This year's NAIDOC week runs from 4-11 July - many schools have chosen to mark the week in an alternate term-time week. Email contact@acsso.org.au to tell us your plans!

Lessons from lockdowns

The survey says...

Here we are halfway through the year and still in the throes of the pandemic. My home state, Victoria, is just winding up yet another lockdown and many families in NSW are now experiencing or anticipating major disruptions to work, school and school holidays with the highly transmissible Delta strain appearing in Sydney. 

This has an unsettling effect on the continuity of school learning and placing further pressure on families. The ongoing effect on the mental health and well-being of all is significant and was evident in the recent follow up survey of families we did. 

While we are still analysing the data we can see a clear indication from families that their young people are almost always much happier with the return to in-person school days. 

Engagement must continue

It's of continuing concern for us, backed up by our preliminary survey results, that engaging with families has not been high on the agenda for so many school leadership teams. 

In our survey, a large proportion of families indicated that schools now appear to want to leave many of the pandemic restrictions for parent access in place even when the rest of the community is 'business as usual'.

We understand the reluctance some schools are showing, but we fear it is founded more in administrative convenience than educational benefit or public health management.  

We know from the results of our last year’s survey, that students who had the most successful continuity of learning through lockdowns were those whose parents reported high levels of engagement from their school teachers and leadership. It was very clear that schools which had a strongly established family engagement strategy before the pandemic were better able to maintain healthy relationships during the pandemic because their strong home school connections were already built. 

A time of pandemic is not the time to start building home school partnerships; they should already be in place and a number one priority for every school.

ACSSO Conference - join us!

Please SAVE THE DATE for ACSSO’s National Conference. This will be held Friday 29th to Saturday 30th October at the Mantra Legends on the Gold Coast, Queensland, however we also will be providing an opportunity for you to join online.  The conference theme is Equity and Inclusion, and we will release more details soon – keep an eye on our social media and website for an opportunity to join us.

Curriculum review

Please don’t forget to contribute to the Review of the Australian Curriculum – the review is open to all and I know ACARA welcomes your input. The consultation period closes July 8.

NAIDOC Week 2021

I know schools around the country will be preparing for NAIDOC week 2021 from July 4–11, and that many schools mark the week either before or after their winter term break. This year’s theme is Heal Country! – this is a time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Keep safe.

Sharron Healy

Chair

Australian Council of State School Organisations

June 2021

Can you support Public Education Foundation scholarships?

ACSSO has a long history with the Public Education Foundation (PEF). The Foundation has been responsible for supporting thousands of students and many teachers across the nation with life changing scholarships.

If you are looking for a non-profit to support for this end of financial year window, we highly recommend the PEF, which provides financial and academic support to public school students in need across Australia. PEF's scholarships are highly effective as they address particular areas of need to help students overcome barriers to achievement created by social and economic disadvantage.  

The number of scholarships that PEF awards is largely determined by how much it can raise each year.  The needs are immense, and they would welcome your support. Please consider making a donation and investing in a child’s future. https://www.givenow.com.au/publiceducationfoundation

Schools Plus Grant Application

Schools seeking funding for strategic projects that improve student outcomes can now apply for a Smart Giving grant through Schools Plus.

Funding from $20,000 to $60,000 will be available for schools across Australia. For more information on the types of grants available, visit the Schools Plus website.

Both individual schools and clusters of 4-10 schools can apply to receive funding for projects that run for 12 – 18 months. Until Friday 20 August, schools can submit a simple application to receive funding for their strategic project.

Schools Plus is a national not for profit that helps close the education gap. Schools Plus empowers teachers in disadvantaged communities to implement strategic school projects that will help their students succeed. Since 2015, Schools Plus has funded over 1000 school projects around Australia, benefiting more than 300,000 students and 15,000 teachers.

Schools eligible for support through Schools Plus must have a value below 1000 on the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).

For more information and to apply, visit www.schoolsplus.org.au/for-schools/smart-giving/

Questions? Get in touch with us on contact@acsso.org.au

ACARA: Curriculum Review

REMINDER: Consultation Period Ends July 8

The Review looks to improve the Australian Curriculum by refining, realigning and decluttering the content so it focusses on the essential knowledge and skills students should learn and is clearer for teachers on what they need to teach.

ACARA has consulted widely with teachers, education stakeholders and curriculum experts, and now wants to hear what you think about the proposed revisions to the Australian Curriculum. Just click on to this link to take you to the consultation site

And for any parents wondering how all three dimensions of the Curriculum work together, this video does a fantastic job of showing us.

The consultation period is from Thursday 29 April to Thursday 8 July.

Initial Teacher Education Review

On 15 April 2021, the Hon Alan Tudge MP, Minister for Education and Youth, announced the launch of the Quality Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Review led by an Expert Panel chaired by Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM. The Expert Panel have now released a Discussion Paper for public consultation. You can read the Discussion Paper on the Review Engagement Hub.

