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Scholaris newsletter 8/9/2026

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Registrations open for the 2026 Kathleen Burrow Research Institute Lecture (Ref: 216/26)

Catholic Schools NSW is pleased to announce that Stan Grant, prominent Australian journalist, best-selling author, and Yindyamarra Distinguished Professor of Ethics at Charles Sturt University, will deliver the 2026 Kathleen Burrow Research Institute Lecture.

A proud Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi and Dharawal and Irish man, Stan has spent decades in media, both in Australia and internationally, with roles at major news networks. With his powerful storytelling and articulate advocacy, Stan has become one of the most influential voices for Indigenous matters and reconciliation.

In 2023, Stan was elected a Fellow of the Academic of the Social Sciences in Australia, and in 2024, he earned a PhD in theology from Charles Sturt University for a thesis entitled Yindyamarra as theology: identity, history, violence, faith and reconciliation. Stan is also the Author of 11 critically acclaimed and best-selling books, and writer of the internationally award-winning documentary The Australian Dream.

Previous speakers at our Annual Lecture include the Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP, the Hon. Jacqueline Gleeson, Justice of the High Court of Australia, the Hon. Chris Minns MP, Premier of NSW, and Greg Sheridan AO, author, commentator and Foreign Editor of The Australian.

The lecture will take place on Monday, 12 October at 6:00 pm at the Peter Cosgrove Centre, Australian Catholic University, Level 18, Tenison Woods House, 8-20 Napier Street, North Sydney. Guests are invited to enjoy drinks and canapés after the conclusion of the lecture. Guests are invited to enjoy drinks and canapés after the conclusion of the lecture.

Dress code: Academic dress/business.

Register for your free ticket here

The Kathleen Burrow Research Institute is a research unit within Catholic Schools NSW that conducts and publishes research on contemporary issues in school education to promote the advancement of education in all school sectors in Australia.

The institute is named after Kathleen Burrow (1899-1987), an Australian Catholic teacher who had a strong presence in the history of Catholic education and the Church in the 20th century.

KBRI

 

NESA updates – 7 September 2026 (Ref: 215/26)

NESA Official Notices

NESA Official Notices can be accessed here. 

HSC Music Performance Exams start today!

NESA would like to wish the 5,639 HSC Music students all the best as they take to the stage for their performance exams!

NESA's message to students is to continue looking after their wellbeing as they complete their exams and reach out for support if they need it.

In this year’s HSC Study Guide, the experts at ReachOut provide tips on how students can take care of their mental health during exams, and share advice for parents and carers on supporting them as they complete Year 12.

Click to read the advice from Reachout

New HSC syllabuses to commence in Term 4, 2026

The following HSC syllabuses will be implemented for the first time in Term 4 2026, and will be examined in the 2027 HSC:

The following Year 11 syllabuses were implemented in Term 1 2026, with the Year 12 syllabuses commencing in Term 4:

Information about HSC exam specifications can be found on the Assessment tab of each syllabus page on the NSW Curriculum website.

New limit on HSC Take-home assessments

From Term 4 2026 a maximum of one take-home assessment, worth no more than 15% of the school-based assessment mark, can be included in HSC courses. The same limit will apply to Preliminary courses from Term 1 2027.

The change will help protect student learning and uphold the integrity of the HSC by ensuring marks reflect a student’s own thinking and knowledge. Some courses with major works, projects or practical exams will be exempt.

Schools still decide the number, type and weighting of all in-school assessment tasks.

The ACE Rules, along with assessment and reporting requirements in each syllabus, will be updated to reflect the changes before the end of Term 3 2026.

Click to read the Official Notice 

Updated standards materials now available

NESA have updated their standards materials to include examples of major works and projects for:

The standards materials can be used by teachers and students to understand the difference between higher and lower band major works and projects and the quality of work that reflects achievement at the borders between band levels.

Click to access HSC Standards Materials

Software Engineering and Enterprise Computing sample full-mark responses now available

Sample full-mark responses are available as an additional resource to support the 2025 HSC marker feedback for Enterprise Computing 11–12 Syllabus (2022) and Software Engineering 11–12 Syllabus (2022). 

