President’s Message

Dear Members,

Since our last newsletter, so much has happened. Many of us have endured at least one if not three lockdowns. To those members who have had to quarantine – thank you!

Welcome to our, new members, hopefully you will be able to join us at one or more of our upcoming functions. We are always looking for new members – so please spread the word throughout your networks.

Before the latest COVID outbreaks we were lucky enough to hold a number of PD’s sessions.

March saw Jeff Buchanan facilitate “Turning Volunteers into Champions” joined by Phil Hancock, Jo Nitz and Tamlyn Lambert also shared their insights during a panel discussion. Later in the month Claire Henkey, Susie Hancock and myself visited Mackay for a full day of PD with our members and guests.

Our fundraising and admissions members enjoyed a special interest group at St John’s Anglican College in April focusing on best practice in Fundraising initiatives and the consequent impact on enrolment outcomes.

In May members of the committee travelled to Toowoomba for a professional development day. Lara Pickering shared the story of St Margaret’s Going for Gold Campaign. Susie Hancock ran a session on calm or chaos in the marketing office and Kamyra Laurenson shared her learnings from UQ’s ‘Soils for Science’ campaign. It was great to have local Tracey Kessels from Glennie share the success of their Poppy Project.

Our latest SIGs were to be held at Churchie, but due to the latest lockdown the admissions SIG was flipped to Zoom. Ben Foley’s shared his knowledge of admissions and law with members joining from across Australia. Thanks, Ben, for a great session. You can view the session HERE. The marketing SIG will be rescheduled to a time where we can join together on site at schools.

The Educate Plus Board have had to make the difficult decision to once again postpone our International Conference to May 30 – June 2, 2022. Anyone who has already signed up will have their registration transferred to the new dates.

So that PD can still be enjoyed this year, the Board has created a fantastic Non-Conference Week Online Series which will run from Tuesday 7 to Thursday 9 September with nine great sessions. Click through for more details https://www.educateplus.edu.au/professional-development/non-conference-week-events.

We are always keen to hear your ideas for speakers and topics for our ongoing SIG’s and professional development sessions, so feel free to email me anytime.

Your State Committee and the National Board continue to work hard to ensure that you, our members, enjoy quality experiences to support you in the development of your profession.

Please reach out to me if there’s anything we can do to support you in your work or add value to your membership.

I look forward to connecting with you personally at future events.

Kind regards,

Sue Russell
Chapter President

Welcome to our new members

Our Queensland Chapter has continued to grow in 2021 and we currently have 410 members including 99 regional members. A warm welcome to the following members who have recently joined Educate Plus. We look forward to connecting with our new members in person or virtually in the near future!

First Name	Last Name	Job Title	Current Employer
Stephen	Buckley	Director Of Communications & Engagement	Canterbury College
Kerryn	Hunt	Enrolment Officer	Coomera Anglican College
Jodie	Hammond	Administration	Highlands Christian College
Georgia	Hunt	Administration	Highlands Christian College
Camille	Morris	Deputy Principal	Holy Spirit College
Bethany	Campbell	Enrolments and Administration Officer	Mary Mackillop Catholic College, Toowoomba
Kira	Mayall	Assistant Registrar & Community Engagement Co-ordinator	Matthew Flinders Anglican College
Debbie	Southern	Head of Admissions	Matthew Flinders Anglican College
Kari	Melvin	Engagement Manager	Queensland University of Technology
Peter	O’Brien	CEO and Head of College	Union College, University of Queensland
Amanda	Brown	Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator	King’s Christian College
Belinda	Iseppi	Events Coordinator	Toowoomba Grammar School
Deborah	Young	Executive Assistant – Middle School	Lourdes Hill College
Glenn	Johnson	Principal	Kimberley College
Janine	Parkinson	Deputy Principal	Kimberley College
Joanne	Martin-Blakey	Registrar / HR Manager	Kimberley College
Melissa	Shannon	Marketing and Communications Officer	St Andrew’s Anglican College
Tracy	Tibbs	Enrolments Coordinator	Kimberley College
Joanne	Sheehy	Principal	A.B. Paterson College
Tamara	Hamilton	Marketing Manager	A.B. Paterson College
James	Fox	Business Manager	Marist College Ashgrove
Kate	Thomas	Partnerships and Events Coordinator	St Andrew’s Anglican College
Christie	Cook	Enrolments Administration Officer	St Andrew’s Anglican College
Kate	Hands	Director of Corporate Services	The Lakes College
Michelle	Butler	Admissions Assistant	The Southport School
Spring	Bird	P&F Liaison Officer	The Southport School
Ana	Alexander	Operations Manager	Union College, University of Queensland
Cherie	Cureton	College Administrations Support Officer	Toowoomba Christian College
Michelle	Allan	Head of College and Chief Executive	Duchesne College
Julia	Samball	Director of Admissions and Residential Life	Duchesne College
Sonia	Uranishi	Director of Engagement	Duchesne College
Sou	McPhail	Director of Academics and Careers	Duchesne College
Joanna	White	Director of Business and Operations	Duchesne College
Andrew	McRae	Head of Admissions	Toowoomba Grammar School
Cherie	Barker	Business Strategy & Transformation Manager	Pareto Phone

