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Welcome to our Term 4 TSAA Bulletin!
Term 4 is such a busy time in our schools, with assemblies, presentation evenings, excursions, picnics and the like; a time for reflection, celebration, farewells and planning for the year ahead. As we head towards the half-way mark of Term 4 we would like to thank you all for your hardwork and commitment to your school community throughout 2023.
News from our recent meetings with DECYP Corporate and Working Groups;
- Levies - collection process, review of current practices including bad debts, communication with families and schools.
- PageUp - creating fixed term contract requests for EFA's - possibility of including a tick-box to identify / alert 'out-of hours' work patterns for EFA's
- Statutory Declarations (Stat Decs) - as a Comissioner of Declarations witness - what are your responsibilities, who can witness signatures and / or declarations? Clarification from DECYP and Department of Justice of requirements and processes when endorsing Stat Decs. having a unified process across all schools.
- HR / Payroll - requested updated ESS User Information Guide, including instructions of how to upload Medical Certificates and Statutory Declarations. Thank you to Nicole Round and the HR Team for the new guide - (included later in this Bulletin). A great document to include in your staff induction packages.
- EFA Stakeholder Working Group - EFA Roster Day Off updated DECYP procedure document, including purpose, entitlement, applying for RDO's. To assist with the managment of RDO's from the commencement of 2024 entitlements will be displayed and applications managed through the Employee Self Service system (ESS).
- Roll-out of revised Admininstation formula and allocation of TSSA Band 2 Clerks
- Teacher Recruitment Program
- DECYP Employment Register - cleansing of register.
We are pleased to announce that in partnership with Business Operation Advisors, the SBM Buddy Program is being rebooted. We are calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from mid-career and experienced SBMs to participate as collegial support to our new/early career SBMs. This program is scheduled to commence in 2024, with each Buddy relationship running for a period of 12 months. We value and acknowledge the skill and expertise of our more experienced SBMs and invite EOI's from those interested in supporting newcomers to the world of school business administration and management.
Following on from discussions with the Tasmanian Principals Association (TPA) and from feedback from our TSAA Conference, Network Table Group discussions we are initiating “SBM Drop-In” TEAMS sessions this term, 7.45 am – 8.15 am on a fortnightly basis on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We encourage open and honest communication and maintain strict confidentiality to ensure the privacy of all attendees. These sessions will not be recorded.
This is an opportunity to access support and guidance while building a sense of community with your colleagues. We believe that each of us has unique experiences and expertise that can be shared to help others.
We encourage you to tentatively accept these invitations, so they appear in your calendar providing you with the opportunity to join if you choose. We hope you can join us!
TSAA Executive position - southern vacancy, we currently have a vacant position for a southern executive member on our TSAA Committee. If you are interested in taking on this rewarding position - supporting colleagues, collaborating with DECYP Business Units, broadening your networking and leadership skills and knowledge please make contact with me or one of our committee members.
Cynthia Pearce
Chairperson
Thank you to Nicole Round, HR / Payroll for reviewing and updating the DECYP ESS User Guide, including how to upload Medical Certificates and Statutory Declarations.
Hello, my name is Kirsty Morgan and I am the SBM at Lansdowne Crescent Primary, situated in West Hobart.
I have been in this role for the last 14 months and it is one I absolutely love!! The connection I have to our learners and the wider community is very valuable and I am often reminded that we each play our part so that children are known, safe, well and learning.
During my time with DECYP, I worked at Taroona High School as the Band 3 and the Acting SBM, a vibrant, diverse, and busy learning environment. Prior to this I worked at Woodbridge District School, a wonderful place to experience schooling in the K-10 landscape. Each of my schools has exposed me to a wide variety of learning, educators, and different ways of operating. I have been very fortunate to work with some incredible leaders, staff and educators, all of whom help shape how I work today. My reason for joining the TSAA is layered, I love networking with others, asking questions, and finding out how we can do things differently or better. I also felt, being a newer SBM and having worked in a variety of schools, I could contribute to the wider conversations about our role as it evolves.
I am looking forward to connecting with many of you over the coming years and learning from your experiences as we navigate these pathways together.
Hi everyone, happy term 4!
My name is Kiara Youl (nee Daly – I married my wonderful husband Nic in April of
this year!) and I am the SBM at Deloraine High School. I recently joined the incredible TSAA team, undertaking the role of Secretary.
Prior to commencing with DECYP, I moved from the NW Coast to Hobart to complete a Bachelor of Business majoring in Management and Human Resources. Hobart was my home for 7 years, however I have since settled closer to family in the Northern Region. Over the span of my school administration career, I have had the greatest opportunity to work with DECYP across various school sites including Clarence High, Collinsvale Primary, West Ulverstone Primary, Prospect High and Deloraine High School.
I have had many notable moments working for DECYP, but the following stand out;
- Through each of my roles from administration clerk to SBM, maintaining a level of interaction with our students, keeping them at the forefront of everything we do. I enjoy putting my hand up joining an excursion, camp or interstate trip as an extra supervisory body or bus driver, and simply being identified as a person that both staff and students can visit for a safe space to chat.
