Term 3 Newsletter 2018

Newsletter Articles

President’s message

Welcome to term three! I hope everyone had a safe and happy mid-year break.

I’m pleased to announce that we begin the term with all member associations’ membership renewed through to May 2019. Thank you. Our member services are the reason PTANT maintains a strong member register, so we’d love to hear your suggestions about how we can continue to support you in your valuable work for Territory teachers.

Term two was busy as all terms are. We awarded $45 000 to our associations in round 2 grants, and we opened up round 3 grants for 2018 only. We also sent a letter to Charles Darwin University’s pre-service teachers, promoting the value in being a member of a teacher association. And at the Department of Education mid-year teacher orientation in July we promoted our member associations to new Territory teachers.

PTANT hosted two valuable workshops for associations during term two: a grant-writing workshop and a treasurers’ network meeting. Both events were a success, with positive feedback. There’s more information about the events later in this newsletter. We look forward to seeing you at the IT tools for associations workshop on Wednesday in week 4. We are always open to your suggestions about how we can best support you, so please share your ideas for a workshop we could hold in the future.

In July, PTANT’s Executive Officer, Kristina Miletic, attended CONASTA67 in Sydney: the annual national conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA). As identified in the PTANT Strategic Management Plan for this year, we committed to developing Kristina’s skills and our capacity to provide a quality conference support service to our associations. At the conference, Kristina worked alongside the event manager and the ASTA secretariat to experience first-hand what is required to run a successful national conference with several hundred delegates attending. She also met with more than 60 education trade display representatives, many who will be coming to Darwin next year for CONASTA68. This was a valuable experience for Kristina, and because of this professional learning, PTANT will continue to develop a bank of resources, contacts and partners that will continue to support teacher education in the Northern Territory.

I met with the former Minister of Education, the Honourable Eva Lawler, to discuss PTANT’s recent highlights and our plans for the future. Our associations hosted many successful professional learning events during 2017, and Minister Lawler was impressed with our association member grant activity. I look forward to meeting with the new Minister for Education, the Honourable Selena Uibo, to tell her about our association and its impact on teacher support and education in the NT.

It’s an exciting time for PTANT: Vicki Baylis, the Department of Education Chief Executive, recently nominated PTANT for the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) Leadership Award. I’m delighted to announce that we won! Congratulations to the PTANT executive team, who continue to work extremely hard and passionately for our NT teachers and take on these roles on top of their already demanding day jobs. This award shows that the hours of volunteer work and dedication does not go unnoticed and is very well deserved. See all ACEL NT award winners here.

PTANT attended the mid-year Department of Education Teacher Orientation in July to promote associations and membership benefits. We gave out PTANT flyers and promotional material as we chatted with teachers. Thank you to Kristina Miletic, Steve Hawkins and Ambrose Nichols-Skene, who were the faces for PTANT and made our new NT teachers feel welcome.

We are pleased to announce the upcoming PTANT Awards. These biennial awards are a fabulous opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our association members. Please consider nominating your outstanding association members. Awards will be presented and celebrated on Thursday 15 November.

We are now busy planning more workshops for semester two to continue to support, upskill and connect associations. Soon PTANT will call for expressions of interest for the 2019 Festival of Teaching (FoT) committee. Stay tuned to your email and our Facebook page so you don’t miss valuable networking opportunities, information, workshops, and the opportunity for your association to be a part of the 2019 FoT.

Warm regards

Jenni Webber

Treasurers’ network meeting

PTANT hosted a treasurers’ network meeting at the end of May, which was well attended with nine associations represented. PTANT’s Treasurer, Rebecca Johnson, chaired the meeting, and everyone contributed to the valuable conversations.

The agenda was robust, exploring several aspects of association finance management:

• the treasurer’s role
• income, expenses and record keeping

• banking and managing accounts
• cash flows and budgets
• financial audits
• regular network meetings
• helpful tips for treasurers.

