QACSL eNewsletter - June 2025

President's Update

Dear QACSL Members,

I am delighted to write to you this month as the incoming President of the Queensland Association of Combined Sector Leaders.  For those who do not know me, my name is Paul Andrews, and I have been a passionate member of our organisation for the last 5 years.  My career has taken me across the state from large P-12 Urban Colleges to Deputy Principalship and Principalship in rural Central Western Queensland.  I am truly honoured to have been elected as President of QACSL in late March, and after navigating a series of structural changes throughout the department, I excitedly began the role officially in May.  I would like to say a big thank you to all the members who I have spoken to and welcomed me into this role.  I am inspired by the deep desire shown by everyone to see QACSL flourish now and into the future.  We have some big plans that I am excited to share them with you in our first new eNewsletter.  

I appreciate that this Newsletter is far longer than I would normally provide, however I felt it important to outline our strategic direction and focus going forward.

At the heart of QACSL’s work is a simple, powerful truth: everything we do is about improving outcomes for students. We empower school leaders to lead with confidence and impact - because when leaders thrive, students succeed. Through advocacy, professional development, and collegial support, QACSL equips leaders to meet the complex demands of combined sector education, today and into the future.

Honouring Brian O'Neill

Many of our members had the opportunity to hear me speak at the School Leaders conference earlier this term.  During this address, I took the opportunity to thank Brian O'Neill, our immediate past president, for his dedication to QACSL over his career.  You may not know that Brian was actually meant to be on stage with Pat Murphy (QASSP Pres.) and me, however due to sickness, he was unable to get to Brisbane.  I had written a longer version of my address for Brian which I would like to share:

"Finally, today, Pat has tasked me with the greatest honour imaginable.  That is to acknowledge our immediate past president of QACSL – Brian O’Neill.  Having been born and raised in Normanton, Queensland’s Gulf Country, it was his early teaching experiences in rural and remote schools (including Normanton I might add) that instilled Brian’s love for regional education.  His entire career has been spent in regional and remote locations, working to provide the best opportunities for students so often left behind when compared with big metropolitan schools.  Brian has been a passionate advocate for combined sector education for over 40 years, with the last 26 being spent as Principal of Callen District State College intermittently dispersed with QACSL and SPERA Presidencies. 

Brian has mentored countless generations of students, teachers and school leaders. He has provided a shoulder to cry on, calm counsel in tough times and a joyful smile in the good times; and one or two corny jokes to lighten the mood at times as well.  Brian has led our small but powerful organization with pride and determination, achieving significant success from which combined schools now benefit. Simple things such as Heads of School being able to attend principals' conferences or undertake school reviews, the allocation of deputy principals and HODs to rural and remote k-12 schools or advocating for a combined sector timetabling app in OneSchool. 

Brian, you have touched the lives of so many people, not just in this room, but across the educational landscape.  I am truly honoured to call you not only a mentor, but also a close friend.  Brian, while we know you are not retiring, but rather transitioning into academia, you can leave the department knowing that it is in a better place, how do we know? Because you helped shape it."

On a personal note - when I say a shoulder to cry on, I mean it.  Numerous times throughout my own leadership journey, Brian has allowed me to be privately vulnerable and offered significant support when things have been tough.  Brian's work in providing wellbeing support for school leaders is second to none.  Brian, thank you for your enduring work and friendship - I hope I can live up to your leadership. Thank you. 

It must be said, Brian is not leaving QACSL for good, he is remaining as our Treasurer and VP - Academic Research.

Annual General Meeting

Thank you to the approximately 40 members who attended our AGM in March.  The Executive for 2025-2027 is as follows:

Executive Committee:

• President - Paul Andrews (QACSL & FN Regional Office)
• Secretary - Vanessa Koina (MISOTA)
• Treasurer - Brian O'Neill (CQU)
• VP - Administration - Vanessa Koina (MISOTA)
• VP - Academic Research - Brian O'Neill (CQU)
• VP - First Nations - Yolanda McLean (Tagai SC)
• VP - Inclusion & Diversity - Kelly Jeppesen (Woodford SS)
• VP - Marketing - Bec Hutton (Palmwoods SS)
• VP - Mentoring - Cameron Wayman (Beaconsfield SS)
• VP - Rural, Remote and Distance Education - Aleksandr Taylor-Gough (Tagai SC)
• VP - School Supervisors/Corporate Liaison - Bronwyn Johnstone (SS - SER)
• VP - Urban Colleges Network - Joel Buccholz (Kelvin Grove SC)
  

Regional Counsellors:

• Central Queensland - Nicole Landers (Barcaldine P-12 SS), Sarah Taylor (Tambo SS), Pree Jeewandara (Calen SC)
• Darling Downs South West - Felicity Ditchburn (Taabinga SS), Jason Edmonstone (Millmerran P-10 SS)
• North Queensland - Tonia Smerdon (Normanton SS)
• Far North - Chris Honan (EFI/Herberton SS)
• North Coast - Kelly Jeppesen (Woodford SS), Renai McLean (Kilvivan SS)

Vacant Positions:

• VP - Associate Administrators
• Counsellors for Metro North, Metro South, & South East Region

We welcome back our long-standing Patron - David Ham, who is joined this year as Co-Patron with the wonderful Robin Rayner who is handing the baton of mentorship over to Cam Wayman.

Renewed Strategic Focus

Leveraging on Brian's work, we have undergone a significant period of strategic planning.  As many of you may have seen, I sent out a survey regarding our strategic direction and the opportunities QACSL has to contribute to the educational conversations in our state. Thank you to all who have completed this survey and if you have not, there is still time:

https://forms.office.com/r/U5KuNjpj55

Using the responses as well as a significant number of conversations with members and stakeholders, I have spent the last month drafting our new four-year strategic plan. Recognising the need to renew our purpose, vision and mission, the committee has reviewed and endorsed our Strategic Plan 2025 - 2028.  Please take the time to read the plan and if you feel that you can contribute to any particular area, let us know!  The link is located on the left-hand side at the top of the eNewsletter.

Here is a brief snapshot of our agenda:

Our vision is: 

To be the leading voice and professional community for combined sector school leaders in Queensland, driving equity, excellence and innovation in education.

Our mission is:

To support, connect and empower school leaders of combined sector schools through advocacy, professional learning, research and strategic partnerships that address the unique needs of our communities.

We have consolidated our work into three strategic pillars:

1. Governance
2. Professional Learning
3. Advocacy and Influence

These will be achieved through our five Strategic Priorities:

1. Strengthening association governance and structures (Pillar 1)
2. Embedding the state schooling strategy throughout our strategic focus (Pillar 1)
3. Statewide presence and professional learning (Pillar 2)
4. Reinvigorating regional representation and advocacy (Pillar 3)
5. Building research, policy and innovation influence (Pillar 3)

Over the coming months, we will be forming 3 sub-committees to oversee the work of each Pillar.  If you have a particular interest in one of these pieces of work, please reach out and I will allocate you to the appropriate leadership member for further consultation.

Professional Development & Meeting Restructure

A major part of my platform in running for President was to restructure our monthly meetings.  To better respond to the needs of our members, we have made the decision to split our monthly meetings into two separate meetings, one executive functions meeting and one wider membership professional development.  The rationale behind this change is that it allows us to maintain the functioning of the association, whilst also creating a space for useful dialogue between QACSL members facilitated around a topic of conversation. 

We will have three pieces of PD per month:

1. Monthly PD Meeting - a meeting for all members where a guest will provide a session of professional development followed by discussion by QACSL Members.  This session will be taped and uploaded to support those unable to make the meeting.
2. eNewsletter - each month, the guest of the PD Meeting will be invited to submit an article for members to peruse and share with their communities if they see fit. 
3. Cross-Sector Conversations: A QACSL Podcast - Each month we will be interviewing interesting people, providing insights into combined sector education.  Sometimes, it may be the same guest as the Monthly PD Meeting, other times it may be a leader or a group of leaders from Queensland combined sector schools.  This is an exciting initiative for QACSL, and I do hope you enjoy it as much as I have in developing it.

A monthly schedule for our PD meetings will be released soon once finalised, and members are welcome to join any sessions that align with their interests. All sessions will also be added to our calendar of events to assist with planning and organisation.

Marketing Materials & Membership Drive

We’re entering a new era of connection for QACSL. A new website is on the way, and we’ve established dedicated email addresses to improve how we communicate and engage with members:

• president@qacsl.org.au - this is my direct QACSL Email
• admin@qacsl.org.au - this is our admin email monitored by Kassandra Schaefer (QACSL AO)

A big thank you goes to Bec Hutton (VP Marketing), Bronwyn Johnstone (VP School Supervisors) and Vanessa Koina for being the guiding graphic designers for this work! Their insights have been invaluable.

We also want to be upfront: we know we haven’t done engagement as well in the past as it could have been. Communication has been inconsistent, and engagement has dipped. We hear you and we’re owning it. This is our commitment to doing better. Over the coming year we will begin putting out professional flyers and materials to help drive engagement.