Non Conference Week – Register Now!

This September, from Tuesday 7 until Thursday 9, we will be hosting the Non-Conference Series, a program of national webinars and interactive Q&A sessions so that you can get your conference-fix from the comfort of your home or office – wherever you are!

You’ll leave this three – day event feeling energised and ready to achieve new professional and personal goals!

Program

Please join us to learn from some of the most respected thought leaders in a variety of leadership and advancement topics.

We will offer three x one-hour sessions (including Q&A) each day from Tuesday 7 until Thursday 9 of September at 10:00am, 12:00pm or 3:00pm (AEST). Sessions will be conducted online through Zoom and a post-recording of the presentations will be available for you to view at any stage until the end of the year.

This exciting initiative provides you with the perfect opportunity to hear from industry experts and adopt new strategies while connecting with like-minded colleagues who are solving everyday challenges like yours.

FULL PROGRAM HERE

Investment

Full Program (three days): Members $150, Non-members $200
Day Pricing: Members $60, Non-members $100

All sessions will be recorded, and a copy of the recording is included in your ticket for you to watch it on demand until the end of the year.

*Bonus discount – if you have a paid registration for our International Conference you will receive a 50% discount. To obtain your 50% discount code please refer to the email sent separately to all paid registrations.

Registration

Open now. To book for the three day package please click HERE. To book for individual days please click TUESDAY 7 , WEDNESDAY 8 , THURSDAY 9.

Date Claimers: Chapter SIG & PD Events

Special Interest Group Event

Date: Thursday 28 October

Topics: Alumni, Fundraising and Marketing

Venue: UQ St Lucia

Time: 9.30am – 11.30am

More details to follow…

Christmas PD Event

Save the date for the last Professional Development session for the year followed by the Annual General Meeting and Christmas lunch.

Date: Thursday 25 November

Topic: Anything you ever wanted to ask a lawyer!

Venue: Wests Rugby Club, Sylvan Road, Toowong

More details to follow…

Professional Development Session Reviews

TURNING VOLUNTEERS INTO CHAMPIONS

On Thursday, the 18th of March, under a new COVID signing in regime, Jeff Buchanan, Business Development Advisor & Fundraising Consultant, Buchanan & Associates Consulting, hosted and facilitated a session and panel discussion on Turning Volunteers into Champions.

Jeff’s session was followed by a panel discussion with guests Phil Hancock, Strategic Facilities Management, Services Director, John Holland Jo Nitz Director of Advancement, (Business, Economics and Law Faculty), The University of Queensland and Tamlyn Lambert, President, Mothers Committee, Anglican Church Grammar School.

The session was informative and lively with many thanks going to Jeff Buchanan and his panel of experts, Phil Hancock, Jo Nitz and Tamlyn Lambert for their pearls of wisdom and sharing of their expertise.

MACKAY REGION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION

The first regional advancement professional development session for 2022sessions was held in Mackay on Monday 22 March.

The team welcomed attendees from every independent and Catholic school in Mackay and the day was a great success.

Presentations included Community Engagement as part of your Marketing Strategy – Claire Henkey, Director of Community Engagement, John Paul College, The Admissions Office: Chaos or Calm – Suzie Hancock, Education Consultant and Alumni Engagement Tips – Sue Russell, Alumni Officer, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School.

The sessions were followed by an open discussion on current challenges facing advancement staff, with all in attendance sharing generously and showing support to peers in the industry.

