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Snapshot of Events

You will see each event colour coded in its own track in the table below. All sessions are clickable showing the content and speaker for each.

 

For information on all events happening at the National Education Summit Brisbane please visit our website - https://www.nationaleducationsummit.com.au/brisbane/about 

 

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Thursday, May 14, 2026

AI in the Classroom
Capacity Building School Libraries
Diverse Learners Symposium
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
AI in the Classroom
Capacity Building School Libraries
Diverse Learners Symposium
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Curiosity in the age of AI
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, curiosity remains our most powerful human trait. This keynote explores how curiosity fuels innovation, drives ethical decision-making, and empowers lifelong learning in an AI-driven era. Dan will unpack the evolving relationship between human curiosity and machine intelligence—highlighting how educators, leaders, and technologists can harness AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for deeper inquiry, creativity, and transformation. From classrooms to boardrooms, this session will challenge conventional thinking, showcase real-world examples, and offer actionable insights on how to cultivate curiosity in systems, pedagogy, and leadership. Whether you're navigating AI in education, policy, or enterprise, this keynote will inspire you to lead with questions, embrace uncertainty, and design futures where curiosity and technology co-evolve for the greater good. 		Constellations of Practice: Recentering the School Library with Purpose and Possibility
School libraries are constellations of practice: linking people, ideas and possibilities across the shifting landscape of education. In a time of uncertainty, where school leadership support is uneven, the pressure to do more is unrelenting, and recognition is often absent, the school library and its staff continue to bring coherence, connection and care for both students, teachers and the school community. This presentation invites participants to recentre their professional vision—not through reinvention, but by recognising the power of what already exists. Using the Know–Do–Be model as a reflective lens, we will explore how school library professionals already hold the knowledge, lead the practices and embody the values that sustain inclusive, future-focused and community-connected learning. Rather than calling for more effort, this session surfaces practical, achievable shifts—through thoughtful learning design, ethical technology use, and responsive programming—that build capacity without burnout. Anchored in research and real-world examples, the presentation reminds us that school library staff are stars - present, persistent, and guiding the way forward even when they go unnoticed. Attendees will leave with fresh clarity, restored energy and renewed confidence in their role—not as outliers, but as essential connectors in the learning constellation of their school. 		Converting Neurodiversity Into Neuro-advantage
Students with neurodiversity include students who are gifted, those who are oppositional or have dyslexia, or experience attention issues such as ADHD, or have experienced trauma as well as those who are on the spectrums. Each of these groups have strengths as well as vulnerabilities that can be catered for. Teachers are equipped with strategies as well as the most recent tech that overcomes learning disadvantages for neurodiverse students.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Empowering Classrooms with Copilot 13+: Leading AI Integration at Claver
Discover how Claver is pioneering the integration of Copilot 13+ to transform teaching and learning across secondary classrooms. This presentation will explore leadership strategies for implementation, practical classroom applications, and the cultural shift required to embrace AI as a collaborative partner in education. Shane Tooley shares insights from Claver’s journey, including staff development, student engagement, and curriculum alignment, offering a roadmap for other schools ready to lead the future of learning. 		It Takes a Village: Building Student Capability Through Cross-Sector Library Partnerships
In an era where information literacy and community engagement are more vital than ever, collaboration between school, public, and state libraries offers a powerful catalyst for building student capability and confidence. This presentation explores a dynamic partnership between Kepnock State High School, Bundaberg Regional Council Library, and the State Library of Queensland, showcasing how cross-sector collaboration can transform teaching and learning. This session will share case studies, student feedback, and curriculum examples that demonstrate the impact of integrated library partnerships. Attendees will gain practical strategies for initiating and sustaining similar partnerships in their own regions, with a focus on aligning library programs with curriculum goals and building enduring community connections. Ultimately, It Takes a Village celebrates the collective power of school, public, and state libraries working together to empower the next generation of learners. 		Differentiation Rewired: Neuroscience, Wellbeing and the Future of Diverse Learning
In an era where classrooms are more diverse—and more digitally complex—than ever before, traditional models of differentiation are no longer enough. Today’s learners bring a spectrum of neurological, emotional, and environmental differences into the classroom. Understanding how the brain learns is now as essential as what we teach. We will explore how educators can use brain-based principles to: • reduce cognitive overload • support neurodivergent and gifted students • balance digital and emotional wellbeing • design learning that engages all students through targeted scaffolds and stretch. This session bridges the gap between science and strategy, offering tangible classroom applications for teachers, leaders, and learning support staff. Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of how to create emotionally safe, high-impact learning environments that honour every learner’s unique neurological fingerprint.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Kay Oddone & Darlene Hill
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Australia's Educator-Led AI Revolution: Sovereignty, Pedagogy, and the Future of Learning
Chris introduces the RocketEducation AI Suite (TeachersRocket, LearnersRocket, SchoolsRocket, LibraryRocket) and the AI TRACK Assessment: an integrated AI ecosystem designed in Australia, with information sovereignty and responsible AI as foundational principles. Drawing on Strategenics’ experience delivering AI, data, and cloud transformation across government and enterprise, Chris outlines the AI-6 Strategic Framework for Educational Leadership. This framework addresses six critical pillars: Assessment Integrity, Personalised Learning at Scale, Teacher Empowerment, Skill Development Protection, Ethical Implementation, and Digital Equity. This session focuses on what comes next providing a clear, practical pathway for education leaders to safely adopt AI. Chris will walk through emerging use cases, governance considerations, and implementation models that schools can apply immediately. The session is designed to help school leaders move from curiosity to capability establishing strong foundations in policy, pedagogy, and technology while maintaining full control over data, security, and educational outcomes. 		Narratives That Connect: One Approach, Many Outcomes
Oral narratives are more than just stories, they’re a powerful, multi-purpose tool that can unlock language, connection, and learning for students with Language Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and language difficulties, and can simultaneously support diverse learning needs, promote inclusion, and foster social and emotional wellbeing. Grounded in a strengths-based and culturally responsive lens, this session will explore how oral narratives can: • Support neurodivergent learners (including students with DLD, autism and other diverse language profiles) through flexible, scaffolded language intervention • Enhance social-emotional learning by using narrative to build skills, emotional vocabulary, and regulation through safe and structured storytelling and shared experiences • Promote inclusion and identity by creating space for diverse learners, to share their stories in affirming, meaningful ways
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea Lib_1
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Dan Bowen, Shane Tooley & Christine Aloisio
Q&A Panel with Andrew Fuller, Vanessa Gray & Meg MacKenzie
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea A!_1
Growth Talk: Brief Conversations - Big Impact!
Chris will demonstrate how we can all be more effective conversation leaders. This requires us to first recognise the in-the-moment opportunity for a learning conversation and then to intentionally show-up and manage these interactions in ways that best serve the thinking and progress of our conversation partners.
Morning Tea DL_1
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Student self-reported wellbeing data_DL3
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Setting Our Students and Ourselves up for 2040
It is estimated that we have experienced 0.1% of the technological changes we will see by 2040. This means we will all essentially be newbies as we begin to understand the enormity of the changes facing our world. The world is poised at the point of one of the greatest changes in history and if our students are not able to capitalise on those opportunities, their ability to succeed will be lessened. This presentation outlines the major digital innovations and revolutions foreseeable and considers the skills that will be needed in 2040. Three of the basic skills that are outlined are- show up (ready to learn and perform), opt in (rather than avoid) and be curious. 		When the Internet Eats Itself: Teaching Truth in the Age of AI Slop
As AI reshapes how information is created, shared, and trusted, the need for critical information literacy has never been greater. This session examines the pivotal role of teacher librarians in helping schools navigate a world of AI slop, misinformation, and disinformation. Participants will explore practical strategies for teaching lateral reading, source verification, and critical AI literacy—skills that empower students to question, evaluate, and create information responsibly. Together we’ll consider how the foundations of truth, credibility, and authorship are under pressure—and what it means to prepare students for informed participation in an AI-mediated world.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM From Diagnosis to Discovery: A Teacher’s Journey into Dyscalculia
The session will begin with an overview of the indicators and characteristics of Dyscalculia, followed by techniques and supports that benefit learners experiencing Dyscalculia, maths difficulties, and maths anxiety. In addition to academic strategies, the session will explore teaching and learning frameworks that support cognitive and emotional development and examine the role of executive functioning in shaping both educational and personal outcomes for dyscalculic learners.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM AI Agents and the Lone Librarian
Working solo in a school library can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. This session explores how AI agents can become powerful collaborators for library staff, who often work independently. Discover practical ways AI can support planning, resource curation, communication, and innovation, helping you do more with less and transform your library into a dynamic, responsive hub for your school community.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM Cyborgs in schools - where to next?
Classrooms are no longer just human spaces. From lesson planning to student support, AI is slipping into the daily rhythms of teaching and learning. But are schools ready for this “cyborg moment,” where human expertise and machine intelligence fuse? This session explores what’s possible, what’s risky, and what’s next. Expect provocations, practical examples, and a peek into the near-future of education where teachers, students, and AI learn to co-evolve.
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM Teach the Nervous System First
This session helps principals and school leaders turn trauma-aware practice and emotion regulation into everyday routines that lift learning time. We begin with a short primary classroom story. In table groups, we quickly spot the trauma-related signs. Then we move to the leadership work: how to make calm, predictable routines standard across classrooms—without adding heavy paperwork.
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch - Lib1
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Andrew Fuller & Matt Esterman to answer questions
Q&A Panel with Kerri Ledingham & Lillian Jia
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - AI_1
Lunch - DL1
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM No AI Budget? No Problem: A Practical Framework for Systemic School Success
How can we move our staff beyond simply policing AI and start building a culture of effective and ethical use? This session details the journey of a successful Digital Literacy Coach pilot program within a systemic Catholic high school. I will share a low-cost model for embedding AI literacy across the curriculum, from a Year 7 "AI Bootcamp" to redesigning senior assessment tasks to be AI-aware. This presentation will offer a transparent look at what works, sharing some practical strategies that translate diocesan-level policy into tangible classroom practice. Attendees will learn about pioneering initiatives that use AI to increase teacher capacity, provide authentic learning experiences, and even leverage data. This session provides a replicable, grassroots framework for schools seeking to implement a meaningful AI strategy without an independent school budget. Key Takeaways for Participants: • A Demonstrated Framework: Learn how to implement a cohesive, whole-school strategy for AI literacy and academic integrity, moving from a "piecemeal" approach to a structured model. • Practical Classroom Applications: Overview and demonstration of developed strategies for redesigning assessments, developing student-led ethical guidelines, and using AI as an "educational data expert" to guide teaching. • Teacher & Staff Empowerment: Discover how a dedicated coaching role can reduce teacher workload, build staff capacity, and achieve exceptionally high engagement in professional learning. 		Reigniting Passion, Renewing Purpose: The Power of Personal Inspiration in Building Stronger School Libraries.”
