President’s Welcome

To our wonderful Queensland members! 

For those working in schools, it may feel like a lifetime ago that we ushered in 2024, nevertheless, the start of a new year is always filled with potential and sets the pathway to achieve our goals for the year.  

As the QLD Chapter Committee, we’ve pulled created a year of engaging Professional Development experiences for our members, and we look forward to welcoming you to the events.  

QLD Chapter Partners
I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our 2024 Chapter Partners, advancedlife and Studio Kirby and also to our Promotional Partner, My World Jewellery.  Their support and partnership are invaluable to our Chapter, and I invite you to explore the exceptional offerings they bring to our community. 

Events and Professional Development
As a Chapter we excitedly launched the People & Culture pillar at the February SIG. The enthusiasm and feedback for this new pillar has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are excited to deliver the People & Culture program to you this year.  

Visiting the Regions is a focus for us this year, and looking ahead, we are currently coordinating visits to our members in Townsville and Rockhampton in the week commencing 10 June. For those within these vibrant communities, we welcome your insights on preferred topics of discussion and days that would suit you best. 

Furthermore, the upcoming ‘Empowering Success’ International Conference in Perth is another opportunity for professional development and networking. Educate Plus is delighted to offer numerous delegate support packages to help you get there, please read on for the details.  

Showcasing Your School – Nominate Your Venue to Host an Educate Plus Event
With all of the Events and Professional Development opportunities we are hoping to plan this year, we are on the lookout for a variety of venues to hold these events. We’d like to give your institution the opportunity to host an Event and are seeking expressions of interest from those who have facilities suitable for hosting the Events. This opportunity may appeal to institutions who are centrally located, and who may like to showcase their facilities (or a new building development etc) to the wider Educate Plus community. Specifically, we have the following Event needs, but are also looking to create a list of suitable venues for future Events:

• Dates: 16 May & 17 October (can be the same or different institutions – let us know if one or both of these dates suits)
• Time: From 7.30am to approx 11.30am
• Rooms Requirements for the Event:
  • One small meeting space for 5-10 people
  • One larger gathering space for 50-60 people
  • Three medium gathering spaces for 20-30 people
  • Basic catering – tea/coffee/biscuits etc 

If you would like to offer your institution as a potential location for the above Educate Plus events, or for future events, please CLICK HERE.

In closing, I wanted to say that the QLD Committee (see below) is here to support you in your profession, and to encourage you to please reach out with any questions or suggestions to enhance your Educate Plus membership. 

Kind regards, 

Claire Grlj
QLD Chapter President | Educate Plus
claire@leadingmarketingsolutions.com.au

Thank You to our 2024 QLD Committee:

Welcome to our Newest Members

We can’t wait to meet you!

We extend a very warm welcome to our latest Members, who have recently joined us this quarter (see below). We are thrilled to have you as part of our NSW/ACT Chapter community!

Our next ‘New Member Meetup’ is on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Closer to the date, we will send you a link to participate in this online session, which is open to all new Members across all Chapters. 

These sessions are a wonderful, informal way catch up with other new Members, and to hear more about the benefits of being a Member and what is available to you on our website. 

If you are new to Educate Plus, click below to register for the New Member Meet-Up.

More Info / Register | New Member Meet-Up

Welcome to our newest members:

The Making of History …

QLD Chapter Launches the new People & Culture Stream

The QLD Chapter is delighted to announce the success of the inaugural launch of the new People and Culture stream. The event, which took place on 15 February 2024 saw over 60 delegates attend one of three SIG (Special Interest Group) sessions which were being held concurrently – People & Culture, Young Alumni and Marketing & Communications. 

See below for the post-event summaries of each of the SIGs.

Session 1: People & Culture 

The Queensland Chapter proudly hosted the inaugural event for the launch of a new People & Culture pillar for the Educate Plus. The event attracted the first gathering of human resources and compliance professionals with a familial session of introductions and sharing pressing issues in the industry. 

Under the leadership of Ben Foley, Director, Legal and Assurance at St Peter’s Lutheran College in Indooroopilly, participants benefited from the collective wisdom and experiences shared. 

This gathering not only marked the beginning of a significant new chapter for Educate Plus members but also reinforced the organisation’s commitment to fostering professional development, collaboration, and innovation across the educational sector. 

Session 2: Young Alumni 

 At the SIG session dedicated to fostering relationships with Young Alumni, attendees engaged in lively discussions and exchanged innovative approaches to connect with recent graduates. Participants explored strategies to introduce current students to alumni programs, ease their transition into alumni status, and maintain their active involvement post-graduation.