If you missed the meeting and would like a copy of the discussion notes and treasurer tools, please email ptant.doe@nt.gov.au

Grant-writing workshop

PTANT hosted a grant application writing workshop for all member association committee members. Jo Robertson from Communicate NT facilitated the workshop, and 10 associations were represented.

Attendees explored examples of grant application writing, which generated thought-provoking conversations. Everyone shared strategies and challenges associations have when planning professional learning—particularly in ensuring remote teachers have access to events.

Attendees found the information sharing extremely valuable, and all walked away with new, innovative ideas to implement when scoping professional learning and applying for grant funding.

We are hosting an IT tools for associations workshop in week 4 (see ‘professional learning events’ below). Follow PTANT on Facebook to stay up to date with professional learning opportunities.

PTANT Awards, 2018

The Professional Teachers’ Association of the Northern Territory Awards will be held on 15 November this year. Nominations are open now and close strictly on 21 September. PTANT gives the awards on behalf of NT professional teaching associations.

The awards recognise people who have made a significant contribution to education in the Northern Territory through their active involvement with a professional teaching association.

We invite professional teaching associations to identify one of your members who deserves this public recognition. The following criteria might help identify a worthy award recipient:

1. contributed to the professional standing of teachers through involvement in high-quality activities that highlight the work of their professional teaching association
2. acted as a mentor and facilitator for colleagues in promoting and leading high-quality professional learning activities and those carried out by their professional teaching associations
3. actively supported the objectives and purposes of professional teaching associations in the professional work of teachers
4. made a significant impact on the work of teachers through their ability to creatively implement change through professional learning
5. contributed in building and sustainability of their professional teaching association.

Professional learning events

You can find more information about the following professional learning events on the PTANT Calendar. Please contact ptant.doe@nt.gov.au to advertise your event.

IT tools for associations workshop

15 August in Darwin: 4 to 5:30pm

The session will explore online tools and services you can use to improve efficiency in managing memberships and renewals, event bookings and communicating with members.

2nd National Indigenous Education Forum

22–24 August at Novotel Perth, Langley

Developing holistic education models to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with tools and pathways to navigate through life.

PTANT members get a 10% discount off the registration price.

Sustainability in Schools Expo

25 August at Knuckey Lagoon Recreation Reserve

The 2018 Sustainability in Schools Expo, hosted by the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE), will have stalls, displays and resources, guest speakers and activities, a curriculum panel discussion, take-away resources and ideas, and schools sharing sustainability integration.

Creating and Maintaining Connections – understanding trauma to support learning

The day gives teachers, school staff and anyone working with young people the opportunity to gain an understanding of what trauma is and how it affects a person’s ability to learn. A focus is attachment and the importance of positive attachments and the impact of trauma within a learning environment. Click on the location below for information and registration links.

Alice Springs: Monday 3 September
Tennant Creek: Tuesday 4 September
Darwin: Thursday 6 September
Palmerston: Friday 7 September
Nhulunbuy: Monday 10 September

ACTA Conference

2 to 5 October in Adelaide

ATESOL NT will be active in this conference, hosting a number of workshops in Adelaide on the theme of ‘English language learning in a mobile world’.

Visit the ACTA Conference Facebook page to learn more about this fantastic professional development event.

Teacher orientation

PTANT’s Secretar, Steve Hawkins, at the mid-year orientation

PTANT attended the Department of Education mid-year teacher orientation at the Double Tree by Hilton on Tuesday 17 July. We spoke to 30 teachers about the value professional teaching associations can add to a teacher’s career.

Each teacher who visited the PTANT exhibit walked away with an information flyer about teaching association member benefits and how to contact associations to find out more information. PTANT also promoted member associations’ events and handed out associations’ promotional material.

CONASTA67 Visit

Kristina, Veronica and Jenni enjoying the Mammoth exhibition at the Australian Museum.

Jenni and Veronica trying to convince Dr Brad Tucker (Astrophysicist from ANU Mt Stromlo Observatory in the ACT) that he needs to come to CONASTA68 in Darwin. He already has the appropriate wardrobe.