These resources provide examples of student responses to selected questions, supporting students’ understanding of how knowledge, skills and understanding may be demonstrated in responses.

Read the sample responses alongside the marking guidelines to better understand the qualities and characteristics of high-scoring responses.

Click to access HSC Exam Packs

Look out for HSC showcase nominations

HSC students across NSW will find out if they’re nominated for an HSC showcase over the next 3 months! 

Being nominated is an outstanding achievement, recognising that a student’s work reflects the syllabus outcomes and content, and meets HSC exam requirements.

The HSC Showcase Hub has everything you need to know about the upcoming HSC Showcase Season, including key dates for nominations, selections and events.

Download NESA’s social media kit to share your students’ nominations online! Remember to tag on Instagram or LinkedIn using the hashtag #NominationCelebration.

Key Dates
From now

Complete HSC online sample exams for Enterprise Computing, Science Extension and/or Software Engineering

HSC performance exams

ARTEXPRESS open in Dubbo, Windsor and Bondi

15 September

Year 12 assessment marks, grades and estimated marks due

Finalise Year 12 courses

18 September

Year 12 Life Skills Outcomes due

Year 12 Principal Certification of HSC Results data due

By subscribing to NESA News, you will receive the latest updates and information as soon as it becomes available.

Subscribe to NESA News here.

Professional Learning

Save the Dates: CSNSW Wellbeing for Learning Webinars 2026–2027 (Ref: 222/26)

The Wellbeing for Learning webinar series brings together leading voices in psychology, education and student wellbeing to support schools across the system. Several sessions have already run this year, including Dr Michael Carr-Gregg on the new Anti-Bullying Framework and Karen Doyle on the Live Life to the Full whole-school approach, with recordings available on the CSNSW Professional Learning platform.

Wellbeing Calendar

Looking ahead, upcoming sessions include Alex Kohn on Part 5A of the Education Act and Duty of Care (9 September 2026), Dr Carr-Gregg returning to explore what’s happening to our boys (14 October 2026), and further sessions through 2027 covering CRRE conversations, wellbeing foundations, and creating cultures of respect and belonging; culminating in our two-day Behaviour Symposium on 20–21 May 2027. Full details, including all dates, topics and speakers, are set out in the attached calendar.
 

Document
Wellbeing Calendar

Download 1.12 MB PDF



To register, log in to the CSNSW Professional learning platform:

CSNSW Professional Learning platform

 

What’s Happening to Our Boys? A Webinar with Dr Michael Carr-Gregg (Ref: 203/26)

Conversations about respectful relationships, and about what it means to grow up as a young man, are happening everywhere at the moment; in the media, in the community, and in our schools. Rather than a moment for alarm, Catholic schools can use this as a genuine opportunity: to connect with our young men, walk alongside them, and support them to become the men we need.

Catholic schools in NSW have been proactively building their response to this challenge for several years through the Catholic sector’s Consent and Respectful Relationships Education (CRRE) project.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, one of Australia’s leading adolescent psychologists and the author of 18 books on youth mental health and wellbeing, returns to CSNSW following the strong response to his earlier session on anti-bullying, which struck a chord with staff and parents alike.

In What’s Happening to Our Boys?, Dr Carr-Gregg will unpack:

  • What is happening to boys – the data on disengagement, and the developmental reasons behind it
  • What is being sold to them online – who is doing the selling, and why it works so well on a teenage brain
  • Why our usual responses fall short – and why shaming boys can drive them further towards the very influences we’re trying to counter
  • What actually shifts it – in classrooms, in staffrooms, and at kitchen tables

The session will carry real practical weight, with Dr Carr-Gregg promising staff and leaders will leave with genuine, workable strategies – alongside solid grounds for optimism.