Building capacity in school libraries begins with the people who bring them to life. For many long-serving librarians, sustaining passion and purpose over decades can be both a privilege and a challenge. This presentation explores how non-teaching librarians contribute to the heart of school life through academic support, reading advocacy, and community engagement, and how rediscovering joy in the role can revitalise both individual practice and the library’s wider impact. Drawing on real examples from my experience - including organising guest author visits with Markus Zusak, Tristan Bancks, Morris Gleitzman; hosting Breakfast with Books, Great Book Swap, and Write a Book in a Day events; supporting student wellbeing and life skills programs; and curating inclusive collections - I will illustrate how non-teaching librarians quietly build the learning capacity of entire school communities. Participants will leave with practical strategies and reflective prompts to: • Recognise their own role in capacity building within the school library ecosystem. • Identify sources of inspiration and renewal to sustain long-term professional wellbeing. • Reignite their enthusiasm for library work after many years in the same environment.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM From Cognitive Science to the Classroom: Practical Strategies to Support Neurodivergent Learners
Executive function challenges can significantly impact learning, especially for neurodivergent students. This workshop explores how research on executive function can be translated into inclusive classroom strategies that support planning, organisation, attention and emotional regulation. Drawing on practice-based insights from The Sycamore School, a specialist setting for autistic learners, we will unpack what executive functioning looks like in real classrooms and share practical supports that benefit all students. Participants will leave with evidence-informed tools, case examples and insights into how a cognitive science lens can enhance engagement and independence for diverse learners.
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Vibe Coding in Educators: Rapid Problem-Solving with AI
What if every school could solve its own digital problems without needing a team of developers? This interactive workshop introduces participants to vibe coding: the creative process of using conversational AI to collaboratively design and build custom tools, workflows, and prototypes. Our team uses vibe coding to identify pain points across teaching, administration, and student services, then co-create quick, AI-assisted solutions directly in our systems using tools like Claude AI. These projects have ranged from micro-apps that automate repetitive admin tasks to interactive learning tools. Participants will first explore examples of what’s possible, then work in small groups to map their own school’s “friction points” and learn how to frame prompts and project briefs that AI can turn into usable prototypes. Participants will: • Understand the concept of vibe coding and its educational potential • Learn a practical workflow for identifying and framing school challenges AI can solve • See real examples of AI-generated school tools and systems • Leave with a draft blueprint for their own AI-driven improvement project 		The Vocal Leader: Podcasting as a Tool for Professional Advocacy and Connection
True library leadership requires a shift from isolated management to visible, vocal advocacy. This session will examine how audio platforms can foster professional resonance, allowing leaders to share insights that spark progress across the educational landscape. Lily introduces her V.O.I.C.E.S. framework (Value, Orate, Impact, Change, Engage, Strategise) as a roadmap for this transformation. Attendees will leave with confidence in curating high level professional content and practical steps for contributing their own voices to the conversation, ensuring the school library remains the heartbeat of teaching and learning. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in teaching and library leadership, Lily shares how to leverage audio storytelling to move beyond the school walls. Participants will explore practical strategies to transition from passive listeners to active influencers, using podcasting as a tool to engage stakeholders, strategise for change, and build a high-impact professional community that resonates across the sector.
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Emily Patterson & Brodie McGee to answer questions
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM Ask the Audience_share the one idea you will work on next week
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panel with Ela Sircelj & Lily Young
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week_L1
Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Creating the Conditions to Thrive: Rethinking How We Work in Schools
This workshop is about reimagining what it takes for educators and staff to truly thrive at work. Together, we’ll explore how the right conditions, clarity, structure, alignment, and support, create the foundation for wellbeing, performance, and sustainable success. Through practical reflection and strategy, participants will identify what helps (and hinders) thriving in their context, uncover the invisible barriers built into everyday systems, and learn how to intentionally design a culture where people can do their best work and feel their best doing it.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Character Education: The Who Is Our Why
What is good character and how is it formed? How should we educate people to build the character they need for lives that are both worthwhile and well-lived? How might we lead for and with the character required to thrive in our world? Now, perhaps more than ever, we need the influence of strong, positive character. This presentation explores how we can put the "Who?" at the forefront of a school's educational purpose and practice in pursuit of future focused graduate outcomes. Drawing on over 15 years of research by CIRCLE Education that has led to the establishment of the Sydney Character Initiative at the University of Sydney, Prof Phil Cummins will share a story of character and the formation of the whole child in communities of inquiry and practice that that are responding to the compelling call for the values and value proposition of an education for character, competency and wellness.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Amy Green & Dr Phil Cummins
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea W1
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Making Wellbeing a Superpower in Schools
Wellbeing is no longer a standalone initiative. When it is built into how work is designed, how time and energy are used, and how people are supported, it becomes a powerful enabler of sustainable performance. Drawing on an evidence based workplace wellbeing lens, this keynote explores how wellbeing can support focus, creativity and endurance in demanding school environments. The session combines individual self care to with collective ways of working for future focused schools.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Cultivating mental health literacy through data informed approaches
In today's educational landscape, fostering a culture of respect and wellbeing is paramount for the holistic development of students and educators alike. Our session aims to explore how the integration of social and emotional literacy, a wellbeing framework and data-informed strategies can cultivate environments where respect for the environment, oneself, and the community thrives. We will delve into two key themes: Cultivating Respect Through Social and Emotional Literacy; and Data-Informed Strategies for Developing Flourishing Learners. The session is designed for educators, administrators, and policymakers eager to implement evidence-based practices that promote respect, positive mental health, and flourishing among students and staff alike. Join us as we explore transformative strategies that empower individuals to become their best selves while nurturing thriving educational communities.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM The Global Joy Mission: Empowering Educators and Students to Thrive, Not Just Survive
What if joy wasn’t a reward at the end of a busy school term, but a daily strategy for wellbeing and performance? In this inspiring and science-backed session, Organisational Psychologist and author of Productivity Joy, Simi Rayat, shares the Global Joy Mission, a movement to equip 5 million people including Educators and students with the tools to thrive by 2030. Discover the 5Qs Formula, a simple, evidence-based, science-backed daily practice to build emotional regulation, focus and resilience in just five minutes a day. Learn how schools across Australia are embedding these tools into classrooms and how your school can join the national pilot programme to make wellbeing a daily mental fitness habit, not an occasional lesson. You’ll walk away inspired, equipped and ready to create a culture of calm, confidence and connection in your school community.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM Student self-reported wellbeing data_W4
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
Lunch - W1
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Melanie Moffatt, Sam Wright & Simi Rayat
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Leadership for whole school and teacher wellbeing - rural contexts, the perfect setting!
Ensuring collective well-being across the whole school for teachers, students, and parent community is not rocket science. It is about ensuring we all work together through a collaborative approach identifying our core philosophy to inform our priorities as an educational institution. This is informed by our local community connections and environmental context. Andrew will draw on his experience leading Ōropi School, where the local context and environment has been utilised to ensure our children are motivated to come to school and immersed in real life experiences to motivate them in their learning, on a daily basis. He will outline how this has brought staff and parents together for the wellbeing of our community, while also optimising the mental health of our children. It is relatively simply; connecting kids to the real world and natural environment, which does wonders. Links will be made to the work of the New Zealand Rural Schools Association, where an important element of our work is to highlight the strengths and opportunities a rural context can provide.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM The Anti 5am Club
The Anti 5am Club challenges the myths that tie success to early starts, perfect mornings, and relentless output. Instead, it equips teachers with practical tools they can use to protect their energy, design days that work for them, and model sustainable wellbeing. The workshop is grounded in lived experience and research, offering realistic strategies to help educators and school leaders flourish across the whole day. We will also explore "Moral Trauma", something that many teachers have but do not know they have.
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Andrew King & Andrew Murray
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-W1
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
AI in the Classroom
Capacity Building School Libraries
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
AI in the Classroom
Capacity Building School Libraries
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Curiosity in the age of AI
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, curiosity remains our most powerful human trait. This keynote explores how curiosity fuels innovation, drives ethical decision-making, and empowers lifelong learning in an AI-driven era. Dan will unpack the evolving relationship between human curiosity and machine intelligence—highlighting how educators, leaders, and technologists can harness AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for deeper inquiry, creativity, and transformation. From classrooms to boardrooms, this session will challenge conventional thinking, showcase real-world examples, and offer actionable insights on how to cultivate curiosity in systems, pedagogy, and leadership. Whether you're navigating AI in education, policy, or enterprise, this keynote will inspire you to lead with questions, embrace uncertainty, and design futures where curiosity and technology co-evolve for the greater good. 		Constellations of Practice: Recentering the School Library with Purpose and Possibility
School libraries are constellations of practice: linking people, ideas and possibilities across the shifting landscape of education. In a time of uncertainty, where school leadership support is uneven, the pressure to do more is unrelenting, and recognition is often absent, the school library and its staff continue to bring coherence, connection and care for both students, teachers and the school community. This presentation invites participants to recentre their professional vision—not through reinvention, but by recognising the power of what already exists. Using the Know–Do–Be model as a reflective lens, we will explore how school library professionals already hold the knowledge, lead the practices and embody the values that sustain inclusive, future-focused and community-connected learning. Rather than calling for more effort, this session surfaces practical, achievable shifts—through thoughtful learning design, ethical technology use, and responsive programming—that build capacity without burnout. Anchored in research and real-world examples, the presentation reminds us that school library staff are stars - present, persistent, and guiding the way forward even when they go unnoticed. Attendees will leave with fresh clarity, restored energy and renewed confidence in their role—not as outliers, but as essential connectors in the learning constellation of their school.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Empowering Classrooms with Copilot 13+: Leading AI Integration at Claver
Discover how Claver is pioneering the integration of Copilot 13+ to transform teaching and learning across secondary classrooms. This presentation will explore leadership strategies for implementation, practical classroom applications, and the cultural shift required to embrace AI as a collaborative partner in education. Shane Tooley shares insights from Claver’s journey, including staff development, student engagement, and curriculum alignment, offering a roadmap for other schools ready to lead the future of learning. 		It Takes a Village: Building Student Capability Through Cross-Sector Library Partnerships
In an era where information literacy and community engagement are more vital than ever, collaboration between school, public, and state libraries offers a powerful catalyst for building student capability and confidence. This presentation explores a dynamic partnership between Kepnock State High School, Bundaberg Regional Council Library, and the State Library of Queensland, showcasing how cross-sector collaboration can transform teaching and learning. This session will share case studies, student feedback, and curriculum examples that demonstrate the impact of integrated library partnerships. Attendees will gain practical strategies for initiating and sustaining similar partnerships in their own regions, with a focus on aligning library programs with curriculum goals and building enduring community connections. Ultimately, It Takes a Village celebrates the collective power of school, public, and state libraries working together to empower the next generation of learners.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Kay Oddone & Darlene Hill
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Australia's Educator-Led AI Revolution: Sovereignty, Pedagogy, and the Future of Learning
Chris introduces the RocketEducation AI Suite (TeachersRocket, LearnersRocket, SchoolsRocket, LibraryRocket) and the AI TRACK Assessment: an integrated AI ecosystem designed in Australia, with information sovereignty and responsible AI as foundational principles. Drawing on Strategenics’ experience delivering AI, data, and cloud transformation across government and enterprise, Chris outlines the AI-6 Strategic Framework for Educational Leadership. This framework addresses six critical pillars: Assessment Integrity, Personalised Learning at Scale, Teacher Empowerment, Skill Development Protection, Ethical Implementation, and Digital Equity. This session focuses on what comes next providing a clear, practical pathway for education leaders to safely adopt AI. Chris will walk through emerging use cases, governance considerations, and implementation models that schools can apply immediately. The session is designed to help school leaders move from curiosity to capability establishing strong foundations in policy, pedagogy, and technology while maintaining full control over data, security, and educational outcomes.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea Lib_1
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Dan Bowen, Shane Tooley & Christine Aloisio
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea A!_1
Growth Talk: Brief Conversations - Big Impact!
