While the work of boards may not always be exciting, it is crucial to an organisation's functioning. This was evident over the past few weeks and at the recent board meeting in Brisbane. A significant effort has been made to revise ACPPA's constitution, providing clear role descriptions for both association members and board members. This clarity is vital because without a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, our Board cannot function effectively. Changes included specific clarifications regarding the terms of Vice Presidents and the timing of the President and Vice President terms, to ensure a smooth transition when roles are passed on.

Our first day's meeting was held at the MultiLit office in Brisbane. This allowed us to view their office, have the connections drawn between program delivery and staffing and understand how they provide Tier 3 support to individual students. The MultiLit team also gave an extensive presentation, emphasising how they assist schools in the development of a multi-tiered approach to the development of reading. We are very fortunate to be partnered with a well-organised, education-focused business partner who comprehends the needs of schools, teachers, and children. Notably, we had a sizeable number of online attendees for the first MultiLit webinar held on Wednesday. To those who attended, we hope you found the information and resources shared during the presentation relevant and useful and we thank the MultiLit team for providing us with this free learning opportunity to all Catholic Primary schools.

During the two days, we also had the opportunity to meet with Dr Sally Towns, the Executive Director of Brisbane Catholic Education. She gave us a brief overview of some of the key initiatives and work done within Brisbane schools during her tenure. Additionally, she offered some excellent provocations that will assist us in updating and developing a new strategic plan later in the year.

In our previous newsletter, we mentioned the imminent release of principal well-being data. ACPPA has since obtained specific data about primary principals in Catholic schools from this dataset. This information is included in the current newsletter, which has also been distributed to your associations. We invite primary principals to use this data as a tool for reflection and initiating conversations about their challenging roles within your associations. This data has also been shared with the NCEC. Together with CaSPA, who possess a similar dataset, we aim to identify actions that can be implemented using this data at a national level.

This meeting marked the end of Kathy Neely's term as one of the two Board Directors representing New South Wales. This was Kathy's second stint on the ACPPA Board, having previously served when she worked in the Northern Territory several years ago. Her longevity signifies her dedication to making a real difference for principals within our Catholic primary schools. We extend our gratitude for her service and wish her success as she continues her role as a Catholic primary school principal.

As you continue with Term Two, remember to leverage the resources around you for support in your challenging school role. Make sure to be kind to yourself, allowing you to extend that kindness to those you lead. Also, use the Term Two holidays as an opportunity to refresh and reset. The dataset indicates that many of us are still working significant hours during school break time, which can be unsustainable for some.

Peter Cutrona

President

Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey

ACPPA is a partner of the Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey conducted by the ACU Institute for Positive Psychology and Education. This a longitudinal study that has highlighted key recommendations from the data to assist with a focus on Principal Wellbeing.

ACPPA have been provided with data specific to Catholic Primary School Principals. The ACPPA Executive Summary found:

For student related concerns among ACPPA school leaders, challenges experienced by those with complex neurological conditions is their biggest concern. Social media/gaming and social relationships are among the top five sources of concern for ACPPA school leaders, replacing school avoidance and family issues for 4th and 5th within all school leaders.

ACPPA school leaders also listed technology misuse, family breakdown and the impact of poverty as causes of concern for student wellbeing.

The top five sources of concern for staff issues are nearly identical for ACPPA and All School Leaders, with the only difference being conflict and emotional distress changing between 3rd and 4th greatest concern between the two.

ACPPA school leaders also listed staff disengagement and abuse from parents as sources of concern for staff wellbeing.

The personalised ACPPA Partner Report can be accessed by following this link:

 ACPPA Member Report 2023

The entire report can be read at

Recognise teachers, leaders, and other school staff in Teacher magazine’s Teacher Awards

The Teacher Awards are returning for 2024 and nominations open 3 June. The awards, run by ACER’s Teacher magazine, celebrate educators around the country and their achievements of the last 12 months in improving students’ learning and wellbeing.

The 8 Award Categories are open to staff working in K-12 settings in Australia. The esteemed judging panel includes Professor Pasi Sahlberg, Professor Lyn Sharratt, and Professor Geoff Masters AO. Nominations for individuals and groups of staff are welcome.

The Award categories are:
• Leadership Award for Driving School Improvement
• Improving Student Learning and Progress
• Cultivating an Inclusive and Positive Culture
• Excellence in Staff Collaboration
• Excellence in Curriculum Design and Implementation
• Fostering Strong School-Community Partnerships
• Improving Health and Wellbeing
• Special Contribution Award

Nominations will close at 11:59pm AEST Monday 22 July 2024.

Visit
www.teachermagazine.com/teacherawards to find out more and submit a nomination.

ACPPA Member Survey

The annual ACPPA Member Survey will be shared with our members early in Term 3.

We ask all of our Catholic Primary school principals to take a few minutes to respond. The information we gather from this survey assists with future strategic planning and advocacy. The survey will be distributed via the State and Territory Principal Associations. Below is the snapshot from the 2023 survey results.

ACPPA Farewells Board Directors

At the May Board Meeting, ACPPA thanked and farewelled two Board Directors.