Feedback saw participants asking for more regional sessions – the team will definitely be back in the future.

TOOWOOMBA REGION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION

Many thanks must go to Tracey Flint Executive Officer at the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office for hosting this regional Professional Development Day in the Micah Centre in the heart of Toowoomba.

This event was held on Friday 29 May and we welcomed representatives from nine schools and the sessions saw Chapter Committee Members present in their areas of expertise.

The Admissions Office: Chaos or Calm session received great feedback about the chance to reflect on work practices and think about improvements whilst away from the desk.

The Going for Bold Campaign and the Guerilla Engagement Grounded in Science sessions were also praised as being relevant, timely and very informative.

Further feedback from our regional colleagues included: “Thank you for the opportunity to chat to other school professionals and share experiences.” and “Thank you for running the session in our regional area – It is very much appreciated.”

QUEENSLAND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP SESSION – ADMISSIONS AND THE LAW

Thank you to Ben Foley, Queensland Chapter Committee Member and Special Counsel (Education and Workplace) at Clifford Gouldson Lawyers and for facilitating an engaging online SIG on Admission.

With over 85 attendees attending the session, three interesting scenarios were presented to the group:

Enrolling a student from a separated family that is not amicable;
Enrolling a student that has a ‘learnings-based disability’; and
Statements made orally or in print in relation to what a school can offer and the possible implications under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) if statements are misleading.

If you missed it, members can get online and watch is here: https://www.educateplus.edu.au/sig-admissions-the-law…/

Face to Face magazine – Share your stories!

We would love to hear from any members who have good news stories that may be suitable to share in the Face 2 Face Magazine or future newsletters.

Our newest edition will hit your inboxes and coffee tables by November and Head Office are currently preparing content – so if you have a story or experience you think other members will benefit from hearing about, please contact sheila@educateplus.edu.au.

View 2020 F2F

Upcoming PD

We have an exciting line up of online PD for our members. There is something for every profession in the Advancement sector and this is a great space to learn and share industry ideas. Registrations and more information will be available on our website soon.

Zoe Routh presenting

Grace Under Fire: Stay calm under pressure

Do you want to keep a cool head when everyone else is losing theirs?
Discover:

Secrets of instant charisma, no matter how introverted you are.
How to stand your ground when your emotions are going wild.
Respond rather than react, especially in a confrontation

19 October Webinar, 12.00 – 1.00 pm

$35 Members
$50 Non-Members

Alan Stevens presenting

Building Relationships and Business in a Challenging World

One of the most valuable factors that influence prospects in choosing which business they associate with, and who they want to associate with, the one we often don’t talk about, is interpersonal compatibility.

If a customer is interested in your products but doesn’t find your team easy to talk to, good luck with that! The longer you take to get to know, like and trust each other, the slower and weaker the relationship will be.

In this presentation, Alan will demystify the power of reading people to build better relationships. He will cover how to read people to know how they prefer to be spoken to and treated, all within just seconds of meeting them, ensuring memorable and lasting relationships.

Those who attend will have the firsthand opportunity to learn how others see them and how to use that to an advantage.

26 October Webinar, 12.00 – 1.00 pm

$35 Members
$50 Non-Members

Dr Helena Popovic presenting

Boost your brain

Most people work on building up and boosting their financial assets. But how many people work on building up and boosting their greatest asset: their brain?

The revolutionary field of neuroplasticity has shown that the brain can change its structure and function. It can grow new cells, new circuits and new connections in response to what we do, think, feel and believe.

We are more than passive victims of our genes: we play an active role in how our brains develop throughout our lives. However most people are yet to realise the enormous personal power this gives them.

For our brain to stay healthy and operate at its best, we need the right nutrition, rest, stimulation, challenge and reward. Most importantly, we need to take charge of our thinking because our thoughts play an integral role in wiring our brains for optimal performance.

2 November Webinar, 12.00 – 1.00 pm

$35 Members
$50 Non-Members

Pauline Nguyen presenting

Calm Courage, Resounding Resilience, Tacit Grit

Pauline references many of the skills and learnings that created her success – her unique life experiences have given her a distinctive insight into the minds of individuals and businesses alike, allowing her to pass on the invaluable skills of self-mastery, courage, resilience and grit. As Pauline says, “if we can learn the tools of self-mastery, we can better practice the art of influence over others”.

