WHAT'S NEW?

this page last revised: July 2004

Welcome or welcome back to the PASTA 'What's New?" page.
This page highlights current events as well as new and perennially relevant items followed up in more detail on other pages.

All pages within this site have been revised and updated as of June 2004 (unless otherwise dated). Extensive changes and additions have been made to several main pages highlighted here and many new additional linked files have been added.

Go To: "NATIONAL PROJECTS & ISSUES" for a new format within which you have some topics and questions to which we urge you to respond

We welcome your suggestions and assistance. See How To Contact Us?
Contact PASTA for skills workshop, resources and adviser support.

PASTA Calendar (2004 / 05)

  • 3-4 January: 2004 Tour reunion weekend (Norah Head, NSW)
  • 22 January: NSW DET / PASTA meeting (Ashfield)
  • 28 February: AGM (PTC Leichhardt) & General Mtg - Election of New Committee, Calendar and Working Conditions
  • 10-11 April: ISRC 2004 Tour Orientation (Central Coast NSW)
  • 23 April: NSW DET / PASTA meeting
  • June - OS Delegate projects on ISRC recommendations
  • 26 June: PASTA Meeting (venue TBA) - future PD plans & publications
  • 15 July: NSW DET / PASTA meeting
  • 29 July: 7th Tour departs for Canada (ISRC 2004) & USA Leadership Camp
  • 3- 7 August: 2nd International Student Representative Conference - Edmonton CANADA
  • 25 August: Return from Tour (some delegates may return following ISRC)
  • 28 August: PASTA meeting (venue TBA) - PD: 2004 Tour Report & ISRC local Action Plans
  • 18 September - 'Fresh Start 2004' (PD Day) - PTC Liechhardt.
  • 7 October: NSW DET / PASTA meeting
  • 23 October: PASTA Meeting (venue TBA) - PD: PASTA resource modules
  • 4 December: Christmas Meeting (dinner venue TBA - as for all meetings, everyone welcome)
  • early January 2005 - ISRC 2004 Delegates Reunion (venue TBA)
  • 26 February - 2005 AGM (PTC - Leichhardt)
  • c. 25 June / 24 July 2005 - 8th Overseas SRC Tour (69th NASC Conference, National Leadership Camp and host school visits)


2nd International Student Representative Conference
(For Secondary Student Leaders and Advisers)
3-7 August 2004 Edmonton Alberta CANADA
Hosted by Harry Ainlay HS - Host Coordinator Gane Olsen
Supported & Planned By CASAA (Canada), NASC (USA) and PASTA


NEW 2004 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTED

The AGM election results on Sat 28 Feb were the following.
Contact the Secretary if you are interested in other positions or temporary roles with various subcommittees and projects.

OFFICERS

President: Ken Page (Central Coast NSW)
Immediate Past President: Bob Kijurina (Campbelltown)
Vice-President: Charles Kingston (Bathurst)
Vice-President: Tony Gleeson (Alstonville NSW)
Secretary: Ellen Sheerin (Asquith Girls - Hornsby)
Assistant Secretary: Iktimal Hagali (Sydney)
Treasurer: Sue Page (Narara Valley HS NSW)

Member Represenatives

Greg Arrow (University of Sydney)
Christine Murray (Asquith Girls - Hornsby)
Mark Dell 'Oro (Aquinas College - Western Australia)
Lisa Wiseheart (Central Coast NSW)
Rebecca Heinrich (Western Sydney)
Anna Dickinson (Newcastle Area)
Alf Walker (Goulburn NSW)

NSW SRC Representative Student Liaison
Taryn Dircks (Swansea HS)

Go To 'How To Contact'
for contact details on above officers and other PASTA contact people

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2004 AGM - PRESIDENT REPORT & CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

From Ken Page - 28 February 2004

This report was presented in its entirety for consideration of the Executive Committee and Members present at the 2004 AGM. All financial members receive a summary copy as part of the Minutes of that meeting, together with the annual financial statement and a list of the constitutional changes ratified at that meeting.

Go to WHO WE ARE page for report summary and details of constitutional changes


NEW...NEWNEWNEW...FOR YOU

 
"LET'S GET CRITICAL"
SRCs are NOT worth the 3 letters they represent
 
Or are they?
 
Whether student, SRC Adviser, Principal, Minister for Education, Prime Minister - and parent - consider this. Is your own school SRC - are SRCs generally - valued and supported enough to be and do S & R & C effectively?"
 
In spite of all the fine words and occasional feverish activities, the sad real-life, down-in-the trenches, grass-roots experience is more often than not the opposite. Or a mere, gradually fading imitation of the initial promise.
 
Let's try, shall we?