Chris will demonstrate how we can all be more effective conversation leaders. This requires us to first recognise the in-the-moment opportunity for a learning conversation and then to intentionally show-up and manage these interactions in ways that best serve the thinking and progress of our conversation partners.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Setting Our Students and Ourselves up for 2040
It is estimated that we have experienced 0.1% of the technological changes we will see by 2040. This means we will all essentially be newbies as we begin to understand the enormity of the changes facing our world. The world is poised at the point of one of the greatest changes in history and if our students are not able to capitalise on those opportunities, their ability to succeed will be lessened. This presentation outlines the major digital innovations and revolutions foreseeable and considers the skills that will be needed in 2040. Three of the basic skills that are outlined are- show up (ready to learn and perform), opt in (rather than avoid) and be curious. 		When the Internet Eats Itself: Teaching Truth in the Age of AI Slop
As AI reshapes how information is created, shared, and trusted, the need for critical information literacy has never been greater. This session examines the pivotal role of teacher librarians in helping schools navigate a world of AI slop, misinformation, and disinformation. Participants will explore practical strategies for teaching lateral reading, source verification, and critical AI literacy—skills that empower students to question, evaluate, and create information responsibly. Together we’ll consider how the foundations of truth, credibility, and authorship are under pressure—and what it means to prepare students for informed participation in an AI-mediated world.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM AI Agents and the Lone Librarian
Working solo in a school library can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. This session explores how AI agents can become powerful collaborators for library staff, who often work independently. Discover practical ways AI can support planning, resource curation, communication, and innovation, helping you do more with less and transform your library into a dynamic, responsive hub for your school community.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM Cyborgs in schools - where to next?
Classrooms are no longer just human spaces. From lesson planning to student support, AI is slipping into the daily rhythms of teaching and learning. But are schools ready for this “cyborg moment,” where human expertise and machine intelligence fuse? This session explores what’s possible, what’s risky, and what’s next. Expect provocations, practical examples, and a peek into the near-future of education where teachers, students, and AI learn to co-evolve.
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch - Lib1
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Andrew Fuller & Matt Esterman to answer questions
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - AI_1
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM No AI Budget? No Problem: A Practical Framework for Systemic School Success
How can we move our staff beyond simply policing AI and start building a culture of effective and ethical use? This session details the journey of a successful Digital Literacy Coach pilot program within a systemic Catholic high school. I will share a low-cost model for embedding AI literacy across the curriculum, from a Year 7 "AI Bootcamp" to redesigning senior assessment tasks to be AI-aware. This presentation will offer a transparent look at what works, sharing some practical strategies that translate diocesan-level policy into tangible classroom practice. Attendees will learn about pioneering initiatives that use AI to increase teacher capacity, provide authentic learning experiences, and even leverage data. This session provides a replicable, grassroots framework for schools seeking to implement a meaningful AI strategy without an independent school budget. Key Takeaways for Participants: • A Demonstrated Framework: Learn how to implement a cohesive, whole-school strategy for AI literacy and academic integrity, moving from a "piecemeal" approach to a structured model. • Practical Classroom Applications: Overview and demonstration of developed strategies for redesigning assessments, developing student-led ethical guidelines, and using AI as an "educational data expert" to guide teaching. • Teacher & Staff Empowerment: Discover how a dedicated coaching role can reduce teacher workload, build staff capacity, and achieve exceptionally high engagement in professional learning. 		Reigniting Passion, Renewing Purpose: The Power of Personal Inspiration in Building Stronger School Libraries.”
Building capacity in school libraries begins with the people who bring them to life. For many long-serving librarians, sustaining passion and purpose over decades can be both a privilege and a challenge. This presentation explores how non-teaching librarians contribute to the heart of school life through academic support, reading advocacy, and community engagement, and how rediscovering joy in the role can revitalise both individual practice and the library’s wider impact. Drawing on real examples from my experience - including organising guest author visits with Markus Zusak, Tristan Bancks, Morris Gleitzman; hosting Breakfast with Books, Great Book Swap, and Write a Book in a Day events; supporting student wellbeing and life skills programs; and curating inclusive collections - I will illustrate how non-teaching librarians quietly build the learning capacity of entire school communities. Participants will leave with practical strategies and reflective prompts to: • Recognise their own role in capacity building within the school library ecosystem. • Identify sources of inspiration and renewal to sustain long-term professional wellbeing. • Reignite their enthusiasm for library work after many years in the same environment.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Vibe Coding in Educators: Rapid Problem-Solving with AI
What if every school could solve its own digital problems without needing a team of developers? This interactive workshop introduces participants to vibe coding: the creative process of using conversational AI to collaboratively design and build custom tools, workflows, and prototypes. Our team uses vibe coding to identify pain points across teaching, administration, and student services, then co-create quick, AI-assisted solutions directly in our systems using tools like Claude AI. These projects have ranged from micro-apps that automate repetitive admin tasks to interactive learning tools. Participants will first explore examples of what’s possible, then work in small groups to map their own school’s “friction points” and learn how to frame prompts and project briefs that AI can turn into usable prototypes. Participants will: • Understand the concept of vibe coding and its educational potential • Learn a practical workflow for identifying and framing school challenges AI can solve • See real examples of AI-generated school tools and systems • Leave with a draft blueprint for their own AI-driven improvement project 		The Vocal Leader: Podcasting as a Tool for Professional Advocacy and Connection
True library leadership requires a shift from isolated management to visible, vocal advocacy. This session will examine how audio platforms can foster professional resonance, allowing leaders to share insights that spark progress across the educational landscape. Lily introduces her V.O.I.C.E.S. framework (Value, Orate, Impact, Change, Engage, Strategise) as a roadmap for this transformation. Attendees will leave with confidence in curating high level professional content and practical steps for contributing their own voices to the conversation, ensuring the school library remains the heartbeat of teaching and learning. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in teaching and library leadership, Lily shares how to leverage audio storytelling to move beyond the school walls. Participants will explore practical strategies to transition from passive listeners to active influencers, using podcasting as a tool to engage stakeholders, strategise for change, and build a high-impact professional community that resonates across the sector.
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Emily Patterson & Brodie McGee to answer questions
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panel with Ela Sircelj & Lily Young
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week_L1

Diverse Learners Symposium
Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Diverse Learners Symposium
Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Converting Neurodiversity Into Neuro-advantage
Students with neurodiversity include students who are gifted, those who are oppositional or have dyslexia, or experience attention issues such as ADHD, or have experienced trauma as well as those who are on the spectrums. Each of these groups have strengths as well as vulnerabilities that can be catered for. Teachers are equipped with strategies as well as the most recent tech that overcomes learning disadvantages for neurodiverse students. 		Creating the Conditions to Thrive: Rethinking How We Work in Schools
This workshop is about reimagining what it takes for educators and staff to truly thrive at work. Together, we’ll explore how the right conditions, clarity, structure, alignment, and support, create the foundation for wellbeing, performance, and sustainable success. Through practical reflection and strategy, participants will identify what helps (and hinders) thriving in their context, uncover the invisible barriers built into everyday systems, and learn how to intentionally design a culture where people can do their best work and feel their best doing it.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Differentiation Rewired: Neuroscience, Wellbeing and the Future of Diverse Learning
In an era where classrooms are more diverse—and more digitally complex—than ever before, traditional models of differentiation are no longer enough. Today’s learners bring a spectrum of neurological, emotional, and environmental differences into the classroom. Understanding how the brain learns is now as essential as what we teach. We will explore how educators can use brain-based principles to: • reduce cognitive overload • support neurodivergent and gifted students • balance digital and emotional wellbeing • design learning that engages all students through targeted scaffolds and stretch. This session bridges the gap between science and strategy, offering tangible classroom applications for teachers, leaders, and learning support staff. Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of how to create emotionally safe, high-impact learning environments that honour every learner’s unique neurological fingerprint. 		Character Education: The Who Is Our Why
What is good character and how is it formed? How should we educate people to build the character they need for lives that are both worthwhile and well-lived? How might we lead for and with the character required to thrive in our world? Now, perhaps more than ever, we need the influence of strong, positive character. This presentation explores how we can put the "Who?" at the forefront of a school's educational purpose and practice in pursuit of future focused graduate outcomes. Drawing on over 15 years of research by CIRCLE Education that has led to the establishment of the Sydney Character Initiative at the University of Sydney, Prof Phil Cummins will share a story of character and the formation of the whole child in communities of inquiry and practice that that are responding to the compelling call for the values and value proposition of an education for character, competency and wellness.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Amy Green & Dr Phil Cummins
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Narratives That Connect: One Approach, Many Outcomes
Oral narratives are more than just stories, they’re a powerful, multi-purpose tool that can unlock language, connection, and learning for students with Language Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and language difficulties, and can simultaneously support diverse learning needs, promote inclusion, and foster social and emotional wellbeing. Grounded in a strengths-based and culturally responsive lens, this session will explore how oral narratives can: • Support neurodivergent learners (including students with DLD, autism and other diverse language profiles) through flexible, scaffolded language intervention • Enhance social-emotional learning by using narrative to build skills, emotional vocabulary, and regulation through safe and structured storytelling and shared experiences • Promote inclusion and identity by creating space for diverse learners, to share their stories in affirming, meaningful ways
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea W1
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Andrew Fuller, Vanessa Gray & Meg MacKenzie
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea DL_1
Making Wellbeing a Superpower in Schools
Wellbeing is no longer a standalone initiative. When it is built into how work is designed, how time and energy are used, and how people are supported, it becomes a powerful enabler of sustainable performance. Drawing on an evidence based workplace wellbeing lens, this keynote explores how wellbeing can support focus, creativity and endurance in demanding school environments. The session combines individual self care to with collective ways of working for future focused schools.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Student self-reported wellbeing data_DL3
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Cultivating mental health literacy through data informed approaches
In today's educational landscape, fostering a culture of respect and wellbeing is paramount for the holistic development of students and educators alike. Our session aims to explore how the integration of social and emotional literacy, a wellbeing framework and data-informed strategies can cultivate environments where respect for the environment, oneself, and the community thrives. We will delve into two key themes: Cultivating Respect Through Social and Emotional Literacy; and Data-Informed Strategies for Developing Flourishing Learners. The session is designed for educators, administrators, and policymakers eager to implement evidence-based practices that promote respect, positive mental health, and flourishing among students and staff alike. Join us as we explore transformative strategies that empower individuals to become their best selves while nurturing thriving educational communities.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM From Diagnosis to Discovery: A Teacher’s Journey into Dyscalculia
The session will begin with an overview of the indicators and characteristics of Dyscalculia, followed by techniques and supports that benefit learners experiencing Dyscalculia, maths difficulties, and maths anxiety. In addition to academic strategies, the session will explore teaching and learning frameworks that support cognitive and emotional development and examine the role of executive functioning in shaping both educational and personal outcomes for dyscalculic learners.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM The Global Joy Mission: Empowering Educators and Students to Thrive, Not Just Survive
What if joy wasn’t a reward at the end of a busy school term, but a daily strategy for wellbeing and performance? In this inspiring and science-backed session, Organisational Psychologist and author of Productivity Joy, Simi Rayat, shares the Global Joy Mission, a movement to equip 5 million people including Educators and students with the tools to thrive by 2030. Discover the 5Qs Formula, a simple, evidence-based, science-backed daily practice to build emotional regulation, focus and resilience in just five minutes a day. Learn how schools across Australia are embedding these tools into classrooms and how your school can join the national pilot programme to make wellbeing a daily mental fitness habit, not an occasional lesson. You’ll walk away inspired, equipped and ready to create a culture of calm, confidence and connection in your school community.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM Teach the Nervous System First
This session helps principals and school leaders turn trauma-aware practice and emotion regulation into everyday routines that lift learning time. We begin with a short primary classroom story. In table groups, we quickly spot the trauma-related signs. Then we move to the leadership work: how to make calm, predictable routines standard across classrooms—without adding heavy paperwork.
