Updates

Term 3 Dates for Primary Religious Education Coordinators

Please find here a list of important Term 3 dates for Primary Religious Education Coordinators.

Term 3 Information for Secondary Religious Education Coordinators and Leaders of Mission

Please find here a summary of important Term 3 initiatives and dates relevant to Secondary Religious Education Coordinators and Leaders of Mission.

Tap for Teacher update

Tap for Teacher has introduced a new feature: Schedule a Booking. If you're using this app, please update it as soon as possible to access the latest features.

How does Schedule a Booking work?

Use it when you want to set up a booking now, but have it go live later, such as after the school day ends, so all invited teachers get an equal chance to accept.

Click here for more information and instructions.

Term 3 August 2025 Census

Attention: Principals and SSSOs

The date for the upcoming 2025 Census for the collection of student and staff data is Friday 1 August 2025.

Essential information for principals and SSSOs is available here: Census August 2025.

Tickets to the Council of Catholic Schools Parents Conference (CCSP) now on sale

Attention: Principals and SSSOs

The Council of Catholic Schools Parents (CCSP) has announced that tickets to the 2025 CCSP Parents and Carers’ Conference on 25 October are now on sale!

This year’s conference celebrates 30 years of CCSP supporting and advocating for parents and carers of children in Catholic schools. It also marks the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Committee.

The conference theme for 2025 is SUPPORTING FAMILIES: WORKING TOGETHER IN A MODERN WORLD.

Keynote speakers at the one-day conference include:

• Dr Justin Coulson - one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts. He is the co-host and parenting expert on Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, the founder of happyfamilies.com.au.
• Michelle Mitchell - author and speaker, sought after for her compassionate and grounded advice for parenting tweens and teens.
• Daniel Principe - passionate youth advocate and educator. Through his work, Daniel encourages young people to recognise and resist distorted attitudes towards bodies, relationships and sex.

The conference which is being held at the Novotel, 350 Church Street, Parramatta is a one-day event and is only $30 to attend. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear and engage with some of Australia’s leading experts on raising young people in our complex society.

Please share this information, as well the accompanying flyer, with your parents and carers via your communication channels. Please also share it with your school P&F representatives.

Included in also is a digital asset you can use on your Facebook or Instagram pages or your website to promote the event. There is also an A4 version of the flyer. Quality parent engagement is critical for schools to thrive. Please do what you can to promote this event within your community.

For further information about the conference, go to the CCSP website or contact Mark Rix at rixm02@dow.catholic.edu.au or via mobile at 0461 544 105.

National Child Protection Week - Parent Information Sessions offered by CatholicCare - Expressions of interest

Attention: Principals

In support of National Child Protection Week (7–13 September 2025), CatholicCare’s School, Student and Family Program (SSFP) is once again offering a range of engaging parent education sessions tailored for school communities across the Diocese.

This year’s theme is “Shifting Conversation to Action,” and CatholicCare is available to provide one-hour presentations designed to help families build safer, more connected environments for children and young people.

Schools are invited to host one or more of these sessions and express their interest in doing so by Friday 15 August 2025 by contacting: Rita Maher Senior Practitioner, School Counsellor – CatholicCare ritam@catholiccare.dow.org.au

Click here for more information.

Connected Catholic Communities: A day dedicated to family and community engagement: Free tickets!

Attention: Principals and School Leaders

School leaders or staff working in the area of family engagement or parent partnerships are warmly invited to attend a Symposium titled - Connected for Impact - to be held on 14 August 2025. The focus of the symposium is on the “how” of creating partnerships - within the school as well as outside it - to support students and their families. The details of the Symposium are below:

Date: Thursday 14 August 2025, 9am – 4pm

Venue: Amora Hotel Jamison, Sydney

Cost: No cost with the promocode: Partnerships 2025

Registration: Register here.

Speakers at the Symposium include Anne Henderson, a renowned family engagement expert from the USA, who will also lead a workshop on ways to strengthen relationships between schools and families.

Aunty Sharon Cooke & Aunty Roz will share their cultural expertise in a "Campfire Chat," exploring the rich history and modern application of yarning circles and how these build connection and trust.

