace of mind that their schools were no longer in danger of closure or needing to increase school fees.

$135 million of additional funds for Catholic systemic schools nationally for communities in need will also be made available. This funding is particularly important for existing Catholic schools in rural and remote areas of Australia where communities are struggling. Should schools be forced to close in these areas, there would be a flow on impact for many of those small communities. If there is a lack of quality schools and teachers in rural areas, people are less likely to move to these towns. This is at a time when Australia’s major cities are at near capacity and there is a push for decentralisation. Therefore, the government has pledged this fund for schools that require assistance. Catholic School Parents Victoria welcomed this decision to support those schools and communities in need.

New announcements for capital works funding provide families new opportunities in the Education State of Victoria

With the state election being held this month on 24 November each of the major parties are sharing their policies and plans, hoping to gain trust in the parents of children in Catholic schools. In the past few weeks we’ve seen announcements from the Victorian State Government who have pledged $400 million for the upgrading and building of new Catholic and non-government schools over four years, if elected in November. They have also pledged to fast track planning for new Catholic schools to expedite the process in new development areas in Victoria.

Likewise, opposition leader of the Liberal National Party, Matthew Guy pledged to match the government’s announcement of $400million for capital works funding and school upgrades should they be elected in November. In addition, the Liberals and Nationals have said funds from the $400 million will be go towards land purchases for school sites.

The pledges from each of the parties will mean families moving into new development areas in outer Melbourne and Victoria will continue to have the choice of sending their children to Catholic schools. Existing schools will also have the opportunity to apply for grants to upgrade their schools to ensure Catholic school buildings are safe and provide contemporary learning environments for children.

If you have any questions about funding for Catholic schools please email secretary@cspv.catholic.edu.au.

“Strong cognitive skills are not enough on their own to achieve good performance … in technologically advanced industries … social and emotional skills as well as cognitive skills [are also required].” (OECD, OECD Skills Outlook 2017, 2017, p 28).

DET Australian Government has released the Future Ready National Careers Education Strategy. The strategy highlights the shared responsibility of Government and school systems, school leaders, teachers and careers practitioners, parents and caregivers and employers in the community to work together in support of decision making around career choices. 

In an excerpt from the strategy, it states that “Parents, carers and families play a significant role in the decisions students make about their career choices beginning with subject choices and educational pathways. It is important for parents and caregivers to be aware of the value of career education. When parents and carers work with their child’s interests, the school, community and local business network they can help build essential skills and attitudes to prepare them for the future.

The purpose of career education is to build resilient individuals with the capacity to adapt to the changing nature of work and manage multiple careers in their lifetime, according to circumstances and needs. Early engagement by parents ensures children are better prepared for life beyond school.”

Through the strategy, governments, school systems and schools will share, expand and encourage programs and practices that work in a local context. 

The strategy emphasises collaboration with parents and caregivers in partnership including:

Transferable skills

• Talk to children about how the skills they develop at school, sport, or while volunteering can be used in different ways, including in the workplace.
  • Ask your child’s school about suitable tools and resources that may assist you in the conversations with your children about their passions, subject choices and potential career paths.
  • Access tools and resources to support evidence-based conversations with your child about the skills needed in the range of post-school options and pathways available to them.

Meet the needs of all students

• Start conversations with your children about careers from a young age.
  • Identify a child’s individual passions and strengths to assist in supporting their future pathway choices.
  • Use opportunities in your local area to explore career possibilities with your child.
  • Encourage them to lead the conversations about the things that interest them and how they might follow those interests

Partnerships
Collaborate with your local career education stakeholders (universities, and training providers, local government, employers and industry) to support the needs of your local community and ensure they continue to support pathways for school students.

Informed and Involved

Parents and caregivers know their child best. Discuss your child’s interests with your child’s school and explore the possibilities available in your community.
• Understand and value your child’s progression and growth to support them to achieve their career goals.

Catholic School Parents Victoria recently launched a Facebook page to continue to build connection with our main stakeholders, parents of children in Catholic schools. The facebook page will keep parents up to date with the work of CSPV and topical issues in education. Please visit the link, like and share with your friends to continue to build awareness of Catholic education across Victoria.

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 2019-2021. 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