At its heart, QACSL is about collegiality and connection. We are a network of school leaders who understand the unique complexity and opportunity of leading in P–10/12 contexts. No one understands this space like we do and it’s time we harness that strength. So here’s the ask: If you know a leader who isn’t a QACSL member - reach out. Invite them in. Let them know they’re not alone. Let them know there’s a professional community that’s built just for them. Together, we are stronger, louder, and more effective. This is more than a membership drive—it’s a movement to reconnect and reenergise. Let’s grow it, together.

Connecting with Schools across Queensland

It is my goal to visit as many combined sector schools as possible throughout my term. Each term, I’ll spend two weeks on the road: one week in Brisbane for central office meetings and connecting with leaders in our urban colleges across the South East, and one week out in the regions, visiting our regional, rural and remote schools.

These visits are designed to ensure QACSL stays connected to the realities of school leadership across all settings. Whether you're leading a large urban college or a small P–10 in the bush, I want to hear from you directly.

Importantly, if you need support, don’t wait for a visit - reach out. We're committed to continuing our work on principal wellbeing and professional connection. Leadership can be isolating, but you don’t have to do it alone. QACSL exists to walk beside you.

Paul Andrews
President

0431 895 499 | president@qacsl.org.au

Cross-Sector Conversations: A QACSL Podcast

We’re excited to launch Cross Sector Conversations — a podcast created by QACSL, for leaders working in P-10/12 schools across Queensland. Each episode will bring together a mix of voices from across the sector: school leaders (from the biggest urban colleges to the smallest rural schools), leading academics, education experts, and people with a passion for making schools better.

We’ll chat about what’s working, what’s tricky, and what’s next — all with the aim of sharing ideas, building connections, and helping each other grow. Whether you’re after inspiration, insight, or just a good story from someone who gets it, this podcast is for you.

While we have an outline of the next 5 months into November, we are always looking for ideas/suggestions.  If there is a particular person, group or school you want to hear from, let us know and we can see where we can slot them in.

For our first episode, you are in for a treat! Who better to start us off than an engaging and thought-provoking interview between Joel Buccholz - Principal of Kelvin Grove State College and Sarah Taylor - Principal of Tambo State School.  Joel and Sarah discuss the challenges and opportunities that Combined Sector leadership places on them on a daily basis.  They will share their hopes and aspirations for not only their schools, but also QACSL and the wider educational community.  We are so grateful to the time they gave to be our first guests and cannot wait to hear your feedback. 

Grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!

Academic Research

Next month we have a stimulating Professional Development opportunity for our members.  Associate Professor Judith Howard, Academic Engagement Lead at QUT School of Education, will be presenting a Trauma Aware Education PD over Teams.  Judith is a world leader in trauma informed educational practices and is acutely aware that trauma in students is having a dramatic effect on how our students learn and how our schools support students to succeed.  In preparation for this PD, Judith has shared with us a background paper and a number of links for people to peruse at their leisure.  A link to the PD will be provided early next month.  

Declaration for a Trauma-Aware Education Workforce

 Welcome - Trauma Aware Education

 QUT - Micro credential in Trauma-Aware Education

 QUT - Graduate Certificate in Education (Trauma-Aware Education)

Mentoring

We welcome Cameron Wayman as our new VP - Mentoring.  Cameron has an extensive history with QACSL, he is a life member of the association and has worked for many years in combined sector schools.

Recognising the incredible work of the Education Futures Institute in the capability space, QACSL would like to support and supplement this work through the provision of our mentoring service.  We are looking at starting a needs basis service, where anyone who would like to access our leaders can email admin@qacsl.org.au or Cameron - cwaym1@eq.edu.au and we will facilitate a conversation.  We know that leadership in combined sector schools comes with a variety of challenges, and as such we are not providing a one size fits all approach.  We will look to support a range of topics including but not limited to:

1. 1:1 Support
   
2. Skillset Building (pedagogy; curriculum; teaching & learning)
3. Aspirants (Resume & Selection Criteria review; Interview Preparation)
4. Finance & HR
5. Recruitment

We have also been in discussions with a number of QACSL leaders around providing opportunities for members across Queensland to cross-collaborate across schools. Furthermore, our members are readily available to bring the unique combined sector approach to any interview panels you have in your school.

We are seeking members who would be willing to be mentors.  If you feel that you could support the next generation of combined sector leaders, please reach our to either Cam or Paul. 

Advocacy Updates

QACSL is currently engaged in a variety of Advocacy initiatives across the Department of Education and the wider educational space.  

