Welcome to Scholaris

The 2026 CSNSW Behaviour and Diverse Learning Symposium will be held on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 May at the Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney. The Symposium will address topics including bullying, antisemitism and social cohesion, school security, wellbeing and pastoral care, student behaviour, and supporting students with diverse learning needs.

Day One (Monday 4 May) of the Symposium will focus on School Safety, covering topics such as the NSW Anti-bullying Framework, antisemitism and social cohesion, and school security. This day is aimed at Diocesan Directors, system leaders, wellbeing leaders, heads of counselling, safeguarding leads, and principals, and will feature a keynote address from Emeritus Professor Donna Cross and Peter Moroney (Nemesis Consultancy). In addition, the program will include diocesan and RI/MPJP Catholic school case studies, panel discussions, and table discussions with ample time for Q&A.

Day Two (Tuesday 5 May) will address a range of topics including wellbeing and pastoral care, anti-bullying, student behaviour, diverse learning, and school safety. The programme will feature keynote presentations from Tom Bennett OBE (International Behaviour Expert and Author), Dr Mark Williams (Internationally Renowned Neuroscientist), and Stina Constantine (International Speaker, Human Rights Advocate, and Wellbeing Expert). Other distinguished speakers at the symposium include: Dr Shiralee Poed, Dr John Burns, Bryan Jeffrey, Dr Michael Casey, Shawn van der Linden, Kate Xavier, and Rev. Adrian Gomez. The day consists of four workshop streams for attendees to choose from, including: Consent and Respectful Relationships Education (CRRE), Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), Diverse Learning, and Mental Health/Pastoral Care. This day is designed for a broad audience, including school and Diocesan leaders, diverse learning specialists, wellbeing staff, school counsellors & psychologists, pastoral support staff, and principals.

Date and time: 8:30am Monday 4 May 2026 - 4:00pm Tuesday 5 May.

Location: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, 199 George Street, The Rocks, NSW 2000.

For more information about this event and to register, click here. 

Subscribe to the NESA News here

NESA Official Notices

NESA Official Notices can be accessed here

NESA Timetable of action for secondary schools

Timetable of action for secondary schools can be accessed here

Key Dates

From now - WriteOn competition opens

2 April   - Applications close for exam provisions for the 2026 HSC exams

             - Applications close for School Developed Board Endorsed Courses (SDBECs)

12 April - ARTEXPRESS closes at Hazelhurst Arts Centre

19 April - ARTEXPRESS closes at Maitland Regional Art Gallery

20 April - 2026 HSC languages oral exam timetable released

             - 2026 HSC written exam elective surveys open

             - HSC Science Extension sample exam available

26 April - ARTEXPRESS closes at Art Gallery of NSW

1 May   - Applications close for University Developed Board Endorsed Courses (UDBECs)

Professional Learning

Registrations now open for the Curriculum Reform Conference (Ref: 77/26)

Catholic Schools NSW invites you to register for the 2026 K–12 Curriculum Reform Conference: Learning with Grace – Expert practice at the heart, a live online professional learning event for Catholic educators across NSW.

Conference Details:

Date: Monday, 20 July 2026

Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm AEST

Format: Online (live streamed to schools and individuals) 

Audience: Teachers, school leaders and system leaders

The conference will support schools in planning and implementation of the NSW Curriculum Reform. It brings together leading voices in Catholic mission, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Keynotes and workshop sessions will provide expert guidance, practical support and new learnings for schools and staff.

Ticketing Information:

Option 1 – Group Booking: Whole of school ticket allowing full staff participation

Option 2 - Individual Booking: Educators not in schools register individually 

All registrations will have six months of access to the conference content and recordings post event. 

For further details and to secure your ticket, click here.

STEM MAD Introductory Teacher Workshop (Ref: 74/26)

Join leading STEM educator Dr Simon Crook, Director of CrookED Science, for this free half-day introductory workshop designed for primary teachers. Leveraging his proven record of success with finalists and winners in the Catholic Network Australia (CNA) STEM MAD competition, Simon will equip you with essential strategies. He will unpack how to:

• Select and organise students.
• Guide them through the STEM design process and iterative prototyping cycle.
• Offer suggestions on real-world problems to solve and the final video product.

The details for the introductory workshop are:

Date: Monday, 27 April 2026

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm

Venue: Online (via Microsoft Teams link to provided closer to the date)

Registration link: https://csnsw.link/STEMMadIntroWorkshop

This introductory session will be followed by three further half-day student support workshops (via Teams) for students and teachers to work through their projects.

STEM MAD Student Support Workshops

Give your STEM students a competitive edge with direct access and expert feedback from leading STEM educator Dr Simon Crook, Director of CrookED Science. These free three half-day support workshops are dedicated to refining their STEM MAD projects. For maximum benefit, it is highly recommended that the STEM teacher also attend the earlier Teacher Introductory Workshop.