Paul Milgate from the Diocese of Lismore has developed a powerful framework for how schools can partner with external agencies to support students and families that allows teachers to focus on their core work. A panel session will highlight how community collaboration creates social impact and positive change.

Schools from across NSW will also share their stories about what they are doing in their communities to strengthen connections with families for the benefit of their students.

This is a unique opportunity to gain research-backed insights, practical tools, and culturally informed approaches to build stronger relationships and drive positive change! Registration is free so get in quick!

To learn more, go to the Symposium website. For inquiries, contact Mark Rix at rixm02@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Life to the Full: Semester 1 Success & Semester 2 Preview!

What a fantastic first semester it's been for relaunching the "Life to the Full" Framework, a continuing priority that provides a system-wide approach to fostering respectful relationships within schools.

Semester 1 Highlights:

We successfully updated our framework and revamped the former Module A presentation, enhancing the relevance of the Child Safety training to all staff. We have created essential anti-bullying support materials in line with the amended procedure and launched the impactful, student-led "Fix You" campaign. School leadership teams are now familiar with the framework and we continue to provide opportunities for all staff members to engage with the framework in meaningful ways, so they can recognise its relevance in their daily practice and interactions with students.

What's Coming in Semester 2:

We're excited to announce a Student roundtable event on Friday 28th November for Secondary students, with an invitation to “save the date” coming soon. We're also developing a new Google Site packed with content and resources to build staff capacity in supporting respectful relationships through Faith, Learning and Wellbeing. A1 posters can be requested from our team for display within each school.

Upcoming Professional Learning opportunities:

CCSP Parent Conference: 25th October, 2025

 eSafety Parent and Carer series: AI-assisted image based abuse: 21st August 2025

Bullying No Way; National week of action - Register via the link: 11-15th August.

Kids Helpline online learning: virtual classrooms

Please email Jennifer Sharp and Liam Nicholls at respectfulrelationships@dow.catholic.edu.au with any questions or feedback.

NESA NEWS   

1. NAPLAN Student Reports 

Printed copies of NAPLAN student reports have been sent to schools. Please distribute the reports to parents / carers within 1 week of receiving them. Digital copies are also available to download from Schools Online. 

Read more about NAPLAN results and reports here

2. Strengthened eTAMS security

NESA is making eTAMS more secure over the coming months. From Term 4, signing in will require multi-factor authentication, introduced to keep your account secure. 

To prepare for the change: 

1. sign in to eTAMS using your current credentials
2. check your personal details
3. use an up-to-date personal email address and mobile number
4. confirm any changes. 

From Term 4, you will need to:

• sign in to eTAMS with your email address, not your NESA number
• reset your password in line with our updated password policy
• set up multi-factor authentication for added security. 

Further updates will be provided to you via email from NESA to assist you with the change.

3. Install the new HSC lockdown browser

A new lockdown browser is now available. Schools must ensure the browser is installed on devices that are student-owned or managed by the school for:

• HSC minimum standard tests
• HSC online exams  
• HSC ExamWriter. 

An updated installation guide and list of supported devices are available on Schools Online > Memos and Documents. School sectors will install the lockdown browser on centrally managed devices. 

Refer to the email sent to principals from NESA in the last week of Term 2 for more information.

4. New Science and Engineering 7-10 resources

New resources are now available for Stage 4 and Stage 5 Science and Engineering courses, including teaching advice for Developing talent in Science, and advice on writing for Engineering 7–10. 

Visit the NSW Curriculum Website here

5. Looking for a syllabus? You can now locate any NSW syllabuses by stage or learning area on the NSW Curriculum website. 

NESA has a new navigation tool that makes it easy to find either a current syllabus or new syllabus, as well as implementation information. 

View the NSW Curriculum Reform timeline to see when remaining syllabuses will be released.

6. HSC exam resources now easier to access 

You can now find HSC exam papers and HSC standards materials in one place at nsw.gov.au/NESA

Bookmark our new Resource Finder to quickly search and access all exam resources. Existing web addresses will automatically redirect to the updated location.