Gavin Rick (Queensland) and Kathy Neely (NSW) were acknowledged for their work and commitment in advocating for principals through their representation on the ACPPA Board.

The ACPPA Board wishes both Gavin and Kathy well for their future endeavours.

                     

NCEC Discussion Paper ‘Cognitive foundations: Using a theoretical framework for evidence-based reading instruction and assessment’

The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) has released a discussion paper, ‘Cognitive foundations: Using a theoretical framework for evidence-based reading instruction and assessment’ which sets out an evidence-based framework for teaching and assessing reading that will inform the Commission’s deliberations and guide systems and schools in their policy and practice.

As part of the national strategic priority to support the continual improvement of educational outcomes for all students, the NCEC’s Educational Excellence Standing Committee has been investigating and developing evidence-based guidance for dioceses and schools.

The discussion paper , and other resources, can be accessed via the NCEC website .

Thank you to the ACPPA Partners

ACPPA is grateful for the ongoing support from our partners, who work with us to help us promote our vision and mission. Our partners have engaged with principals at the recent conferences held by VACPSP at Lorne, QCPPA at Mooloolaba and SACPPA at Tanunda. Thank you to the committees of each of these conferences for creating the opportunity for principals to connect, refresh and renew.

Valued Partners

2024 Partners

Catholic School Parents Australia Resources

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) is excited to announce that a new suite of resources is now available on the Gearing Up for Parent Engagement website.

New, exciting, family engagement resources for parents and school staff.

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) is excited to announce that a new suite of resources is now available on the Gearing Up for Parent Engagement website.
Australian Government funding assisted a dedicated CSPA project team to develop six Video-Workshops and Facilitator Guides - three for primary and three for secondary schools. Hear useful and at times challenging comment from such specialists as Andrew Fuller, Prof John Hattie, Prof Donna Cross & Dr John Edwards - as well as other valuable research findings from around the world.

A local facilitator is instructed via the guides on how to lead principals, school staff and families through a series of video-workshops to explore many aspects of engaging families in learning and wellbeing. You are encouraged to use the many practical ideas on the website to develop a better understanding of how to grow the partnership between home and school to benefit all within the school community.

A major focus of these new resources is to build capacity in both families and school staff to work in partnership. This website invites you to access the information on-line or you might wish to download each of the resources.

These new family engagement resources can be found at:
https://cspa.schoolzineplus.com/parent-engagement-workshops

We are pleased to continue our long term partnership with Woods Furniture and are proud to share in their success as a provider of quality furniture. To find out more about the current range of products and how Woods Furniture can assist with all of your furniture needs, go to their website at www.woodsfurniture.com.au

MSP Photography

MSP Photography continue to be a valued partner of ACPPA.  School photos are an exciting part of the school year and MSP have a range of products. For your school photography needs, consider MSP. For further information contact www.msp.com.au

ACPPA Board visits MultiLit Literacy Centre in Brisbane

The Board of the Australian Catholic Primary Principals’ Association (ACPPA) held their recent Board meeting in Brisbane. This was hosted by one of ACPPA’s valued partners, MultiLit, at their Brisbane Literacy Centre.

A part of this meeting involved a welcome from MultiLit General Manager (Qld) Monica Wright, and presentations on a range of topics:

• Foundations of MultiLit: Evidence-Based Practices in Education : Dr Robyn Wheldall (Director of the MultiLit Research Unit, Honorary Research Fellow of Macquarie University, and Director of MultiLit)
• Systemic Transformation in Education: Partnership with Catholic Dioceses: Jo Barrett (School Partnerships Lead)
• Transforming Education in Majority Indigenous Schools – the MultiLit Closing the Gap School Initiative: Chloe Allen (Project Director, Closing the Gap)
• Empowering School Leaders for Educational Excellence: Georgie Wynne (General Manager – WA)

After the presentation, the Directors toured the Fortitude Valley Literacy Centre, viewing learning and training spaces and discussing in more detail the programs and professional development offered.

ACPPA is grateful for this opportunity to engage with MultiLit in this way and to see firsthand the work in the Brisbane Centre.

ACPPA Announces Principal Leadership Fund

The Australian Catholic Primary Principals' Association, in conjunction with Higgins Coatings are excited to announce the development of the Principal Leadership Fund.

This fund has been established to provide some financial support for principals to build capacity and skills through professional learning.

Applications will open in July and will be communicated to principals via State and Territory Associations.

ACPPA would like to thank Higgins Coatings for their support of this Principal Leadership Fund.

For further information prior to applications opening, please contact ACPPA Executive Officer Gez Mulvahil eo@acppa.catholic.edu.au

To find out more about the work of Higgins Coatings, visit higgins.com.au or call 1300 HIGGINS

Australian Dental Foundation

To find out more, visit Australian Dental Foundation

Stay tuned for some ACPPA initiatives in 2024

In the coming months, you will hear more about the following initiatives that ACPPA will be undertaking in 2024:

• ACPPA Awards for Outstanding Service
• Principal Leadership Fund
• mycommunity - a way to connect, collaborate and celebrate
• stay conected with Principal Wellbeing through accessing acpconnect.com.au

Upcoming Conference Dates

APPA National Conference 2025: Brisbane 26 - 29 August 2025