Inclusive Education Term 1

Inclusive Education


Newsletter





2019 Term 1 | Issue 1
2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 1

Note from the IE Team












Greetings and a very happy 2019 to each of you! Inside this issue


Term 1 Timeline .................... 3
We hope that we find you well and excited about heading into 2019 and all
that it will bring. Here at AISWA Inclusive Education (IE), we have begun our News and Updates ................ 3
year with some significant changes. We say a sad goodbye to Rebecca
IE Network info...................... 3
Delaney, who is embarking on a new school-based journey, a warm
welcome to Bronte Morgan and Larissa Roy, as new members of the team, Gifted & Talented
and a big congratulations to Lynne Nixon, who has taken on the role of IE Column .................................. 4
Coordinator in Rebecca’s stead. We are also saying a temporary farewell to
Michele McErlain as she heads off on maternity leave and a heartfelt thank Multimedia Review ............... 4
you to Jenny Briggs and Sue Mulholland who will be stepping into
Inclusive Strategies
additional administrative duties for this time.
Focus ..................................... 5

As a team, we are very much looking forward to continuing to partner with Spotlight on: NCCD ................ 5
you in supporting your students who have specific needs. For some schools
this will look like a deepening of current relationships and for some, new Senior Secondary
partnerships will be formed; please see Pg. 7 for team information and a Snapshot ................................ 5
link to the school/consultant allocations.
Professional

The main focus of this edition of our termly newsletter is to update you Learning ................................. 6
across the areas of IE and Child Protection. We hope that each update and
Child Protection ..................... 7
article will assist you in following best practice, both in the classroom and
also legislatively. As always, we welcome feedback and suggestions for Contact Us ............................. 7
future editions and are excited about working alongside you as we move
ahead into a fresh new year!
Please note: You have received the link to
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on the AISWA website.
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login to the AISWA website and go to ‘My
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http://www.facebook.com/IndependentSchools/







2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 2

Current News and Updates

Term 1 Timeline When you login to your AISWA account you will find several changes in the IE space…




8th October 2018

Funding Round 1 opened
online


Funding Criteria:
4th February 2019
The funding criteria was significantly re-worded in 2018, with additional information
Term 1 started being added early 2019 in the SMBD category.
Please make sure you log in and access the most recent version.

Funding Application Process:
15th February 2019
1. A formal appeals process now sits under the Funding tab.
Funding updates PL at
2. New video clips talk through how to manage the database and make an application.
AISWA 3. The database now shows provisional funding deadlines.
4. In the application form, the boxes requiring a ‘1-5’ value judgement have been

removed.
18th March 2019
Also, under ’Governance and Leadership’, please find reviews in the AISWA policy &
Round 1 applications due procedure guidelines for...
for admin check  Behaviour Management,
 Disability and Enrolment, and

 Bullying Prevention
22nd March 2019
Inclusive Education Network News
Principal check for funding
Time to chat, confer, collaborate and communicate!
applications is due
This year sees a slightly different model being trialled for the Network

meetings, in that every other session will have a Gifted focus. We are
End of April 2019 excited to be able to offer this space in response to requests and feedback from
yourselves and the broad timetable and discussion topics for the year will look like this:
funding results will go to
Term 1: 26th Feb, (a.m.) - Effective staff organisation and collaboration
school
Term 2: 19th June (p.m.) - Meeting the needs of Gifted students in a mixed ability
classroom

10th May 2019 Term 3: 18th Sept (p.m.) - TBC

Funding appeals due Term 4: 13th Nov (a.m.) - Gifted underachievers and identification challenges
Watch the website for confirmed details and the chance to register, we’ll look forward
to seeing you there!

Please contact via email:
IE networking—Maggie Balfe [email protected]

Gifted focus—Kate Stannard [email protected]







2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 3

Gifted & Talented

Education

In the final term of 2018, we
noted that gifted students’
intensive thinking, questioning
and /or physical movement, can
be perceived as challenging
behaviour.
However, this creativity, energy
and passion for learning are huge
strengths and can lead to high
engagement and rich activities
when the opportunity is
presented.

