August 2024 Newsletter

We are pleased to bring you the latest updates and insights about public education. In this issue, we highlight the latest NAPLAN results, and share key information from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), and discuss implications for our schools and students.

Have you put in an entry for our annual Susan Ryan Family Engagement Awards? The Susan Ryan Family Engagement Award Recognises Exceptional Efforts in Promoting Student Success. The Susan Ryan Family Engagement Award, now in its third year, continues to spotlight outstanding achievements in family engagement within government schools and communities across Australia.

Latest findings from the NAPLAN National Results released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) show that results at a national level were similar to the results in 2023. The data shows that while there were small increases and decreases across domains and year levels, overall, the results were broadly stable. On average, across all year levels in numeracy, reading and writing, approximately two-thirds of students meet “challenging but reasonable” expectations. “These results are a testament to the hard work and commitment of schools, principals and teachers, as well as students themselves,” said ACARA’s CEO Stephen Gniel. “Over the last 2 years, schools have adjusted to both the earlier timing of the NAPLAN tests and the changed reporting system with new proficiency standards. The fact that the results of Australian students have remained stable through these changes, with no significant difference in average scores, is an important achievement.” Mr Gniel noted that caution must be exercised in trying to interpret any clear trends at this early stage of reporting against the new measurement scale and proficiency levels introduced last year. “We have 2 years of data and, this year, a new cohort of students took part in the NAPLAN assessments. National data rarely shows any changes of note over a single year. Over the coming years we will have more information to look for any trends in literacy and numeracy achievement,” he said. Nationally, NAPLAN participation rates have held steady, increasing on the 2023 average by 0.1 percentage points across all years and domains to 93.4%. Read more in ACARA’s media release and see the full dataset at www.acara.edu.au/naplanresults. School-level NAPLAN data is due to be published on My School in December 2024.

Attention Educators. Are you looking to help your students make more informed decisions regarding vaping? OurFutures Institute is a not for profit that has developed an online vaping prevention program targeting years 7-8. The online course aims to empower young people to understand the harms associated with vaping and smoking and to reduce usage and intention to use. Interested in accessing? Register to learn more.

It's been a busy few months at the Australian Children's Music Foundation. We launched the National Songwriting Competition 2024; partnered with Gathered Here, a free, online Will platform to make legacy giving to the ACMF as easy as possible; caught up with one of our Teaching Musicians; welcomed new Board members; took part in a parliamentary inquiry; were the recipient of generous donations; and much more! Continue reading to stay up-to-date with the ACMF ????❤️⚡ ACMF x UnLtd: x This Is Flow - National Songwriting Competition 2024 Through our partnership with social purpose powerhouse UnLtd:, we’ve partnered with This Is Flow this year who will be managing our media planning and buying for the competition. Coverage includes print advertisements, posters and video ads in train stations and shopping centres, and radio announcements. Keep your eyes and ears on notice and send us a pic if you see something! Submit your pic here!

Life Skills Go are excited to present the eighth in our 'Deep Dives' series, showcasing real schools across Australia that have been leveraging Life Skills GO for the past five years. Join Stephanie Giles, Deputy Principal of Guildford West Public, Nikki Bonus, CEO and Founder of Life Skills Group for an interactive and insightful exploration into the innovative strategies employed by Guildford West Public School, as they harness Life Skills GO’s comprehensive wellbeing data to drive and inform whole school wellbeing and student support, fostering a sense of belonging and supportive learning environment. REGISTER HERE Click to find out more

Stop it at the Start is an initiative under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children2022-32 and aims to prevent gender-based violence by influencing change to attitudes and behaviours that support or condone gender-based violence. Dentsu work closely with the Department of Social Services to drive community engagement and activities to support the campaign. One of the community engagement initiatives we are working on is the Respect Competition. We’d appreciate your support in sharing this with your school community. Respect Competition – now open! The Respect Competition invites students in years 4-9 across Australia to show us what respect looks like in their world. The competition is a great way to start conversations with young people about respect, and respectful attitudes and behaviours. About the competition: Two competition categories: students in years 4-6 (primary school) students in years 7-9 (high school) The Respect Competition is aimed at schools and education communities, encouraging young people to submit a story about what respect means to them. Winning entries will receive a $500 gift card and one for their school, and the opportunity to have their storyboard turned into a real animation by a professional animator. Runners up will receive a $250 gift card. Read the competition guidelines, entry forms and Terms and Conditions at respect.gov.au/respectcompetition Competition closes Sunday15 September 2024. Please share the competition with your school P&C communities.

