NEWSW I N T E R 2 012

Your support puts 200 more chaplains in schools

IN THIS issue • Let’s RAP!• Equipped to serve the next generation• ‘Connect’-ing kids with the right tools

• Spin Off to put wheels on chaplaincy• Tenors and chaplaincy in perfect harmony• $100,000 Matching Fund update

Although the High Court found problems with the historical funding model of chaplaincy, within a week parliament overwhelmingly passed laws to implement new funding arrangements, so chaplaincy is here to stay!

As you may have heard, the High Court of Australia handed down their decision regarding the Federal funding of School Chaplaincy on June 20. The court ruled against the historical funding model… but within hours of this announcement, high-profi le members of parliament from both sides of politics declared their commitment to fi nding a new way to make the funding work, and within a week, the government passed legislation with the full support of parliament behind it, securing chaplaincy funding across the nation.

The speed with which this legislation was introduced, and the bi-partisan support of parliament, is a clear sign that your voice has been heard!

The other good news is the High Court unanimously ruled that there is no issue of church–state separation when it comes to our chaplains working in schools. This is a fantastic result. Because there is no higher court to overrule this, our ability to support kids in schools, from a constitutional perspective, is forever beyond question!

85,000 PEOPLE SIGNED STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL CHAPLAINCY IN RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGE, AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM.

During the court case, 85,000 people signed statements of support for School Chaplaincy in response to the challenge, and there is no doubt this incredible community voice played a signifi cant role in the government’s decision to continue this program. So...

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May 20–27 this year was both State Education Week and Chappy Week, so it is no surprise that the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) chose this week to announce funding for more than 200 new chaplaincy positions throughout state schools in Queensland.

The announcement is part of the Federal Government’s commitment of September last year to fund up to a thousand new positions nationally in 2012. We are thrilled that more than 20% of the funding has found its way to Queensland, with a heavy emphasis on regional and remote schools.

Many remote communities in Central and North Queensland have been allocated funding to provide new school chaplains for two days a week, impacting areas from the Cape to the Granite Belt. School principal at The Hall State School in Rockhampton, Mrs Lindy-lou Brown, applied for school chaplaincy funding in late 2011.

“My experience has been that students relate to school chaplains in a different way from teachers and this is just what some students require,” she says. “A school chaplain will enable the school to provide a different level of support for our students, and they will be an invaluable member of our Student Support Team.”

“Overwhelmingly, Queenslanders love having a chaplain in their school,” says Peter James, SU QLD CEO. “We can’t overstate the effect of that support on the policy-makers in our country. Queenslanders spoke, and the government responded.”

Peter says SU QLD have already begun recruiting and training chaplains for these new positions, and hopes to begin fi lling these roles when the seed funding becomes available in early July. “We have a long way to go to fund the gap between the full cost and the government seed funding,” said Peter, “but we are determined to fi ll every position. Our young people deserve the support of a chaplain, and we aim to make that a reality.”

Thank you for your incredible support! It’s because of friends like you that we have seen such a phenomenal response. Please continue to stand with us as we enter this exciting new phase of our journey. Please visit suqld.org.au/morehands if you’d like to make a fi nancial contribution.

Thanks to your support, SU QLD have already begun recruiting and training chaplains for the 213 new positions throughout state schools in Queensland.

Peter James, SU QLD CEO, with School Chaplain, Andrea Eadie, thanking SU QLD’s incredible supporters at our press conference.

School Chaplaincy strengthened after High Court verdict

Let’s RAP!National Reconciliation Week is celebrated across Australia each year between May 27 and June 3. The dates commemorate two signifi cant milestones in the reconciliation journey — the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.

On May 29, SU QLD hosted a special celebration to refl ect on this journey towards reconciliation between all Australians. As an organisation, SU QLD began that journey in earnest nearly 12 months ago with the launch of our own Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Grant Paulson, Group Manager of Reconciliation Australia, joined us to speak candidly about how far there is still to go in this journey, but also how encouraged he was by the uptake of the ‘RAP’ initiative around the country.

“There are 300 RAPs in effect around the nation at the moment, including the top 10 organisations on the stock exchange,” he said. “1.6 million Australians work for an organisation with a RAP.

“We didn’t expect that businesses and Federal Government departments would take it up like this. It’s caught us by surprise. It leads us to think we’ve scratched something on the Australian consciousness that we didn’t know was there,” Grant said.

The SU QLD RAP is all about fi nding new ways to celebrate the unique distinctives that all Australians share, and to learn from each other as we travel this long road together. As our Indigenous Liaison Offi cer, Joshua Maher, said “Let’s keep it simple — let’s go do it!”