The session showcased effective techniques for nurturing a robust network of past students, emphasising the importance of early engagement and ongoing communication.

Round table exchanges facilitated open dialogue, allowing each attendee to contribute unique insights and experiences. 

Session 3: Marketing & Communications 

In the Marketing and Comms SIG, we revisited the enduring debate between traditional and digital media, questioning the relevance of conventional channels for schools today. Participants generously shared insights and experiences from their respective institutions, contributing to a rich discussion on the evolving composition of our marketing strategies. Despite acknowledging the significant transformation in school marketing over the last decade, we emphasised the importance of engaging the leadership team in these changes to maintain a competitive edge. 

See You in Perth at the International Conference

Have you seen the International Conference Program yet?

Congratulations to the International Conference Committee who have worked for months to craft an innovative, inspiring and impactful program and are, as we speak, securing talented and experienced speakers to present at the 2024 International Conference in Perth.  

The program they’ve curated is designed to bring together leading practitioners, industry experts, thought leaders and suppliers to share their knowledge and expertise with you in your role. The program is also designed to offer content for larger teams that have advanced level practitioners and for those who work with very lean teams or as solo operators. Quite the balancing act across 50 dedicated sessions!

All Streams Covered, and a New Stream for 2024!

This Program really does contain something for everyone! In addition to the traditional streams of Admissions, Alumni & Community Relations, Marketing & Communications and Fundraising, the quality and depth of the Leadership stream and the newly introduced People & Culture stream is quite phenomenal and we are so excited about it. I strongly encourage you to invite your Heads, Business Managers and HR staff to attend this Conference with you and your Advancement team, as the content will be of unprecedented value to a vast number of staff in your organisation and will showcase the very best our industry has to offer.

View the Program Now!

• To view the PDF version of the Program, CLICK HERE
• To view the WEBSITE version of the Program, CLICK HERE

Nominate for the Excellence Awards 

Nominations for the 2024 Educate Plus Excellence Awards, partnered by Global Philanthropic, are NOW OPEN! 

Our QLD Chapter is filled with expertise, innovation, and excellent delivery of inspiring projects, and we can’t wait to celebrate you, your teams and your organisations, at the International Conference in Perth!

We are delighted to invite submissions for the highly anticipated 2024 Excellence Awards. These prestigious Awards showcase our industry and are your opportunity to share your talents or the achievements of others, with delegates across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

We especially encourage you to nominate yourself or your colleagues for the newest Awards:

• Impact on a Shoestring (Across all Categories) 
• Team Award 
• Suppliers Award 

To find out more and to nominate for the Excellence Awards, CLICK HERE

Register

Event Details (Early Bird Closes 31 March)
Date: Tuesday 10 September – Friday 13 September, 2024
Place: Crown Perth Convention Centre, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood, WA

To Register:

More Info / Register | International Conference

For easy access to the International Conference Website pages, click on the icons below:

Website	Website	Awards
EDx	Social (Soon)	Speakers
Fees & Payments	Support Package	Accommodation

Thank You to our International Conference Partners

EXCELLENCE AWARDS PARTNER	GOLD PARTNER

WELCOME EVENT PARTNER	CONFERENCE CELEBRATION PARTNER

SILVER PARTNER – FUNDRAISING	SILVER PARTNER – MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS	SILVER PARTNER – ALUMNI & COMMUNITY RELATIONS

SILVER PARTNER – LEADERSHIP	PHOTOBOOTH PARTNER	COFFEE STATION PARTNER

Celebrating 40 Years in School Photography

Article submitted by AdvancedLife | QLD Chapter Partner

We would like to wish every Educate Plus QLD school the best of luck for the 2024 school year! We are very proud to support Educate Plus and to be associated with your wonderful organisation.

The team at advancedlife take immense pride in being an Australian family-owned and operated business, established by the Isherwood family in 1984. We are thrilled to be celebrating our 40th Anniversary in 2024, marking four decades of capturing your cherished memories!

Throughout our 40-year journey, our unwavering dedication to quality, professionalism, innovation and exceptional service has enabled us to record and preserve the school experience for millions of Australian primary and high school children across schools small and large. With a proven history in delivering exceptional school photography services, in 2024 we are set to make school photography easy for over 1250 schools and more than 650,000 students nationwide.

Why advancedlife?

Quality is important

School photographs are a landmark in every student’s annual school journey and take place on just 13 occasions throughout their school years. Our skilled photographers specialise in working with children and young people, ensuring each image is a cherished memento.

