Scroll down for more on this year's Reconciliation Week 

Are we all in this together?

A stark reminder

Today marks the start of Reconciliation Week.

As we are all experiencing an international health crisis, this is both an important and an apt time to reflect on the current health warning for Indigenous versus non-Indigenous Australians.  Indigenous Australians over the age of 50 receive the same warnings as non-Indigenous Australians over the age of 70! 

These warnings are a reminder of the stark ongoing differences between health outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, a fact that should be a source of shame for our country. 

Our colonial past benefited some Australians while exploiting others and as a nation we must recognise that our shared story of Australia needs to be grounded in truth, and acknowledge privilege. 

I invite you to read ACSSO's media release to mark Sorry Day this week, and scroll down the newsletter for more information about Reconciliation Week this year.

Return to school 

A different kind of privilege is at play in our return to school arrangements around Australia. The funding advance offered to private schools but not public education remains outrageously unfair. It also places undue pressure on parents in the non-government sector. 

It is the parents, in this time of uncertainty, who should be deciding whether their children will attend school based on their own risk assessments and family circumstances.  It is not fair that families are punished, and some at times with fines, when they may not be comfortable sending their children to school.

Regardless of which school they support, parents should not be pressured into this decision by their school seeking eligibility for a special funding deal. Nor should state school parents have to fear their children are 'missing out' because of incentives provided to the private school sector.  

Please read our media release on this subject.

National family survey

With more than 3000 responses in a week, our Australian Family Survey on Schooling During the COVID-19 Pandemic has revealed a great deal about the way families are coping right now, whether their children are at school or learning from home. 

You can read more from our summary below, and watch for additional insights in this newsletter and the media as we explore the responses fully. 

Tribute to families

Finally, while in last month's newsletter I focused on the amazing work of our nation's school staff, today I particularly want to recognise all those families who are doing the very best to support and care for school children right now. 

The team at ACSSO hears daily from parents, grandparents, guardians and mentors about their experiences of schooling and nurturing young people in this pandemic. Our hearts go out, especially, to those families whose children would normally receive additional support at school. Your efforts to sustain education and care while at home - and in transition back to school - are extraordinary and you have our deep respect.

Please stay safe.

Andrew Bidwell
Chair
Australian Council of State School Organisations

May 2020

Are you collecting family learning resources?

Resources just for primary years

The Australian government has released a new batch of learning resources to help families of primary school aged children. Head to this page to see what's available, or click on the image above. 

Resources for families and fun

ACSSO has created a new collection of resources called Australian Families Learning at Home.

With many families now experiencing home-based remote learning, we have collated information including:

• live links to government sources for parent support
• educational support and resources
• home learning ideas
• fun activities for families,
• access to free books
• virtual fun
• art and craft projects
• dance and music

And much more! If you have suggestions of more resources we can help share with families, please let us know via contact@acsso.org.au

Scootle resources for remote learning

Education Services Australia invites you to explore Scootle using the new guest login. Search and browse relevant teaching and learning resources for use in class and at home.

Scootle provides access to a range of digital resources that support the Australian Curriculum. Teachers in Australian schools are able to self-register to access the resources and now parents and carers can also access resources via the Guest login. Find interactive activities, videos, teaching ideas and student resources for all subjects as well as links to specialist resource hubs such as the Early Years Resource Hub, Student Wellbeing Hub and Digital Technologies Hub. www.scootle.edu.au

Student wellbeing resources

Education Services Australia also hosts the Student Wellbeing Hub, a space for educators, parents and carers and students to find resources and support for wellbeing and learning within the education community.

Specific COVID-19 wellbeing resources have also been created to support learning communities during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

The school recovery toolkit is a popular resource for members of the school community and provides information regarding the impact of trauma in the classroom and how to support recovery.

www.studentwellbeinghub.edu.au

2020 Reconciliation Week

Reconciliation Week is a little different this year but the message is still very much the same. All Australians are encouraged to reflect on the part they play – whether big or small – on our journey towards reconciliation.

In this together, the theme for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2020, encourages all Australians to reflect on the part they play – whether big or small – on our journey towards reconciliation.

This unity of purpose creates a shared sense of belonging and identity; and this identity must value and include the histories, cultures and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Unity is of the five dimensions of reconciliation as defined by Reconciliation Australia.

For Australia to become a truly complete nation, it will take the commitment and contribution of all of us. 

Read more about the NRW 2020 theme

Survey on schooling in the pandemic

ACSSO conducted a National Survey of families to examine the challenges and successes of the "learning from home” schooling over these past weeks.

Over 3,300 families responded from many areas of the country. The responses covered families with children in government and non-government schools and some who had children in both.

For ACSSO, this was a study to identify family circumstances, what worked, what challenges they faced and their input on safety and improvements.

“We’re still analysing, but comments from the ‘learning from home’ families suggest that increased school engagement and more consistency with the learning programs would improve their wellbeing emotionally as well as educationally.” Said Andrew Bidwell, President ACSSO.

