Staff Development Desk

Staff Professional Day

All staff, including our teachers and support staff, participated in a Staff Professional Development Day on Thursday 9th May. During the first part of the morning, teachers had the opportunity to attend various workshops. The choices were Differentiating for EAL students (English as an Additional Language), Student Voice and Agency, Literacy Strategies, Student Management Strategies, Success Criteria, Using the CAS calculator and Peer-Observation feedback sessions.

The rest of the day was dedicated to Cultural Understanding and Safety Training (CUST) training. We had two Koorie Engagement Support Officers (KESOs) visit us from the Department of Education who led the staff into some very interesting discussions and reflections on how we ensure that our school is a welcoming place for indigenous people and is delivering a curriculum, which integrates cultural understanding. The professional learning session assisted staff in developing their knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal Culture.

Some domain areas at the school have already started using the resources available from the department to devise learning activities for students. We can also find the Indigenous Australia Map in all classrooms now.

CUST (Cultural Understanding and Safety) Committee

A CUST committee consisting of our KESO, John Murray (Koorie Engagement Support Officer), leadership staff, teachers and education support staff has started at the school. We had our first meeting on 30th May and we looked at our “Building our Community and Identity Policy" . John explained his role in schools and discussed the importance of creating a safe space for Aboriginal people. He also stressed on the fact of letting the local people know what we are doing is very important. Anything that we do here of cultural significance should go to land council.

Parent nominations to join the CUST Committee

We are looking for parents to join our CUST committee. The committee will play an important part in raising awareness and ensuring our indigenous related activities are respectful and appropriate. This committee is to help take the school on a journey of discovery, to engage and learn together.

If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Assistant Principal Mr Nick Hamer-Smith on 9571 7838.

Loveena Narayanen

Learning Specialist Staff Development & French Teacher