Security is important

Once students’ photographs have been taken, our cutting edge, in-house digital facility ensures that student images and data are maintained securely. We take pride in our systems and in 40 years we have never experienced a data breach.

Service is important

Our school facing customer service team truly understand that schools have better things to do than spend valuable time on school photography and are continually focused on making school photography easy. In addition, our dedicated Parent Enquiry Team ensure queries from families are met with a prompt, friendly and helpful reply.

Innovation is important

We have developed a range of online solutions in-house to make school photography easy for schools and we have also developed strategic partnerships with industry leading companies including Epson, Ricoh and Sentral. Your school and families will notice the benefits of choosing advancedlife first-hand when utilising our online-solutions and when you receive your packages created using cutting-edge print technology from our esteemed partners Epson and Ricoh.

Why not contact us today to compare what advancedlife can do to make school photography easy for your school or college and see why we have remained market leaders after 40 years in the industry.

Upcoming Events & Professional Development

Save the Date!

The QLD Chapter Committee is currently planning Professional Development opportunities for the QLD members. We encourage you to diarise the following dates:

• Wednesday 1 May: Professional Development – People & Culture 
• Thursday 16 May: Special Interest Group (SIG) – Fundraising, Admissions, People & Culture 

Look out for future communications regarding these opportunities!

And, in the interim … make sure to register for the Event below:

WEBINAR | Creating A-Grade Awards and Grants Submissions

Webinar Details
Date: Tuesday 26 March 2024
Time: 10.30am-11.30am AEST. (Check your local time)
Place: online via Zoom
Cost: Free for members; $35 (+gst) for non-members
Presenters: Jeff Buchanan, Business Development Advisor and Fundraising Consultant

To Register:

More Info / Register | Creating A-Grade Awards and Grants Submissions

We look forward to welcoming you to these events! 

Studio Kirby

Article submitted by Studio Kirby | QLD Chapter Partner

Studio Kirby is excited to partner with Educate Plus and the forward-thinking members that are aligned with the organisation. Like you, Studio Kirby has an overarching goal to deliver unparalleled service and products to QLD Schools.  Bringing over 24 years of experience, we truly we believe we simply understand what schools need. Our commitment to quality and service underpins everything we do.

School Portrait and Group Photography

It’s not only our quality school photos, but our attention to detail on portrait and class photos, our ability to take large group photos and the fact that all our images are edited with care, then printed and packed in house by our production team, that makes us the trusted photography partner of over 200 schools across Queensland.

Event Photography

This is when we can let our creative juices flow. We support schools with photography for formals, productions, award ceremonies, graduations and sports events, providing valuable content for marketing and PR. This allows schools to showcase their events across a range of platforms and provide parents and students with lasting memories of the event.

Promotional Photography

We understand the importance of creating emotive marketing images that showcase a school to its full potential. We partner with schools of all sizes helping them to elevate their visual branding and leave a lasting impression with imagery. Every promotional shoot we do is crafted around the school and we deliver a personalised and professional service that ensures our clients not only enjoy the process but value the natural and authentic style of our photographs.

Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it, read what our clients have to say about our services…

Saint Mary’s Catholic College, Kingaroy, February 2024

“The team at Studio Kirby arrived with precision and their enthusiasm was contagious. Their commitment to excellence was unwavering. Thank you, Studio Kirby, for immortalizing our school spirit, friendships and achievements and for capturing the essence of our vibrant school community.”

St John Fisher College Bracken Ridge November 2023

Our College recently had the pleasure of working with Studio Kirby for our school’s marketing images. Studio Kirby captured our school brilliantly, showcasing its essence and energy in every shot. The images were not only stunning but also processed and delivered within 3 business days, allowing us to incorporate them into our materials promptly. Our photographer was incredibly easy and professional to work with and brought the best out of our students and staff participating in the photoshoot. Thank you for capturing our school’s spirit so beautifully!

Our experience in school photography combined with our reputation for customer service excellence is your assurance of our commitment to providing your school with premium quality photography and exceptional service. Enjoy the easiest and most enjoyable school photography experience imaginable, contact Studio Kirby today.

Contact: Mick Kirby
Email: michael@studiokirby.com.au
Mobile: 0407 625 577
 

A Signature Piece that Bands your Students Together …

Delight your Year 12 students this year and forever band them together with a My World Alumni Graduation Ring.

Gifting a graduation ring that embodies the values of your school is a great way to engage your Alumni Community. At My World Jewellery, our focus is on ensuring this signature piece is made to the highest quality and the design is one that students will love to wear long after they leave the school gates. We’re a Sydney based company lead by two women with six grown children between us, so we have a good understanding of what students want.