Here are some suggested
strategies for engaging this
Multimedia Review energy...

In celebration of Gifted Awareness Week, here are five mini reviews of - Passion Projects (inquiry based
children/young adult texts which feature gifted characters... learning)
- Genius Hour
The ‘Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling (1997-2007): Featuring the
academically brilliant Hermione Granger, this series deals with the challenges - Night of the Notables
and joys of being intellectually gifted and the positive impact that these gifts
can have. - Role of Class Investigator
- ‘Capturing’ questions to be
‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl (1988): The exceptionally gifted Matilda works
through the difficulties of being misunderstood and held back ,with the investigated later
support of her librarian and teacher mentors. (PG movie, 1996) - Give the student active jobs

‘Big Hero 6’ PG movie by Disney (2014): This movie follows a gifted young - Think about seating
teenager, with a specific talent for technology, through his journey of early arrangements and environment
graduation, future decisions and dealing with loss. eg. standing desks

‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E.B. White (1952): Both the spider Charlotte and the - Regular whole class physical
main human character, Fern, could arguably be viewed as gifted in the movement breaks
socioaffective space. Possibly a controversial choice, but undeniably a
Although this list is by no means
beautiful story of relationship and leadership.
exhaustive, we hope it will inspire
We hope that these texts inspire you to celebrate giftedness in your you to harness that energy! Next
classrooms this term!
edition we will look in a little more
depth at curriculum differentiation
approaches.















2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 4

Inclusion of Students with
FASD

The end of 2018 saw the release of
Spotlight on: NCCD
‘Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
(FASD) and complex trauma: A The NCCD has seen significant change during the last 12 months; not in
resource for teachers’ , a revised terms of the process of deciding who to include, but more so in the when,
edition of the original 2014 text. how and ‘how much detail’ of the data recording.

We would highly recommend Please be aware that it is probable that updates in the NCCD Guidelines,
downloading and reading this very the website and the post-enumeration stages of the data collection are in
practical resource in its entirety, but the pipeline. We would therefore strongly encourage you to read
here is a summary of its ‘Eight Keys’ thoroughly any relevant documentation, while we at our end will aim to
to effective inclusion of students with provide the most up-to-date information possible.
FASD…
Term 1 is an ideal time to re-form your NCCD team, review last year’s
1. Using concrete terms process and make decisions on how to track future updates and respond to
them in a timely manner.
2. Consistency of language and
routines
Senior Secondary Snapshot
3. Repetitive re-teaching
4. Stable routines and visual cues World Down Syndrome Day (March
21st) has put out a call to action this
5. Simplicity
year to ‘leave no one behind’. Coming
6. Being specific, explain step-by- in line with the 2030 UN Plan for
step Global Development, this call
recognises that, currently, there are
7. Providing structure
people who are left out or left behind
8. Constant supervision for safety by the way society is structured now.



#leave no one behind


The Centre for Applied Disability Research found that, In 2015….
53.4% of working age people with disability were in the labour force,
compared to 83.2% of people with no disability. In conjunction with the
National Disability Services, they have produced a fantastic guide for
effective school to employment transitions, with sections geared towards
both the students/workers and educators/employers.
Head to either (or even better, both!) of these spaces to give your Senior
Secondary students a motivational start to the year!

https://mwrc.com.au/pages/mwrc-blog













2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 5

Additional AISWA Professional Learning opportunities:
AISWA IE consultants are

Upcoming events include: available for consultation,
 1st March - Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum, 9am-4pm, to be held at PL and workshop sessions
AISWA. Please note that any staff using this curriculum need to have completed this in all areas of Inclusive
one day training. Education, including
students with disability,
This event currently has a waitlist please continue to register if you would like to
attend as a repeat session may be added learning difficulties and

 6th March - Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)/Disability Standards for Education giftedness.
(DSE), 9am—11am to be held at AISWA Please contact your IE
 7th March - The keys to understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom, Consultant to arrange
8.30am—3.30pm to be held at AISWA meetings or sessions to
 11th March - Introduction to Gifted Education, 9-11am, to be held at AISWA suit your context.








