Welcome to our new President

Dear Members

I am very excited to be penning my first newsletter as the new WA Chapter President, but I am even more excited about the formation of our new Chapter Committee for 2021!

Our committee has a wonderful mix of new members and experienced practitioners which together weave the perfect fabric from which to build our professional development opportunities for next year.

I have already had a very productive planning meeting with our Vice President, Jenn Parsons, and we are excited to share our ideas at our committee planning meeting in mid-January.

We look forward to having as many face-to-face opportunities as possible, and plan to get started early in 2021 with our first events. I think many of us are suffering a bit of Zoom fatigue and are really craving that human interaction.

It was evident at our end of year event and AGM that people were really enjoying the networking opportunities, and we were so glad to see many new faces amongst the group.

I wish you all a well-deserved break over the festive season, and I look forward to connecting with you again for a great year of events in 2021.

Warm regards

Susie Gill
WA Chapter President

Meet your new WA Chapter Committee

A warm welcome to your new 2021 Chapter Committee and a big thank you for volunteering for the positions you have taken for the year. To find out more about your committee please click here and feel free to get in contact with any questions. We look forward to bringing you some new and exciting PD in the new year.

Susie Gill
WA Chapter President

Margo Bastow F.Edplus
Immediate Past President/ Vice-President

Claire Hanson
Committee Member – Regional Coordinator

Meredith Eddington F.Edplus
Committee Member – PD/Events

Jenn Parsons
Committee Member – Tertiary

Laura Kendall
Committee Member – Communications

Suzanne Pelczar
Committee Member

Josephine Evans
Committee Member – Secretary

Tony Fisher
Committee Member

Courtney Silverthorne
Committee Member

Catriona Nixon
Committee Member

Featured members

We would like to welcome Tony Fisher, Courtney Silverthorne and Catriona Nixon – our newest committee members. We asked them a few questions to get to know them a little better!

Catriona Nixon, Indigenous Liaison Coordinator, St. Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
	1. What is your current tole at your school and what does this involve? Boarding Admissions Manage and Indigenous Liaison Coordinator 2. Why have you decided to join the Educate Plus WA Committee? Networking and PL opportunities and professional growth 3. What are some of your interests outside of work? Travelling, boating, camping and family time 4. Who have been some of your great mentors in your life. My parents and grandparents 5. Favourite travel destination and why. Spain hoping to walk more of the Camino 6. Best book ever read? So many … but recently Honeybee 7. Tell us one thing about yourself that many might not know. I’ve lived, farmed and taught in regional and rural WA for the past 27 years after heading to my first teaching posting.
Tony Fisher, Promotions & Publication Manager, Lake Joondalup Baptist College
	1. What is your current tole at your school and what does this involve? My title is ‘Promotions & Publications Manager’ – I manage all marketing for the College including Social Media, Paid advertising, Video Production, eNewsletters, Yearbook, digital marketing. 2. Why have you decided to join the Educate Plus WA Committee? I have always loved the resources that Educate Plus provides. I came from a non-education marketing world so Educate Plus bridged the education/non-education gap for me (there was a wide gap a few years ago but it has recently narrowed a bit) 3. What are some of your interests outside of work? I enjoy exercise, sport, photography and videography 4. Favourite travel destination and why. Anywhere in South East Asia I love but mainly because it is quick to get to (I have travelled the world numerous times). I have been known to jump on a plane on Friday and return on a Monday! 5. Best book ever read? Anything by Neil Patel 6. Tell us one thing about yourself that many might not know. I can buutt…..lets leave it out of my online bio please!? I came to Perth as a professional dancer and musician and performed at the (now) Crown theatre as part of a world tour. It was the last stop of the tour. I stayed on and have loved Perth ever since.
Courtney Silverthorne, Enrolment Manager, Penrhos College
	1. What is your current tole at your school and what does this involve? Enrolment Manager. My role is responsible for all aspects and management /coordination of the enrolments process; the aim of the role is to ensure optimum levels of student enrolments. My passion is connecting with others and I am so lucky that I get to do this every day! 2. Why have you decided to join the Educate Plus WA Committee? It is a fantastic way to connect with my colleagues from all different schools in Perth and beyond. It is such a special network of people and I don’t know of any other industry that collaborates in the same way. 3. What are some of your interests outside of work? Travel, walks along the river, entertaining , interior design 4. Who have been some of your great mentors in your life. My mum 5. Favourite travel destination and why. Scandanavia – I was lucky enough to go there for my honeymoon so I have lots of special memories. It was the perfect mix of design, outdoor activities and amazing food & drinks 6. Best book ever read? Too hard to pick but I am currently reading Ghosts by Dolly Atterton and Barack Obama’s the Promised Land 7. Tell us one thing about yourself that many might not know. I am terrified of the ocean

International Conference bookings open

As we emerge from the impact of COVID, we want to confirm that our International Conference will be going ahead in Adelaide 6-9 September 2021.

