This event is open to staff from member and non-member schools and is ideally suited to:

• Wellbeing staff and leaders, such as chaplains, wellbeing coordinators (students and staff), student services staff
• Non-teaching administration staff and leaders, such as HR and finance staff, business managers, reception and admin staff, and

The event will be held at the same venue (Mueller College, Rothwell), to assist with schools arranging transport for their teams. Additionally, we will commence the event with a combined session 1 in the main auditorium. Following this first session, attendees will break into the two streams, as listed above.

Registration for the event includes catering for the day and all session materials.

To register for this event, simply click on the 'Register Now' button and follow the prompts. You will be able to select your relevant stream (Wellbeing or Administration) and provide any special dietary requirements.

Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirming your registration (please note this may also end up in your junk mailbox).

For CSA Members, the event is setup that you will be able to register multiple people, however if you would like assistance with group/multiple bookings for this event, please reach out to Tanya Pampuch via [email protected] or Andrew Taylor via [email protected].

An outline of the program is provided below:

• 8:30am  Arrival for a 9am start
• 9:00am  Welcome and Housekeeping
• 9:30am  Session 1 (combined)
• 10:30am  Morning Tea
• 11:00am  Session 2 for each stream
• 12:30pm  Lunch
• 1:30pm  Session 3 for each stream
• 3:00pm  Close of event

Please note this program is subject to change.

Outlined below is information for each of the sessions. Please note that session one is combined, with the two streams breaking after morning tea.

Session One (Combined): The Cultural Compass: What’s Shaping Identity?

Note this is a joint Session for both conferences

To effectively engage with young people using biblical narratives, it's crucial to grasp how the broader cultural influences are shaping our perspectives. This session aims to delve into the prevalent "cultural narratives" that shape both us and the youth in our educational institutions. It prompts reflection on what messages we're receiving about our identities and desires, and how these impact the formation of identity in our current cultural climate.

Contemporary narratives encourage young individuals to craft their own stories and identities. How does this trend influence the process of identity formation? What are its repercussions on the mental health and overall well-being of young people in our society? Mark Ryan, CSA South Australia Executive Officer and primary architect of the CSA Christian Formation Framework, will guide this session tailored for Christian school staff, both educators and administrative personnel. The session format will blend live instruction with video vignettes and opportunities for small group dialogue.

Session Two (Wellbeing Staff): Understanding and Supporting Neurodiverse Students

Minds and Hearts Psychologist, Lizaan Schwartz, will lead a 90-minute interactive session dedicated to understanding and providing strategies to support neurodiverse students. This is an area Lizaan has developed extensive experience in working with students, parents and teachers in education settings. Lizaan's session will be highly practical and an informative, providing an overview of the unique challenges faced by neurodiverse students and how your staff can use practical tools to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Session Three (Wellbeing Staff): Understanding Trauma Informed Care

Healing after trauma requires considerations that are physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Trauma can leave survivors disorientated and disconnected from themselves and their community and from God. When we better understand its impact we can respond in ways that create safe and secure spaces for young people, families and staff to recover. This workshop will contain theory as well as opportunities to explore how to make our practices in Christian schools more trauma informed. No matter what our roles in schools, when we better understand the impact of trauma, we are better equipped to do no harm, and to create healing spaces for others. We travel better when we travel together. How we view and respond to trauma can be transformative in the lives of those around us, and indeed for us too. Our time together will be gentle and trauma informed, such that we experience, not just learn about, Transformation after trauma. For it is true “Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.”  Frederick Buechner.

Session Two (Administration Staff): Work Smarter, Not Harder

A session, led by Katie York, Executive Assistant to the Principal at Caloundra Christian College. The session will focus on the variety of tools administrative staff can utilise to positively impact on their work and wellbeing. These will include:

• Why utilise technology?
• Developing an automation mindset
• Live automation demo (eg. Zapier, Power Automate, Calendly)
• Solutions to reduce email
• Task Management Systems - ClickUp etc
• AI Tools - probably ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot

Session Three (Administration Staff): Conflict Management and Resolution

Dr David Zimmerman and Dr Wes Turner from Minds and Hearts will provide a 90-minute session to non-teaching staff on conflict management and resolution, with a particular emphasis on parent interaction. The session will focus on practical strategies and effective communication techniques to help staff navigate conflicts and build positive relationships with parents and colleagues.

