High performing schools are virtuous schools

Optimism is not an optional leadership trait – Marcus Wicher

Values have long held centre-stage in schools as the guiding lights that lead towards the development of a positive organisational climate and culture. While these espoused values provide schools and organisations with guidance around the preferred ways to behave and act, they can be abstract and can easily become words that hold little or no meaning. By understanding the impact that organisational virtues can have on wellbeing and performance, we are able to better understand the positive qualities that truly enable our schools to function at their moral, human and social best; if our values are the what in terms of what we strive for, virtues are the how (Cameron, Bright and Caza, 2004 & Gupta, 2016). Read More

Primary school children should play in mixed sport teams

Dr Marnee McKay and Prof Joshua Burns at University of Sydney's Faculty of Health Sciences have found that there is no statistical difference in the capabilities of girls and boys until around the age of 12.

As part of wider research to assess people’s physical capabilities across the lifespan, they tested 300 children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 19. Read More

600 positions advertised in SA public education

Recruitment has started for more than 400 ongoing teaching positions in public schools and preschools in South Australia for 2018, with positions advertised this week.

The roles include dedicated positions for Highly Accomplished Teachers (HAT) and Lead Teachers for the first time. Highly accomplished teachers excel in classroom teaching, while Lead teachers have demonstrated their skills in supporting other teachers. Read More

National Science Week 12-20 August

This year marks National Science Week’s 20th birthday. Running from 12-20 August, the theme is Future Earth.

Future Earth launched in 2015 and is a 10-year international initiative to advance global sustainability science, with a community of researchers, projects and institutes brought together around a research agenda focusing on sustainability science. Read More

New resource website for NSW HSC students

Students sitting the NSW HSC in 2017 will benefit from a new resource website created by academics at Charles Sturt University (CSU).

Lecturer in education in the CSU School of Education in Albury-Wodonga, Paul Grover said the new website fills the gap left by the closing of an earlier HSC study website.

"When the HSC Online site that had been in existence for more than a decade was closed in 2016, there was no longer a comprehensive online HSC study resource website for NSW senior secondary students," Grover said. Read More

World record breaking coding event

Moonhack to back again this year to help improve digital literacy.

Children across Australia can participate in Moonhack by taking part in computer coding exercises on the night of August 15.

The coding event will be part of National Science Week. Read More

Tri-Nations Maths Challenge launched

Registrations are now open for Mathletics’ first Tri-Nations Challenge. The free to enter
Mathletics competition between schools from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will take place online from 14-20 August.

The Mathletics Tri-Nations Challenge is open to students from Kindergarten to Year 10, with engaging activities appropriate for all year levels. There will be two rounds preceded by a training week. Read More

2017 NGS Super Scholarship Awards open

Photo: Students from St Stephen's School in Perth worked at Jehovah Jireh Haven orphanage in 2016.
Applications are now open for the 2017 NGS Super Scholarship Awards. Six scholarships valued at $5,000 each will be awarded to NGS Fund members to help them undertake a professional development course, project, or study tour of their choice. Read More

NAPLAN 2017 preliminary results flatline

Announcing the results ACARA CEO, Robert Randall, said: “The NAPLAN data show that over the last 10 years, since NAPLAN was introduced in 2008, there has been some improvement across all year levels in most domains.

“Importantly, we see a gradual redistribution of students from lower bands of achievement to higher ones, particularly in some domains and year levels, such as Year 3 reading. In other areas, this improvement has not always been great enough to significantly impact national averages, but it is certainly a positive trend.” Read More

For better NAPLAN results... eat all of your veggies

A study by Assoc Prof Tracy Burrows from University of Newcastle has found that a greater consumption of vegetables with the evening meal was associated with higher test scores in the domains of spelling and writing. The study examined associations between a range of dietary behaviours and children's academic achievement. Read More

Nine tips to keep students and staff safe on school trips

Educational institutions have a duty of care for staff and students and need to be aware of the importance of knowing everyone's whereabouts while on a school trip.

Concur Travel recommends nine tips to better support faculty, staff, and students when they’re travelling. Read More

New schools in VIC

The Victorian Government has more than 1000 school upgrades planned and is building 56 new schools, including Gum Scrub Creek primary school which will be ready for student intake in the first term of next year.

Enrolments are now being taken for the Richmond High School. Image: RHS under construction. The first part of the building is on track to open Jan 2018. Read More