However, we are conscious that some of institutions still have travel and budget restrictions in place. That’s why after many years of in-person conferences around Australia and New Zealand, the International Conference will be expanding its reach adding virtual elements to our traditional live event structure.

The Main Conference will be a face-to-face event to provide a richer, more immersive, and more participatory experience to our members.
- If you are planning to attend, you can register now
- Early Bird rates are now applicable – saving $400pp
- We have put in place a flexible booking system that allows for refunds
- Bursaries and Travel assistance packages are available
Pre-conference Workshops & Master Classes will be a hybrid event, live streaming to remote attendees who are unable to take part in the face-to-face sessions. More details to come soon.
Conference Recordings: A selection of the top-ranked sessions will be available for purchase for a fraction of the cost. More details to come soon.

It is our core belief that challenges must be seen as opportunities, and this is our opportunity to bring you the best speaker line-up ever seen at the Adelaide 2021 International Conference.

We are committed to help our members succeed and ‘Reignite’ Advancement in the face of the unprecedented challenges we face today.

Find out more

Christmas Break PD

We hope you all enjoy your brief Christmas break and use this time to recharge and recover from what has been a tough year for many of us.

Should you decide to use this time to improve a knowledge or skills gap, get proactive and hop online to see what benefits come with your membership. Access the on-demand webinars, recorded SIGs, upcoming certified practitioner courses, the 2020 edition of Face to Face and the International Conference. Expressions of interest are being taken for our 2021 Certified Practitioner Training courses in Melbourne in May and bookings are open for the International Conference in September in Adelaide 2021.

Quick Access to Educate Plus PD Resources

Tertiary webinars	If your interest is primarily the tertiary sector, we have a specific series of webinars available on wellbeing, Marketing & Communications, Alumni engagement, Fundraising. We also cater for the Residential Colleges sector focusing specifically on the needs, challenges and opportunities of Residential College Advancement professionals.
On-demand webinars	We have over 30 recorded on-demand webinars available with downloadable video, slideshows and supporting documents in our 2020 Resources Section.
Recorded SIGs	In our Special Interest Group section there are over 15 recorded sessions for you to access where our members share their experiences and knowledge and discuss the challenges they have faced in the past year and how they have overcome them. There are also some very interesting take away’s and tips on how they see the future in Advancement.
Podcasts	If you are ‘Zoom fatigued’ and do not wish to watch another recorded video, we offer all of the above sessions as recorded podcasts. So plug in, select your favourite channel and enjoy learning on the go!
Read F2F 2020	Our online interactive Face to Face 2020 is jam packed full of articles on issues facing Advancement professionals. This digital version contains lots of explanatory videos and links to other articles. Dip in and out at your leisure, there is so much to choose from.
International Conference 2021	Our International Conference planning is well underway and we have a great line up of speakers ready for September 6-9 in the Adelaide Convention Centre. Early bird on sale now. There are also bursaries available for those who need assistance.
Certified Practitioner Training May 2021	Our popular Certified Training Course is planned for May 6-7 in the University of Melbourne. Bursaries also available.

Interesting Reads

The Research Is Clear: Long Hours Backfire for People and for Companies

by Sarah Green Carmichael

If your job relies on interpersonal communication, making judgment calls, reading other people’s faces, or managing your own emotional reactions — pretty much all things that the modern office requires — I have more bad news. Researchers have found that overwork (and its accompanying stress and exhaustion) can make all of these things more difficult.

Even if you enjoy your job and work long hours voluntarily, you’re simply more likely to make mistakes when you’re tired — and most of us tire more easily than we think we do. Only 1-3% of the population can sleep five or six hours a night without suffering some performance drop-off. Moreover, for every 100 people who think they’re a member of this sleepless elite, only five actually are. The research on the performance-destroying effects of sleeplessness alone should make everyone see the folly of the all-nighter.

Work too hard and you also lose sight of the bigger picture. Research has suggested that as we burn out, we have a greater tendency to get lost in the weeds.

Read full article here

No state met the deadline for an international students quarantine plan

By Lisa Visentin, November 30, 2020

No state or territory has met a federal government deadline to outline their plans for the return of international students in 2021 by the end of November, with three states yet to provide any indication of when they will be ready.

The NSW government, along with the ACT and NT governments, are expected to submit their plans to the Morrison government this week, while Victoria and SA will also miss the deadline but are working on their proposals.

Education Minister Dan Tehan gave states and territories until the end of November to provide the federal government with plans to facilitate the safe return of international students.