Dare to Lead April 2008 Newsletter
APAPDC's Indigenous education newsletter. Issue 33, April 2008.In this issue:
- Award-winning schools
- Tri-State Remote Schools conference
- National Indigenous Education Conferences
- School action snapshots and related activities
The 2007 Dare to Lead Excellence in Leadership in Indigenous Education Awards were announced by the Hon. Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, at a ceremony in Parliament House, Canberra on 14 March 2008.
The Awards, now in their fourth year, are designed to acknowledge schools and school leaders who are working in a focused and strategic way to achieve excellence in improving Indigenous student outcomes, with outstanding leadership, engagement with the local Indigenous community, and demonstrated improvements in targeted outcomes for their Indigenous students.
The Excellence High Achievement Award winners:
Aranmore Catholic College is a Year 8-12 Catholic secondary school in Perth. Enrolment of Indigenous students at Aranmore CC has increased four-fold since 2000 when the school commenced its Aboriginal Support Programme. One hundred per cent of Indigenous Year 12 students have graduated every year since 2004.
Menindee Central School is a government school in a remote NSW town 111km from Broken Hill. The school had 100 per cent retention of Indigenous students from Year 10, 2006 to Year 11, 2007, with all on track to complete Year 12 in 2008. All 13 of these students are on traineeships.
Midland Indigenous Youth Program in Perth's Swan district assists Indigenous young people to make a successful transition from school to work or further study. The percentage of participants at risk of not working, seeking work or studying is less than a third of the average for other Indigenous youths in Perth.
Wiltja is an Aboriginal education program based at Woodville High School in Adelaide. All students are Anangu from remote and isolated communities across the Tri-State Western Desert area. Five Wiltja students graduated with their SACE in 2007; each was the first member of their family to complete Year 12.
Yule Brook Community College is a government middle school in an outer suburb of Perth which has a formal Aboriginal Community Agreement. There is strong growth in the enrolment of Indigenous students. All Indigenous students in Year 10 graduated in 2007, while suspensions of Indigenous students have plummeted over the past two years.
The Excellence Achievement Award winners:
- Ashmont Public School, NSW
- Barcaldine State School, Qld
- Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, NSW
- Challis Early Childhood Education Centre, WA
- Cowandilla Primary School, SA
- East Kenwick Primary School, WA
- Glossop High School, SA
- Karama School, NT
- Muswellbrook South Public School, NSW
- Point Pearce Aboriginal School, SA
- Table Cape Primary School, Tas
TRI-STATE REMOTE SCHOOLS CONFERENCE 'BEST YET' |
The third annual Dare to Lead TriState Remote Schools Conference was held in Alice Springs March 30-April 1, 2008. The general consensus was that the event was valuable and in fact the best TriState conference to date.
Around 80 educators gathered from schools across the Central Australian region roughly centred around the juncture point of the South Australian, Western Australian and Northern Territory boundaries.
"I see this as a really important conference," Rita Henry, Executive Director DEET Central Australia said in the official opening. "We have shared goals, and the opportunity to stand on one another's shoulders in a developing community of practice is very important. There are meaty issues to talk about."
Keynote speakers, filmmakers David Vadiveloo and Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson, gave perspectives on remote Indigenous communities that they have lived and worked in across Australia and internationally (particularly in Alaska where Rachel grew up), and many delegates rated their presentations a conference highlight.
Sessions were held on:
- School Community Partnerships
- Student Health and Wellbeing Initiatives
- Indigenous Leadership
- New Staff Orientation
- Exchange of data across borders
- Secondary provision
Each session featured speakers from each of the jurisdictions, then discussion in mixed state/territory groups.
In his concluding remarks, co-facilitator Paul Bridge said, "It has been fantastic to see the level of discussion taking place throughout this event. I would like to thank you as principals, Aboriginal workers, people from district and regional offices for your attendance and input. From my perspective I come away feeling that we are targeting the nitty-gritty of what is taking place in remote schools, looking at things which are critical whichever side of the border you are. After three years of TriStates you start to see familiar faces and feel like this is an ongoing conversation that we are having. Thanks very much for taking the time out of your schools, because this is important."
For a copy of the full report on the conference, including keynote addresses and photos, click here.
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS EDUCATION CONFERENCES |
In 2008 Dare To Lead will be hosting three significant National Indigenous Education Conferences Each of the three conferences will follow a similar format. The day will begin with a research based keynote speaker. This will be followed by a brief panel session based on the research paper presented. Participants will then have a choice of workshops delivered by schools and institutions demonstrating best practice. The day will conclude with a plenary panel session.
The three conferences are:
Outside The Mainstream: Reopening The Door
Melbourne, Thursday July 31 2008
This conference will address the issues associated with Indigenous students in educational settings outside of the mainstream classroom context. What is successful practice and current research in the areas of behaviour, emotional needs, Autism, intellectual disability, juvenile justice, physical disability, hospital settings, vision and hearing, particularly as it impacts on the teaching and learning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in a diversity of learning environments?
Maximising The Potential: Raising The Bar
Brisbane, Friday August 29 2008
This conference will investigate successful practice and research in the area of Gifted and Talented Indigenous students. What is happening to identify, support, retain and challenge Indigenous students to achieve to their potential? What more could be and should be done?
What A Difference A Good Start Makes: Creating The Habit
Sydney, Friday September 26 2008
This conference will investigate best practice and research in the area of Early Childhood education for Indigenous children. What are the current programs being implemented to transition children from Home to Pre-School, from Home to School and from Pre School to School? What programs and initiatives are available to support Indigenous children in their first educational experiences, and what could be learned from them?
We are currently calling for Keynote and Workshop papers for all three conferences:
Keynotes: Abstracts of 250 words due May 30th
Workshops: Abstracts of 200 words due May 30th
Please visit the following link to download the conference information flyer and Abstract submission form - State National Action
ENQUIRIES:
Brian Giles-Browne
Dare To Lead, National Schools Co-ordinator
brian@apapdc.edu.au
Phone: 0423 915 552
SCHOOL ACTION SNAPSHOTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES |
E:peter.obeirne@pai.edu.au Ph: 08 8394 2122
To unsubscribe from this newsletter contact lyn.hammond@pai.edu.au
Copyright 2011 Principals Australia Institute. The Dare to Lead Newsletter can be freely distributed in its entirety or reproduced in part for another publication with written permission from Principals Australia Institute.
Contact permissions@pai.edu.au |  | |