CHECK OUT THE
ISSUES FOR ADVISERS page for
"Professional Development = Profile, People, Promotion"+
New 'Guest Member Column' (the above critical question)

AND, crucially for the future, Working Conditions & Rewards
 

Go to CURRICULUM page for

"Quality Standards for an SRC Project"
 
Together with suggested skills activities ("'Chop Off Your Head!' the Chairperson said") and more on our resource modules.
Such new or revisited revised material was part of our special 12 page Newsletter #36.
'Connect' Double Issue #145-146, Feb-April 2004
 
Read the report (new on this site) of the 2004 OS Tour & the latest on ISRC 2004
 
Go To: " Each time, I have answered wholeheartedly 'Yes.' &"If We Had Only Known"
2003 Student Delegation President Mark Childs & Delegate Bronwyn Weir's Reports 
(Also See 'Connect' article October 2003)
 
Go to SRC Leadership Tours for links to similar articles by students on past tours.

Afraid to Write? Don't Have the time?
Go To the "Teacher / Student Writing" series
as also published in 'Connect'
 
Write your own articles / essays / outlines / notes / poems / letters etc
OR
send for sharing skills, organisational & motivational material you have found successful. Credit it. We will find a place and time to publish it.


THINGS TO DO JUST FOR FUN

  • Wear two different coloured socks . . .Wear your watch on your leg . . . Follow the postman. . .
  • Take a bath with your clothes on . . . Change your clothes every hour . . . Wash your neighbour's car . . .
  • Wear a Santa Claus suit...in public...in the summer . . . Cook a meal for a blind person
  • Walk around in a sandwich sign . . . Walk around in slow motion. . . Give an apple to a teacher . . .
  • Tickle somebody's feet and say it makes you laugh . . . . . . Send your grandmother some flowers
  • Write or call a TV or radio station and tell them that an excellent programme IS excellent
  • Tell someone who is beautiful that they are beautiful . . . Write yourself a letter. . .
  • Call someone special and remind them of how valuable they are . . .Get real: Tell yourself the same thing

Laughter is good stuff;
It rejects ulcers; it cracks parched lips;
it makes us human."



Table of contents for the rest of this new "What's New ..."

1 "FRESH START 2004" (Professional Development Day)
2 SRC / SLA ADVISER WORKING CONDITIONS
3 CALENDAR OF MEETINGS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
4 OVERSEAS ISRC LEADERSHIP TOUR 2004
5 COMMUNICATIONS OUTLETS
6 MEMBERSHIPS (for the price of a good meal, a whole year)
7 YOU TELL US! (Whereto now? Your input wanted.)
8 KEY CONTACTS FOR MAJOR PROJECTS


1 "Fresh Start Professional Development"
2 SRC / SLA Adviser Working Conditions

"Fresh Starts' are professional development days run in conjunction with the NSW DET Pupil Wellbeing Unit. Target audiences are student leadership advisers, consultants or Pupil Welfare Officers. The interactive process is designed so that all participants may discover ways of effectively guiding their overworked selves and their SRCs. It is for those new to the job. Or 'old hands' simply in need of some personal or SRC rejuvenation.

Venue: Professional Teachers Council, cnr Marion & Norton Sts - Leichhardt
Times: 8:30 for 9:00 AM start to 4 PM (end of formal program)
Cost (incl GST): PASTA Members - $44 / Non-Members - $55

CONTACT US RE. DATES OF THESE AND OTHER PD OPPORTUNITIES IN 2004/05.

Go To 'Issues For Advisers' and / or 'Curriculum' page for program ideas

Go to Fresh Start 2 Evaluations for Summary of Feedback on 2003 PD Day

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"Professional Development Equals:
PROFILE, PEOPLE, PROMOTION"

See also in the February - April 2004 issue of 'Connect' for this article, including the current draft resolutions re. improving profile and status of SRCs and SRC Advisers generally that appear here on the Issues for Advisers page.

"Submission to The Department of Education and Training (DET) for Support In Principle of Working Guidelines Between PASTA and DET to Raise the Status of Student Representative Council Teacher Advisers"

For some years PASTA has pursued ideas on structural changes within schools to formally improve the conditions and status of those teachers working with SRCs and other valued leadership activities.

The current document has a rationale and brief history of its development and several longer sections detailing some specific actions that would assist communication and the pursuit of joint projects between PASTA and government education bodies working most directly with SRCs.

Go to Working Guidelines for full copy of the current submission to the NSW DET

3 PASTA Calendar Items
4 Overseas SRC Leadership Tours
see top of page for current year specific dates & variations AGM and all PASTA meetings open to all. Contact the Secretary.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

last Saturday in February: (PTC Leichhardt) & General Mtg
- Election of New Committee, Calendar,Working Conditions, PD -

REGULAR PASTA MEETINGS
(afternoons for Professional Development topics as noted)

normally held on final Saturdays in:

March - Professional Development plans & publications
May (June in ISRC years) - Issues for Advisers & National Projects
July (August in ISRC years) - Leadership Tours & Local Actions
October - SRC Curriculum & Resources
December - Forward Planning - Christmas Meeting & Dinner


NSW DET Pupil Well-Being Unit / PASTA meetings

January / April / July / September School Holidays: (Ashfield)


ADVISER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Late Term 1 or early Term 2: 'Fresh Start' (PD Day) - PTC Liechhardt
(n.b. in 2004 this has been rescheduled for Saturday 18 September)

early August: NSW SRC State Conference - Vision Valley

Term 3 or Term 4: Resources Development PD Day

Specific audience PD Days arranged according to interest, e.g.