Veronica and Jenni’s presentation promoting Darwin as the destination for CONASTA68.

Back row L-R: Sue Barrington, Alex Midenhall, Dianne Purcell-Meyerink, Genevieve Firmer, Jenni Webber, Sarbari Kundu, Kelly Morgan
Front row L-R: Kristina Miletic, Veronica Ross, Gail Barwick
Absent: Greg Smith

Ten Territory teachers attended the Australian Science Teachers Association’s (ASTA) national conference, CONASTA67, in Sydney in July. Four of these teachers received STANT scholarships of $1500 to help with registration, accommodation and travel expenses.

The conference was held at Sydney University, with a diverse range of keynote speakers, workshops and presentations held across all disciplines and year levels for science teaching. STANT President, Veronica Ross, ran a hands-on STEM workshop demonstrating some of the activities she has developed as part of her online Moodle courses through the NT School of Distance Education.

The welcome function was held at the Australian Museum, where conference delegates enjoyed wandering through the galleries and the touring exhibition on mammoths. Delegates’ highlights were onsite excursions to microscopy laboratories and pathology museums with hands-on activities, and post-conference tours to Taronga Zoo.

The Honourable Simon Birmingham, federal Minister for Education and Training, attended CONASTA, and in his speech, announced the Turnbull government’s plan to tackle Australia’s science and maths teaching crisis. This included strategies for having STEM teachers in every high school as well as priorities for universities and incentives for people considering specialising in physics, chemistry, biology, technology or maths.

Dr Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist, also addressed the conference and stressed the importance of keeping rigor in the teaching of science. Dr Finkel had the honour of opening the STEM X Alumni Website. Sponsored by Siemens, the website will keep the alumni connected and continue to promote STEM teaching skills and collaboration.

Before the conference, Jenni Webber (ASTA Treasurer), Veronica Ross (STANT President) and Gail Barwick (STANT Secretary and Public Officer) attended the ASTA AGM and council meetings.

At a national level, ASTA:

• manages aspects of National Science Week
• participates in national BHP Science awards for students and teachers
• runs teacher professional learning, including STEM X Academy, STEM X Regional and Bush Blitz
• hosts the Science ASSIST website, which supports laboratory technicians and teachers across Australia
• publishes the quarterly journal ‘Teaching Science’.

PTANT’s Executive Officer, Kristina Miletic, attended the conference as part of her professional development. She worked with the ASTA Secretariat to gain insight into hosting a successful national conference. In her role, Kristina will be supporting the CONASTA68 conference-organising group to host the conference in Darwin in July 2019.

Association information and support

Association Leaders’ Retreat, Alice Springs

Join association executives from around Australia and New Zealand in Alice Springs to share insights and knowledge over three jam-packed days from 21 to 23 October 2018.

Association Report

The Association Report is a free quarterly newsletter that showcases the success, innovations and learning experiences of associations in Australia and New Zealand.

It is produced by Answers for Associations, a network of leading consultants and businesses that provide solutions to Australasian associations. You may find it beneficial to you and your association to subscribe and visit the website.

Non-profit organisation help

The Australian Taxation Office knows there is a lot to think about and do when you run a not-for-profit (NFP) organisation.

Getting the basics right can save you time and money and help your organisation succeed. The ATO has a range of tools and services to help you.

Keep up-to-date
Keep the right records
Are you confused about GST?

Public officer changes – what to do?

To change a public officer's details, you must fill in a change of address of public officer of an incorporated association form.

When you’ve completed the application form, lodge it at Territory Business Centre. There is a fee.

For any enquiries relating to changes of a public officer, contact the Territory Business Centre.

Choose how to add this event to your calendar:

Apple Calendar iPhone, iPad, Mac - Download .ics file

Outlook Desktop Outlook - Download .ics file

Android Calendar Android devices - Download .ics file

Other Calendar Google Calendar, Yahoo, etc. - Download .ics file

Download Event