One of the characteristics of most kids that I secretly admire is, if they don’t see a point to doing something they won’t do it. End of story. Given that some of them can be incredibly hard to convince, persuade, cajole, entice, or lure into anything, this can make motivating them a tricky business.

UNLOCK A FREE TERM 4 Get a head start on 2025 by subscribing to Life Skills GO now and enjoy Term 4 of 2024 for FREE! Maximise the value of your Life Skills GO data in 2025 by establishing a strong foundation now. We’re offering Term 4 of 2024 completely free when you subscribe for 2025. This exclusive offer includes professional learning and support to help you effectively utilise your Term 4 data in planning for 2025 CLAIM YOUR FREE TERM 4 TODAY! CLAIM YOUR FREE TERM 4 TODAY!

The Australian Government Department of Education has published new information resources on the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) for students with disabilities and their parents and caregivers. These resources were co-designed with people with disabilities with the help of Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA). They can be found on the Department’s website at www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005. There are five new resources: • Getting started – for culturally and linguistically diverse parents and caregivers new to disability and the Australian education system. • How to advocate - helps school and tertiary students with disabilities to build self-advocacy skills and provides guidance on how to raise and resolve concerns with education providers. • Steps to raise concerns and resolve a complaint with your school - supports parents and caregivers of students with disabilities to raise, escalate and resolve concerns with their school. • A day at school - a video about the rights of students with disabilities at school and reasonable adjustments. • Be a disability ally - a video exploring the rights of students with disabilities to join in with every part of school life and how to be an ally to students with disabilities.

School Partnership Opportunities 2024 Round - Only Three Weeks Left to Apply! Eligible schools have until September 9, 2024, to apply for Schools Plus Partnership Opportunities and embark on a transformational journey. Schools Plus firmly believes every child has the right to the same opportunities to thrive and reach their full potential. Our Partnership Opportunities provide funding, coaching, and program management support to help schools make a significant impact on their students' lives. Please help us spread the word - this link contains samples you can share on social media, in your organisation’s newsletter or other communication channels. Share this exciting opportunity with your school networks and encourage them to apply. You can also reshare our posts about it on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Schools can visit our website for FAQs to learn more and get the support needed to submit a strong application. Applications are open until midnight (AEST) 9 September 2024 You can also contact us on (02) 8318 1411 or schools@schoolsplus.org.au.

What is Family Engagement? Family engagement is an intentional and collaborative strategy to support and leverage the knowledge, capacities, and social capital of families to improve learning and well-being outcomes for all children and young people (Family, School and Community Partnerships Bureau 2014.)

Our new KBYG reviews include one new cinema release from New Zealand, and a recent streaming film with some very recognisable cast members. So, let's see who we're talking about in this recent Netflix movie - Mother of the Bride Mother of the Bride is a romantic comedy that is witty and heartwarming, if somewhat predictable. The film has significant crude/sexualised humour, with many characters either sexualised or engaging in sexualising others. This, alongside the darker themes such as heartbreak, grief and a fear of being alone, make it best suited to families with teens and up, with parental guidance recommended for 10 to12-year-olds. According to our experts, the main messages from this movie are the importance of family and second chances; the importance of a strong support network; and that it is never too late for love.

CAUGHT YOU BEING GREAT!! President, Executive Officer, Staff and Council of WACSSO for an informative and engaging conference held last weekend in Perth. Great speakers, engaging workshops, awesome attendance and impeccable organisation. All delegates and guests came away inspired. #wacssoconference2024

The Australian Primary Principals, Association (APPA) is committed to supporting families in ensuring every child has the best start in life and have collaborated with early childhood experts to produce the Thrive with Five paper. In the first 1000 days of a child's life, their brain grows fast. Every time they see, hear, or touch something, it helps their brain make new connections. Eating healthy food and getting good sleep are very important because they help the child grow strong. When parents show love and care, it helps the child feel safe and learn to trust others. Playing and exploring help children learn to talk and become curious, which makes learning easier as they get older. Families benefit from a supportive community, ensuring both they and the child thrive. Primary schools are part of a supportive community and want to partner with families to shape a lifetime of benefits for every child. We are sharing information about the important five: play, talk, read, eat well and sleep. Share these ideas with friends and family. Be a ripple for a bright future!