  • Non-government Schools / Primary Schools / Selective Schools
  • New Advisers / Teacher Trainees / School Leaders
  • Workshop Facilitation Skills / SRCs & ITC / Civics & Citizenship

PLUS . . . PLUS . . .

All PASTA projects are professional development opportunities.
The afternoons of all regular Committee meetings are used for PD purposes and flexible enough to meet the expressed needs of those who choose to attend.

Overseas SRC Leadership Tours are for Advisers and Parents as well as for student leaders. The conferences, leadership camps, host school visits and other activities experienced on tour are adviser professional development of the highest calibre.


Overseas SRC Leadership Tours

Student and teacher / adviser international delegates from various states will be representing Australian secondary schools on the 7th PASTA Overseas SRC Leadership Tour to the 2nd International Student Representative Conference in Canada and other SRC events in North America in August 2004

We welcome new delegates from some schools who follow in the footsteps of their predecessors from the Inaugural Tour in 1998 or one or more of each successive year since.
We also welcome new schools to these tours and new members to PASTA.

FOR DELEGATE NAMES AND AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS TO BE REPRESENTED BY THESE INTERNATIONAL DELEGATES

GO TO CURRENT OVERSEAS TOUR

PASTA and the schools and communities they represent congratulate them on their successful applications and wish them well with their fund-raising and pre-trip studies. The delegation 1st Orientation weekend workshop on 10 / 11 April was very successful. Help us further prepare them well. Send your ideas.

Tours are open to secondary students and teacher / advisers / consultants from any state or territory in Australia and from non-government and government schools.

Go To 'SRC Leadership Tours' page for more details on these tours or go directly to these files:

Current OS SRC Tour News - 2003

History of Overseas SRC Leadership Tours

Student President Mark Childs and Delegate Bronwyn Weir Reports on 2003 Tour

Student President Sami Brant Report on SRC Leadership Tour - 2002

Student President Lachlan Wallage Review of Leadership Tour - 2001

5 Communications Outlets
6 Memberships

Newsletter

The PASTA Newsletter is a regular feature of 'Connect', the Australian magazine of student participation now in its 25th year of publication under Editor Roger Holdsworth.

"PASTA - Food 4 Advisers"

A Members Only Publication posted to all financial members. Contains materials not otherwise available on this site or through 'Connect'. For a sample copy, contact Secretary.

SRCA e-Group

An e-group communications service has been established for teachers and advisers in the SRC and student activities field. All states and territories are encouraged to make use of this service to keep in touch, share ideas, ask questions with and for your colleagues.
Contact the PASTA Secretary Ellen Sheerin and / or Subscribe: SRCA-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

SRC & Adviser Professional Development Related Websites

For Website Compilations of sites relevant to Advisers and student leaders Go To: "Issues For Advisers" page or contact the PASTA Secretary

SRCs and Curriculum in all Key Learning Areas

Go To SRC Links to Curriculum for ideas on how SRCs etc can support ALL Curriculum areas.

SRC - KLA Curriculum Linkages plus all the information on the Curriculum page

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  • Membership in PASTA means you / your school / your SRC or your business is taking on the responsibility of supporting the promotion and development of active citizenship education.
  • Your membership helps SRC and other leadership advisers to distribute and create resources, programs, networks, professional development opportunities and leadership events.
  • All members receive a subscription to 'Connect', discounts on PASTA organised events, access to national and international student council networks and resources unavailable elsewhere in Australia and the very real opportunity to be involved in the future of SRCs and citizenship education and recognition now and in the future.
  • For the mere cost of one night's dinner at a medium priced restaurant, you can do and have all this for a year. Concession rates available for student and pensioner members.

Go To 'How To Join' Page for details of membership categories and a form for applying

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7 You Tell Us!
8 For More On Major Projects Contact The Following:

YOU TELL US!
Are you are a Teacher? Consultant? Departmental Adviser? Student? Principal? Parent? Grandparent? Interested Citizen?

Whoever you are, you tell us what you think is needed in this field.

Be credited. Share what you know with us and the SRC world.

Be credible. Tell us what you need first most.

Go To 'Issues for Advisers' page for useful ideas

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LIAISON, ISRC 2004 & OVERSEAS TOURS (for advisers and students):
Ken Page - President 2004

MEMBERSHIPS , OFFICIAL RECORDS, RESOURCES, WEBSITES:
Ellen Sheerin - Secretary 2004

PUBLICATIONS, RESOURCES, CURRICULUM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
International Linkages & Projects & Website Content
Charles Kingston - Vice President - 2004
and / or
Tony Gleeson - Vice President - 2004

CSC (Community Service Certificate Awards Program):
Ralph Murray - Foundation President of PASTA

WEBMASTER: Chris O'Rourke

Go To 'How To Contact Us' Page for details of all key PASTA volunteers

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