- The friendships and networks made through DECYP roles and within each school community I have made along the way are the most valuable. Since joining the TSAA, I have been involved in multiple business unit meetings, which has broadened my awareness to the great work happening behind the scenes from both TSAA members and corporate groups. Alongside the TSAA, I look forward to being one of your ‘sounding boards’ and providing you with exciting updates as we constantly look to improve and build on efficiencies.
I thoroughly enjoy the diverse role of what the SBM position brings, working alongside our dedicated school staffing teams to provide our students with the best learning environments and resources possible to assist in reaching their aspirations.
We all know the substantial time and effort we put in daily supporting our schools, and some days can feel more challenging than others. Please give yourself a big pat on the back and take the time to reflect and acknowledge all the positives and learning opportunities that come your way – although there are always challenges, the impact we have as administration staff is huge and so rewarding.
On Friday 3 November (Student Free Day/PL day) administration staff from the Meander Valley Region met at Deloraine High School for a morning of great discussion, getting to know one another and a spot of morning tea that everyone kindly contributed to.
Topics of discussion were: SMS messaging systems used in schools, attendance, favourite Edupoint reports, archiving, evacuations and lockdowns, start of year processes, Schoolstream notices and online enrolment forms… among many others! This is a great way to meet fellow school administration staff and build your network of colleagues to reach out to. We look forward to the next one!
The physiological link between your breathing and your mental state
Breathing is an automatic response and a process we take for granted, yet it is so vital for our existence. How we breathe impacts our autonomic nervous system and affects our essential bodily process. When was the last time you checked in with your breath? Take the time now to gently observe your breath for a few moments without the need to control it. Is your breath shallow, tight, constricted and armoured? Or is it open and expansive and deep and free-flowing? Or perhaps a mix of the two at different times?
When we take the time to pause, slow down and take a deep breath, we voluntarily regulate our nervous system. A deep breath lowers our heart rate, regulates blood pressure and helps us to relax, which assists in decreasing the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) released into our body.
Breath is an invisible link between the mind and body. Have you noticed a correlation between the quality of your thoughts and the rhythm of your breath? Our state of mind is reflected in the way we breathe. An active mind fuelled by stress keeps our immune system from working at its full capacity. According to Vedic sages, the mind can be in one of five states at any time, ranging from the deeply troubled mind (least desirable) to the completely mastered mind.
When our mind is deeply agitated or scattered, our breath becomes erratic.
When our mind is dull or lethargic, the breath is shallow.
If the mind is partially focused, the breath alternates between scattered and calm.
When the mind is one-pointed and calm, the breath is deep.
The ultimate freedom is when the calm mind is in heightened awareness, that is, when the inspiration and expiration merge.
Every cell in our body needs oxygen to function efficiently, so it’s no surprise that a regular practice of controlled breathing can decrease the effects of stress on the body and increase overall physical and mental health.
The difference between chest and abdominal breathing. Which is best?
The way we take in our breath is the way that we take in our life. Have you ever noticed how soothing a deep sigh can be at the end of the day? When we breathe through the nose, deep down into the belly and the lower lungs, we are activating the nerve receptors in the lower parts of the lungs that then activate the ‘parasympathetic nervous response’. This is also known as your relaxation response.
Conversely, have you noticed how fast and shallow your breath can be when you are in a state of panic? When we breathe through the mouth, shallowly and into the chest, we are activating the ‘sympathetic nervous response’ in the body. This is also known as your stress response.
In our busy lives, it is not uncommon to breathe quite shallowly throughout the day and only use a small proportion of our lungs. This means we are generally functioning at a low-grade stress response just from our daily living; so the nervous system is already under stress and duress. This does not do us any favours. We can become accustomed to an unhealthy pattern of initiating the breath from the chest and we operate a heightened state of arousal. This form of shallow breathing can agitate our minds and we may even overuse the muscles in the neck and upper body. Add to this tight, shallow and constricted breathing. The result? You’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster for your physical, mental and emotional state of being.
A growing number of scientific studies have revealed that diaphragmatic breathing (deep breathing) triggers body relaxation responses. Deep breathing is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for emotion enhancement, reducing anxiety, depression and stress.
How to manage negative emotions through optimal breathing techniques
The way we breathe can have an energetic effect on us – physically, emotionally and mentally – as we move throughout the day. Have you noticed the rhythm of your breath when you feel anxious or angry? Most likely, your breath becomes shallow and constricted, linked to erratic and negative thoughts, not to mention the physiological impact on the body: sweaty palms, muscles contracting and heartbeat racing. This is not a pleasant state to be in! We can become stuck in a downward spiral of negativity when we are caught up in low-frequency emotions of anxiety or anger and it can be difficult to move out of this state if we don’t shift our attention.
By mindfully redirecting our awareness to our breath, coupled with choosing positive thoughts (mantras or affirmations), we can assist in bringing ourselves back to harmony in mind and body. Slow, deep breathing brings a sense of ease to the body and the mind. When our internal landscape is at ease, a sense of peace can be reflected into our external world.
Reference – Eden Health Retreat Journal