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM Student self-reported wellbeing data_W4
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Kerri Ledingham & Lillian Jia
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
Lunch - W1
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - DL1
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Melanie Moffatt, Sam Wright & Simi Rayat
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Leadership for whole school and teacher wellbeing - rural contexts, the perfect setting!
Ensuring collective well-being across the whole school for teachers, students, and parent community is not rocket science. It is about ensuring we all work together through a collaborative approach identifying our core philosophy to inform our priorities as an educational institution. This is informed by our local community connections and environmental context. Andrew will draw on his experience leading Ōropi School, where the local context and environment has been utilised to ensure our children are motivated to come to school and immersed in real life experiences to motivate them in their learning, on a daily basis. He will outline how this has brought staff and parents together for the wellbeing of our community, while also optimising the mental health of our children. It is relatively simply; connecting kids to the real world and natural environment, which does wonders. Links will be made to the work of the New Zealand Rural Schools Association, where an important element of our work is to highlight the strengths and opportunities a rural context can provide.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM From Cognitive Science to the Classroom: Practical Strategies to Support Neurodivergent Learners
Executive function challenges can significantly impact learning, especially for neurodivergent students. This workshop explores how research on executive function can be translated into inclusive classroom strategies that support planning, organisation, attention and emotional regulation. Drawing on practice-based insights from The Sycamore School, a specialist setting for autistic learners, we will unpack what executive functioning looks like in real classrooms and share practical supports that benefit all students. Participants will leave with evidence-informed tools, case examples and insights into how a cognitive science lens can enhance engagement and independence for diverse learners.
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM The Anti 5am Club
The Anti 5am Club challenges the myths that tie success to early starts, perfect mornings, and relentless output. Instead, it equips teachers with practical tools they can use to protect their energy, design days that work for them, and model sustainable wellbeing. The workshop is grounded in lived experience and research, offering realistic strategies to help educators and school leaders flourish across the whole day. We will also explore "Moral Trauma", something that many teachers have but do not know they have.
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Andrew King & Andrew Murray
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM Ask the Audience_share the one idea you will work on next week
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-W1
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

AI in the Classroom
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
AI in the Classroom
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Curiosity in the age of AI
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, curiosity remains our most powerful human trait. This keynote explores how curiosity fuels innovation, drives ethical decision-making, and empowers lifelong learning in an AI-driven era. Dan will unpack the evolving relationship between human curiosity and machine intelligence—highlighting how educators, leaders, and technologists can harness AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for deeper inquiry, creativity, and transformation. From classrooms to boardrooms, this session will challenge conventional thinking, showcase real-world examples, and offer actionable insights on how to cultivate curiosity in systems, pedagogy, and leadership. Whether you're navigating AI in education, policy, or enterprise, this keynote will inspire you to lead with questions, embrace uncertainty, and design futures where curiosity and technology co-evolve for the greater good.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Empowering Classrooms with Copilot 13+: Leading AI Integration at Claver
Discover how Claver is pioneering the integration of Copilot 13+ to transform teaching and learning across secondary classrooms. This presentation will explore leadership strategies for implementation, practical classroom applications, and the cultural shift required to embrace AI as a collaborative partner in education. Shane Tooley shares insights from Claver’s journey, including staff development, student engagement, and curriculum alignment, offering a roadmap for other schools ready to lead the future of learning.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Australia's Educator-Led AI Revolution: Sovereignty, Pedagogy, and the Future of Learning
Chris introduces the RocketEducation AI Suite (TeachersRocket, LearnersRocket, SchoolsRocket, LibraryRocket) and the AI TRACK Assessment: an integrated AI ecosystem designed in Australia, with information sovereignty and responsible AI as foundational principles. Drawing on Strategenics’ experience delivering AI, data, and cloud transformation across government and enterprise, Chris outlines the AI-6 Strategic Framework for Educational Leadership. This framework addresses six critical pillars: Assessment Integrity, Personalised Learning at Scale, Teacher Empowerment, Skill Development Protection, Ethical Implementation, and Digital Equity. This session focuses on what comes next providing a clear, practical pathway for education leaders to safely adopt AI. Chris will walk through emerging use cases, governance considerations, and implementation models that schools can apply immediately. The session is designed to help school leaders move from curiosity to capability establishing strong foundations in policy, pedagogy, and technology while maintaining full control over data, security, and educational outcomes.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Dan Bowen, Shane Tooley & Christine Aloisio
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea A!_1
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Setting Our Students and Ourselves up for 2040
It is estimated that we have experienced 0.1% of the technological changes we will see by 2040. This means we will all essentially be newbies as we begin to understand the enormity of the changes facing our world. The world is poised at the point of one of the greatest changes in history and if our students are not able to capitalise on those opportunities, their ability to succeed will be lessened. This presentation outlines the major digital innovations and revolutions foreseeable and considers the skills that will be needed in 2040. Three of the basic skills that are outlined are- show up (ready to learn and perform), opt in (rather than avoid) and be curious.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM Cyborgs in schools - where to next?
Classrooms are no longer just human spaces. From lesson planning to student support, AI is slipping into the daily rhythms of teaching and learning. But are schools ready for this “cyborg moment,” where human expertise and machine intelligence fuse? This session explores what’s possible, what’s risky, and what’s next. Expect provocations, practical examples, and a peek into the near-future of education where teachers, students, and AI learn to co-evolve.
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Andrew Fuller & Matt Esterman to answer questions
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - AI_1
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM No AI Budget? No Problem: A Practical Framework for Systemic School Success
How can we move our staff beyond simply policing AI and start building a culture of effective and ethical use? This session details the journey of a successful Digital Literacy Coach pilot program within a systemic Catholic high school. I will share a low-cost model for embedding AI literacy across the curriculum, from a Year 7 "AI Bootcamp" to redesigning senior assessment tasks to be AI-aware. This presentation will offer a transparent look at what works, sharing some practical strategies that translate diocesan-level policy into tangible classroom practice. Attendees will learn about pioneering initiatives that use AI to increase teacher capacity, provide authentic learning experiences, and even leverage data. This session provides a replicable, grassroots framework for schools seeking to implement a meaningful AI strategy without an independent school budget. Key Takeaways for Participants: • A Demonstrated Framework: Learn how to implement a cohesive, whole-school strategy for AI literacy and academic integrity, moving from a "piecemeal" approach to a structured model. • Practical Classroom Applications: Overview and demonstration of developed strategies for redesigning assessments, developing student-led ethical guidelines, and using AI as an "educational data expert" to guide teaching. • Teacher & Staff Empowerment: Discover how a dedicated coaching role can reduce teacher workload, build staff capacity, and achieve exceptionally high engagement in professional learning.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Vibe Coding in Educators: Rapid Problem-Solving with AI
What if every school could solve its own digital problems without needing a team of developers? This interactive workshop introduces participants to vibe coding: the creative process of using conversational AI to collaboratively design and build custom tools, workflows, and prototypes. Our team uses vibe coding to identify pain points across teaching, administration, and student services, then co-create quick, AI-assisted solutions directly in our systems using tools like Claude AI. These projects have ranged from micro-apps that automate repetitive admin tasks to interactive learning tools. Participants will first explore examples of what’s possible, then work in small groups to map their own school’s “friction points” and learn how to frame prompts and project briefs that AI can turn into usable prototypes. Participants will: • Understand the concept of vibe coding and its educational potential • Learn a practical workflow for identifying and framing school challenges AI can solve • See real examples of AI-generated school tools and systems • Leave with a draft blueprint for their own AI-driven improvement project
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Emily Patterson & Brodie McGee to answer questions
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

Capacity Building School Libraries
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Capacity Building School Libraries
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Constellations of Practice: Recentering the School Library with Purpose and Possibility
School libraries are constellations of practice: linking people, ideas and possibilities across the shifting landscape of education. In a time of uncertainty, where school leadership support is uneven, the pressure to do more is unrelenting, and recognition is often absent, the school library and its staff continue to bring coherence, connection and care for both students, teachers and the school community. This presentation invites participants to recentre their professional vision—not through reinvention, but by recognising the power of what already exists. Using the Know–Do–Be model as a reflective lens, we will explore how school library professionals already hold the knowledge, lead the practices and embody the values that sustain inclusive, future-focused and community-connected learning. Rather than calling for more effort, this session surfaces practical, achievable shifts—through thoughtful learning design, ethical technology use, and responsive programming—that build capacity without burnout. Anchored in research and real-world examples, the presentation reminds us that school library staff are stars - present, persistent, and guiding the way forward even when they go unnoticed. Attendees will leave with fresh clarity, restored energy and renewed confidence in their role—not as outliers, but as essential connectors in the learning constellation of their school.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM It Takes a Village: Building Student Capability Through Cross-Sector Library Partnerships
In an era where information literacy and community engagement are more vital than ever, collaboration between school, public, and state libraries offers a powerful catalyst for building student capability and confidence. This presentation explores a dynamic partnership between Kepnock State High School, Bundaberg Regional Council Library, and the State Library of Queensland, showcasing how cross-sector collaboration can transform teaching and learning. This session will share case studies, student feedback, and curriculum examples that demonstrate the impact of integrated library partnerships. Attendees will gain practical strategies for initiating and sustaining similar partnerships in their own regions, with a focus on aligning library programs with curriculum goals and building enduring community connections. Ultimately, It Takes a Village celebrates the collective power of school, public, and state libraries working together to empower the next generation of learners.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Kay Oddone & Darlene Hill
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea Lib_1
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Growth Talk: Brief Conversations - Big Impact!
