DIRECTORS' MESSAGE

Welcome to the March edition of TA Talk.

The first part of this month found half our team battening down the hatches in preparation for Cyclone Alfred. Fortunately, the cyclone was downgraded to a tropical low, and we all emerged relatively unscathed despite a lot of gusty wind, a deluge of rain and some minor flooding. Our thoughts are very much with those in the most southern parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales who have experienced a whole lot more damage and destruction. We hope you are getting the support you require to recover.

Our live web event this month, Neurodiversity and Brain-based Learning, was tremendously popular, and a topic we have been hoping to cover for some time now. Kristina Barisic, the director of Developing Minds and an Endorsed Clinical Neuropsychologist, despite being in the thick of the tropical low herself, was able to join us to share her expertise on supporting young people with conditions known to affect brain development.

Earlier this week, on 24th and 25th March, we hosted the first ATAPS Partner School Leadership Workshop. This course is designed to support the successful implementation of the Australian Teaching Assistant Professional Standards (ATAPS) in schools. During the two 3 hour sessions, Kim Nuske, Teacher and ATAPS Facilitator, coached school leaders on how to use the standards framework to support the professional growth of their teaching assistants, and successfully implement ATAPS as part of their school's performance and professional growth process. Since publishing the standards in November last year, feedback from schools affirms that ATAPS will positively impact teaching assistants, teachers, school leaders and, importantly, our students.

With the end of term almost upon us, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a safe and happy Easter holiday.

Warm regards

Stella and Mandy

ATAPS LEADERSHIP COURSE

Gain ATAPS Facilitator Certification

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our inaugural ATAPS Partner School Leadership Course!

This milestone event saw an enthusiastic group of participants gain ‘ATAPS Facilitator’ certification, gaining valuable insights and resources to support the implementation of the ATAPS framework in their schools. 

We received lots of positive feedback on our course. One of our participants had this to say; "I learnt much more than one thing.  I have a clear picture of the standards and how to implement, and a very clear picture of next steps." 

We're proud to have empowered this group of early adopters with the knowledge and support to make a real impact on the performance and professional growth of their teaching assistants. 

Registration for our next highly anticipated ATAPS Leadership Course opens soon!

Mark your calendars for 27-28 May, 2025, and be part of the ATAPS leadership movement!

UNDERSTANDING ATAPS - ONE STANDARD AT A TIME

Standard 2 - Know How to Support Learning and Teaching

Teaching assistants work across many learning areas and different year levels. They require knowledge of the curriculum relevant to their context, and evidence-based teaching and learning practices that maximise student outcomes. 

Standard Two details the professional knowledge teaching assistants require: 

• Focus Area 2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of curriculum to support learning and teaching. 
• Focus Area 2.2 Demonstrate knowledge of evidence-based strategies to support learning and teaching

If you are getting started in your teaching assistant career, we recommend the following professional learning resources to help you develop your professional knowledge of how students learn: 

• Practical strategies for working with small groups of students in a classroom 
• ETAPS Module 1: How to prepare for student learning 

UPCOMING EVENT

The Science of School Mental Health and Wellbeing Check-ins

3:30pm Tuesday, 8 April 2025

Join, ATA guest presenter and Director at My Mind Check, Dr. Lauren McLellan, for an insightful web event on the science behind school mental health and wellbeing check-ins.

With 1 in 7 young people experiencing mental health concerns and 89% not receiving the help they need, identifying issues early is critical.

Developed with Macquarie University and funded by the BUPA Foundation, Dr. McLellan will discuss how My Mind Check, in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Education, supports schools in proactively identifying and addressing mental health challenges.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about a vital resource for improving student wellbeing.

 NEW RESOURCE

Neurodiversity and Brain-based Learning

Our recent live web event with Kristina Barisic, Director of Developing Minds and an Endorsed Clinical Neuropsychologist, is now available on our website!

In this informative session, Kristina explores the crucial role memory plays in learning and development. She discusses how memory affects the ability to learn and the key learning processes that evolve as students grow.

Kristina gives practical strategies and tools that educators can use to support students with memory difficulties. These strategies can help educators identify the best accommodations for each unique student, ensuring that their individual needs are met in the classroom.

Watch the preview now to gain actionable tools and deepen your understanding of how to support students facing memory-related challenges.

2025 ATA AWARDS ARE COMING!

The 2025 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards are Coming Soon!

Get ready to celebrate the outstanding contributions of teacher aides! The Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards will soon be back, and we encourage you to watch this space for more details. These awards honour the incredible impact teacher aides have on students and schools across Australia. Key dates and more information can be found in our FAQs. Stay tuned!

OUTSTANDING PARTICIPATION IN ATA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

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

Islamic College of Melbourne VIC
Sacred Heart College - Geelong VIC
Xavier High School - North Albury
Essendon Keilor College VIC
Newbury Primary School VIC

Keep up the great work, everyone!

OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CHAMPION SCHOOLS

Congratulations to the following schools who recently celebrated their 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th continuous year of membership with ATA! This impressive milestone reflects the commitment of the schools' leaders to the professional growth of their education support teams.

9-year Professional Learning Champions

Fisher Road School NSW

Kioma State School QLD
Peachester State School QLD

Waverly Christian College VIC

8-year Professional Learning Champions

Atwea College NSW
Good Shepherd College - Mount Isa QLD

Middlemount Community School QLD

Rowland Hassall School NSW

The Southport School QLD

7-year Professional Learning Champions

Chisholm Institute VIC
Haileybury VIC

Maleny State High School QLD

Nashville State School QLD

NT Christian Schools NT
Redlynch State College QLD
Sacred Heart College - Kyneton VIC
St Joseph's College - Mildura VIC
Townsville Community Learning Centre - A State Special School QLD

6-year Professional Learning Champions

Blackall Range Independent School QLD
Goomeri State School P-10 QLD
Heatley State School QLD

Injune P-10 State School QLD

North Metropolitan TAFE WA 

Oxenford State School QLD

St Dominic’s College NSW

Wollondilly Anglican College NSW

5-year Professional Learning Champions
A.B. Paterson College QLD
Balaklava High School SA
Brisbane Water Secondary College NSW

Como Secondary College WA
Henschke Primary School - Wagga Wagga NSW
Marian Catholic College - Griffith NSW
Holy Spirit Primary School - Lavington NSW
Holy Trinity West Wagga NSW
Humpybong State School QLD
Lakeside College VIC
Peranbin Primary College VIC
Sacred Heart School - Tocumwal NSW
St Brendan's Primary School - Ganmain NSW
St Francis de Sales College - Leeton NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - Leeton NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - Junee NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - Lockhart NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - Narrandera NSW
St Mary's School - Corowa NSW
St Mary's School - Yoogali NSW
St Patrick's Parish School - Albury NSW
St Patrick's School - Griffith NSW
Sacred Heart Primary School - Kooringal NSW
Mater Dei Catholic School - Wagga Wagga NSW
Kildare Catholic College - Wagga Wagga NSW
Xavier High School - North Albury NSW
All Saints Primary School - Tumbarumba NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - Culcairn NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - Finley NSW
St Joseph's School - Jerilderie NSW
St Michael's School - Coolamon NSW
St Patrick's Primary School - Holbrook NSW
St Joseph's Primary School - NSW
St Peter's Primary School - Coleambally NSW
Mater Dei Catholic College - Wagga Wagga NSW
St Anne's Primary School - Lavington NSW

Covenant College VIC

Nazareth College VIC
Redcliffe State High School QLD
Gilson College VIC
Chairo Christian School VIC

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SCHOOLS AND TRAINING ORGANISATIONS

ACT

Canberra Girls Grammar School
University of Canberra High School Kaleen

NSW

All Hallows Catholic Primary School, Five Dock

Brewarrina Christian School
Coast Christian School
Gateway Community High

Loreto Normanhurst

Narrandera High School
Sadleir Public School
SCEGGS Darlinghurst
Shoalhaven High School
St Leo's Catholic College
St Joachim's Catholic Primary School - Lidcombe

St Raphael's Catholic School

Tower Street Public School
Warilla High School

NT

Tiwi College

QLD

Sophia College
Brooweena State School
Bunker's Hill State School

Collinsville State High School

Coolum State High School
Fraser Coast Anglican College
Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School
Loreto College Coorparoo
Middle Park State School

Padua College - Queensland
Redlands College
St Stephen's Catholic College - Mareeba
St Thomas' of Villanova
Sunshine Coast Grammar School
Wadja Wadja Aboriginal Corp. for Education
Worongary State School

SA

Star of the Sea School
Trinity College SA
Trinity College South
Trinity College North
Trinity College Gawler River
Trinity College Senior
Trinity College Roseworthy
Trinity College Blakeview

VIC

Ballarat Grammar School
Bright P-12 College
Brighton Primary School

Casey Grammar School
Christ the King - Braybrook
Donald Primary School

Essendon Keilor College
Heritage College Knox
Lucas Primary School
Melba College
Melbourne Grammar School

Port Melbourne Secondary College
St Helena Secondary College

St Ita's Primary School - Drouin

St Paul's Kealba Catholic School
Tarneit Senior College

WA

Fountain College

Gosnells Primary School
Hudson Park Primary School
Rossmoyne Primary School

WHAT'S TRENDING ON THE ATA FACEBOOK PAGE

This month’s top trending post really struck a chord!

Teachers and teacher aides flooded the comments, tagging colleagues and sharing the love. The response was overwhelming, with so many expressing appreciation for the incredible work of all teacher aides.

Education support rockstars truly make a difference!

29,060 views
229 reactions, 129 comments and 8 shares

Leaders in Professional Learning for Schools

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