Some of the schools we are thrilled to have worked with in 2023 are – Kambala, Kincoppal Rose Bay, SCEGGS Darlinghurt, St Vincents, Cranbrook and The Scots College in NSW as well as Caulfield Grammar in Victoria.

We are delighted to have received the following feedback:

• Thank you for your efforts this year on the Year 12 Graduation ring. I hope we’ve started something that future Scots boys can enjoy too. Year 12 Co Ordinator, The Scots College 2022
• My friends and I still wear our rings everyday. I love mine. Samara Kelleher, Kambala Old Girl Class of 21
• I received my ring today and was very impressed with the presentation. Keep up the good work. Denis Hyland – Caulfield Grammarian Class of 64

Our popular signet rings include the following:

• Available in two styles – male (12 x 10mm top) and female (10x9mm top)
• Featuring your school crest on top and the graduating year engraved underneath
• All rings are individually sized for a perfect fit
• Delivered in a velvet pouch personalised with your school crest
• Most importantly we offer 4 metal types – Silver / Yellow Gold Plated/ 9ct Yellow Gold / 9ct White Gold

*For the vast majority of students who don’t wear silver (over 90% of girls), our Yellow Gold-Plated option is a popular choice and still priced to accommodate limited school budgets.

**Rarely do school budgets allow for 9ct gold rings, but we see around 60% of girls’ parents happy to fund this choice if offered to them.

Order & Delivery
The school either allocates funds for our services and gives the ring as a gift or it’s offered to parents as an ‘optional purchase’. In either case My World Jewellery can manage the individual payments via a secure Trybooking link.

Sizing is done on campus. We provide up to 10 ring sizers per school, allowing parents or year coordinators to record the students ring size and preferred metal type during a lunch period or tutor group.

There are no minimum order quantities. Delivery will take approximately 7-8 weeks once sizing is done and payment is made.

**  There is still time for 2024. Orders close end of Term 2 **

About Us
My World Jewellery is an establish jewellery brand specialising in personalised pieces that tell a story. Sydney based, we utilise jewellers locally and offshore.

Please contact us today to discuss how we start the tradition at your school:
Skye Mackay – 0407 493 205
Benita Senes – 0418 700 495

Advancement Practitioner Training

You are invited to join us at the following Professional Development Opportunities … 

TRAINING | Advancement Practitioner Training

Training Details (Only 1 Week to Go)
Date: Monday 18 – Tuesday 19 March 2024
Place: Amora Hotel Brisbane, 200 Creek Street, Brisbane 4000
Includes: Networking Drinks (Monday, from 4.45pm-5.45pm)

Admissions, Alumni & Community Relations, Marketing & Communications, Fundraising

To Register:

More Info / Register | Advancement Practitioner Training 

We look forward to welcoming you to this training event!

Thought Leadership – Dr Phillip Heath AM Writes …

Aspiration and Sacrifice or Privilege and Elitism

Article written by Phillip Heath AM, Head of Barker College, NSW  

The emerging reality of the public commentary in Australian education demonstrates a shift in the mindset – our schools are caricatured as bastions of privilege rather than as symbols of aspiration and sacrifice. This article examines the impact of the mindset and considers how we might influence the future narrative. We must find a coherent answer to the question “what’s the good of independent education in Australia?” The current trajectory in independent schools has the risk of foundering on the hostile reefs of political commentary. Our answer to what’s the good of independent schooling will set a course for the coming decades of educational policy, development and philanthropy in education.

Principle 1: Independent education is portrayed in the public discourse not as evidence of aspiration but as a bastion of privilege.

Principle 2: Despite attempts made by the Gonski Review into School Funding, the failure to implement the reforms has created a resource gap in Australian education and it is perceived to be widening.

Principle 3: Our schools are regarded as some of the wealthiest schools in the land. Barker College, for example, notwithstanding our debt from capital works, is seen as a case in point. Nearby schools are struggling to hire staff and find resources for classrooms. The completion of our magnificent award-winning Rosewood Centre and more recently, the Senior School Hub and the lodging of an expansive SSDA, makes it hard to argue otherwise. With a student enrolment of 2800, our comparative income is also high.

Principle 4: Expressions of social justice through Indigenous Education and, more recently, Humanitarian Education initiatives are important but may not be sufficient to demonstrate an answer to “what’s the good of Barker” nor to negate the three principles listed above.

Principle 5: Public funding of independent schools remains a complex political issue, particularly in the light of the seemingly entrenched social disadvantage. Higher fee schools that receive around 10% of income from public funding (such as Barker) are characterised as symbols of privilege. It will be almost impossible to cut through this perception.