Speaker: Mark Ryan

Mark Ryan has been part of the CSA team since 2019 in the role of Executive Officer, SA. Mark has previous experience in leadership roles at Temple Christian College and has degrees in both education and theology. He has also held pastoral roles in a number of churches. Mark serves as a Director on the Board of Compass and with such an excellent grasp of biblical literacy, worldview and its application to culture, learning and vocation, is well-placed to lead CSA's national portfolio of, Christian Formation.

Speaker: Lizaan Schwartz

Lizaan Schwartz is a Psychologist working as part of the team and Minds and Hearts. The team at Minds and Hearts are integral to the innovative, passionate and thoughtful work that they do. They hold a strong commitment to professional training, and also welcome Intern Clinicians in their final years of study. Intern Clinicians provide services under clinical supervision at reduced rates.

Speaker: Lisa Coles

Lisa Coles is Executive Principal of Arethusa College – a trauma-aware, transformation-focused high school for students for whom mainstream education has not worked. She is a Spiritual Director with a special interest in journeying with people whose trauma stories and subsequent questions entreat deep listening.  She loves rain and reading and green spaces, preferably all at the same time. She’s not good at work-life balance, moderation or exercise but firmly believes in cheese.

Speaker: Katie York

Katie York is currently serving as the Executive Assistant to the Principal at Caloundra Christian College on the Sunshine Coast, a school she once attended as a child. She was profoundly impacted by Christian Education which was a catalyst for her journey to faith. Early in her career, she discovered a gift for administration while working in IT Support for Education Queensland. Later, she was called to serve at C3 Church as a Personal Assistant & IT Manager before returning to education 3 years ago. Katie loves getting things done, preferably with no-code automation and a nice cup of tea.

Speaker: Dr. David Zimmerman

David is a Clinical Psychologist and Board-approved Clinical Supervisor working as part of the team at Minds and Hearts. The team at Minds and Hearts are integral to the innovative, passionate and thoughtful work that they do. They hold a strong commitment to professional training, and also welcome Intern Clinicians in their final years of study. Intern Clinicians provide services under clinical supervision at reduced rates.

Speaker: Dr. Wesley Turner

Wesley is a Clinical Psychologist working as part of the team at Minds and Hearts. The team at Minds and Hearts are integral to the innovative, passionate and thoughtful work that they do. They hold a strong commitment to professional training, and also welcome Intern Clinicians in their final years of study. Intern Clinicians provide services under clinical supervision at reduced rates.

This event is hosted by Andrew Taylor, Executive Officer, QLD.

At the conclusion of this event, a certificate of professional learning, for self-accreditation, will be made available to participants, via your member dashboard. The event will address the following AITSL standards and Christian Distinctive Focus areas: 

AITSL Professional Teacher and Leadership Standards:
»  6.2 Engage in Professional Learning and Improve Practice
»  6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice
»  7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
» Leading the Management of the School

Christian Distinctive Focus Areas:
»  7B Contributes to the development of distinctive Christian practice in the school, profession and wider community

Want to learn more about the CSA Christian Distinctive Focus areas? Click here.

All cancellations must be made in writing to the Event Organiser. Unfortunately, no refunds will be issued after 7 days out from the event. Any cancellations made after this date will be charged the full registration fee. 'No Shows' to the event will be charged the full registration fee. 

Please note that registration fees do not include insurance to cover loss of any fees/deposit through cancellation of your participation in the event or through cancellation of the event itself. A full refund will be issued if the event is cancelled by the organiser (CSA) due to any reasons out of the organisers control.

The event program is subject to change and we may not be able to provide prior notice.