Chris will demonstrate how we can all be more effective conversation leaders. This requires us to first recognise the in-the-moment opportunity for a learning conversation and then to intentionally show-up and manage these interactions in ways that best serve the thinking and progress of our conversation partners.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM When the Internet Eats Itself: Teaching Truth in the Age of AI Slop
As AI reshapes how information is created, shared, and trusted, the need for critical information literacy has never been greater. This session examines the pivotal role of teacher librarians in helping schools navigate a world of AI slop, misinformation, and disinformation. Participants will explore practical strategies for teaching lateral reading, source verification, and critical AI literacy—skills that empower students to question, evaluate, and create information responsibly. Together we’ll consider how the foundations of truth, credibility, and authorship are under pressure—and what it means to prepare students for informed participation in an AI-mediated world.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM AI Agents and the Lone Librarian
Working solo in a school library can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. This session explores how AI agents can become powerful collaborators for library staff, who often work independently. Discover practical ways AI can support planning, resource curation, communication, and innovation, helping you do more with less and transform your library into a dynamic, responsive hub for your school community.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch - Lib1
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Reigniting Passion, Renewing Purpose: The Power of Personal Inspiration in Building Stronger School Libraries.”
Building capacity in school libraries begins with the people who bring them to life. For many long-serving librarians, sustaining passion and purpose over decades can be both a privilege and a challenge. This presentation explores how non-teaching librarians contribute to the heart of school life through academic support, reading advocacy, and community engagement, and how rediscovering joy in the role can revitalise both individual practice and the library’s wider impact. Drawing on real examples from my experience - including organising guest author visits with Markus Zusak, Tristan Bancks, Morris Gleitzman; hosting Breakfast with Books, Great Book Swap, and Write a Book in a Day events; supporting student wellbeing and life skills programs; and curating inclusive collections - I will illustrate how non-teaching librarians quietly build the learning capacity of entire school communities. Participants will leave with practical strategies and reflective prompts to: • Recognise their own role in capacity building within the school library ecosystem. • Identify sources of inspiration and renewal to sustain long-term professional wellbeing. • Reignite their enthusiasm for library work after many years in the same environment.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM The Vocal Leader: Podcasting as a Tool for Professional Advocacy and Connection
True library leadership requires a shift from isolated management to visible, vocal advocacy. This session will examine how audio platforms can foster professional resonance, allowing leaders to share insights that spark progress across the educational landscape. Lily introduces her V.O.I.C.E.S. framework (Value, Orate, Impact, Change, Engage, Strategise) as a roadmap for this transformation. Attendees will leave with confidence in curating high level professional content and practical steps for contributing their own voices to the conversation, ensuring the school library remains the heartbeat of teaching and learning. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in teaching and library leadership, Lily shares how to leverage audio storytelling to move beyond the school walls. Participants will explore practical strategies to transition from passive listeners to active influencers, using podcasting as a tool to engage stakeholders, strategise for change, and build a high-impact professional community that resonates across the sector.
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panel with Ela Sircelj & Lily Young
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week_L1

Diverse Learners Symposium
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Diverse Learners Symposium
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Converting Neurodiversity Into Neuro-advantage
Students with neurodiversity include students who are gifted, those who are oppositional or have dyslexia, or experience attention issues such as ADHD, or have experienced trauma as well as those who are on the spectrums. Each of these groups have strengths as well as vulnerabilities that can be catered for. Teachers are equipped with strategies as well as the most recent tech that overcomes learning disadvantages for neurodiverse students.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Differentiation Rewired: Neuroscience, Wellbeing and the Future of Diverse Learning
In an era where classrooms are more diverse—and more digitally complex—than ever before, traditional models of differentiation are no longer enough. Today’s learners bring a spectrum of neurological, emotional, and environmental differences into the classroom. Understanding how the brain learns is now as essential as what we teach. We will explore how educators can use brain-based principles to: • reduce cognitive overload • support neurodivergent and gifted students • balance digital and emotional wellbeing • design learning that engages all students through targeted scaffolds and stretch. This session bridges the gap between science and strategy, offering tangible classroom applications for teachers, leaders, and learning support staff. Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of how to create emotionally safe, high-impact learning environments that honour every learner’s unique neurological fingerprint.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Narratives That Connect: One Approach, Many Outcomes
Oral narratives are more than just stories, they’re a powerful, multi-purpose tool that can unlock language, connection, and learning for students with Language Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and language difficulties, and can simultaneously support diverse learning needs, promote inclusion, and foster social and emotional wellbeing. Grounded in a strengths-based and culturally responsive lens, this session will explore how oral narratives can: • Support neurodivergent learners (including students with DLD, autism and other diverse language profiles) through flexible, scaffolded language intervention • Enhance social-emotional learning by using narrative to build skills, emotional vocabulary, and regulation through safe and structured storytelling and shared experiences • Promote inclusion and identity by creating space for diverse learners, to share their stories in affirming, meaningful ways
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Andrew Fuller, Vanessa Gray & Meg MacKenzie
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea DL_1
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Student self-reported wellbeing data_DL3
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM From Diagnosis to Discovery: A Teacher’s Journey into Dyscalculia
The session will begin with an overview of the indicators and characteristics of Dyscalculia, followed by techniques and supports that benefit learners experiencing Dyscalculia, maths difficulties, and maths anxiety. In addition to academic strategies, the session will explore teaching and learning frameworks that support cognitive and emotional development and examine the role of executive functioning in shaping both educational and personal outcomes for dyscalculic learners.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM Teach the Nervous System First
This session helps principals and school leaders turn trauma-aware practice and emotion regulation into everyday routines that lift learning time. We begin with a short primary classroom story. In table groups, we quickly spot the trauma-related signs. Then we move to the leadership work: how to make calm, predictable routines standard across classrooms—without adding heavy paperwork.
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Kerri Ledingham & Lillian Jia
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - DL1
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM From Cognitive Science to the Classroom: Practical Strategies to Support Neurodivergent Learners
Executive function challenges can significantly impact learning, especially for neurodivergent students. This workshop explores how research on executive function can be translated into inclusive classroom strategies that support planning, organisation, attention and emotional regulation. Drawing on practice-based insights from The Sycamore School, a specialist setting for autistic learners, we will unpack what executive functioning looks like in real classrooms and share practical supports that benefit all students. Participants will leave with evidence-informed tools, case examples and insights into how a cognitive science lens can enhance engagement and independence for diverse learners.
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM Ask the Audience_share the one idea you will work on next week
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Creating the Conditions to Thrive: Rethinking How We Work in Schools
This workshop is about reimagining what it takes for educators and staff to truly thrive at work. Together, we’ll explore how the right conditions, clarity, structure, alignment, and support, create the foundation for wellbeing, performance, and sustainable success. Through practical reflection and strategy, participants will identify what helps (and hinders) thriving in their context, uncover the invisible barriers built into everyday systems, and learn how to intentionally design a culture where people can do their best work and feel their best doing it.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Character Education: The Who Is Our Why
What is good character and how is it formed? How should we educate people to build the character they need for lives that are both worthwhile and well-lived? How might we lead for and with the character required to thrive in our world? Now, perhaps more than ever, we need the influence of strong, positive character. This presentation explores how we can put the "Who?" at the forefront of a school's educational purpose and practice in pursuit of future focused graduate outcomes. Drawing on over 15 years of research by CIRCLE Education that has led to the establishment of the Sydney Character Initiative at the University of Sydney, Prof Phil Cummins will share a story of character and the formation of the whole child in communities of inquiry and practice that that are responding to the compelling call for the values and value proposition of an education for character, competency and wellness.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Amy Green & Dr Phil Cummins
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea W1
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Making Wellbeing a Superpower in Schools
Wellbeing is no longer a standalone initiative. When it is built into how work is designed, how time and energy are used, and how people are supported, it becomes a powerful enabler of sustainable performance. Drawing on an evidence based workplace wellbeing lens, this keynote explores how wellbeing can support focus, creativity and endurance in demanding school environments. The session combines individual self care to with collective ways of working for future focused schools.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Cultivating mental health literacy through data informed approaches
In today's educational landscape, fostering a culture of respect and wellbeing is paramount for the holistic development of students and educators alike. Our session aims to explore how the integration of social and emotional literacy, a wellbeing framework and data-informed strategies can cultivate environments where respect for the environment, oneself, and the community thrives. We will delve into two key themes: Cultivating Respect Through Social and Emotional Literacy; and Data-Informed Strategies for Developing Flourishing Learners. The session is designed for educators, administrators, and policymakers eager to implement evidence-based practices that promote respect, positive mental health, and flourishing among students and staff alike. Join us as we explore transformative strategies that empower individuals to become their best selves while nurturing thriving educational communities.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM The Global Joy Mission: Empowering Educators and Students to Thrive, Not Just Survive
What if joy wasn’t a reward at the end of a busy school term, but a daily strategy for wellbeing and performance? In this inspiring and science-backed session, Organisational Psychologist and author of Productivity Joy, Simi Rayat, shares the Global Joy Mission, a movement to equip 5 million people including Educators and students with the tools to thrive by 2030. Discover the 5Qs Formula, a simple, evidence-based, science-backed daily practice to build emotional regulation, focus and resilience in just five minutes a day. Learn how schools across Australia are embedding these tools into classrooms and how your school can join the national pilot programme to make wellbeing a daily mental fitness habit, not an occasional lesson. You’ll walk away inspired, equipped and ready to create a culture of calm, confidence and connection in your school community.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM Student self-reported wellbeing data_W4
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
Lunch - W1
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Melanie Moffatt, Sam Wright & Simi Rayat
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Leadership for whole school and teacher wellbeing - rural contexts, the perfect setting!
Ensuring collective well-being across the whole school for teachers, students, and parent community is not rocket science. It is about ensuring we all work together through a collaborative approach identifying our core philosophy to inform our priorities as an educational institution. This is informed by our local community connections and environmental context. Andrew will draw on his experience leading Ōropi School, where the local context and environment has been utilised to ensure our children are motivated to come to school and immersed in real life experiences to motivate them in their learning, on a daily basis. He will outline how this has brought staff and parents together for the wellbeing of our community, while also optimising the mental health of our children. It is relatively simply; connecting kids to the real world and natural environment, which does wonders. Links will be made to the work of the New Zealand Rural Schools Association, where an important element of our work is to highlight the strengths and opportunities a rural context can provide.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM The Anti 5am Club
The Anti 5am Club challenges the myths that tie success to early starts, perfect mornings, and relentless output. Instead, it equips teachers with practical tools they can use to protect their energy, design days that work for them, and model sustainable wellbeing. The workshop is grounded in lived experience and research, offering realistic strategies to help educators and school leaders flourish across the whole day. We will also explore "Moral Trauma", something that many teachers have but do not know they have.
