Welcome to 2024 and the first ACPPA newsletter. This year, we will celebrate our 40th anniversary as an association, a significant milestone. We extend our gratitude to those who had the foresight to establish the original ACPPA in 1984. The NCEC and APPA will also celebrate their 50th anniversaries, and CaSPA will celebrate its 30th, making 2024 a significant year in the education space.

Since our last meeting, our association has:

• Engaged with Federal Minister Jason Clare, in collaboration with our CaSPA colleagues.
• Spent two days in a management committee meeting planning for 2024. This included a training session on risk management from the Associations Forum and further work on the strategic work of the association.
• Discussed shared opportunities to collaborate on issues relevant to all parties in a meeting with Catholic stakeholders, the NCEC, CaSPA, and Catholic Parents.
  Reviewed information related to NAPLAN and the ACARA website, which is linked to the Australian curriculum, in a meeting with ACARA parents and principals. We were encouraged to learn that NAPLAN data, excluding the writing component, should be available to schools before the end of April this year.

During the one-and-a-half-day board meeting in Canberra this week, we spent a significant amount of time discussing the association's constitution. This document is vital for our board and organisation's operation, so it needs to be fit for purpose. We anticipate promoting some changes at the AGM in May. Once finalised, this information will be sent to each member association via their board members.

We welcomed new board members to our association: Paul Mitchell from Queensland, Jason Perry from Tasmania, and Kellie McGinlay from the Northern Territory. Since our last meeting, Reuben Johnson from the NT and Gavin Rick have moved to new positions. We express our gratitude for their service to the association and wish them the best of luck in their new roles in Catholic Education in their respective locations.

During the meeting, the Board received a presentation from Ochre Education www.ochre.org.au Ochre is a national not-for-profit organisation committed to improving student outcomes and closing the disadvantage gap. They support teachers, enabling all Australian students to access a high-quality curriculum through an online library. Currently, they are involved in significant projects across various Catholic dioceses, developing resources with contributions from teachers in these dioceses.

The processes at Ochre which ensure the practicality and quality of their resources were encouraging to learn about. If you haven't yet explored their website or resources, I recommend spending an initial 15 to 20 minutes to see what they can offer your school and teachers.

Danny Casey, the Director of Schools for Broken Bay, was our guest speaker. He discussed their strategic direction, "Towards 2025," and explained its implementation so far. Danny offered a clear and optimistic overview of the diocese's current situation and future direction. He elaborated on several key initiatives implemented in recent years, along with the processes behind them. The "Towards 2025" strategy is designed to optimise existing resources and reimagine ways to provide quality education at the lowest possible cost to parents. The ACPPA board is always eager to understand how different systems operate. There is much to learn from the various states and territories across Australia, and we appreciate the willingness of the diocese directors to share their stories with us.

Over the past few weeks, we've had the opportunity to reconnect with our colleagues in New Zealand. Our relationship with our trans-Tasman counterparts is crucial, and we eagerly anticipate working closely with them. This is particularly true given the upcoming trans-Tasman conference in Christchurch this September. We always have much to discuss and learn from each other, maintaining a long-standing relationship that has lasted for many years.

The Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey is set for release on Friday, 22 March. The survey underscores that wellbeing is a collective responsibility, encompassing employers, governments, and individuals. As an association, we acknowledge the complex nature of the Principal's role in our Catholic Primary School communities and will continue in advocating on your behalf. Practicing self-care and offering support to others can positively influence your wellbeing, which is within each individual's control. The report's information will provide government and employers with insights on how to modify workload and expectations for this vital role within a school.

As we approach Holy Week and Easter, I hope you seize this time of year to reflect and rest, even if just for a few days. The gift of this season is upon us, and we should embrace it whenever possible.

Peter Cutrona

President