Sign up! Free webinar 10/8/21 helping families with online safety decisions at a time when many children are in lockdown and more screen focused than ever.

Parents step up, again. 

What a month it has been!  Our communities in New South Wales have been hard hit by the Coronavirus, forcing millions of people into learning and working from home, or worse, temporarily out of employment.  And now Victoria has been put back into another circuit breaker lockdown.  We wish everyone in these states all the best – we know it’s hard but necessary. 

I’d like to acknowledge the amazing job that parents and carers are doing in those states, supporting their children and young people to continue their education as best they can.  Often while working from home themselves. Their support goes a long way to help the great teachers, aides, staff and leaders in our schools deliver a remote curriculum. 

We mustn’t forget the wonderful job our early educators are continuing to do in early learning and childcare centres.  They’re frontline workers, too, and don’t receive anywhere near enough recognition for their work during the pandemic. 

Sustaining our work for you

Our work has not slowed at all; even during lockdown our CEO and staff are churning out more work than ever.  We have this month completed submissions to the Discussion Paper Development of a Sample Learner Profile; the Australian Curriculum Review Consultation; and the Quality Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Review.  This alongside the regular meetings, and also a meeting with the Shadow Minister for Education, Tanya Plibersek MP, and compiling the results of our latest national family’s survey. You can find copies of all our submissions on our website, www.acsso.org.au.

Connecting with you, no matter what

Like most businesses, we are having to switch from face to face meetings to virtual platforms at short notice.  Disappointingly we will be online only now at the 50th Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association conference at the end of the month.  We wish them all the very best for their event. 

We will also hold our board meeting virtually next month.  But at this stage we are going ahead with planning our national conference, which will be held on 29-30 October at Mantra Legends on the Gold Coast.  As I said in the last newsletter, because of the unpredictability of Covid-19, and the closures it brings, we will offer the option of joining our conference and (member) roundtable in October remotely.  More details will be provided as they are finalised.

Staff updates

The end of financial year saw our Admin Officer, Bec Ashford-Wykes, leave us to commence a position in her family’s business.  Bec has been an outstanding support for our CEO and the Board, and we wish her every success in her new venture.  We warmly welcome Donna Learson to the role, and acknowledge how easily she has fitted in, despite being forced to work remotely so soon into her employment.

Although they will think it unnecessary, I would like to highlight the outstanding work our CEO, Dianne Giblin, and our Project Officer, Peter Garrigan, have completed under some very trying circumstances over the last few months.  They both go above and beyond, and we thank them sincerely for their dedication to ACSSO and the public-school children and families of Australia.

Wellbeing matters most

Perhaps the most important thing to remember during this time is that kids will catch up with their learning, so looking after their, and your own, wellbeing should be your number one priority. 

Take care.

Sharron Healy

Chair

Australian Council of State School Organisations

July 2021

You told us: learning from lockdown

This year ACSSO conducted a follow up survey to our “Learning during the COVID 19 pandemic” survey we conducted last year.  We were wanting to know how families were travelling 12 months on; what expenses were incurred as a result of kids “doing school” from home and how Family Engagement was occurring.

Thank you to those families who completed the survey. We closed off just as Victoria went into its fourth lockdown, so decided to keep Victoria’s collectors open a little longer to ensure we included that fresh perspective. In hindsight, with the Covid-19 wave now gripping the east coast, we could have stayed open longer for everyone!. 

It was clear from the survey that many families struggled both financially and with wellbeing.  Resourcing around Australia and within states and school systems was inequitable and many young people had difficulty keeping up with their learning.

When schools returned to some form of 'normalcy' earlier this year, we confirmed that unfortunately many schools remain hesitant to return to their prior family engagement practices.  This remains a significant concern for ACSSO, as we are seeing families denied access to schools even when all official restrictions are lifted in their location. 

It was evident from our previous survey that the schools that had established greater engagement already with their families moved to home learning much more successfully. To further restrict contact with families when there are no health reasons to do so is a deeply worrying step.

Free webinar: stay safe online

Join us on 10 August at 7:30pm (EST) for the second in ACSSO's Webinar Series 2021. 

