November eNews
Issue 14: KidsMatter Primary eNewsletter Evaluation Edition November 2009
Editorial
KidsMatter Primary news
Feature: The KidsMatter Primary pilot evaluation
KidsMatter Primary in 2009 and beyond
New KidsMatter Primary schools
| Editorial |
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2009 ends very positively for KidsMatter Primary.
The announcement on October 5th by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, of additional funding for KidsMatter generated renewed interest from education sectors and schools in this framework. This funding enables more primary schools across Australia to implement KidsMatter Primary over the coming years.
The release of the Flinders University Evaluation Report provided evidence of the positive impact of the KidsMatter Primary framework on staff, students and families. Copies of this report will be sent to health and education sectors in every state and territory. Pilot schools will also receive full copies of the report.
Partnerships with education sectors have resulted in schools committing to the implementation of KidsMatter from the beginning of 2010. Sectors will advise interested schools of the action to take if they wish to implement KidsMatter Primary.
The KidsMatter Primary partnership is excited about the new opportunities for more schools to participate in KidsMatter. We look forward to reconnecting with you in 2010. In the meantime, we wish you a happy ending to 2009 and a safe beginning to the coming year.
Kaye Johnson
National Coordinator
| KidsMatter Primary news |
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Additional KidsMatter funding!
On October 5th, marking the start of Mental Health Week, the Hon. Nicola Roxon MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, announced a further funding allocation to support the expansion of the KidsMatter Primary initiative and to the pilot of the KidsMatter Early Childhood initiative. Read the full media statement from Minister Nicola Roxon here.
KidsMatter Primary initiative update
KidsMatter Primary welcomes the new schools from Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory who have formally started implementation in the past couple of months. Project Officers throughout Australia have been extremely busy facilitating workshops for these schools.
KidsMatter Primary Project Officers and Partners continue to work with education representatives in all States and Territories to ensure that more primary schools are able to implement KidsMatter Primary. To find out more about our new KidsMatter Primary schools, keep reading this eNewsletter!
KidsMatter Primary has updated the Programs Guide on the web!
The KidsMatter Primary Programs Guide provides schools with information on over 70 school-based programs that can be used to target children’s mental health and wellbeing. Feedback from schools using the Programs Guide online suggested that it was difficult to find and use the Guide. The team at KidsMatter Primary has re-formatted this resource to try to make finding the right program for your school community much easier. We would love to hear your feedback!
Schools are now able to choose how they would like to use the Guide to assist in finding the information they are after. Schools can then narrow down their search for programs by clicking on the relevant links. More information about how the Guide was developed can be found in the drop down menu on the left-hand side. The Programs Guide can still be accessed at the same address: http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/programs-guide/.
Send us your feedback about using the Programs Guide on the web at http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/feedback or enquiries@kidsmatter.edu.au.
KidsMatter Early Childhood is getting underway…
During 2010 and 2011, KidsMatter Early Childhood will be implemented and evaluated. Hundreds of long day care centres, preschools and kindergartens have sent in their applications to be a pilot site for KidsMatter Early Childhood. Around 110 services have been informed that they will be taking part in the initiative. Representatives from these early childhood services will be attending one of two National Briefing sessions in Melbourne on 18th/19th November, and 24th/25th November at Etihad Stadium. They will meet the KidsMatter Early Childhood team, learn about the initiative, receive their first set of resources and discuss how KidsMatter Early Childhood will be rolled out over the next two years.
KidsMatter Primary conference presentations
KidsMatter Primary was well represented at the recent 44th annual Australian Psychological Society conference in Darwin and the joint International Children of Parents with Mental Illness and National Child and Adolescent Mental Health conference in Adelaide.
KidsMatter Primary will also be presenting at the APS College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists Inaugural Educational Theory to Practice Conference held on the 27th of November and the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) International Education Research Conference held in Canberra on the 29th of November to the 3rd of December.
For more information about each of these upcoming conferences visit:
http://www.psychology.org.au/Events/EventView.aspx?EventID=4788
http://aare09.confsite.com.au
| Feature: The KidsMatter Primary pilot evaluation |
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A comprehensive evaluation of the KidsMatter Primary pilot was conducted by the Centre for Analysis of Educational Futures at Flinders University. The Executive Summary of the evaluation report provides an overview of the findings that show KidsMatter Primary had a positive impact on schools, children, parents and carers. These include:
- Improved student mental health and wellbeing such as optimism and coping skills.
- Reduced mental health difficulties such as emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, conduct and peer problems.
- Teachers perceived students’ schoolwork improved as a function of KidsMatter Primary.