Date: Wednesday 14 October 2026

Time: 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Delivery: Online

Register:What's Happening to Our Boy- Webinar

 

Catholic Employment Relations Ltd (CERL) Employment Law Symposium 2026 (Ref: 198/26)

In today’s workplace, leaders are expected to wear many hats; strategist, negotiator, risk manager, investigator and communicator – often all at once. This conference will explore proactive compliance strategies, enterprise bargaining, psychosocial risk management, unfair dismissal processes and adverse action risks. Under the Theme, Wearing every hat: Leadership in employment law, the program examines the multifaceted roles required to balance compliance, risk, culture and performance across modern workplaces.

The CERL Conference will be held at the Amora Hotel, a venue known for its excellent facilities and welcoming atmosphere.

The registration desk opens outside the Whiteley Ballroom at 9:00am. Lunch will be served in the Croft restaurant.

We look forward to seeing you there!

This is a free, invitation ONLY event. Confirmation of your seat will be sent via email. Doors open at 9:00am for registration.

Date: Friday 18 September 2026

Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Location: Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney, 11 Jamison St, Sydney New South Wales 2000

Delivery: In person event

To register your interest, click here.

 

Last chance to register for STANSW’s 2026 Virtual Forum full series (Ref: 220/26)

Join STANSW for a flexible online professional learning series to enhance your science teaching – no travel or time out of the classroom required.

Registrations for STANSW’s 2026 Virtual Forum full series and Day 1 sessions are closing this week on Wednesday, 9 September 2026.

Presenters are covering a range of areas, including Primary Science, Depth Studies, Data Science and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Perspectives.

To register, and for more information, click here. 

stansw

 

School Safety Forum (Ref: 199/26) 

Schools across Australia are operating in an increasingly complex environment where safety risks continue to evolve. From critical incidents and hostile threats to escalation, community tensions and post incident recovery, education leaders are being asked to navigate challenges that are both complex and high stakes.

To support school leaders and education professionals in strengthening safety capability, Nemesis Consultancy Group has launched the School Safety Forum, a two-day professional learning event designed specifically for principals, deputy principals, wellbeing teams, WHS and emergency management staff, counsellors and school operations staff.

Day 1: Thursday 17 September, 8:25 am – 4:00 pm 

Day 2: Friday 18 September, 8:45 am – 4:00 pm

Location: Club Parramatta, 2 Macquarie St, Parramatta NSW

Audience: Designed for principals, executive, system and operational leaders, emergency response teams, wellbeing staff, counsellors and those responsible for incident management and recovery.

Ticketing:

1 day admission: Thursday 17 September: $345+GST

1 day admission: Friday 18 September: $345+GST

2 day admission: Thursday 17–18 September: $690+GST

To register, and for further information, click here. 

 

Student Resources

STANSW’s 2026 HSC Lectures for Science students (Ref: 221/26)

STANSW is hosting HSC Exam Preparation Lectures for HSC science students 1-to-1.5-hour online sessions during the school holidays, designed to provide students with valuable insights before they sit their exams.

Delivered by experts in each subject area, the lectures will:

  • Explore the structure and requirements of the HSC exam
  • Review key module content and areas of focus
  • Provide proven strategies for exam technique and time management
  • Include practice questions and worked examples

Please share the registration pages with any interested students: https://stansw.asn.au/event/2026-hsc-exam-preparation-lectures/

 

School Updates & Newsletters

CCSP Free webinar with eSafety Commissioner for parents and carers (218/26)

The Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) NSW invites you to attend their Term 3 Free Webinar for parents with the expert eSafety Commissioner team: 'Influencers, Ideology and Impacts - How algorithms influence and reinforce harmful beliefs'.

What is this webinar about?

Young people are constantly being shown videos, posts and content online based on what they have clicked on, watched or searched for. This webinar will explain, in simple terms, how these algorithms work and how they can sometimes lead young people towards harmful content, unhealthy ideas or stereotypes. The eSafety Commissioner team will share practical tips to help parents and carers understand what young people are seeing online and how to help them create safer, healthier and more positive online experiences.

Lunch and learn! Grab your lunch and a cup of tea and join the team during the day for this 45-minute session.