In 2012, SU QLD again has nearly 200 students undertaking our nationally recognised Certifi cate IV and Diploma of Youth Work programs. In addition to providing further training and education to school chaplains, many of our students are youth workers in other contexts.

They include church-based youth and children’s workers, teacher aides, volunteers working with children and young people, people working with youth justice organisations and in community development roles. Key SU QLD non-chaplaincy staff are also undertaking the programs, to equip them to better support those on the ground serving schools and young people.

In her role as SU QLD District Coordinator, Billie Dodge supports school chaplains and their communities in towns across Central Queensland. Having already completed the Certifi cate IV in Youth Work in 2011, she and her husband, Tony, a school chaplain, are now continuing their learning journey into the Diploma of Youth Work this year.

“It’s incredibly informative and relevant,” she says. “The recent Cluster on Child Protection was so useful and we’re about to move into Strategic Planning, which I know will help me in my role managing and overseeing chaplaincy services in my region. The chaplains feel better equipped and are provided with practical tools and best-practice frameworks to underpin their services.”

Both Billie and Tony have experienced fi rsthand the difference that quality ongoing training and development can make to youth workers, young people and families. She says, “The study isn’t easy, but it equips people with the skills and knowledge they need to respond effectively and holistically to the needs of young people

and their families, especially given the issues they often face in regional and remote areas.”

In a sector experiencing a skills shortage, SU QLD is proud to play such an important role in skilling and equipping those working to transform the lives of young people across the nation.

For information on SU QLD Training, contact Jodie Robinson on 07 3112 6433.

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... thank you. Your support has ensured this win for our kids and their chaplains. Not only that, but the government is expanding chaplaincy even further, with seed funding for 200 new chaplaincy positions opening up state-wide over the next 12 months.

“It’s a fantastic result for Queensland’s youth and children,” says SU QLD CEO Peter James, “because it means chaplains will be in schools, getting on with the work, for a long time to come.”

So what does all of this mean to our chaplains on the ground? School Chaplain, Andrea Eadie, from Patricks

Road State School, simply says, “It’s not about me. It’s about the kids and families that need support out there.

“Taking chaplains out of schools would leave a gap for kids and families who simply need the support. I’ve got letters and cards from kids and parents who say ‘You’ve saved my life’. I didn’t do therapy. I was just the support person who made sure they got what they needed.”

From everyone at SU QLD, thank you so much for your support over the last year and a half as we faced this challenge. Now that it’s behind us, and with your ongoing support, we can continue the work of bringing hope to a generation of Queensland young people!

SU QLD’s Indigenous Liaison Offi cer, Joshua Maher, has a very straightforward approach to reconciliation: “Let’s keep it simple — let’s go do it!”

SU QLD’s Reconciliation Action Plan is all about fi nding new ways to celebrate the unique distinctives that all Australians share as we travel this reconciliation journey together.

SU QLD District Coordinator, Billie Dodge (front) and her husband, chaplain Tony (right), are among 200 students being equipped to transform the lives of young people across the nation.

Equipped to serve the next generation

Windaroo Valley State High School has been running the ‘Connect’ program for at-risk youth for seven years. Each year, groups of around 10 boys take a journey together, going on camping trips, tackling ropes courses and generally pushing themselves to their limits. Jono Kyffi n is the chaplain at Windaroo High. He explains, “It’s all about balance. We structure the groups to be a mixture of at-risk kids and those we think would most benefi t from the program. I think the greatest thing about Connect is that these kids are learning that the world is their classroom.” In April, Jono’s Connect crew paid a visit to ‘The Great Escape’ camping store in Slacks Creek to fi t out the boys with all the essentials for a great weekend away. Many of the boys have never been camping, and did not own or know how to use the necessary equipment. Jono says, “I really enjoy when the kids are forced to challenge themselves — for a lot of these guys, they

go through whole new experiences. Many of them have never been camping in their lives. For some of these kids, even cooking their own food on camp can be a big deal.” And there’s no doubt the program is leaving its mark. Michael Pitkin is in year 10 this year. He was invited to the group in the hopes of building his self-confi dence — and it’s working. “I’ve realised that everything isn’t as hard as it seems at fi rst,” Michael says. “I love fi nding out what I’m capable of, and what other people are capable of, too. I hadn’t had a lot to do with the other boys before, and getting to know them has taught me that not everything comes easy in life. You tend to doubt at times that you can really do something, but Connect has helped me realise that I can do anything.” If you are interested in supporting the Connect program, please contact us on 07 3112 6451.

‘Connect’-ing kids with the right tools

Spin Off to put wheels on chaplaincyThis year, SU QLD is launching a brand new and exciting event that brings together school communities and the corporate world in a unique way for a single purpose — to generate more than $300,000 for School Chaplaincy in Queensland!

