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Welcome Back to Term 3
National Principals’ Day 2025 is celebrated on Friday, 1 August. I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our NT school leaders for their unwavering dedication and exemplary leadership. This special day serves as a reminder of the incredible impact you have on the lives of our students and the broader school community. Your commitment to fostering an environment where students can thrive is truly commendable. Each day, you bravely meet the challenges of educational leadership with expertise, creating strong foundations for learning that will last a lifetime. Thank you for everything you do; your hard work and passion inspire us all.
Leaders’ Summit: 13 and 14 August
I look forward to seeing everyone at the Leaders’ Summit and attending attend workshops led by our NT principals and leadership teams. We will have a stall at the event, so be sure to visit and say hello. A photographer will be present on Wednesday, capturing photos of as many of our amazing NTPA members as possible.
On Thursday, the NTPA will have a time on stage where I will present a speech titled "Collective Strength: Navigating Educational Challenges Together - The NTPA Advantage."
The Harbour Cruise will serve as a celebration of your impact and leadership.
Principal Harbour Cruise – our gift to NTPA members
Thursday 14 August 2025 (after Day 2 of the Leaders’ Summit)
Meet at 5:30 PM Dock 3, right-hand end of Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin
Enjoy a relaxing sunset cruise alongside colleagues – as a heartfelt thank you from us to you.
Limited to 50 places – first in, first served
Reserve your place now: https://forms.office.com/r/RD26v6yPM1
Thank you for your dedication, resilience and unwavering commitment to excellence in education.
Carolyn
Carolyn Edwards
ASPA July Board Meeting Update
ASPA held its July Board meeting in Adelaide, where the Board invited Blair Boyer, the South Australian Minister for Education. Discussions centred on EMM agenda items and included a review of the ACU and ATWD surveys. A conversation with Martin Westwell, the Chief Executive of the SA Department of Education, focused on PISA results, the ACU and ATWD surveys, and the AERO Review. Additionally, Dr. Sally Larsen presented her paper titled "Are Australian students’ academic skills declining?"
The Board also addressed several common issues facing principals:
- Principal Wellbeing: There is growing concern regarding the wellbeing of principals, with many experiencing high stress levels and a call for improved mental health support and resources.
- Staffing Shortages: Schools are facing significant staffing shortages, particularly in rural areas, which is impacting their ability to function effectively.
- Government Clarity: Many principals have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity and direction from government bodies concerning educational reforms and policies.
- Industrial Matters: Ongoing negotiations for better pay and working conditions are a priority, along with discussions about workload and work-life balance.
- Association Engagement: Associations are working to enhance communication and governance to better support members and encourage participation in decision-making processes.
Please read the full report below:
Regulate to Lead: Rest, Resilience & Recovery for NT School Leaders
With Dr Polly McGee | Sept 15 (Darwin) & Sept 16 (Online)
We’re thrilled to announce the return of Dr Polly McGee to the Territory – back by popular demand with a brand-new course "Regulate to Lead", created specifically for Northern Territory educational leaders.
This isn't just another workshop – it's a transformative professional learning experience that addresses one of the most critical challenges facing school leaders today: leading effectively while managing trauma, stress, and burnout in our educational environments.
What You'll Gain from This Essential Workshop:
- Understand how trauma and chronic stress affect school leaders’ nervous systems and leadership style
- Identify signs of secondary trauma, burnout, and compassion fatigue
- Learn real-time regulation techniques to support themselves and their sustainable leadership
- Explore the conditions for psychological safety in teams in their contexts
- Reflect on their own leadership culture and embed trauma responsive practices into everyday decision-making
- Build strategies for co-regulation, team resilience, and boundary setting
Whether you're battling burnout, navigating complexity, or looking to build trauma-responsive cultures, this immersive experience gives you the real-world tools and insights to lead with calm, clarity and confidence.
Click the short video below to hear direct from Polly and what they have create for you!
In-person: September 15 in Darwin -Michael Long Centre
8:30am to 3:30pm
Members $450
Non-members $600
Catering included
Online: September 16 for remote leaders based in East Arnhem, Big Rivers, Central and Barkly
Via TEAMs
10am to 3pm
Members $300
Non-members $450
Spots are limited – secure yours now
Register Here
As a bonus everyone who registers receives access to a pre workshop series of short videos for deeper integration
Whether you're leading in the heart of Darwin or championing education in our most remote communities, this vital professional development is designed for you. We're committed to ensuring every NTPA member can access these life-changing leadership strategies.
Questions? email Jo on ntpa.admin@education.nt.gov.au
The Harbour Cruise will serve as a celebration of your impact and leadership. Insert infographic
Principal Harbour Cruise – our gift to NTPA members
Thursday 14 August 2025 (after Day 2 of the Leaders’ Summit)
Meet at 5:30 PM Dock 3, right-hand end of Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin
Enjoy a relaxing sunset cruise alongside colleagues – as a heartfelt thank you from us to you.
Limited to 50 places – first in, first served
Reserve your place now: https://forms.office.com/r/RD26v6yPM1
Please enjoy this week's
Leader Wellbeing Thought August 1st, 2025, Principals of All
by APPA President Angela Falkenburg
Celebrating Primary Principals Day
Today, communities across Australia will raise their coffee mugs, schoolbags and ideally their awareness in celebration of Primary Principals Day, a day to honour the steady, skilled, and slightly sleep-deprived humans who keep our primary schools standing, running, and thriving. But let’s be clear: calling them “principals” hardly covers it.