Date: Wednesday 16 September
Time:12:30pm – 1:15pm

To register and for more information,click here.

This webinar explores both the benefits and risks of recommender algorithms and offers practical strategies to help parents and carers to support young people build more positive and safer online feeds:

  • the role of algorithms and recommender systems in driving engagement and shaping online experiences
  • how platforms and online communities keep young people engaged, expose them to harmful content and reinforce gendered stereotypes
  • strategies to shape algorithmic feeds and build more positive and safe online experiences
  • how eSafety can support people experiencing serious online harm.

This webinar is Not suitable for those under 18.

A recording is available for registered participants for 72 hours following the webinar.

CCSP

 

Council of Catholic School Parents conference: Supporting Families: Working Together in a Modern World (Ref: 217/26)

Council of Catholic School Parents NSW (CCSP) invites all parents and carers to a day of connection, growth and learning, bringing families closer together in this constantly evolving world.

Supporting Families: Working Together in a Modern World is a conference designed especially for parents and carers of children in Catholic schools, bringing together leading voices in education, parenting and wellbeing to explore the topics that matter most to families today.

The day will include expert speakers Daniel Principe, Gen Muir and Karen Young, talking about topics such as cybersafety, respectful relationships, dealing with kids’ anxiety, and managing big feelings.

Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026

Time: 9.30 am – 4:00 pm

Venue: Twin Town Services Club, 2 Wharf Street, Tweed Heads

To find out more and to register, click here.

This conference is a great opportunity for many parents and carers in School communities to connect with other parents and carers, share experiences and gain valuable knowledge in a welcoming and supportive environment.

To promote this event to your school communities, see the event flyer here.









Banner CCSP conference

 

Employment Opportunities 

Apply Now: 2027 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations – Expressions of Interest for the role of Assessor for Economics, Legal Studies, Studies of Religion (I & II) and Studies in Catholic Thought (I & II) (Ref: 200/26)

The Senior Manager, CSSA Exams, is seeking expressions of interest for the following positions.

Assessor of the 2027 CSSA Trial HSC Examination:

  • Economics
  • Legal Studies
  • Studies of Religion I and II
  • Studies in Catholic Thought I and II

The letter regarding the Expression of Interest requirements for the Assessor role with the CSSA and the application process is found here. 

Interested applicants are asked to send a Cover Letter and current Curriculum Vitae to Dr Andrew Eaton, Senior Manager, CSSA Exams at cssa.exams@csnsw.catholic.edu.au by 9 am Tuesday, 15 September 2026.  

 

Scholarships and Awards 

Council of Catholic School Parents NSW 2026 Family Partnerships Excellence Awards (Ref: 218/26)

This is the 12th year CCSP has offered this $5000 annual grant to schools that demonstrate excellence in a family partnership project or initiative. Please encourage all your schools to apply! 
 
The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW Family Partnerships Excellence Awards are open to all eligible NSW Catholic schools. Apply now for the chance to receive a $5000grant to continue a project or initiative that focuses on family engagement and building community in your school. Up to $10,000 in total available!
 
To promote this opportunity to your schools, see the 2026 Family Partnerships Excellence Awards flyer here.
 
How do you enter? It's easy! 
 
1. Complete the downloadable submission form on the CCSP website here: https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/awards. Respond to 6 criteria about your school's initiative.
2. Complete the online entry form, have the application endorsed by the school principal and P&F/parent body chair, then upload your submission form and any supporting files.

Check out past winners and get all the details about how to enter here: https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/awards

Entries close at 5:00 pm on 16 October 2026.
CCSP FEA

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  5. Scholaris newsletter 4/8/2026

    In this week's newsletter we cover: Professional Learning, School Updates and Newsletters, Scholarships and Awards, Legal and Policy and other Priority items.
    Read more about Scholaris newsletter 4/8/2026

  6. Scholaris newsletter 28/7/2026

    In this week's newsletter we cover: Professional Learning, School Updates and Newsletters, Scholarships and Awards, Legal and Policy and other Priority items.
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