These are progressive workshops and will be held on:

• Thu 11 Jun (9.00am – 12.00pm)
• Thu 25 Jun (9.00am – 12.00pm)
• Thu 10 Sep (9.00am – 12.00pm)

To register your students for these sessions, please follow this link: https://csnsw.link/STEMMadStudentWorkshops

Community Language Schools Annual Conference (Ref: 73/26)

The NSW Federation of Community Language Schools Inc will hold its Annual Community Languages Schools Conference on Saturday 18 April 2026 at the Eastern Ave Auditorium in the University of Sydney.

This event will welcome 700 teachers of languages and feature a range of local, interstate, and international language teaching experts. Language teachers have the unique opportunity to strengthen their teaching practices with practical, relevant insights from two keynote presentations and a wide selection of 30 engaging workshops designed to support professional development.

Date: Saturday 18 April 2026, 

Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm AEST

Location: Eastern Ave Auditorium, University of Sydney, Camperdown

For more information and to register, click here. 

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Legal and Policy

Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) 2026 (Ref: 67/26)

Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) is an annual, collaborative campaign designed to promote the importance of protecting personal information. In particular, it raises awareness about privacy rights, compliance with the Privacy Act, and best practices for safeguarding data. 

PAW is run by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in conjunction with state and territory privacy regulators. 

This year PAW will be held from 4 - 10 May 2026. 

This year’s theme, Trust is built here – In every privacy complaint. In every resolution, highlights the critical role complaint handling plays in demonstrating accountability, fairness and accountability. PAW supporters will have access to our toolkit, released in advance of PAW. It will have a range of resources and content to help raise awareness and promote good privacy practices. 

You can sign up now via this link.

For more information, follow this link.

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Employment Opportunities

Catholic Schools NSW - Manager, Wellbeing. (Ref: 76/26)

CSNSW is recruiting the position of Manager, Wellbeing.

The Manager Wellbeing is responsible for supporting a range of policy and program areas including student wellbeing and safety, PDHPE, National Student Wellbeing Program, student behaviour, road safety and school attendance. 

The Manager, Wellbeing, will work in close collaboration with the Senior Manager, Wellbeing and CVE, colleagues in the Education Policy Directorate and the Legal and Risk Directorate.

This is a full time, permanent position, working from the CSNSW office located in Sydney CBD.

Applications close Monday 13 April 2026.

If you are interested in this position or know someone who may be, please share details or click on the link below to view full position description and information on how to apply.

Manager, Wellbeing Job in Sydney NSW - SEEK

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Scholarships and Awards

Applications now open! 2026 Schools Plus Teaching Awards (Ref: 65/26)

Applications have opened for the 2026 Schools Plus Teaching Awards, a national initiative celebrating teachers who are making a meaningful impact in some of Australia’s most disadvantaged communities.

The Schools Plus Teaching awards recognise educators who extend far beyond everyday teaching responsibilities. From helping students overcome learning barriers to creating supportive classrooms for learning, these teachers play a crucial role in helping young people thrive. In many cases, they are a consistent source of guidance and encouragement, influencing students’ lives in ways that reach well beyond academic achievement.

Not only does the award acknowledge the individual, but also their knowledge and experience on best practice and innovation. 

Important dates for 2026:

• Applications close: 8 May 2026, 5:00pm AEST 
• Recipients announced: June 2026 
• Awards ceremony: 15 September 2026 at Parliament House, Canberra 

Teachers are encouraged to apply and be acknowledged for the difference they make every day.

To learn more about the award, and to apply go to: Schools Plus Teaching Awards - Australian Schools Plus

 

Apply now for the NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarships (Ref: 47/26)

Successful applicants will receive $15,000 to complete a 5-week study tour within Australia or abroad. Participants will have the opportunity to visit the most acclaimed schools and centres for teaching and training and collaborate with professionals in a key focus area to inspire positive outcomes for students in NSW schools.

If you are a current temporary or permanent teacher or in an early childhood centre in a Catholic school in NSW, you may be eligible to apply.

The NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarships include: 

• Premier's Anika Foundation Youth Depression Awareness Scholarship
• Premier's Creativity across the Curriculum Scholarship
• Premier's Early Childhood Australia Education Scholarship
• Premier's Economics and Business Educators NSW Commerce Scholarship
• Premier's Hicksons Lawyers Rural and Remote Education Scholarship
• Premier's History Teachers' Association History Scholarship
• Premier's NESA Quality Teaching Scholarship
• Premier's Reserve Bank of Australia Economics Scholarship
• Premier's Teachers Mutual Bank Aboriginal Education Scholarship
• Premier’s University of New England STEM and Technology Scholarship
• Premier's University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship
• Premier's Vocational Education in Schools Scholarship
• Premier's Western Sydney University Inclusive Education Scholarship

 

Apply for the NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholarships here

Applications close Friday 15 May 2026, 11:59 pm (AEST).

 

For further information, please visit the NSW Premier's Teacher Scholarships webpage

View the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact the program team via premierscholarships@det.nsw.edu.au or (02) 7814 3820.