TA TALK

Issue 25

November 2017

Each year brings its own challenges and achievements, and two years down the track since launching ATA, our vision of becoming the leader in professional development for teacher aides still drives our work behind the scenes.

If you’ve been on the journey with us since the start you’ll know that earlier this year we decided to develop a new website with features such as a CPD diary, event registration, and the flexibility for schools to manage their own member accounts. 

We also changed our school pricing plan. All staff at member schools now have unlimited access to ATA resources. This has made annual membership very affordable. As a result, our school membership has more than tripled since last year, bringing professional development to hundreds more teacher aides across Australia, an achievement which we are incredibly proud of!

This month, as part of our second birthday celebrations, we acknowledged our members by launching the ATA awards. We awarded 19 members across 5 award categories. You can read more about the awards and the recipients below.

Also as part of our birthday celebrations, we launched a competition with three great prizes on offer. On the 2nd November we announced the winner of our first prize, a 12-month school membership. It was won by a small school in regional Victoria, Briagolong Primary. Kylie Johnston submitted the winning entry on behalf of her school and after hearing the good news, she wrote to us saying, "How incredibly exciting for our little school. I am so lucky to be part of an awesome team of staff who support our kids. Thank you again for the opportunity to help all of our ES staff." Congratulations Kylie, Mark Donald (Principal) and all the Briagolong Primary School staff.

Our other 2 prizes will no doubt help with the school budget, as well. They are a $500 resource voucher sponsored by ATA, and a $100 school supplies voucher thanks to Teacher Superstore.

Congratulations to the winners:

• $500 ATA resource voucher - Fennell Bay Public School, winning entry submitted by Kristina Snowden
• $100 Teacher Superstore school supplies voucher - Wyoming Public School, winning entry submitted by Victoria Austen-Young

As schools wind up for yet another year, we are making sure the next twelve months will be another great one for teacher aide PD. Read on to learn about some of the awesome events coming up in 2018.

For all our members finishing up in the next few weeks, we wish you a much deserved holiday, and we look forward to seeing you back next year.

Warm regards

Stella and Mandy

Is your school a member of ATA? If so, make sure you request to be linked to the school account so that you can access all our member resources. Find out how to do that by visiting our FAQ: 

My organisation has a corporate membership with ATA. How can I link myself to the organisation's membership?

COMMUNITY WEBINAR: Growing Entrepreneurs and Sustaining Communities with School Kitchen Gardens

Robyn Cook has worked with over 400 Australian schools, to help establish their Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden programs, and worked as a garden teacher in a local primary school.

In this program, Robyn shares her stories about how to extend learning beyond the classroom and how to be more entrepreneurial by viewing kitchen gardens as a micro business opportunity instead of another strain on budgets that never seem to stretch far enough!

MEMBER WEBINAR: 2017 End of Year Happy Hour 

The theme for this year’s ATA Awards was Purpose and Passion. Hear from many of our award recipients as they joined us live to share their purpose and passion for their paraprofessional role.

Congratulations to the following members who received an award:

James Anderson, QLD – Collegiality
Monique Armstrong, QLD – Leadership
Kylie Birch, QLD - Founding Member 
Tina Davidson, QLD - Founding Member 
Karinne Dowling, NSW - Building Networks
Robyn Edwards, QLD - Founding Member 
Kim Evans, VIC - Collegiality
Rita Futeran, NSW – Leadership
Melinda Haack, QLD - Professional Development
Ann Hedger, QLD - Founding Member 
Rose Ilhan, QLD - Professional Development
Kylie Johnston, VIC – Leadership
Tash Laxton, QLD - Building Networks
Heatherlee Menadue, QLD - Founding Member 
Maureen McCrimmon, VIC – Collegiality
Ella McNeill, VIC - Professional Development
Tracey Ann Scully, QLD - Founding Member
Renee Simpson, QLD - Building Networks
Elle Steffens, VIC - Collegiality

NEW RESOURCE: eTAPS Module 1 - How to Prepare for Student Learning

Effective Teacher Aide Practices for Schools (eTAPS) Module 1 - How to Prepare for Student Learning is available now. In 2018, many schools will be using this program for professional development during pupil free days. This is the first of four modules; it comes with a workbook and a slide handout. Schools love our Facilitator's Guide because it makes planning and preparing for professional development sessions so much easier!

2018 WEBINARS

We already have a great list of webinars planned for you in 2018. Keep an eye on our Events registration page as we will be uploading the following webinar events, and more, soon:

• Applying for TA positions
• Writing strategies for middle primary and older years
• Building resilience in adolescents
• Reading strategies - before, during and after
• Identifying dyslexia, strategies to use and suggested assistive technology

TA TOOLBOX - Disability

Craig Smith, deputy principal at Aspect Hunter School in NSW, has put together a useful collection of iPad Apps for students on the autism spectrum to help with communication, social skills, emotional regulation and academic work. Read more about the 2017 iPad App Toolbox for Special Education in the TA Toolbox.

POST 1 - Quote by Barbara Coloroso

21,412 views
1,544 reactions, comments and shares

'If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job more important'.

POST 2 - The Coolest Art Project Ever

17,088 views

743 reactions, comments and shares

One school's idea to create a colourful stone lined path in the school grounds was inspired by the book Only One You, by Linda Kranz. It really got many of you excited and motivated to create a colourful stone river at your own school. And, not surprisingly, many of you had already established a version of this.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SCHOOLS

Yelarbon State School, QLD

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, VIC

Briagolong Primary School, VIC

Byford Secondary College, WA

Jamboree Heights State School, QLD

Pine Rivers State High School, QLD

St Joseph's College Mildura, VIC

Gordonvale State High School, QLD

St Joseph's School Balranald, NSW

St Ignatius's School Bourke, NSW

St Patrick's School Brewarrina, NSW

Sacred Heart Broken Hill, NSW

St John's School Cobar, NSW

St Joseph's School Condobolin, NSW

St Michael's School Deniliquin, NSW

St Laurence's Parish School Forbes, NSW

St Mary's School Hay, NSW

St Joseph's School Hillston, NSW

St Augustine's School Narromine, NSW

St Joseph's School Nyngan, NSW

Holy Family School Parkes, NSW

St Joseph's School Peak Hill, NSW

St John's School Trangie, NSW

St Patrick's School Trundle, NSW

St Mary's School Warren, NSW

St Therese's School Wilcannia, NSW

Thank you for choosing ATA for teacher aide PD!