Principle 6: The charitable status of independent schools is under threat in the UK, where there is virtually no government funding.

A way forward:

1. Use public funding while it survives to demonstrate commitment to social impact economics – the hour is coming when this funding will be under threat.
2. Demonstrate public good by
   • Sharing facilities
   • Providing assisted places for disadvantaged students
   • Educating students for social conscience
   • Reducing social and cultural impact of our schools
   • Demonstrate social conscience in sustainable practices
3. Managing the message by
   • Avoiding excessive demonstrations of wealth and privilege
   • Celebrating causes that create social impact, reduce disadvantage and enable change
4. Reduce the division between government and non-government education
5. Resist the success narrative in independent education, particularly in League Tables, Trophies and competitions.
6. Explore ways in which the educational advantages enabled in some of our schools can be shared with other schools
7. Explore a new narrative or new metaphor for independent education, not be arguing that the points made against us but by setting a new story about our public good.

Phillip Heath AM
Head of Barker College, NSW

Phillip Heath achieved a First Class Honours degree in Reformation History and taught at Trinity Grammar School Sydney and King’s School Ely (UK), before becoming Deputy Head of The William Clarke College in Kellyville, and then Headmaster of St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney, where he formed the Gawura Campus for indigenous inner city children.  Author of “Trinity, the Daring of Your Name”, and numerous journal articles, Mr Heath became fifth Principal of Radford College ACT in 2009 and the school received the Order of Australia Association (ACT) Award for Community Service twice under his leadership. He was made a Fellow of the ACT Branch ACEL in 2011, in 2018 was awarded as a Member in the general division of the Order of Australia for his service to education and his commitment to creating greater opportunities for Indigenous students and was awarded the Australian Principal of the Year at the 2023 Australian Education Awards.

Mr Heath was appointed as the Head of Barker College in 2014, and in 2016 it was announced that the School would transition to be fully coeducational by 2022. In 2016 Mr Heath formed the Darkinjung Barker Campus for Indigenous children on the Central Coast of New South Wales and in 2020 the Ngarralingayil Barker Campus for Indigenous children in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. In 2021, following the signing of an MOU with the Yothu Yindi Foundation, Dhupuma Barker commenced as a school for Indigenous children On Country in North East Arnhem Land.

Mr Heath has served on the NSW Board of Studies representing the Independent Sector (2000-2009) and is also a past National Chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (2013-2015). He is currently working on an unpublished manuscript titled “One Life at a Time”, exploring his journey and work to create greater educational opportunities for Australia’s First Nations people.

Introducing …

Each eNews, we introduce you to one of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a Question & Answer type interview article. 

Therefore, in the hotseat this edition, is Steve Forster, Director of Marketing & Philanthropy, Cannon Hill Anglican College

What is the length of time you’ve been in educational Advancement?

12 years at The University of Queensland and 5 years at CHAC 

What is the achievement or accomplishment you are most proud of?

Working in the education sector for so long! 

What is your greatest moment of learning or a challenge that you’ve overcome?

Running the Young Achievers Program at UQ and seeing first-hand, many of the challenges that students from regional and remote areas of the state 

What is your favourite TV show or podcast that you are currently watching / listening to?

At the moment, I’m working my way through Schitt’s Creek, such a funny show! 

What is your favourite travel memory? 

Went to France for 3 weeks with the College in 2023, amazing experience! 

What are three tips or words of advice you have for new Educate Plus members and/or those new to Advancement?

• it’s a slow burn
• form and maintain relationships
• and … keep the database clean! 

What are three things you enjoy doing in your spare time?

• travel
• enjoying my rooftop terrace overlooking the Brisbane River
• spending time with my kids
• and a 4th … travel 

Thank you Steve Forster! It’s been wonderful getting to know you!

Thank You to our Valuable Partners

Thank You …

We’d like to extend a huge ‘Thank You’ to our valuable Strategic and Chapter Partners, who support Educate Plus and the QLD Chapter in our activities and enable us to provide wonderful opportunities to our members and non-members. We ask that you please consider supporting them, so that in turn, they can continue to support us. 

Thank You to our QLD Chapter Partners

Thank You to our Educate Plus Strategic Partners

Connect with Colleagues

Stay Connected … 

Keep in contact with your fellow Advancement professionals to keep abreast of best practice, discover new approaches and technologies and gain valuable industry insights.

To keep you to up to date with what’s happening at Educate Plus and within your sector, please connect with us on our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.