‘Spin Off’ is a fast-paced, high-energy competition where teams of ten cyclists pit themselves against the clock — and each other — to pedal farther and faster than their rivals on stationary cycles, with thousands of screaming fans urging them on.

Spin Off is for all ages and walks of life, whether you’re an elite cyclist or still on training wheels. It’s all happening at Sleeman Sports Complex in Brisbane on the 8th of September, and there’s still plenty of time to put a team together. So why not grab some friends or co-workers today and talk to your local chappy to enter for your chance to win some fantastic prizes and help School Chaplaincy along the way. See you there! For more information visit spinoff.org.au, or if you’d like to register a team, please contact your local chaplain.

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Nathanael found that his sporting background helped him connect with students when he became a school chaplain in 2009.

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Thanks to your support, Jono Kyffi n (second from left), chaplain at Windaroo High, was able to take his Connect group on camping trips fi tted out with all the essentials from ‘The Great Escape’ camping store in Slacks Creek.

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Thank you so much for your incredible support this year as we strive to cover the cost of placing more than 200 new chaplains in our state schools.

It was incredibly encouraging to see a group of generous supporters offer $100,000 for a Matching Fund during the End of Financial Year Appeal — as well as the fantastic generosity of friends like you as you stepped up to their challenge. Final fi gures are still being calculated, but so far hundreds of thousands of

dollars have been given — and every dollar helps put more chaplains in more schools for longer! In our next issue, we will let you know the grand total, but for now let us simply say thank you!

Together we can fulfi l the tremendous potential of the School Chaplaincy program by fi lling every one of those vacant positions and putting chappies in more than 800 schools around Queensland to bring hope to a young generation!

Tenors and chaplaincyin perfect harmony

On Monday, October 22, the Ten Tenors will lift the roof off the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre at the annual Frontline Appeal Dinner, where we’ll be aiming to raise $750,000 in support of School Chaplaincy.

Amidst incredible international success, this Australian troupe has become known as one of the hardest working touring acts, performing an average of 250 shows per year across all seven continents.

They’ve sold over 3.5 million concert tickets; have two platinum and four gold CDs; one platinum and two gold DVDs; and continually strive to challenge themselves and their audience.

The Ten Tenors pride themselves on pushing the boundaries and love to bring rock and classical music together, creating a sound that is uniquely theirs.

They recently shared, “Over many years, The Ten Tenors have travelled to hundreds of schools to inspire and entertain children and educators alike. It’s fantastic that SU QLD is equally committed to bringing support and hope to countless thousands of Queensland young people who are sometimes faced with incredibly diffi cult circumstances.”

If you’re interested in attending, or hosting a table, contact John Scott on 0414 474 745 for more information.

From the CEO to youDear Friend,

It’s been an exciting few months in the world of SU QLD!

Of course, the big news is that the High Court decision was fi nally handed down on June 20. You can read more about this on the front page, but from a personal perspective, it’s great to have this behind us, and with such favourable outcomes thanks to your support.

We’re very conscious that it’s friends like you who have carried us over this line, and I want to acknowledge you in that. You’ve made a real difference! Your support has directly led to the government’s decision to continue and expand this program, which is going to mean more young people getting more support when they need it most. Thank you!

As you can read on the front page, our expectations of up to 150 new chaplains have been surpassed by the Federal government’s recent announcement of partial funding for more than 200 new chappies in Queensland! This is an incredible result, and we now fi nd ourselves facing a very exciting, but challenging, opportunity.

We can all help our chappies by actively involving ourselves to support their work. We can let them know they are surrounded by a host of supporters who understand and value their work. I encourage you to reach out to a chappy on a regular basis. Ask them about their work. Ask how you can help.

We’re going to need your support as we look to fi ll these new roles. I hope you will continue to advocate for chaplaincy and help us turn this exciting potential into a reality.

If you know someone you think would make a great chaplain, please encourage them to consider applying. We have more than 200 positions to fi ll. Visit suqld.org.au/morehands for details of which schools have vacancies and how to apply. We can’t do this without you!

Warm regards,

Peter JamesCEO, SU QLD

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$100,000 Matching Fund update

Peter James, CEO of SU QLD.

You’re invited to experience the voices of the Ten Tenors on Monday, October 22, as they lift the roof off the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre at the annual Frontline Appeal Dinner, where we’ll be aiming to raise $750,000 in support of School Chaplaincy.

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Thanks to your support during the End of Financial Year Appeal, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been given — and every dollar helps — to put more chaplains in more schools for longer!