We are pleased to present Bec Nguyen, the Digital Projects Manager with the Health Promotion and Education Research team at Telethon Kids Institute (TKI). Bec is currently project managing two flagship digital health projects: Bright Tomorrows App Project and The Beacon App Project

In 2020 Bec received an Aspire Award from Business Events Perth and she was a 2021 finalist for Women Leading Tech for her work in digital health. Currently, both the Beacon and Bright Tomorrows apps are finalists for Best Social Impact for the Incite Awards – WA’s tech and innovation awards.

Bec will present some of her research and take us through the two new apps. They provide families with great support in the areas of early childhood and online safety.

To register, please click on this link

Screen content:  how to find what's age-appropriate and enjoyable?

Supplied by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM)

Screen time is an ongoing concern for many parents.  Often it’s a real battle to disengage children from games and social media where the persuasive design tactics of the designers keeps children overly engaged, while all too often, collecting their personal data and  passing it on to others.

Screen content also matters: it can impact children in different ways at different ages. Movies that are really enjoyed by 10 year olds can sometimes be overly scary for 5 year olds,  resulting in ongoing sleep disturbance or anxieties, or a spoiled expensive family cinema outing,  or a less-than-happy family film night during lockdown.

Unfortunately Australia’s National Classification Scheme (which classifies films as G ,PG, M, MA15+, or R18+)  does not offer parents much help in choosing those that will be age-appropriate .   This because the Scheme only assesses films for suitability for those under 15,  over 15, or over 18.  There’s no recognition of the stages of development between 3 and 15, and so the G and PG classifications can be a poor guide.

However help is at hand!    The Australian Council on Children and the Media ( ACCM) has a child development-based movie review service Know Before You Go  that provides an outline of the content of each newly released G  or PG movie (and those M movies  promoted to children, plus a lot of  golden oldies, and those on streamers), identifies content that is violent,  scary,  is sexualised, or has disturbing themes, and makes a recommendation of age-suitability.

ACCM also provides a similar review service for the most popular apps, Know Before You Load.    And recently we’ve added an innovative new feature- privacy checks on a list of top 50 apps popular with children. These allow you to check what personal data is being collected when children play each of those apps and which companies are receiving their data.  This service includes tips for talking with children about the importance of protecting online privacy. 

ACCM provides these services free via www.childrenandmedia.org.au

Check them out and use them to support healthy screen choices.   Screen content does matter.

Covid fatigue: support for children and adolescents

Pictured: Michael Carr-Gregg

The current post COVID environment of repeated lockdowns is having a profound impact on the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents, far greater it appears than the experts have predicted. Now, halfway through 2021 the numbers are in on the emotional and developmental price being paid. 

School TV has prepared a special report, spearheaded by child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, and makes for essential and timely viewing for parents, carers and educators. It reflects on new research and what uncertainties lie ahead for families and young people.

The Special Report: https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-covid-fatigue-youth-mental-health 

2021 ACSSO Conference Update

We have an awesome line up for ACSSO’s National Conference in October! We hope we can be together but know that we have an online option available should the pandemic continue to keep borders closed.

Here’s a little bit about two of our speakers:

Andrew Fuller, well known and respected clinical psychologist has recently been described as an 'interesting mixture of Billy Connolly, Tim Winton and Frasier Crane' and as someone who 'puts the heart back into psychology'. As a clinical psychologist, Andrew Fuller works with many schools and communities in Australia and internationally, specialising in the wellbeing of young people and their families. Earlier this year, Andrew joined ACSSO for a booked-out webinar - we look forward to his contribution

Michael Ray speaks about his insights from his personal journey raising his daughter and the profound impact being a solo dad has had on his outlook. He conveys his important message to organisations and individuals, brimming with concrete, actionable research and guidance with a passion that inspires. Michael’s journey will contribute to the discussion surrounding engaging families and the considerations of the single parent.

Check future newsletters for more updates on the ACSSO national conference: 

Equity and Inclusion 29-30 October, at Mantra Legends on the Gold Coast and online.