To register, click here for the full AISWA Professional Learning Calendar, select
‘Inclusive Education’ in Area of Interest and select the specific event.





External Professional Learning opportunities:

As well as facilitating a 3 day conference at Perth Convention Centre, (4-6th April 2019), the
Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation have also released an in-depth ‘Understanding Learning
Difficulties’ e-learning course. Look here for details for this and other upcoming PLs. In
other exciting news, AUSPELD has advised that they will
be releasing new editions of their two ‘Understanding
Learning Difficulties Guides’ very soon!!


On the 10th March, Growing Up Greatness will be
running an hour and a half session based around
catering for twice exceptional students. A topic that is rarely addressed in great depth in
many contexts, this conversation is a hugely important one. Click here to find out more
details and how to register.


Down Syndrome WA present high quality and professional PL on educating students with Down
syndrome. As well as providing a quick tips page, the 11th March sees a full day’s training being
held in Bentley, which will be an excellent opportunity to develop teaching skills in this space.
Click here for information and registration.


Please note: The AISWA IE team disseminates information about external organisations
in good faith, but is not responsible for the quality of delivery or professionalism of the
presenting organisations.







2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 6

Child Protection Focus

In the area of Child Protection, it is important to recognise that a wholistic approach is vital to supporting students and staff
ie. schools need to be both proactive and responsive, both highly structured and deeply relational. Supports for schools in
this area include:
All IE consultants being available to run training on Child Protection (including Mandatory Reporting, Grooming and
strategies for prevention of both), Staff Code of Conduct and Protective Behaviours Curriculum. Alongside this, the
Department of Communities– Child Protection and Family Support run online and face to face sessions on Mandatory
Reporting, which are available to all teachers.
Another facet of school support can be found via the Student Wellbeing Hub. The new Australian
Student Wellbeing Framework has been endorsed by the Ministers of Education, in place of the
National Safe Schools Framework, and the Student Wellbeing Hub has produced a range of
resources to bring this Framework to
life. The new Framework acknowledges
the strong links between wellbeing and
student learning outcomes and ties in
perfectly with school policy and Protective Behaviours.

NB: The AISWA policy and procedure guidelines around Bullying Prevention have
been recently updated and can be found on the AISWA website.







Inclusive Education Team Contacts





Lynne Nixon (IE Coordinator) Tania Wray (IE Consultant)
[email protected] [email protected]
9441-1606 or 0447 502 560 9441-1672 or 0457 822 178

Amanda Mackmin (Admin Support) Maggie Balfe (IE Consultant)
[email protected] [email protected]
9441-1601 9441-1612 or 0418 212 284
Michele McErlain (Admin Support) Kate Stannard (IE Consultant)
[email protected] [email protected]
9441-1666 9441-1609 or 0438 983 855

Larissa Roy (IE Consultant)
Covering maternity leave for Michele McErlain for T1 & 2:
[email protected]
Jenny Briggs — [email protected] 9441-1666 9441-1676 or 0429 818 782

Sue Mulholland — [email protected] 9441-1632 Bronte Morgan (IE Consultant)
(Please address funding queries to Sue) [email protected]
9441-1646 or 0438 183 525



To find out which consultant is allocated to your school, please log in to the
AISWA website and go to https://www.ais.wa.edu.au/ieconsultants






2019 Term 1 | Issue 1 Page 7

Suite 3/41 Walters Drive
Osborne Park WA 6017
+61 (08) 9441 1600
[email protected]
www.ais.wa.edu.au