DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that Stella Liliendal, Co-Founder and Director of ATA, passed away earlier this month. Over the past few years, Stella suffered one of the most brutal  illnesses, Motor Neurone Disease.

Stella led our delivery unit, and was instrumental in facilitating the development of the Australian Teaching Assistant Professional Standards (ATAPS), an inspirational project that required the willing support of an Industry Reference Group and many of the ATA team. This work will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the way in which schools deploy teaching assistants in future years, and a legacy she leaves to education. Stella will be most remembered by our team for her positivity, her grace and her commitment to excellence. 

Since Stella’s retirement in November 2024, Kim Nuske has led our content and delivery unit with competence and flair, bringing renewed energy to this area of our business, whilst maintaining the excellent standard of service that Stella set for herself, and others. 

We will always remember Stella, and all that she gave both personally and professionally. We hope you will, too. 

Sincerely, 

Mandy 

WE ARE MOVING WEBSITES

New website reminder and Christmas closure

While you’re enjoying a well-earned Christmas break, we’ll be busy behind the scenes moving to a new website platform to enhance your ATA experience. Your personal details and associated data will be managed responsibly and securely throughout.

From 1st December, you’ll still be able to access our website and the professional learning resources, however upgrades to membership, personal portal changes, and live web event registrations will be temporarily paused during the transition. 

Our office will be closed from 15 December to 9 January inclusive. During this period, our team will be offline and unable to respond to enquiries. Please keep this in mind as you finalise your end-of-term plans.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to welcoming you to our improved website in January 2026, when all features will be fully restored.

 NEW RESOURCE

What Teachers Really Need to Hear from Teaching Assistants

In this engaging new session, ATA Teacher and ATAPS facilitator, Kim Nuske, explores what kind of feedback is most useful for teachers and how teaching assistants can share it clearly and confidently.

Kim explains the key ‘flags’ to look for when monitoring student progress, what to focus on when recording observations, and how to communicate this information so teachers can plan for learning with greater accuracy. She also introduces a simple, time-saving notation system that helps TAs streamline their notes and make feedback more efficient.

Whether you're looking to build confidence in giving feedback or wanting to make classroom communication smoother and more effective, this is a valuable end-of-year resource you won’t want to miss.

FIND YOUR GIFT FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Everyone has a gift, and ATA partner, TAFE NSW (RTO 90003), can help you enhance yours with hands-on, practical learning through affordable, accredited courses.

We already know you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people because you subscribe to ATA. But, if you are looking for formal certification, we encourage you to explore TAFE NSW School-Based Education Support courses. You will gain specialised training from industry-experienced teachers who are here to support your journey every step of the way.

Select from full-time or part-time courses, study online, on-campus or a combination of both.
Enrol now for Semester 1, 2026

2026 EVENTS

• 10 February: Thriving Together: Mindset, Motivation and Making a Difference Every Day. Presented by Tim Perkins from Cutthroughhq
• 10 March: Accommodating Students with Learning Difficulties in Every Classroom - Part 1. Presented by Nick Parker from SPELD
• 14 April: Accommodating Students with Learning Difficulties in Every Classroom - Part 2. Presented by Nick Parker from SPELD
• 12 May: Supporting Students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Presented by A/Prof. Louise Mewton, Julia Riches and Georgette Borel from Learning with FASD, University of Sydney.

• 9 June: Supporting Calm Classrooms: Practical tips for teaching assistants. Presented by Nellie Wilmot from Classroom Mastery

• 14 July: Understanding Behaviour as Communication in Autistic Teenagers. Presented by Dr Sarah Glencross from
  The Sycamore School

• 11 August: Dyslexia - What It Is and How to Help. Presented by Dr Samantha Hornery from Learning Links.

• 8 September: Assistive Technology for Students with Specific Learning Disorders. Presented by Teresa Daniel from SPELD.
• 13 October: Supporting Students with Touch-Based Literacy. Presented by Kay Kieu from Braille House
• 10 November: Better Together: Strengthening Teacher-TA Partnerships for Inclusive Practice within an MTSS Framework. Presented by Dr. Claire Jackson from Latitude Learning / Deloitte Access Economics.
  
