Should students repeat a year because of COVID?

21 September 2020

PV Executive Officer Gail McHardy was interviewed on 3AW recently on the question of whether students should repeat a year because of the COVID-19 disruptions in 20202. 

Gail said that children are often more resilient than we might think, and that any decision to repeat should be carefully considered, in consultation with the student, parents and teachers.

Gail and host Tony Jones also discussed the importance of good relationships and communication between families and schools in managing the difficulties of remote and flexible learning. 

Online Conference 19 October: program and registration

17 September 2020

Program

10:00am - Opening

We are delighted to announce that Education Minister James Merlino will open the conference.

Mr Merlino will also answer questions . Questions must be submitted in advance to the Parents Victoria office via email. The deadline for questions is Sunday 11 October.

Mr Merlino has also agreed to present the Joan Kirner Award. This is an annual award given to a Member Parent Club, Parent, or Individual Member who has demonstrated, encouraged, or facilitated parent or family engagement in their school. (Nominations are open until 25 September - more infornation in separate article)

10:50am - Annual General Meeting

Including Life Membership presentations.

11:15am - Re-setting the foundations for good mental health           

                for families post COVID

Presenter: Dr Stephen Carbone, Executive Director, Prevention United.

A focus on mental health has never been more important as we continue to negotiate the social and economic impacts caused by COVID-19. This session will focus on self-care, parenting and help-seeking in the age of Covid-19. It will explore the impacts of COVID in the lives of students and parents, discuss ways that parents can look after their own mental health and wellbeing and also support their children’s mental wellbeing, and provide advice on what parents can do if they are concerned that their child may be experiencing mental health difficulties.

As a result of this presentation parents will:

• Understand the mental health continuum and the difference between mental health and ill-health
• Recognise the importance of self-care and the practical strategies to look after their mental health
• Hear about evidence-based parenting strategies that help to promote positive child and adolescent mental wellbeing
• Learn the signs that their child may be experiencing a mental health condition, and where and how they can access support 

12:00pm - Family Engagement Officers in schools

Presenter: Dori Ellington, Community Engagement Officer at Whittington Primary School. 

There are a lot of pieces that make up our school system. Family Engagement is a collective of ideas and initiatives designed to bring schools, parents and communities closer together.  To make it happen takes special people in unique roles.

(For a parent perspective on Dori's role at the school, see this recent article by parent Jade Millman.)  

12:10pm - Connected Schools Communities:
                The Next School Improvement Frontier

Presenter: Adam Voigt, Director, Real Schools.

• How schools can be cognisant of what parents really want from their school.
• How parents and schools can not only get on the same page, but write that page together.
• An understanding of what goes wrong when the home-school partnership erodes.
• What’s really required for parents and schools to rebuild high trust relationships geared for success.
• A look at what 21st century home-school communications should look like. 

1:10pm - Closing

 A wrap of the day's proceedings, including potential future PV forums.

1:15pm - Conference ends

Registration

The Conference will take place on Zoom. Participants will be emailed a Zoom link on 18 October.

The Conference is free but registration is essential.

Mindfulness resources for VCE / VCAL students

16 September 2020

The Department of Education and Training has partnered with mindfulness program Smiling Mind to produce resources to support VCE/VCAL students to remain positive and engaged in their education during the coronavirus pandemic.

The first of six episodes launched today, and includes:

• A short video
• Online tip sheet
• Mindfulness meditations on taking care of yourself.

Read more: Mindfulness resources for VCE / VCAL students

Parent payments: PV media comment

16 September 2020

According to today's Age, "Government schools have been told not to pursue families who do not pay for essential learning materials such as textbooks, stationery and art equipment, but instead to find ways to pay from their own budgets."

PV Executive Officer Gail McHardy is quoted in the article. 

Gail said many parents who previously had the income to contribute to schools’ fundraising efforts were in a worse financial position this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We support principals being able to deliver a quality service but they need to be very mindful that you don’t transfer the responsibility onto the community when the community is already hurting," she said.

COVID resources for Parent Clubs

09 September 2020

Now more than ever, your Parent Club is a vital social hub for parents to support each other and share ideas.

Our new website page has tips on how to keep your Parent Club going during home learning. 

There's also a chance to share the good things your club is doing. We know that Parent Clubs are coming up with creative ways to keep their vital activities going during the COVID-19 pandemic. Share those ideas around!

Joan Kirner Award: Nominations now open

31 August 2020

The Joan Kirner Award is an annual award given to a Member Parent Club, Parent, or Individual Member* who has demonstrated, encouraged, or facilitated parent or family engagement in their school.

New award - "Parent Champions During Covid"

This year, our school landscapes have changed dramatically thanks to Covid-19. Every parent has likely been engaged more than ever in their children’s education. The opportunity for parent clubs to meet has been greatly diminished, or forced into a new format. So in addition to our Joan Kirner Award, we will also be recognising clubs and parents who have made a positive contribution to their school community during the 'learning From home' periods this year. This new award is called 'Parent Champions During Covid".

Nominate someone!

The reasons for nominating are limitless, so please think of those clubs or parents who have thought outside the box during the pandemic. No effort is too small for consideration.
The awards will be presented virtually as part of our "PV2020 Virtual Conference" on Monday 19th October.

Read more: Joan Kirner Award: Nominations now open