9 November Webinar, 12.00 – 1.00 pm

$35 Members
$50 Non-Members

Inspiration Corner

5 tips to writing emails that will always get you a reply

By Guy Katz PhD

Emails are just as fundamental these days as food and water in our lives, and they form a large part of our daily communications.

Roughly 300 billion are sent around the world every day, according to Statista. On average, each of us who works in an office gets 121 emails per working day on average! Yet we send them and read them without thinking about them for a second.

But emails are essential. In some situations, they can’t be replaced with a short meeting or a phone call. We send them because of traceability or a time difference, or we need to have many people reading the same thing.

A study of around 1 million emails that was done with Microsoft shows the average employee spends 28 percent of his or her day working on emails.

But given how essential emails are, did anyone ever teach you how to write one?

I have dedicated the last 25 years to learning and teaching. I have trained in the Scouts and the Israeli Army, and I teach business at a German university today. Just like anyone else, I send and receive emails and texts. Loads of them. I use them to stay in touch with customers, collaborators and students around the world.

Productivity Styles and why they matter for you and your team

By Amy Rigby

You could call me a productivity junkie. I’ve read countless books on the topic, hired a business coach to revamp my systems—I even write about productivity for a living. But like every junkie, many of the things I’ve tried have left me feeling burned out.

There was the time I hired an assistant to create a folder system to tame my emails, only to find that I preferred leaving my messages out in the open in my inbox. Shortly after was the two-day stint where I managed to hyper-focus on one task at a time using the Pomodoro Method, but then I felt exhausted and reverted to treating my task list like a sampler platter—a little bit of this for five minutes, a little bit of that for the next. (I need variety!)

I was starting to think something was wrong with me. That is, until I learned about productivity styles.

Developed by consultant Carson Tate, productivity styles refer to the way your brain is wired to process information, solve problems, and complete tasks. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to getting stuff done, these styles give you the tools and knowledge to make the most of your innate tendencies.

Case Study – Pymble Brand Story

Pymble ignites within our girls, ‘Watch us Change the World’

By Kelly Mancey
Director – Community Engagement, Pymble Ladies’ College

Our ‘Watch Us Change the World’ campaign positions Pymble Ladies’ College as a school with an unwavering belief in young women and what their futures hold. It also reflects the overarching goal of our 2021 – 2030 Strategic Plan, which is to equip our girls – who are our future changemakers – with the academic, emotional, social and digital intelligence required to grow and to flourish as compassionate and influential young women who are empowered to change their world for the better; not just for themselves, but for others.

In a time of huge change in society for women and the action being taken by strong women to bring about change, we wanted to be brave in our communications – to show our stance and lead the conversation, so we embarked on a branding project to reflect the variety and depth of opportunities at Pymble.

After conducting an intensive brand research project, our brief to our creative agency was to develop something unique. Our objective was to challenge school marketing norms so our advertising was engaging and unexpected. Featuring our confident and determined girls and alumni, the resulting campaign imagery is intentionally bold, challenging and a world away from how we expect school students to be represented – especially students at an all-girls’ school. We wanted to move away from the traditional photography that often features school hats and blazers.

‘Watch us Change the World’ became our brand line and most importantly the voice and intent of the Pymble student – a symbol of what Pymble women are capable of achieving with the right guidance, compassion and variety of opportunities. The campaign seeks to empower young women to actively take the reins and create the change and future they want to see for themselves. We encourage each girl to follow her individual interests and our teachers encourage them to reach for the future they want to see. Charlotte, one of our Year 11 girls, commented: “I plan to change the world by helping in rural Australia because the littlest impacts make the biggest differences.”

We chose International Women’s Day 2021 to launch our campaign, honouring the College’s strong history of standing for female empowerment and pushing for gender equity; on that day we organised a range of initiatives to create opportunities not only for Pymble students, but for women in society at large. It was fitting that we were able to support this important day, which aligns with our desire to reach a point in time where women no longer need to fight for safety, equality or basic human rights; and also celebrate the endeavours of all courageous and magnificent Pymble women past and present.

The size of the College provides girls with the opportunity to explore whatever interests them. At the same time our dedication to pastoral care and wellness is at the heart of what makes Pymble special.