The survey responses reflected the many calls our office also received from families.

“Families feel alone, confused, and afraid their children will fall behind.” Dianne Giblin, Chief Executive Officer, ACSSO added.

“It was clear from the respondents that generally schools don’t know enough about the number and quality of family computing devices. That’s particularly true in primary schools where nearly half of the families have borrowed, bought, or did without the technology for isolation learning.” continued Mr Bidwell

“And even in secondary schools, which in many schools have a BYOD policy, more consideration was needed as to whether every child’s device would work with the software the school’s chose to use. Having a device is not the same as saying it is good enough to cope in isolation for all learning needs.”

“One of the more positive things we noted is just like adults are finding unexpected benefits in working from home, some families reported discovering other positive outcomes while ‘learning from home’,” said Ms Giblin.

Read ACSSO's media release here.

Download the initial survey summary here.

Do the Kitchen Garden program at home

The Kitchen Garden Program (KGP) at home is a professional development package of themed garden activities, recipes and curriculum links created by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF) in response to Covid-19.

To assist teachers and educators while students are learning remotely, the themed collections are released weekly to members and structured around the Kitchen Garden Program mantra of growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing.

Together with its Community Partner Coles the foundation is developing recipes and videos to be released weekly, which will support teachers and educators to enhance their kitchen garden class, as well as inspire Aussie families to grow, harvest, prepare and share, fresh seasonal delicious food in their homes! 

If you would like your child’s school or early learning service to run a kitchen garden program head here or for more information call 13000 SAKGF (13000 72543).

National Volunteers Week

During May we recognise and celebrate the work of volunteers, especially those in public education. Parents and carers voluntarily contribute millions of dollars worth of volunteer hours in schools in a multitude of ways, sitting on committees, groups and organisations.

This of course includes our own ACSSO board of directors and support groups.

THANK YOU!

NBN's COVID-19 Education Assistance Package

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and NBN Co, the company that oversees much of Australia’s internet network, have announced a fee relief initiative for low income families during the pandemic.

To help keep families on limited incomes connected, NBN Co is temporarily waiving the connection fee that phone and internet providers have to pay to connect customers to the internet. This means that until the end of September 2020, a number of phone and internet companies will be providing free or heavily discounted home broadband to eligible low-income households who haven’t already connected to the NBN.

The offer is designed to help children learning from home have access to the internet services they need. While restriction ease and many children return to face-to-face learning, it is still vital that no student is left offline during this difficult time.

Any parent or carer wanting to know more about the assistance can visit ACCAN’s website or NBN Co’s FAQs to find out more.

National Simultaneous Storytime

Did your school join National Simultaneous Storytime today? If so, you joined one million children reading Whitney and Britney the Chicken Divas by Lucinda Gifford.

You can still download this lovely colouring activity and keep reading, every day!

Can repetition teach financial literacy?

The Wealth Academy prepared this story for us:

We all know that parents are the first educators and successfully teach their children to do many things before coming to school.

Parents will also know of the importance of repetition in learning, whether it was learning to walk, learning to speak, learning to read, learning to get dressed, parents had to give children repeated opportunities to improve their skills. It is the same with learning a musical instrument, a sport or writing an essay, Repetition and practice makes people more capable at something.

 Repetition is a key to learning financial life skills. Unless children are repeatedly exposed to quality financial life skills education then they are not likely to improve their financial life skills and be ready for a very complex and demanding financial world.

Schools have a role to play in providing financial education, for all children, but especially those in secondary education. Parents have a role to play in ensuring schools provide this most important life skill - financial life skills education. If you need help getting your child's school committed to financial education, contact us at The Wealth Academy. We can help!

Subscribe to the Wealth Academy's newsletter here.

Free school access to crisis communication app

School Stream, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a part of the Disaster Response Community, is donating access to its software and giving all schools free access to a new School Crisis Communication App.

The app provides unlimited messaging from your schools to their communities.

• Send unlimited alerts directly to a parent/caregiver’s mobile device.
• Keep your school community informed and updated in real-time.
• The app can translate your key messages in 104 languages
• Support as required

We are unsure how long this crisis will last and are offering the app for Term Two. We will review this as needs change. Please note you are under zero obligation to continue with School Stream after this time.

It’s easy. Register here.

#CaughtYouBeingGreat at LaTrobe High!

Caught you being great Latrobe High and its student Reeve (pictured). Reeve is a Leader for Life captain at LaTrobe and wrote to the Mersey Community Hospital staff to thank them for all their hard work during our current crisis.

Well done Reeve, and please check out the full story here.

We would love to share your stories of schools and communities and families doing "great" things, particularly when many of us are working and learning from home, Please forward to comms@acsso.org.au

#caughtyoubeinggreat
 #weareallinthistogether

We love to hear your stories of schools and communities doing great things. 

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