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Andrew King & Andrew Murray
3:10 PM - 3:45 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-W1
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

Friday, May 15, 2026

AI in the Classroom
Capacity Building School Libraries
Diverse Learners Symposium
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM It’s Only the Beginning… Using AI as a Springboard, Not the End Point
This session reframes AI as a catalyst for deeper learning rather than a destination. Instead of treating AI outputs as finished products, the presentation shows how they can become prompts for inquiry, iteration, and critical thinking. Practical classroom examples illustrate how AI can support planning, differentiation, and formative assessment while keeping teachers’ professional judgement at the centre. Participants will explore strategies that build students’ capacity to question, evaluate, and extend AI-generated ideas, ensuring academic integrity and authentic learning. The session positions AI as the starting point for richer human thinking, creativity, and agency. 		Inclusion and participation through reading as a social practice
This session is aimed at information specialists who are seeking to develop an environment that supports reading as a social practice. This session will focus on how information specialists can create environments (services, programs, and spaces) that enhance accessibility and engagement for all readers. Building on the evidence that a shared enjoyment of reading leads to increased engagement with leisure reading, this session will offer practical insights into an embedded teacher librarian approach to whole-school reading culture. Noni and Penny will share suggestions for designing a wider reading program with social reading and collaboration at the forefront, in order to cater to a range of diverse learners with accessibility, inclusion, and participation in mind. 		Nurturing the Mind of a 'Livewired' Child!
What are the most important things we can do to nurture the development of children’s brains and minds and by association enhance learning experiences? Equally important, what might limit or hinder those opportunities? The first question has an extensive body of research to support it and this will be explored by looking at new understandings of how the brain grows and develops and how experiences shape a child’s life and future. The second question has an equally expansive corpus of research, and key elements of this are important considerations when it comes to raising and educating young minds. This presentation will unpack all of the key points noted above in a user-friendly and interactive way. The aim is to provide food for thought and strategies related to fostering environments that positively contribute to the mind of a ‘livewired’ child.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM AI for UDL: Practical Strategies for Inclusion by Design
How can educators harness the power of AI to make learning accessible, engaging and challenging for every student without adding to teacher workload? This session explores the intersection of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and artificial intelligence, drawing on real-world examples using the Australian Curriculum version 9. Discover how tools like Copilot can help you revise assessment tasks, unit plans and learning experiences to provide multiple entry points, explicit support and flexible pathways, without compromising academic rigor. Walk away with practical strategies, hands-on resources and the confidence to use AI to support a universal approach to quality differentiated planning and teaching. 		The Magic of Reading: Making Reading Fun
Working in a school where low literacy levels and numerous barriers make it challenging to inspire a love of reading, promoting reading is a central part of my daily work. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to simply promote individual books; we need to celebrate the joy and habit of reading itself across the whole school community. This has led me to implement a variety of initiatives—ranging from quick and easy activities to more complex and time-intensive projects—all aimed at one goal: encouraging just one more student to pick up one more book and read one more page. In this session, I will share the practical strategies and tools I’ve used to make reading a more engaging and accessible activity for all students. 		Neuroinclusivity in Action: What It Feels Like to Learn with a Different Brain
Every classroom includes students whose brains process, learn, and behave differently, yet many teachers still feel unsure how to recognise and respond to neurodiverse needs. In this powerful and practical session, Scott B Harris draws on 17 years of lived experience with a traumatic brain injury to give teachers a firsthand understanding of what neurodiversity feels like, and how to create classrooms where every learner can thrive. Combining evidence-based research (developed in collaboration with Professor John Hattie) and practical classroom strategies, this session takes participants through interactive simulations that mirror real neurodiverse experiences such as cognitive dysfunction, disorganisation, and sensory overwhelm. Teachers will walk away with a deeper understanding of executive functioning, simple adjustments that de-escalate behaviour, and classroom tools that make learning more inclusive, not just for neurodivergent students, but for all.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Noni Harrison & Barbara McGuigan
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Is AI Bias Creeping into Your School?
AI tools promise to save time and boost engagement. But at what cost to equity and inclusion? This workshop reveals uncomfortable truths: from AI grading and reporting systems that penalise students from linguistically diverse backgrounds to search tools that erase or misrepresent Indigenous perspectives. Learn to identify hidden biases and question whose knowledge AI privileges. Discover how to empower both students and colleagues to challenge discriminatory outputs. Walk away with classroom activities that develop critical digital citizenship. This session goes beyond AI literacy basics to tackle data sovereignty, cultural erasure, and the voices missing from mainstream AI models. Grounded in the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools 		Navigating Education with Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Dual Lens of Parent and Educator
Children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), particularly those who have been in out of home care, face unique challenges in educational settings. This session, led by an educator and carer with lived experience of neurodivergent children impacted by trauma, will explore the profound impact of ACEs on learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation. Attendees will gain insights into the dual perspective of a parent and educator, with practical strategies to create trauma-informed, supportive environments that foster growth, safety, and resilience for all students.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea Lib_2
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Bethany Wass & Janet Moeller to answer questions
Q&A Panel with Dr Michael Nagel, Scott B Harris & Jade Wong
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea AI_2
The Language of Learning: Vocabulary, Literacy, and the Power of the Library
Vocabulary is more than just word knowledge—it’s the foundation for deeper thinking, richer comprehension, and academic success across all learning areas. In this session, Trish explores how explicit vocabulary instruction, embedded in student-centred and inquiry-based learning, can significantly enhance reading comprehension and support disciplinary literacy in subjects such as science, health, and the humanities. Grounded in the work of Vygotsky, this session highlights the social nature of learning, and the importance of scaffolding is for student learning. Drawing on Halliday’s theory of language as a social semiotic, Trisha demonstrates how genre-based pedagogy and purposeful vocabulary instruction help students access, interpret, and produce increasingly complex texts. As a teacher librarian, Trisha showcases how libraries play a pivotal role in this process—curating rich, diverse resources; fostering collaborative planning; and creating literacy-rich environments that support vocabulary development across the curriculum. Through classroom evidence and resource-based strategies, attendees will gain practical tools and adaptable approaches to position vocabulary as a cornerstone of both literacy and learning.
Morning Tea DL_2
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Student self-reported wellbeing data: Insights, evidence and next steps
Drawing on several years of post-pandemic student wellbeing data, Adam will examine emerging patterns across the Pivot Wellbeing Survey domains of resilience, safety and belonging. This snapshot session will connect these trends with current research in student wellbeing, clarifying what they signal for schools and identifying considered next steps for practice.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Reigniting Reading Through Student Choice and Teacher–Librarian Collaboration: Literature Circles and Socratic Seminars in a Global Issues Unit
Engaging adolescents in reading is not just about fostering literacy, it is about igniting curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning. Adolescent reading engagement remains a key priority in contemporary education, and recent research highlights that when students are provided with voice, choice, and authentic opportunities to connect with texts and one another, their motivation and engagement increase. Literature circles and Socratic discussions are identified as effective strategies that promote deeper comprehension, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation—key factors that underpin engaged reading and lifelong literacy development (Webber et al., 2023). By implementing these strategies, educators can foster a culture of curiosity and enjoyment while equipping students with the skills to think critically, communicate effectively, and take ownership of their learning. 		Spotting Hidden Struggles and Creating Classrooms Where Students Don’t Have to Pretend
Masking (when students hide their needs, distress, or differences in order to “fit in” at school) is one of the most overlooked challenges in education. These students often appear quiet, compliant, or high achieving, yet crash at home or in safe spaces. In this interactive session, we will unpack the hidden cost of masking and how educators can learn to spot the subtle red flags. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how masking affects learning, how to respond compassionately when unmasking looks “messy,” and how to build classrooms where every student feels safe enough to be themselves.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM Smarter, Not Harder: Reducing Teacher Workload While Elevating Pedagogy
This session explores how schools can redesign assessment to embrace AI’s potential while safeguarding academic integrity. Participants will examine practical strategies such as authentic, real-world tasks, oral defenses, process-based assessment, and adaptive feedback. The focus is on ensuring assessment remains rigorous, fair, and future-focused; measuring not just what students know, but how they think, create, and apply their learning in an AI-rich world.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Reading Lounges and Sustained Reading
After developing two reading lounges in the past 12 months, it can be seen how a change within a Library Space can alter the reading behaviour of students. Mr Sloth's Rainforest Reading Lounge for Year 3-6 and Sunny's Storyland for K3-Year 2 are examples of a new approach. Utilising Marketplace and a tight budget students are evolving into a new way of reading for pleasure in these spaces. Hear about new ideas within Junior and Senior School Libraries where sustained reading is the priority.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM Creating Buzz for All Learners: Inclusive STEM through Sustainability and Design
Discover how to engage diverse learners in critical and creative thinking through authentic, real-world STEM challenges. This hands-on workshop immerses educators in the urgent issue of the Varroa destructor mite and the essential role of European Honey Bees in Australian agriculture and biodiversity. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive pedagogies, participants will explore adaptable strategies that differentiate learning and support students with a range of abilities and behaviours. The session will also demonstrate how Harvard University’s Project Zero thinking routines can extend classroom practice to deepen thinking and foster transferable skills. By connecting sustainability, agriculture, and STEM design processes, educators will leave equipped with practical tools to create inclusive, engaging, and thought-provoking STEM experiences that empower all learners to thrive.
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM When Students Lead: Teaching AI Literacy Through Caring, Connection and Curiosity
This session explores how senior students can take ownership of their learning through AI. Using Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, it demonstrates how the right scaffolds help students build AI literacy, explore machine learning concepts, and then design their own project objectives, unit plans, and learning guides. By focusing on Caring, Connection, and Curiosity, students move from passive users to creative, ethical thinkers who direct their own learning. Participants will see how AI can transform classrooms into spaces where students lead with confidence, empathy, and purpose.
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM Student self-reported wellbeing data_L2
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Maria Mertzanakis & Bradly Saunders to answer questions
Q&A Panel with Millie Carr & Nicolette Wheaton
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
Lunch - Lib2
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - AI_2
Lunch - DL2
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Trish Templeton, Virginia Hand & Trish Trchala
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM AI for the Inclusive Classroom
AI tools are becoming an increasingly valuable part of the educator's toolkit, helping to manage workload and enhance our teaching practices. Technology has moved beyond simple chatbots; it is now a powerful thinking partner or co-teacher that can adapt a text, scaffold a task, or provide visual aids in seconds. This session is designed to build teacher confidence and find practical, inclusive solutions. We will explore how the latest AI developments can help you break down barriers to learning, support diverse needs, and most importantly, give you back the time to focus on what matters most: connecting with your students. 		Avoiding the Single Story: Including Culturally Diverse Texts in our Libraries and Classrooms
This workshop will focus on the importance of curating a library collection with diverse cultural resources. It will explore a range of culturally diverse texts, the reasons for including these texts, and the value this adds to school libraries and curriculum delivery. Throughout this workshop, participants will explore the research supporting the inclusion of culturally diverse texts. Practical examples will be given to support teachers and librarians to integrate these texts into the everyday classroom. A range of resources will be on display as examples and as a starting point for collection development.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Thriving, Not Just Coping: The Psychology of Inclusive Classrooms
Creating inclusive learning environments isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing a few things differently and intentionally. In this highly engaging, science-backed session, organisational psychologist and leadership expert Simi Rayat will introduce educators to a simple psychological lens for understanding what diverse learners need in order to truly thrive, not just cope, in today’s classrooms. Drawing on neuroscience, motivation science and inclusive education principles, this session explores how psychological safety, clarity and capability shape learning, behaviour, engagement, and wellbeing, particularly for neurodivergent learners, trauma-impacted students and those navigating complexity or disadvantage. Designed as an energising final session of the conference, educators will actively participate in short reflective activities, live demonstrations, and practical scenario-based discussions. Participants will leave with three practical tools they can apply immediately to create calmer, clearer, and more inclusive learning environments, without increasing workload or burnout. This session is ideal for educators seeking practical, evidence-based strategies to support diverse learners while sustaining their own energy, confidence and impact in the classroom. Participants will leave with renewed clarity, confidence, and a practical framework for building classrooms where learners feel safe, seen and supported to stretch.
