Membership Update

Kaya

NEW MEMBERS
I would like to welcome the following members, who have joined WAPPA in the last fortnight:

Erin van der Sluys, Millars Well PS
Rochelle Reeves, Karrinyup PS
Virginia Everall, Landsdale PS
Adam O'Connor, Golden Bay PS
Luke Colace, Dawson Park PS
Detta-Anne Murphy, Ngalapita RCS

We look forward to providing you with the Support, Advocacy, Leadership Development and Connection for which WAPPA is renowned. Likewise, we welcome your voice to the ongoing discussion around primary education and school leadership, through the numerous avenues provided to our members.

Advocacy & Support

2022 AUSTRALIAN PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING SURVEY

Monday saw the release of the full 2022 Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey and the data was again concerning, with very little changing between this year and last. Many of the indicators were the worst they had been in the 12 years of the survey's history. WAPPA believes there is still much work to be done in relation to the key issues within the report, of school leader workload/expectations, and exposure to violence, threats and abuse.

WAPPA will continue to advocate for a work environment that allows members to lead well, be safe and switch off. This is far from the current experience of most. With such a strong national focus on this year's survey, it will be crucial for WAPPA to build on this momentum and ensure these growing concerns are addressed. This advocacy involves working with all stakeholders at every opportunity, whilst continuing to promote our Position Paper, Strengthening Schools as Safe Work Places and raising the issue with the wider community, as was the case on Monday.
Channel 7 4pm News
6PR morning radio
WAToday online

With the significant increase in WA respondents indicating they have been subject to threats of violence, or actual violence, WAPPA reminds you that we are always available to support you through any difficult circumstances.

AGPPA UPDATE
As reported in the last edition of WORDS, AGPPA recently held its National Council Meeting. Here is the President's Update from that meeting.

YOUTHCARE PRINCIPAL CHAPLAINS
For many years now, YouthCARE has operated a chaplaincy program, specifically for principals in regional WA. Whilst their coverage is not quite established across the entire state, members have reported that this service is a valuable opportunity to talk to someone, with no ties to education, about a range of matters. If you are unaware of this program, I would encourage you to click here and see who your designated chaplain is.

PILBARA PRINCIPALS' CONFERENCE
On 9 March, I was fortunate enough to attend the Pilbara Principals' Conference and this provided a timely opportunity to talk to school leaders about a range of local issues. Staffing and housing were hot topics, along with student complexity, access to support services and out of school care concerns. A number of these matters are currently on WAPPA's ongoing list of advocacy issues and will be further discussed at Board Meetings and State Assembly. The end of Day 1 provided a great opportunity to mingle with all of the school leaders from the region, who certainly are a committed and passionate group of educators, doing amazing things within education and through community and industry partnerships.

Pilbara Principals engaging in a QTS session at their 2023 Conference

EXTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES ON SITE
This topic has come up at a number of recent meetings I have attended, as well as Collegial Group discussions within the Business Centre. The growing number of requests from external providers, through parents or NDIS, is becoming problematic for school leaders to manage, with a range of issues needing to be addressed, such as timetabling, physical space, duty of care and accessing other learning areas. School leaders are being placed at the centre of these discussions and negotiations, sometimes finding themselves subject to complaints for not accommodating, or simply being overstretched in terms of workload, by needing to liaise with all stakeholders.

WAPPA has sought a meeting with the Statewide Services team to discuss some of these concerns and we anticipate it will be an item for discussion and problem solving at State Assembly. In the meantime, however, I have been asked to share the following IKON link with members, as not everyone may be aware of these supporting resources. I am also aware of schools developing their own guidelines and policies for external providers and I am sure they would be happy to share. If this is an issue we can support you with, please don't hesitate to contact us.

2023 WAPPA Conference

Professional Learning

Fierce Conversations April 3 & 4.

If you have been thinking about doing this fantastic PL, Now is the time to register before it is too late. Explore how to handle tough issues with confidence and skill, handle strong emotions - your own as well as others. You will learn how to create open, respectful and safe sharing conversations.

Making the Leap to Deputy Principal May 29

Are you thinking of Making the Leap to Deputy Principal or do you know someone else who is? Encourage them have a look at this program and join in to explore the role, understand the leadership skills required and begin the planning process.

Aspirant Event Series 1 - 20 April 2023

Are you a WAPPA Aspirant Member, or do you have a teacher aspiring to leadership in your school. We encourage all aspirants to join us for our Aspirant event series of workshops being held during the school holidays.

This interactive workshop will feature WAPPA Board Members sharing their experiences and answer questions to support you on your leadership journey. If you want to know more about Leadership Attributes or Building Trust and School Culture, please register. These events are proudly brought to you by Class Solver.

Click here for more information.

Partner Spotlight

Fleet Network’s most frequently asked questions on electric vehicles, answered

Founded in 1997 in Western Australia, Fleet Network is a leading Australian provider and preferred supplier with WAPPA.

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This is an exciting time to consider a change in how you drive. At Fleet Network, we understand that making the switch to an electric vehicle and understanding the current legislation allowing EVs to be exempt from the Fringe Benefits Tax can be a challenge to navigate. Our EV FAQs break down everything you need to know, including

What is the Electric Car Discount?
How is an EV novated lease different to a petrol or diesel novated lease?
How much does leasing an EV cost?
How do running costs compare to a standard petrol or diesel car?
How are running costs covered on an EV novated lease?

Browse our EV FAQs to learn more.
If you don’t see your EV related question, contact us with your query and we’ll get back to you within 4 hours – that’s our brand promise!