- Improved teacher capacity to identify students experiencing mental health difficulties.
- Improved teacher knowledge on how to improve students’ social and emotional skills.
- Increased parent capacity to help children with social and emotional issues.
- Facilitated the placement of mental health as an issue on schools’ agenda and provided a common language to address mental health and well-being issues.
The Final Report, released in November 2009, will be available on our KidsMatter Primary website at www.kidsmatter.edu.au/evaluation.
KidsMatter Primary would like to thank all the schools involved in the pilot and extend further thanks to the principals, teachers, school staff, parents and carers, children and State-based Project Officers who contributed to the pilot evaluation.
KidsMatter Primary in 2009 and beyond
During the pilot, KidsMatter Project Officers worked directly with schools in each State and Territory. Many schools say that the Project Officer role was critical to the success of KidsMatter Primary in their school. In planning beyond the pilot, KidsMatter Primary Partners are keen to ensure that new schools have similar levels of support to those provided to pilot schools.
During 2009 and beyond, KidsMatter Primary is working with the education, health and community sectors so more schools can become involved in the national initiative. Personnel with existing expertise and knowledge will be trained and supported to work directly with schools in two key areas, as previously done by Project Officers. Personnel will be trained and supported to take on the school support role and training will also be provided to those to deliver the all-staff professional learning.
The KidsMatter Primary resources that have been used throughout the Pilot will be available to all new schools. These resources include the detailed KidsMatter Primary Implementation Manual, Programs Guide, Resource Packs and professional learning packages.
Schools will also be supported at the district level through the formation of Regional Leadership Groups that comprise both education and health representatives. This will further foster links between KidsMatter Primary and other education and health personnel to facilitate access to information, services and relevant local community agencies who can also support schools to implement KidsMatter Primary.
The combination of the established KidsMatter Primary framework and resources with education and health sectors expertise and connections, 2009 and beyond is shaping up to be a very exciting time.
For more information on how schools can formally participate in KidsMatter Primary, please contact mailto:enquiries@kidsmatter.edu.au.
Introducing our new schools for 2009!
KidsMatter Primary is very excited to welcome 62 new schools so far to the initiative in 2009. These include four schools from Alice Springs in NT, 14 schools from Queensland, five schools from South Australia, 11 schools from Tasmania, nine from Victoria and 19 schools from different regions in Western Australia.
Northern Territory
Alice Springs
• Araluen Christian School
• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College
• Yipirinya School
• Yuendumu School
Queensland
• Aboriginal and Islander Independent Community School – Acacia Ridge
• Berrinba East State School – Berrinba
• Coral Coast Christian School – Bundaberg
• Harris Fields State School – Logan City
• Leichardt State School – Leichardt
• Marsden State School – Marsden
• Murgon State School – Murgon
• Our Lady of Fatima – Acacia Ridge
• Our Lady of the Rosary School – Caloundra
• Saint Augustine’s College – Springfield
• Siena Primary – Sippy Downs
• St Francis College – Crestmead
• St Joseph’s Primary School – Murgon
• Woodridge State School – Woodridge
South Australia
• Loreto College- Marryatville
• Marymount College- Hove
• Our Lady of the Visitation- Taperoo
• Pius X – Windsor Gardens
• St Francis Xavier- WynnVale
Tasmania
North West Region
• Leighland Christian School – Burnie
• Mountain Heights – Queenstown
• Our Lady of Lourdes School – Devonport
• St Patrick’s School – Latrobe
• St Peter Chanel School – Smithton
• Strahan Primary School
• West Ulverstone Primary
• Yolla District School
Launceston (Northern) Region
• Launceston Church Grammar
• Mowbray Heights Primary
• Ravenswood Primary
Victoria
• All Saints Portland
• Our Lady Help of Christians Murtoa
• Our Lady Help of Christians Warrnambool
• Sacred Heart Colac
• St Brendan’s Coragulac
• St Colman’s Mortlake
• St Mary’s Colac
• St Mary’s Hamilton
• St Patrick’s Stawell
Western Australia
• Belmay Primary School
• Bertram Primary School
• East Maddington Primary School
• Ellenbrook Christian College
• Foundation Christian College – Greenfields
• Greenwood Primary School
• Hannans Primary School
• Jandakot Primary School
• Jarrahdale Primary School
• John XXIII College – Claremont
• Kalgoorlie Primary School
• Kambalda Primary School
• Koorana ESC
• Leda Primary School and ESC
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel
• Quairading DHS
• Spearwood Primary School
• St John’s School-Scarborough
• Yidarra Catholic Primary School