  

ATAPS FACILITATOR TRAINING

Hear what school leaders are saying about ATAPS Facilitator Training!

“I appreciate how these tools clearly connect the role of our Learning Support Assistants with the educational responsibilities of classroom teachers. This alignment will help us reinforce the importance of collaboration during implementation and strengthen partnerships with our teaching staff” says Leanne, Business Manager. 

“I now have a structured framework to incorporate into our annual review meetings which will make our ARMS relevant for team members. I love that this will lift the professionalism of our entire team and also build our integrity within the wider school community, ensuring the best care for some of our most vulnerable students” shared Kate, Learning Diversity Team Leader. 

“I will use the framework to build my professional practice and learning. I can easily step through the well-defined process to make a SMART goal and proceed to develop my learning. My understanding of the framework and processes is good, so I will be able to facilitate our team through the process. ATAPS will benefit our Learning Diversity Assistants by defining our roles more clearly. I hope to spread that positivity to our team” says Francine, Learning Diversity Assistant. 

Explore the 2026 workshop dates here and secure your spot today! 

UNDERSTANDING ATAPS - ONE FOCUS AREA AT A TIME

Demonstrate understanding of age and developmentally appropriate practice

A young person’s cognitive, physical, emotional, social skills and abilities develop at different rates, and so responding and supporting their needs requires appropriate practice and strategies.

The strategies used when supporting students need to be meaningful, engaging, and developmentally appropriate for their age, development and/or ability. 

Knowledge & Skills to develop: 

• Learn what cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development is 
• Learn about the stages of cognitive development 

Want to go deeper: 

• ATA Webinar: How to Support Student Learning 
• AERO Free Resource: Managing Cognitive Load  
• Explore the TA Standards more!  

READ OUR LATEST BLOG

What effective TA deployment really looks like

How can schools turn national recommendations into practical, everyday improvements for their teaching assistant teams?

Our latest blog breaks it down in a clear, actionable way.

We take a closer look at the seven evidence-informed strategies outlined in AITSL’s 2025 Guidelines for the Optimal Deployment of Teaching Assistants, and highlight how ATA’s professional learning and the ATAPS framework help schools bring these strategies to life.

From strengthening collaboration to boosting professional capability and aligning support with whole-school priorities, this blog gives leaders and educators a fresh perspective on what effective TA deployment can look like.

If you’re planning for 2026 and want your TA team positioned for maximum impact, this is essential reading.

ATA IS A BUSINESS FOR GOOD

Together, we're creating real change

At Australian Teacher Aide, our mission goes beyond supporting education support professionals — it extends to making a meaningful difference in the lives of children around the world.

Every time you, your school, or your training organisation purchases or renews an ATA membership, you help us extend that impact even further.

Thanks to your continued support, we’ve now contributed 5,005 life-changing impacts that provide essential health and education support to children in Australia and across the globe — children who may otherwise miss out.

Your membership doesn’t just unlock professional learning; it helps change lives.

OUTSTANDING PARTICIPATION IN ATA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Congratulations to the following schools for achieving most highly, over the past month, in their professional development journey:

Yarrawonga College P-12 VIC
Chairo Christian School VIC
Catherine McAuley College - Bendigo VIC
Newbury Primary School VIC

Keep up the great work, everyone!

DON'T FORGET TO USE OUR JOB BOARD

POSITIONS VACANT

Looking for staff?

Schools with ATA membership can advertise positions vacant for education support staff on our Job Board.

Looking for work? 

Individual ATA members can advertise positions wanted. 

WHAT'S TRENDING ON THE ATA FACEBOOK PAGE

Busting Teacher Aide Myths

This month, we took on a myth: that teacher aides only help with simple tasks.

Not true — and our community agreed!

Many educators jumped in to acknowledge the high-level impact teacher aides have every day. It was a powerful reminder of just how valuable their skills, expertise, and presence are in every classroom.

25,603 views
226 reactions, 62 comments and 36 shares

Leaders in Professional Learning for Schools

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