These school leaders are not just the Heads of Learning. They are the Wildgraves of Wellbeing, the Baronesses of Bell Times, the High Stewards of Staffroom Harmony. They are community leaders, project managers, curriculum experts, behaviour strategists, parking lot negotiators, and playground peacemakers, all before morning tea.
They are, in short, the Keepers of the Chaos and the Calm.
Principals are not just educational leaders, they are community builders, mentors, crisis navigators and advocates for every child’s wellbeing and success.
On any given day, a school leader might be:
Knight Commander of the NAPLAN Front, defending calm under standardised fire.
- Warden of Wandering Socks, overseeing the kingdom of Lost Property.
- Lord of the Lunch Queue, dispensing justice (and the lunch orders) with dignity.
- Viceroy of Volunteers, managing rosters, rosters for the rosters, and the existential crises that come with biscuit shortages.
Yet beneath the humour lies an unshakeable truth: these leaders build the foundations that last a lifetime. They champion inclusion, nurture community spirit, grow confident teachers, and ensure that every child is seen, known, and valued. They lead with courage through rising complexity, growing needs, and never-ending change.
And while the title “Principal” might sound suitably formal, it could just as well be ‘Moral Compass-in-Chief’ or ‘Architect of Aspiration’.
So, on this day, APPA has asked Australia to choose gratitude. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a thank-you shoutout at assembly, a coffee delivery, or a chorus of “You’re the best!” from Year 2s, we hope that you as a school leader know you matter.
Because thanks to your leadership, our schools stay strong, rising above the chaos of unwritten audit reports, dog-eared furniture catalogues, and three-day-old unwashed coffee cups.
Long live the principals.
Today may your emails be few, your Wi-Fi strong, and your value acknowledged.
Angela
Discounted NTPA memberships for 2025
Annual memberships are based on the calendar year. Haven't renewed for 2025 yet?
We've got you covered! We're offering 50% off to account for the fact that we're already halfway through the year.
Feel free to email ntpa.admin@education.nt.gov.au with any queries.
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The NT Education and Darwin Languages Centre Library is a valuable resource for educators throughout the Northern Territory and is physically located within the Darwin Languages Centre and online at https://www.educationlanguageslibrary.nt.edu.au/
Library membership is free to all educators throughout the Northern Territory and services regional and remote schools providing a free “Reply Paid” postage. The library is focused around providing resources, support, information and research skills to all NT educators and students
Research Skills/Information Literacy
Living in a digital world means there is a wealth of information at everyone’s fingertips. How do your students critically analysis, engage with and utilise information? How do they distinguish fact from fiction? Do they use lateral reading skills? The latest research into secondary schools suggests information literacy [IL] is a life still that everybody needs to learn. https://www.educationlanguageslibrary.nt.edu.au/teacher-resources
” This research contributes to a clearer understanding of the needs of secondary students and teachers as information users and demonstrates the diverse approaches teacher librarians employ to foster IL amid a rapidly shifting and unprecedented information context” (Garrison & Oddone, 2025).
The Education Library offers free Information Literacy/Researching Skill session for staff and students. These sessions are designed in collaboration with the class teacher and are tailored to specific requirements and outcomes. Contact us to find out more library.doe@education.nt.gov.au They can look at referencing, critical analyses fact from fiction, use of credible, reliable sources, lateral reading, searching more efficiently and effectively using quotation marks, keywords etc. and promote appropriate free databases.
https://www.educationlanguageslibrary.nt.edu.au/research-help
Resources
The library collection comprises of a range of resources aimed to support teachers and educators in creating engaging lessons across a variety of curriculum areas such as numeracy, health, literacy, science, the arts and language. These resources include items such as whisper phones, quiz buzzers, smart chute game, recordable pegs, sensory objects, puppets and musical instruments. Many resources are recommended for purchase by NT Department Teaching & Learning coaches.
Books on educational topics such as visible learning, two-way teaching and learning, educational psychology, explicit instruction, data analysis, teacher wellbeing, change management, bullying, behaviour management, assessment, whole school planning for integrated curriculum are well resourced within the collection.
https://www.educationlanguageslibrary.nt.edu.au/library-resources
Support & Information
A qualified Teacher/Librarian manages the library and can provide support and information to all school libraries and staff across the NT. This may include guidance on creating a vibrant school library space, assistance with developing an appropriate library collection for individual schools tailored to specific school utilisation, library management systems for schools and support for school library staff in areas including cataloguing and library management. The NT Education Library website also has links to useful educational websites and encourages educators to provide recommendations for sharing with others. The Library also has access to associations such as Australian School Library Association [ASLA] and Australian Library, Information Association [ALIA] and Children’s Book Council of Australia.
https://www.educationlanguageslibrary.nt.edu.au/teacher-resources
Registrations Now Open
Registration Now Open for the 2025 APPA Conference!
Join us for the 2025 Australian Primary Principals Association National Conference, the leading event for primary school leaders across Australia. This inspiring gathering will take place on 26-29 August 2025 in Brisbane, bringing together principals and educational leaders to connect, collaborate, and drive innovation in education.
Featuring renowned keynote speakers, practical workshops, and valuable networking opportunities, this conference is your chance to be part of shaping the future of primary education in Australia.
Register today to secure your place and take advantage of early bird rates!
https://appaconference.com.au/home/registration/