Department of Education:

• Procedure Review - Student Behaviour: The Department is seeking input from the associations regarding the current model of student behaviour.  We have had two meetings to date and discussed the Student Code of Conduct in depth and will see a revised/remodelled document in due course.  Thank you to members who have provided feedback to take to these meetings, Paul has taken these to the sessions.  The Department has consistently emphasised to all associations that no legislative changes are taking place.  Any developments in the behavioural review are driven solely by policy and procedure, with a strong focus on improving usability and clarity.  QACSL will be developing a written submission to accompany the feedback already provided at the our next meeting in July.
• Red Tape Reduction Working Group: On Thursday 19th June, Paul attended the Red Tape Reduction Working Group in Brisbane at Education House, Mary Street.  In this meeting they discussed the variety of red tape solutions that are being developed.  Further information regarding this will be provided by the department in due course. 
• New State Schooling Strategy: Paul attended the Director General Roadshow in May in Far North Queensland at which he provided feedback on the new state schooling strategy on behalf of QACSL.  It will be exciting to see the developments of this plan as it evolves over the coming months.
• Occupational Violence and Aggression Arising from Student Behaviour Review - Griffith University & DOE partnership: Paul participated in the initial round table on behalf of QACSL.  The focus of this work is on prevention and management of OVA due to limited deep research available.  There was significant discussion regarding initial teacher education programs and the need to provide further learning for teachers in behaviour management to support dysregulated students.  Paul advocated for a combined sector approach to OVA, acknowledging that any outcomes from the review would need to take into account the complexity of implementing strategies from the early years right through to school leavers.  There was also further discussion that the condensed curriculum made it difficult for teachers to provide flexibility in lesson delivery and time and space for connection before curriculum. It was also noted on behalf of our rural and remote schools that many of our combined sector schools are already facing significant HR pressures and can lead to teachers teaching far outside their teaching specialisations and this can have a flow on effect on student behaviour.
• Australian Education Research Organisation Review: The Queensland Government is a partner in the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO).  There is a requirement that a review occurs on a regular basis for this organisation.  The biggest piece of feedback regarding provided was that while the quality of research and documentation that AERO develops is excellent, there is a lack of understanding from the wider education community as to what AERO is, to the point where a number of people did not even know that AERO exists.  Please take the time to have a look at the following website for further insight, information and resources - https://www.edresearch.edu.au/
• Information Technology Branch: The quarterly ITB Presidents and Stakeholders meeting occurred on Monday 16th June.  There are a number of exciting initiatives to come out from the ITB to look forward to: 
  • Q Teachers App will be available shortly
  • Corella AI - work is currently progressing on the Generative AI platform - Corella.  This platform is being designed to support the creation and customisation of content, data analytics and feedback.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication - Work is progressing on MFA that will allow access to both MyHR and WHS from external environments (you won't need to be on a DOE network).

Queensland College of Teachers:

• Principal Engagement Reference Group:  This group meets on 6th August, 2025.  If you have any particular pieces of feedback for the QCT, please contact Paul prior to this meeting.
• Permission to Teach stakeholder engagement Group: As a passion of Brian O'Neill's, Brian will continue to engage in this group on behalf of QACSL.  We know that many of our schools rely on PTTs to staff their schools and we will continue to advocate for a sensible approach to the utilisation of PTTs in combined sector schools.  Deanne Fishburn (QCT Director) has also volunteered her time to come to a QACSL PD session to discuss PTTs with our members.  She will be our Podcast and PD Session guest in September!

Business Managers Awards & Conference

As part of the collegial nature of our various professional associations, we have been asked to share the following wonderful opportunity for schools to recognise their fantastic Business Managers!

The SBMAQ Business Manager Awards Are Open!

It's time to shine a spotlight on the incredible Business Managers who go above and beyond! Whether they're driving innovation, demonstrating exceptional leadership, or making a lasting impact in their school, now is the time to celebrate their achievements.

This year, there are three main categories to recognise these outstanding professionals:

1. Significant Achievement Award – Honouring Business Managers who demonstrate professional leadership within the context of their role.
2. School Community Award – Celebrating Business Managers who make a significant contribution to their school community through strong leadership.
3. Inspirational Business Manager Award (NEW!) – Recognising individuals who embody vision, innovation, and creativity in their role. These Business Managers also prioritise employee development and engagement while adapting to the daily challenges of their profession.

Help us recognise their dedication and hard work—nominate a deserving Business Manager today! Click the link and give them the recognition they truly deserve.

 The Link can be found here: 2025 SBMAQ Awards - Nominations

Nominations will be kept open until 15th July!

Leanne Buller,
President - SBMAQ

Leanne would also like to remind Principals of the upcoming Business Manager's Conference.  Please ensure that you are supporting your Business Managers to attend this professional learning event.