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Canva Magic
Join this hands-on professional development session to explore Canva’s Magic AI tools and discover how they can supercharge creativity and efficiency in your teaching practice. In this interactive workshop, educators will experiment with Canva’s Magic suite and Code for Me to design engaging resources and create interactive, student-driven learning experiences. Canva offers a space for learning journeys, where teachers and students can collaborate, explore ideas, and bring concepts to life through creativity and innovation. From auto-generating lesson materials to building student games, quizzes, and custom widgets, participants will gain practical, classroom-ready skills while exploring how to use AI ethically and responsibly. You’ll leave inspired, empowered, and equipped with transformative tools to enhance both your workflow and your students’ learning experiences. 		Building Connection and Visibility in School Libraries: The Three Cs Approach
How can school libraries build their visibility and strengthen their role within the wider learning community? This session explores one library’s journey to increase its impact through the Three Cs: Cohorts, Community, and Curriculum. Using the Ciantar Learning Common’s (CLC) work as a case study, we will share practical strategies for connecting library programs with student cohorts, building authentic community engagement, and embedding the library within the curriculum. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own contexts, analyse key approaches taken by the CLC, and exchange ideas for transformative collaborations.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-DL2
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Mary McEvilly Butler & Jo Muirhead to answer questions
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panel with Sharyn Pratap & Lauren Kyte
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience to share the one idea you will work on next week
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week_L2
Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Boundaries That Protect: Sustainable Strategies for Teacher Wellbeing
The demands of teaching can make it hard to switch off, protect time, and manage the emotional load that comes with supporting students every day. Without intentional strategies, stress and fatigue can quickly accumulate, leaving educators vulnerable to burnout. This session provides teachers with practical, evidence-based tools to manage workload, set healthy boundaries, and sustain their own wellbeing. Participants will explore ways to streamline workflow, protect time for recovery, and use simple reflective practices to reduce emotional fatigue. The session also highlights how to communicate and uphold boundaries in ways that strengthen relationships with colleagues, students, and families. Teachers will leave with a personalised toolkit for sustainable practice — strategies that help them protect their energy, manage stress proactively, and stay well so they can continue to do their best work with students.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM High Performing Teams Improve Staff Well-Being, which improves performance
Andrew will share his knowledge of 6 Team Conditions of High Performing Teams and apply these conditions to school teams. Providing practical ideas as to how individual staff, in school teams, may work together to maximise their health, performance, diversity and sustainability, this session will be relevant to teachers and school leaders. Andrew will give participants a snapshot of three tools that maybe used to improve psychological safety and well-being (Team Diagnostic Survey; ERGO Analyst; PRAiSE (Psychological Risk Assessment integrated Solutions for Employers). These three tools give school leaders options to analyse the well-being of their staff (and themselves). By creating high performing teams that are a Circle of Trust, high performing teams will have interdependent individuals, working together for their mutual well-being.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Dr Matt O'Connor & Andrew Oberthur
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea W2
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Health & Wellbeing on the Menu: Explore QUT’s School Foodies Toolkit
Discover QUT’s School Foodies Curriculum Planning Toolkit – an adaptable, research-based resource designed to enhance food and nutrition environments in primary schools. This free website helps teachers to: • Meaningfully integrate food and nutrition education across the curriculum • Save time with ready-to-use, curriculum-aligned planning tools • Engage students through real-world learning contexts • Promote student health, wellbeing, and a strong sense of belonging Co-designed with school leaders and educators, the toolkit will equip you with practical tools and resources to tailor food and nutrition education to your unique school communities.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Empowered Educators: Building Emotional Regulation Through Self-Awareness
Teachers are expected to frequently calm dysregulated students — often without foundational knowledge of how to regulate themselves during ongoing stress. This workshop invites educators to develop practical skills in self-awareness, learning to identify their own nervous system states and respond with empowered regulation. Grounded in neuroscience and compassionate practice, we’ll explore how teacher wellbeing directly shapes classroom tone, relational safety, and student engagement. Participants will leave with strategies that support not just the teacher role — but the whole human being behind it.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM How Good are School Gardens?
School gardens are more than green spaces — they are living classrooms that nurture curiosity, wellbeing, and community. This session will explore how gardens foster student engagement, promote sustainability, and support equity by connecting curriculum with lived experience. Emma will highlight practical examples of how teachers integrate gardens into teaching practice, and discuss how these spaces contribute to whole-school wellbeing — a contribution recognised when she was named a finalist in the 2024 Queensland Wellbeing Awards. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to harness school gardens as powerful tools for learning and inclusion, and with practical strategies for advocating for garden-based initiatives in their own contexts.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch W2
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Chantelle Sansness, Bianca McLeish & Emma Derainne
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Creating a Culture of Care and Psychological Safety in Schools
We will explore how supporting teacher wellbeing enhances schools’ capacity to respond to student anxiety, trauma, and mental health challenges. Drawing on research, a staff wellbeing committee, and the WaND initiative, we will share practical strategies to build psychological safety, reduce emotional fatigue, and foster collegial trust. Participants will engage in a collaborative problem-solving activity and contribute to a Teacher Wellbeing Padlet, generating an ongoing repository of ideas. Practical guidance from active school engagement, recognition practices, and promotion of EAP resources ensures attendees leave with actionable tools to embed a culture of care for staff and students.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Wellbeing and Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual World
How do students develop emotional intelligence skills if they don't see each other face-to-face? Hear from the Head of the Virtual Learning Community about how an online Prep to 12 school can create a sense of wellbeing, belonging and social connections - for students and teachers.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Jillian Stansfield & Danni Foster-Brown
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-W2
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
AI in the Classroom
Capacity Building School Libraries
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM It’s Only the Beginning… Using AI as a Springboard, Not the End Point
This session reframes AI as a catalyst for deeper learning rather than a destination. Instead of treating AI outputs as finished products, the presentation shows how they can become prompts for inquiry, iteration, and critical thinking. Practical classroom examples illustrate how AI can support planning, differentiation, and formative assessment while keeping teachers’ professional judgement at the centre. Participants will explore strategies that build students’ capacity to question, evaluate, and extend AI-generated ideas, ensuring academic integrity and authentic learning. The session positions AI as the starting point for richer human thinking, creativity, and agency. 		Inclusion and participation through reading as a social practice
This session is aimed at information specialists who are seeking to develop an environment that supports reading as a social practice. This session will focus on how information specialists can create environments (services, programs, and spaces) that enhance accessibility and engagement for all readers. Building on the evidence that a shared enjoyment of reading leads to increased engagement with leisure reading, this session will offer practical insights into an embedded teacher librarian approach to whole-school reading culture. Noni and Penny will share suggestions for designing a wider reading program with social reading and collaboration at the forefront, in order to cater to a range of diverse learners with accessibility, inclusion, and participation in mind.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM AI for UDL: Practical Strategies for Inclusion by Design
How can educators harness the power of AI to make learning accessible, engaging and challenging for every student without adding to teacher workload? This session explores the intersection of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and artificial intelligence, drawing on real-world examples using the Australian Curriculum version 9. Discover how tools like Copilot can help you revise assessment tasks, unit plans and learning experiences to provide multiple entry points, explicit support and flexible pathways, without compromising academic rigor. Walk away with practical strategies, hands-on resources and the confidence to use AI to support a universal approach to quality differentiated planning and teaching. 		The Magic of Reading: Making Reading Fun
Working in a school where low literacy levels and numerous barriers make it challenging to inspire a love of reading, promoting reading is a central part of my daily work. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to simply promote individual books; we need to celebrate the joy and habit of reading itself across the whole school community. This has led me to implement a variety of initiatives—ranging from quick and easy activities to more complex and time-intensive projects—all aimed at one goal: encouraging just one more student to pick up one more book and read one more page. In this session, I will share the practical strategies and tools I’ve used to make reading a more engaging and accessible activity for all students.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Noni Harrison & Barbara McGuigan
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Is AI Bias Creeping into Your School?
AI tools promise to save time and boost engagement. But at what cost to equity and inclusion? This workshop reveals uncomfortable truths: from AI grading and reporting systems that penalise students from linguistically diverse backgrounds to search tools that erase or misrepresent Indigenous perspectives. Learn to identify hidden biases and question whose knowledge AI privileges. Discover how to empower both students and colleagues to challenge discriminatory outputs. Walk away with classroom activities that develop critical digital citizenship. This session goes beyond AI literacy basics to tackle data sovereignty, cultural erasure, and the voices missing from mainstream AI models. Grounded in the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea Lib_2
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Bethany Wass & Janet Moeller to answer questions
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea AI_2
The Language of Learning: Vocabulary, Literacy, and the Power of the Library
Vocabulary is more than just word knowledge—it’s the foundation for deeper thinking, richer comprehension, and academic success across all learning areas. In this session, Trish explores how explicit vocabulary instruction, embedded in student-centred and inquiry-based learning, can significantly enhance reading comprehension and support disciplinary literacy in subjects such as science, health, and the humanities. Grounded in the work of Vygotsky, this session highlights the social nature of learning, and the importance of scaffolding is for student learning. Drawing on Halliday’s theory of language as a social semiotic, Trisha demonstrates how genre-based pedagogy and purposeful vocabulary instruction help students access, interpret, and produce increasingly complex texts. As a teacher librarian, Trisha showcases how libraries play a pivotal role in this process—curating rich, diverse resources; fostering collaborative planning; and creating literacy-rich environments that support vocabulary development across the curriculum. Through classroom evidence and resource-based strategies, attendees will gain practical tools and adaptable approaches to position vocabulary as a cornerstone of both literacy and learning.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Student self-reported wellbeing data: Insights, evidence and next steps
Drawing on several years of post-pandemic student wellbeing data, Adam will examine emerging patterns across the Pivot Wellbeing Survey domains of resilience, safety and belonging. This snapshot session will connect these trends with current research in student wellbeing, clarifying what they signal for schools and identifying considered next steps for practice.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Reigniting Reading Through Student Choice and Teacher–Librarian Collaboration: Literature Circles and Socratic Seminars in a Global Issues Unit
Engaging adolescents in reading is not just about fostering literacy, it is about igniting curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning. Adolescent reading engagement remains a key priority in contemporary education, and recent research highlights that when students are provided with voice, choice, and authentic opportunities to connect with texts and one another, their motivation and engagement increase. Literature circles and Socratic discussions are identified as effective strategies that promote deeper comprehension, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation—key factors that underpin engaged reading and lifelong literacy development (Webber et al., 2023). By implementing these strategies, educators can foster a culture of curiosity and enjoyment while equipping students with the skills to think critically, communicate effectively, and take ownership of their learning.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM Smarter, Not Harder: Reducing Teacher Workload While Elevating Pedagogy
This session explores how schools can redesign assessment to embrace AI’s potential while safeguarding academic integrity. Participants will examine practical strategies such as authentic, real-world tasks, oral defenses, process-based assessment, and adaptive feedback. The focus is on ensuring assessment remains rigorous, fair, and future-focused; measuring not just what students know, but how they think, create, and apply their learning in an AI-rich world.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Reading Lounges and Sustained Reading
After developing two reading lounges in the past 12 months, it can be seen how a change within a Library Space can alter the reading behaviour of students. Mr Sloth's Rainforest Reading Lounge for Year 3-6 and Sunny's Storyland for K3-Year 2 are examples of a new approach. Utilising Marketplace and a tight budget students are evolving into a new way of reading for pleasure in these spaces. Hear about new ideas within Junior and Senior School Libraries where sustained reading is the priority.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM When Students Lead: Teaching AI Literacy Through Caring, Connection and Curiosity
This session explores how senior students can take ownership of their learning through AI. Using Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, it demonstrates how the right scaffolds help students build AI literacy, explore machine learning concepts, and then design their own project objectives, unit plans, and learning guides. By focusing on Caring, Connection, and Curiosity, students move from passive users to creative, ethical thinkers who direct their own learning. Participants will see how AI can transform classrooms into spaces where students lead with confidence, empathy, and purpose.