Debt helplines for your school's families

Supplied by the National Debt Hotline

Don’t suffer alone – there is FREE financial counselling available

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns are having an enormous effect on children, parents and teachers. For many, the impact is also financial due to loss of income or business closures.

But don’t suffer alone. There is free, confidential and independent advice available from the National Debt Helpline (NDH) and Small Business Debt Helpline (SBDH).

The two national not-for-profit services run free financial counselling helplines, to help individuals and small businesses cope with financial hardship.

This lockdown is likely to have an impact on the financial well-being of many people and we want them to know that free financial counselling is just a phone call away.

Financial counsellors know what support and options are available for a business owner or individual.

It’s important to reach out and ask for help. Now is not the time to suffer alone and in silence. Financial counsellors provide advice on a wide range of financial matters, including:

• Assistance accessing government grants and other relief

• Difficulties paying mortgages, rent or utility bills

• Negotiating with banks and other credit providers

• Accessing Centrelink payments

Financial counsellors are different to financial planners or advisors. They don’t provide investment advice nor are they lenders.

Anyone struggling financially can contact the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 or visit ndh.org.au. Small business owners and sole traders can call the Small Business Debt Helpline on 1800 413 828 or visit sbdh.org.au.

Student competition finds the fun in tax and superannuation 

The Tax, Super + You competition is a fun and engaging way for high school students to learn about the value of tax and super, and the role they play in our community. Plus, there are some great prizes for both the winning students and their schools!

Students are asked to develop a creative project on their topic. There are two entry topics this year:

• Junior (Year 7–9): Highlight the value of tax or super (or both) in the community.
• Senior (Year 10–12): Your first job – what you need to know about tax and super.

Watch this video featuring Assistant Commissioner Sally Bektas as she explains how students and their schools can get involved

Primary Principals Day: 6 August 

Friday 6 August 2021 is Australian Primary Principals Day. This is an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and contribution that your Primary School Principal makes to your school community.

During the COVID lockdown periods, we have all developed a new appreciation of the value of schools in their local community and in their students’ lives. Through all the ups and downs that our nation has experienced, each and every Primary school has had a person ready to step forward and willing to take the responsibility of leading their school.

On 6 August, take a moment to consider your principal’s unique place in your school community. Whether it's a celebratory morning tea, a few words of appreciation at assembly, a parent saying thanks or a small card or picture from the students, it’s a great moment to reflect on the work they do. We would love to hear your stories and so would the principals of Australia.

Please share your stories of thanks with us at ACSSO on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #principalsday2021

Scholarships for young people in public education

The Public Education Foundation has a range of scholarships to help young people at public schools reach their potential.

What does a scholarship recipient receive?

Financial support

Funds for educational goals such as tutoring, school supplies, laptops, school excursions and incidental fees. The amount depends of the scholarship. They may be multi-year or single year scholarships

Academic support

For school scholarships, the Foundation works with teachers and principals to ensure ongoing support and mentoring for scholarship recipients, plus amazing tutoring support from our friends at Studiosity.

Awards ceremony

A formal acknowledgement of recipient achievement at the annual Public Education Awards Ceremony in Sydney.

Deadlines for application:

• Scholarships for students moving on to tertiary education in 2022 will close on 3 August 2021.
• Scholarships for secondary school students will close on 14 September 2021.
• Scholarships for primary school students will close on 21 September 2021.

Visit the website and read about the many opportunities available for public school students from Year 1 through to the transition to tertiary study.

Help young people find careers in finance

Supplied by The Wealth Academy:

Are you looking for resources to help secondary students consider different career paths in financial services? The Wealth Academy has many videos featuring young financial service professionals talking about their career journey from high school. Accountancy, financial planning, banking, economics, law and financial coaching are some of the careers featured.

Check them out here: https://vimeo.com/wealthacademy

In case you missed them! Our most popular social posts this month

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 these dates

10 August, ACSSO Webinar 2021 Series: Register to join us. An evening with Bec Nguyen, Digital Projects Manager with Telethon Kids

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

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