Breakdown: Discussion Paper

The Discussion Paper considers what more is needed to attract and select high quality candidates into the teaching profession and to ensure that we are best preparing ITE students to be effective teachers. Using both the Terms of Reference and the ideas generated as part of the consultation process, the Discussion Paper addresses several key topics, including:

• Attracting high quality candidates into teaching
• ITE completions and entry into a teaching career
• Matching supply with workforce needs
• Ensuring graduate teachers are ‘classroom ready’
• The role of teachers and school leaders in supporting the next generation.

Make a Submission

The Expert Panel invite you to respond to the issues raised in the Discussion Paper by making a formal submission to the Review either independently or on behalf of your organisation. You can make a text or file submission via the Review Engagement Hub. 

Submissions are open until 11.59pm on Sunday 18 July 2021.

Have you heard about Smart Energy for Switched-On Students giveaway?

Provided by Solar Schools

Real-time and historical energy data is a great resource for school education, engaging students in understanding and responding to real-world challenges using their own school’s situation. 

Energy data maps to Information Technology (IT) and the Internet of Things (IoT), Mathematics, Science, Environment, Climate Change, Economics, Sustainability and more.

Now, one lucky Australian school will be awarded a very special energy and education package to engage students in data-driven solutions for saving electricity, reducing power bills and cutting carbon pollution.

With a total prize value of over $7,000, the Smart Energy for Switched-On Students giveaway is open to primary and secondary schools (K-12) Australia-wide. Entries close on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, and the successful entrant will be announced on Thursday, September 9.

The prize was created by smart energy technology companies Wattwatchers and Solar Schools, partners in the My Energy Marketplace (MEM) project, which is supported by grant funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The three-year MEM project, which began in 2019, is installing subsidised smart energy management solutions at 5,000 homes and small businesses, plus 250 schools (recruitment is open to schools entering this giveaway - see details of subsidies below).

How to enter

Check your eligibility! 

This opportunity is open to all Australian schools (K-12) with the exception of any that already have Wattwatchers and Solar Schools installed through the MEM or other programs.

Schools can enter whether or not they already have rooftop solar installed, including those that are planning to add solar and those with other electricity management issues they want to prioritise such as targeting energy waste or cutting emissions.

Apply online

Find the entry form and see terms and conditions here. You will need to provide your school’s name and location, a relevant school representative’s name and contact details (email and mobile number), and a brief written submission (maximum 100 words) summarising why the school wants to be awarded the prize. 

What’s in the prize?

The school selected to receive the giveaway package will be:

• Installed with up to 2 Wattwatchers smart energy devices to monitor its electricity use from a main grid connection, plus generation from a solar system (if PV is installed) or major electrical loads such as air-conditioning

• Provided with a three-year subscription to the premium ‘Energy Hero’ software package from Solar Schools, including a teacher-led learning app called ‘Planet Watch’, training for teaching staff, and materials for integrating real-time and historical energy data into ready-to-use, curriculum-aligned unit and lesson plans (for years K-12).

$2,000 subsidies also available

Entrants that don’t receive the major prize are still eligible to receive over $2,000 each worth of subsidies from ARENA to install the Wattwatchers-Solar Schools combined solution for a minimum three years. 

In this case, however, co-contributions need to be paid by the school or on its behalf: either $1,097 +GST for an ‘Energy Starter’ pack, or $4995 +GST for the ‘Energy Hero’ premium level (see more details of the subsidised offers here). 

*The prize, valued at over $7,000 in total, consists of hardware (up to 2 energy monitoring devices and accessories), installation by an electrician, and the Solar Schools ‘Energy Hero’ software including data ownership (agreement to share is part of the T&Cs), school energy profile, customised display board readiness, curriculum-aligned teaching resource suite, Planet Watch educational app, web widgets, teacher refresher training, API endpoint for direct data access.

ARENA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & DISCLAIMER: The My Energy Marketplace project is receiving funding from ARENA as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government, and the Australian Government does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.

myfuture is free for everyone

Did you know myfuture is a government-funded service, supported by industry, that supports students to develop the skills and confidence to make more informed career decisions.

myfuture’s tools and resources give students the opportunity to learn more about themselves, explore career opportunities, and expand their knowledge about the world of work in a secure, and private space, at their own pace. myfuture is targeted and tailored to the education community, providing users with free access to trusted, impartial and reliable career information based on research and evidence.

Create your free My career profile to start exploring today. http://bit.ly/MyCareerProfile

Caught You Being Great!

Well done Gracemere State School – winners of the education category 2021 Queensland Reconciliation Awards.

The school has worked with Darumbal Enterprises, Elders, their P&C and wider community members to teach the Darumbal language and an Aboriginal culture program at the school. All the school staff participate in the program which is aligned to the Australian curriculum.

The work is advancing the reconciliation process at school and helping build a sense of connection and belonging for the schools’ First Nations students. Congratulations!

We love to hear your stories of schools and communities doing great things. They don't have to have made it to mainstream media already. 

Send your #caughtyoubeinggreat stories to contact@acsso.org.au and use the hashtag on Facebook to find other wonderful stories.

Save the Dates

October 29 and 30: ACSSO National Conference: Equity and Inclusion, Mantra Legends on the Gold Coast

September 10 and 11: P&Cs Qld State Conference and AGM: Strategy and Adaptation, Sofitel Hotel, Brisbane