Patrons' Prose

As one of the first members of what was then the P-10/12 association, I have been very honoured to belong to such a welcoming and active association. In the early days much of the focus was on the regional and remote combined sector schools, and in later years the membership of the large colleges been a significant contribution to advocacy and service for our schools.

Over the years, through the leadership of great principals, the association has grown and evolved to a point where it has liaised with like-minded associations across the country, and during the Covid years built supportive networks in the USA. Our members have participated in many leadership and educational opportunities, and this has built the strength of our association to the benefit of all members.

We have consistently been a very affordable organisation with associate membership of other associations available to our members, and to members of other associations. Partnerships, representation and shared advocacy with other associations has added to our influence at state level, and our representatives have added value to discussions in various forums in Central Office, in person, online or in writing. The association has always sought the views of members regarding policies and considered their voices in drafting responses.

My journey through education in Queensland has taken me from the far north, in Weipa where the secondary sector of the school was a separate building, and to a large extent the teachers managed the campus, to a Lead Principal role in Wide Bay before retiring. Staffing in Weipa was multicultural with teachers recruited from all over the world, and the support of Comalco was present in many aspects of the community. This community context is evident in most of our rural and remote schools where principals and teachers play a major role in community.

My other combined sector experiences were at Eidsvold, Inglewood, Roma and Barcaldine, where I enjoyed the engagement with children from Prep to Year 12 as well as working with feeder primary schools and kindergartens. When not in combined sector schools I have been in secondary schools from Band 9 to Executive positions and also spent some time in Central and Regional Offices.

During my time in QACSL I have appreciated engaging in work on curriculum, staffing, timetabling and many consultation and feedback opportunities, as well as the collegiality of working with leaders who are also passionate children’s education and the benefits of combined sector schools. In the role of VP Mentoring, I have enjoyed watching the careers of other combined sector leaders. I look forward to the development of the strategic plan supporting our members and students in combined sector schools to be the best they can be, no matter where their school is located.

I wish the new executive the very best for the year ahead and acknowledge the work of all past leaders in our association. Each has added their own special talents and passions and enriched our organization.

Robin Rayner - Co-Patron & QACSL Life Member

A NEW ERA

Hello everybody. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is David Ham. I am long retired, but I spent all my working life attached to the Education Department. I was a primary teacher and primary principal, being appointed to schools across the State. One of those schools had a secondary department, commonly called in those days a “High Top”.

I had many challenges during my time there, including smaller problems like timetabling secondary teachers and learning about things like commercial subjects and home economics issues. My major worry though, was convincing everyone in the community that this was one school, instead of a primary school and a secondary school, and that my expectations for one section applied to all.

I would have loved to know of a group I could go to for help and advice, based on their past experiences. Over time, I came to know that my problems – mainly based on the particular situation of primary and secondary schooling in the one place – were shared by many others. My neighbouring principals were either primary or secondary and, friendly as they were, they failed to understand many of my problems. The departmental officers who visited came for either primary or secondary reasons, but never for both.

This experience was shared by others across the State for many years. In the mid 1990’s, a group of administrators of schools just like I remembered met in Toowoomba and decided to form an association designed to help and advise one another. I was honoured to be invited to become the Patron of that Association, and have remained in that position over the years. Luckily, we have been led by a group of determined, far sighted people, who have been able to gain recognition within the Department to an extent I would never have dreamed of.

Welcome to Paul, our new leader. I know that his ambition is to continue the upward trend of the Association. Congratulations Paul.  Congratulations also to the new co-patron, Robin Rayner, a long time member who has worked hard for our group over many years. I look forward to working with her.

I can see our Association progressing in leaps and bounds. When you come to look at it, uninterrupted schooling throughout primary and secondary years is the logical way to educate children. I hope that our Association continues to grow and continues to succeed in its efforts to improve matters for our members.

David Ham - Co-Patron & QACSL Life Member

Administration Officer

My name is Kassandra Schaefer (Kass), and I am excited to continue being a part of the QACSL team. My personal teaching journey began with a Certificate III in Education Support, which sparked my passion for helping children learn and grow. Eager to deepen my knowledge, I went on to complete a Diploma of Early Childhood before undertaking the STEPS program to pursue my Bachelor of Education (Primary) at university. I am currently in my third year, and I am dedicated to primary education because I believe in the importance of building strong foundations for lifelong success in every child. Currently, I work as a teacher aide in a Year 2/3 composite classroom at Calen District State College, a vibrant P-12 school. Every day, I am inspired by the opportunity to support students and make a positive difference in their educational journeys.

Kassandra Schaefer,
Administration Officer

Contact Us

Email: admin@qacsl.org.au

Mail: PO Box 102 Calen Qld 4798