Australian Parents Council eNewsletter

Term 4! The best and worst of them all!

Firstly, if you have a child graduating from school right now. Congratulations! Am I the only one who gets teary when the school recognises the commitment of the parents and families of the graduates? Supporting a year 12 student really does impact the whole family. Parents deserve all the congrats but those siblings who have kept quiet or backed down from arguments deserve a great big "well done" too. You will be pleased to know it is all back to business as usual for siblings during the school holidays! We wish you well!

I want to give a shout-out to all of the kids whose biggest achievement was making it to the finish line. If you do have a graduate you will have no doubt attended an assembly where all of the students and the school's achievements were celebrated. I'm here to give a standing ovation to the kids that sat cheering on their peers. The ones who knew their name wasn't going to be called. I'm a very proud Mum of one of these kids. He didn't get an award. He isn't even getting an ATAR. But he is so excited to start his TAFE journey next year. And the look of pride on his face as he crossed the stage to receive his year 12 certificate has been the highlight of my year.

How are our primary school parents faring with all of the end-of-year events? The pace of term 4 is relentless and after quite a few years as a school parent, I'm pretty sure it is love alone that gets us all across the term finish line. Which brings us to teachers who we all know are running on fumes by this time of year. Whilst we have escaped a run of remote learning this year it has been just as disruptive and possibly even more pressure-filled because of the staffing crisis in nearly every industry right now. Thanks is never enough to cover off on the love and care teachers give our children every year. And I know from experience, that there are teachers' hearts breaking across the country as the very short school year comes to a close and they have to break the connection that they have created with the children under their care. So I offer more than thanks with a reminder that there are children in your class this year that will remember you forever.

I hope everyone has a magical festive period how ever you celebrate and that you get time to spend with your family and the chance to recharge.

Take care,

Jenni

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We would love to hear your feedback

As the year comes to a close we would really love to hear how you think we have been doing in our mission to help all children thrive in non-government schools. Have we helped parents to engage support and empower their kids to thrive in school?

It takes only a minute and will help us serve you better.

Thanks for your support.

Question1

On a scale of 1-10 please rate how relevant each statement is to you as a school parent. *

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
All parents have a voice in relation to the education provided to their children
Parents & Families are valued as the primary educators of their children
All children have the right to access an education that meets their individual needs
All parents have the right to choose their children's educational pathway
All children have the right to a quality education
The diversity of parents, families and children are accepted and valued.

Question2

Thinking about the Australian Parents Council which of the following describes what you know about them? *

I am very familiar with what they do

I think I know what they do

I've seen their newsletters or social media

I've heard of them but I'm not sure what they do

No idea and I don't know how I got this newsletter!

Question3

How well does the Australian Parents Council (APC) represent parents with children in non-government schools? *

Exceptionally well

Well

Unsure

Not well

Want a better way to do teachers' gifts? Encourage parents to group together for one really good gift (rather than more mugs). The class rep creates and shares a link via email or message. Parents chip in and add a personal message and pic to a group card online. No awkward reminders or leaving people off the card. There's no pressure. The organising parent can decide whether to ask for a set amount, any amount or just let them sign the card. Either way, the amount is kept private. Most parents give a GroupTogether AnyCard which is a gift card that lets the recipient swap it with for gift cards they'd like. Super easy! It was used by 1m Australians last year so you know you can trust it too. Share this link with parents at your school.

Group Together

Did you know NAPLAN is moving from May to March in 2023? This means results will be available to parents, schools and teachers earlier in the year. Please take this survey to tell ACARA how you use NAPLAN results.

ACARA Survey

The esafety commission has just announced the re-endorsement of 21 trusted esafety providers. If you are interested in what a trusted provider can do for your school community we encourage you to check out the following case study.

Perth College (Independent, Foundation-to Year 12 school, metropolitan WA)

Perth College in Western Australia engaged a Trusted eSafety Provider to deliver “a holistic and proactive service for our school community” aligned to existing programs across age and year groups.
The school has worked closely with the provider to create developmentally appropriate programs for students, upskill staff through relevant professional development and provide information for parents.
Director of Wellbeing Shani Andrews said the provider proved a very responsive partner.
“They have been accommodating with requests regarding parent information meetings, staff professional learning and rescheduling program dates,” she said.

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This year’s Roots & Shoots Australia Resource Box is our most special yet! We are creating four powerfully educational and beautiful books by acclaimed Natural Historian, Stewart Macpherson.

These stunning boxes include:

Living Landscapes of Australia, Volume 2: A celebration of Australian Indigenous culture - An interactive book that will look at the wonders and uniqueness of Indigenous Australian culture through the lenses of the past, present and future - EXCLUSIVE.
Rivers & Wetland of the Murray Darling Basin - A journey through the largest river system in Australia from a natural history and cultural perspective - EXCLUSIVE.
Camouflage - Uncover the world’s cleverest camouflage experts
Global ecosystems - We invite you to discover some of the rarest and wondrous global ecosystems and their importance for life on Earth.
Details on WOODiWiLD - a Program which aims to plant 1 million trees across Australia while helping schools fundraise.
Details on WILDSIDE – a program that encourages outdoor play through a meaningful connection to nature
Details on the IFAW global wildlife art competition and how to enter.
Teacher’s Guides and curriculum-aligned lesson plans.

Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots

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