President’s Report

Where did 2019 go? It seemed like yesterday when we were bright eyed and bushy tailed and excited about all that we would accomplish year. Since then I am not sure where the last 10 months have gone, but there is so much to celebrate and be grateful for that we must have done something right in those 10 months!

 For the SA / NT Chapter of Educate Plus, this was a landmark year because of our Chapter Conference. Not only was it the largest and best attended Chapter Conference we have ever organised, but we were incredibly ambitious in the content we (successfully) provided to the 115 attendees through our 26 different speakers and 17 different exhibitors. We were the first EducatePlus chapter to debut the Explore-Discover-Grow -Engage (EDGE) concept, and we established an excellent platform for IGNITE 2020, the Educate Plus international conference in Adelaide from 8-11 September next year. Please save the dates now and join more than 800 delegates from across Australia and New Zealand come together to move forward.

I also wanted to invite each and everyone of you to our End of the Year Drinks at The Caledonian Hotel, 219 O’Connell St. North Adelaide SA 5006 on Wednesday 13 November 2019 from 5:00 p.m. onwards. We will have a short formal AGM to elect the committee members for next year at 6:30, but please feel free to just stop by and catch up with colleagues from across the city. There will be a complimentary drink on arrival and canapes will be provided. Please also feel free to bring a colleague or a friend in advancement, even if they are new to Educate Plus – all of you would be welcome. Click here to register

The SA/NT Chapter Committee are looking forward to seeing you there.  

Abhra Bhattacharjee
President SA/NT
Director of Philanthropy and External Relations
Scotch College, Adelaide
abhra@scotch.sa.edu.au

EDGE Conference Wrap Up

Thank you to everyone who attended the EDGE 2019 SA/NT Chapter Conference. The conference program deconstructed the EDGE into four themes: EXPLORE, DISCOVER, GROW and ENGAGE with a keynote speaker, additional experts in their field, and panel discussions for each area. 

More than 100 delegates attended the two-day conference. There were 26 sessions which encompassed the topics of fundraising, admissions and enrolment, marketing, communications and engagement, foundations and volunteering. Opportunities were plentiful for Leaders and Advancement professionals, whether beginners or those with experience, to grow and challenge themselves, to network and build stronger relationships and, of course, to enjoy the social events. There was a mood of excitement and an absolute buzz throughout the Conference. We thank our sponsors for their support and the role they played in the success of EDGE. 

Here is what some of our delegates said about the Conference :

“Opening and closing keynotes were awesome. Very happy with content over the course of the conference.”

“I enjoyed the opportunity to step outside the office, meet like-minded people & gain new insight with a focus on education.”

“The EDGE conference was a great opportunity to network and meet other people in similar jobs to me, to hear from and learn from others in order to do my job better, to improve my work practices, and to be inspired to keep learning and improving.”

“I found all the sessions I went to extremely relevant and went away every day with more…”

We invite you to look through the Photo Gallery below.

Enjoy!

SA/NT AGM + EOY Networking Drinks

Join us for Christmas Drinks and Networking

The SA/NT Educate Plus team warmly invite you to catch up again for Christmas drinks and networking, followed by a short AGM (optional)

WHEN 

Wednesday 13 November 2019

5:00 – 6:30pm Drinks and Networking

6:30 – 7:00pm AGM

WHERE 

The Caledonian Hotel Beer Garden

219 O’Connell St, North Adelaide SA 5006

Complimentary drink on arrival and canapes will be provided

See you there!

EVENT INFORMATION

To register please click here

For more information, please email

Sue Spry sspry@concordia.sa.edu.au

AGM INFORMATION

If you are interested in nominating for the 2020 Committee and would like to find out information please email: SA/NT Chapter President, Abhra Bhattacharjee – abhra@scotch.sa.edu.au or Secretary Patrick Kelly pkelly@bps.sa.edu.au view AGM Agenda here and Committee Nomination Form here

Welcome to our new members

New Membership

Welcome Aboard New Members for 2019 (since June)

Committee Member in the Spotlight

Mrs Jill Jansons
Director, Marketing & Community Relations
St Philip’s College, Ulpaya Rd, Alice Springs NT 0870

If were to write a book about yourself, what would you call it?

Table 20. I have a group of friends and we meet every Saturday for breakfast. We are constantly getting the number 20 for our table so we call ourselves the Table 20 girls. For me it represents the importance of friends and family.

What do you like most about Educate Plus? 

The networking opportunities, the sharing of ideas and the generosity of the members. If you send an email or have a question for your network, there is inevitably someone who will be able to assist or guide you or point you to a person who can help.

How has Educate Plus helped you in your career development. 

Being based in Alice Springs we are remote, but the knowledge and ideas you come away with after a conference or Master Class session is invaluable. You can go away from a conference or PD thinking, “Wow… that’s a great idea!” Or you can also feel reaffirmed knowing that, “We’re doing okay …”

What is the most rewarding part of your role at St Philip’s College? 

That’s a really hard question to answer as there are many rewarding aspects. It ranges from being able to support our staff, students, parents and community. It’s being in a position to promote the amazing outcomes achieved by our students and staff. Contributing to our culture. We have an amazing team of people who go above and beyond to ensure our students aren’t disadvantaged by distance, and then witnessing our students accept the plethora of opportunities offered to them and seeing them grow. I could go on and on…

How did you first learn about Educate Plus? 

A colleague went to a conference in Adelaide over 9 years ago and came back and said how valuable it was, and having attended four international conferences it still doesn’t disappoint.

Who would you like to be for a day? 

No one in particular, but I’ve always thought it would be good for each of us to do someone else’s job for a day, so we learn to appreciate the skills required and the challenges everyone faces each day. (But if really pressed, I would love to have had the sharp wit of Robin Williams and Billy Connelly.)

Favourite movie? 

Too limiting…. I’m a romantic comedy tragic – First Wives Club, The Holiday, Love Actually and for something different Shawshank Redemption and Dead Poet’s Society.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without? 

Cliché – but my family and friends.

Who has had the biggest impact on your career thus far and why? 

I’ve learnt and continue to learn so much from all my current and past colleagues and bosses. But it’s my husband who has supported me and has been so patient and understanding with the crazy hours and demands that working in Advancement brings with it.

Favourite travel spot? 

Internationally – Lake Como, Italy and domestically – Palm Cove, Queensland.

What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had? 

Not sure I’ve had a ‘weird’ job, but I did work in the cash office at K-Mart when I was at uni, and you felt a little like the ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’ nursery rhyme (except we didn’t keep the money of course).