Pause a moment to look back at the break you had just three weeks ago… reflect on the opportunities you had to rest, reflect, rebalance, recalibrate. Now, sit for a minute and ask yourself what have you done in the last three weeks since resuming school… WE must deliberatly plan for and invest in opportunities to DAILY take the time to nourish our own wellbeing. NEVER has it been more important to do so. PRIORITISING yourself has a hugely positive ripple effect on your colleagues, family and school communities. YOU MATTER and so does the work you do. Keep in mind as well, WE HAVE the most acute awareness of what matters most for ourselves, our families and for our schools – protect these things and cut the ‘white noise’ out. Narrow and sharpen your focus and stay the course.

On behalf of the NSWPPA membership, I extend my thoughts and support to our colleagues again facing the ravaging flood waters. Over the past few weeks, I have reached out to colleagues and have heard from many – schools returned to learning from home and that threat of and actual flooding of homes and businesses has again been heartbreaking. Our principals have stepped up time and again to lead their communities with such heart and soul. Often too, they live in these communities and have an incredible responsibility. Please, as I have said time and time again, reach out to the Association and call if we can offer any support or assistance during this time. Just know we are indeed thinking of you all.

Term 4 has without doubt been off to a flying start. A succession of political announcements during the holidays certainly had us caught in a myriad of questions as opposed to a collective understanding of fact. Alas we have landed back in our schools and the students, staff and our communities have taken priority and our work in schools continues. Right now we are all needing information about SBAR bottom lines and a number of key initiatives that tie to staffing so we can secure what we have and be creative about. We all know the programs and initiatives we value most are tied to funding. Prioritising the practices that have had impact are the initiatives we need to invest in. I have been advised the SBAR will be released Week 4 … details regarding Curriculum Reform PL, QTSS and hopefully COVID ILSP will be at hand for us all. Thank you to the membership who have also voiced the same as the Executive and I in terms of what Principals and schools value and certainly about timeliness. In the Minister and Secretary meetings this term we HAVE been clear, concise and solution focussed to clarify the urgency of the work we do in schools and the current wellbeing status of the Principalship and the teaching profession at large.

One of the announcements during the holiday period I was briefed in full by the Ministers Office and attended the press release about the announcement that the Murdoch Institute was undertaking a deep and extensive piece of research into the wellbeing needs of primary aged students. THIS is the research we need so as the Government ensures the Department has personnel and programs in place to address the myriad of issues we seen presenting in our schools. WE KNOW WHAT we are seeing in schools and the time to act on this is now. Early intervention and prevention strategies, Wellbeing Officers and Counsellors are just the most obvious. The NSWPPA Anxiety Project HAS been taken to senior DoE personnel and repeatedly to the Minister – every time we hear the need for research and THIS is what we have asked for so that the requests we have to support primary aged children’s well being is acted on. When the opportunity presents, please champion your staff to contribute to the Murdoch Institute research. Wellbeing needs of our student population differs from school to school. The focus is on our settings and our students. Please contribute to these forums when they present.

The ‘Rewarding Excellence ‘ announcement is not an initiative we haven’t seen before and we lived through times where these initiatives have been introduced and faded away. The Advanced Skills Teacher in the day was one such scheme. WE collectively agree that ‘performance pay’ has the potential to destroy collaborative culture. WE collectively agree we have a strategy in place (HALT) that needs to be invested in, grown and magnified. I am encouraged by the strategy of consultative voice. The team charged with this initiative will ensure the voice of every teacher, leader and Principal can have a voice at one of the multitude of round table events across the state. Please, again I ask you champion attendance at these opportunities.

We do have to ‘brace’ ourselves as we lead into a March election – we will be hearing MANY announcements as the ’politics‘ amplifies. Keep focused on what you can control and actively invest in the Term 4 things you know you need to achieve. Have clarity about the work you need to be spending most of your time doing.