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM Student self-reported wellbeing data_L2
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Maria Mertzanakis & Bradly Saunders to answer questions
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
Lunch - Lib2
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - AI_2
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Trish Templeton, Virginia Hand & Trish Trchala
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM AI for the Inclusive Classroom
AI tools are becoming an increasingly valuable part of the educator's toolkit, helping to manage workload and enhance our teaching practices. Technology has moved beyond simple chatbots; it is now a powerful thinking partner or co-teacher that can adapt a text, scaffold a task, or provide visual aids in seconds. This session is designed to build teacher confidence and find practical, inclusive solutions. We will explore how the latest AI developments can help you break down barriers to learning, support diverse needs, and most importantly, give you back the time to focus on what matters most: connecting with your students. 		Avoiding the Single Story: Including Culturally Diverse Texts in our Libraries and Classrooms
This workshop will focus on the importance of curating a library collection with diverse cultural resources. It will explore a range of culturally diverse texts, the reasons for including these texts, and the value this adds to school libraries and curriculum delivery. Throughout this workshop, participants will explore the research supporting the inclusion of culturally diverse texts. Practical examples will be given to support teachers and librarians to integrate these texts into the everyday classroom. A range of resources will be on display as examples and as a starting point for collection development.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Canva Magic
Join this hands-on professional development session to explore Canva’s Magic AI tools and discover how they can supercharge creativity and efficiency in your teaching practice. In this interactive workshop, educators will experiment with Canva’s Magic suite and Code for Me to design engaging resources and create interactive, student-driven learning experiences. Canva offers a space for learning journeys, where teachers and students can collaborate, explore ideas, and bring concepts to life through creativity and innovation. From auto-generating lesson materials to building student games, quizzes, and custom widgets, participants will gain practical, classroom-ready skills while exploring how to use AI ethically and responsibly. You’ll leave inspired, empowered, and equipped with transformative tools to enhance both your workflow and your students’ learning experiences. 		Building Connection and Visibility in School Libraries: The Three Cs Approach
How can school libraries build their visibility and strengthen their role within the wider learning community? This session explores one library’s journey to increase its impact through the Three Cs: Cohorts, Community, and Curriculum. Using the Ciantar Learning Common’s (CLC) work as a case study, we will share practical strategies for connecting library programs with student cohorts, building authentic community engagement, and embedding the library within the curriculum. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own contexts, analyse key approaches taken by the CLC, and exchange ideas for transformative collaborations.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Mary McEvilly Butler & Jo Muirhead to answer questions
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panel with Sharyn Pratap & Lauren Kyte
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience to share the one idea you will work on next week
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week_L2

Diverse Learners Symposium
Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Nurturing the Mind of a 'Livewired' Child!
What are the most important things we can do to nurture the development of children’s brains and minds and by association enhance learning experiences? Equally important, what might limit or hinder those opportunities? The first question has an extensive body of research to support it and this will be explored by looking at new understandings of how the brain grows and develops and how experiences shape a child’s life and future. The second question has an equally expansive corpus of research, and key elements of this are important considerations when it comes to raising and educating young minds. This presentation will unpack all of the key points noted above in a user-friendly and interactive way. The aim is to provide food for thought and strategies related to fostering environments that positively contribute to the mind of a ‘livewired’ child. 		Boundaries That Protect: Sustainable Strategies for Teacher Wellbeing
The demands of teaching can make it hard to switch off, protect time, and manage the emotional load that comes with supporting students every day. Without intentional strategies, stress and fatigue can quickly accumulate, leaving educators vulnerable to burnout. This session provides teachers with practical, evidence-based tools to manage workload, set healthy boundaries, and sustain their own wellbeing. Participants will explore ways to streamline workflow, protect time for recovery, and use simple reflective practices to reduce emotional fatigue. The session also highlights how to communicate and uphold boundaries in ways that strengthen relationships with colleagues, students, and families. Teachers will leave with a personalised toolkit for sustainable practice — strategies that help them protect their energy, manage stress proactively, and stay well so they can continue to do their best work with students.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Neuroinclusivity in Action: What It Feels Like to Learn with a Different Brain
Every classroom includes students whose brains process, learn, and behave differently, yet many teachers still feel unsure how to recognise and respond to neurodiverse needs. In this powerful and practical session, Scott B Harris draws on 17 years of lived experience with a traumatic brain injury to give teachers a firsthand understanding of what neurodiversity feels like, and how to create classrooms where every learner can thrive. Combining evidence-based research (developed in collaboration with Professor John Hattie) and practical classroom strategies, this session takes participants through interactive simulations that mirror real neurodiverse experiences such as cognitive dysfunction, disorganisation, and sensory overwhelm. Teachers will walk away with a deeper understanding of executive functioning, simple adjustments that de-escalate behaviour, and classroom tools that make learning more inclusive, not just for neurodivergent students, but for all. 		High Performing Teams Improve Staff Well-Being, which improves performance
Andrew will share his knowledge of 6 Team Conditions of High Performing Teams and apply these conditions to school teams. Providing practical ideas as to how individual staff, in school teams, may work together to maximise their health, performance, diversity and sustainability, this session will be relevant to teachers and school leaders. Andrew will give participants a snapshot of three tools that maybe used to improve psychological safety and well-being (Team Diagnostic Survey; ERGO Analyst; PRAiSE (Psychological Risk Assessment integrated Solutions for Employers). These three tools give school leaders options to analyse the well-being of their staff (and themselves). By creating high performing teams that are a Circle of Trust, high performing teams will have interdependent individuals, working together for their mutual well-being.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Dr Matt O'Connor & Andrew Oberthur
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Navigating Education with Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Dual Lens of Parent and Educator
Children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), particularly those who have been in out of home care, face unique challenges in educational settings. This session, led by an educator and carer with lived experience of neurodivergent children impacted by trauma, will explore the profound impact of ACEs on learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation. Attendees will gain insights into the dual perspective of a parent and educator, with practical strategies to create trauma-informed, supportive environments that foster growth, safety, and resilience for all students.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea W2
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Dr Michael Nagel, Scott B Harris & Jade Wong
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea DL_2
Health & Wellbeing on the Menu: Explore QUT’s School Foodies Toolkit
Discover QUT’s School Foodies Curriculum Planning Toolkit – an adaptable, research-based resource designed to enhance food and nutrition environments in primary schools. This free website helps teachers to: • Meaningfully integrate food and nutrition education across the curriculum • Save time with ready-to-use, curriculum-aligned planning tools • Engage students through real-world learning contexts • Promote student health, wellbeing, and a strong sense of belonging Co-designed with school leaders and educators, the toolkit will equip you with practical tools and resources to tailor food and nutrition education to your unique school communities.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Spotting Hidden Struggles and Creating Classrooms Where Students Don’t Have to Pretend
Masking (when students hide their needs, distress, or differences in order to “fit in” at school) is one of the most overlooked challenges in education. These students often appear quiet, compliant, or high achieving, yet crash at home or in safe spaces. In this interactive session, we will unpack the hidden cost of masking and how educators can learn to spot the subtle red flags. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how masking affects learning, how to respond compassionately when unmasking looks “messy,” and how to build classrooms where every student feels safe enough to be themselves. 		Empowered Educators: Building Emotional Regulation Through Self-Awareness
Teachers are expected to frequently calm dysregulated students — often without foundational knowledge of how to regulate themselves during ongoing stress. This workshop invites educators to develop practical skills in self-awareness, learning to identify their own nervous system states and respond with empowered regulation. Grounded in neuroscience and compassionate practice, we’ll explore how teacher wellbeing directly shapes classroom tone, relational safety, and student engagement. Participants will leave with strategies that support not just the teacher role — but the whole human being behind it.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM How Good are School Gardens?
School gardens are more than green spaces — they are living classrooms that nurture curiosity, wellbeing, and community. This session will explore how gardens foster student engagement, promote sustainability, and support equity by connecting curriculum with lived experience. Emma will highlight practical examples of how teachers integrate gardens into teaching practice, and discuss how these spaces contribute to whole-school wellbeing — a contribution recognised when she was named a finalist in the 2024 Queensland Wellbeing Awards. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to harness school gardens as powerful tools for learning and inclusion, and with practical strategies for advocating for garden-based initiatives in their own contexts.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM Creating Buzz for All Learners: Inclusive STEM through Sustainability and Design
Discover how to engage diverse learners in critical and creative thinking through authentic, real-world STEM challenges. This hands-on workshop immerses educators in the urgent issue of the Varroa destructor mite and the essential role of European Honey Bees in Australian agriculture and biodiversity. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive pedagogies, participants will explore adaptable strategies that differentiate learning and support students with a range of abilities and behaviours. The session will also demonstrate how Harvard University’s Project Zero thinking routines can extend classroom practice to deepen thinking and foster transferable skills. By connecting sustainability, agriculture, and STEM design processes, educators will leave equipped with practical tools to create inclusive, engaging, and thought-provoking STEM experiences that empower all learners to thrive.
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch W2
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Millie Carr & Nicolette Wheaton
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - DL2
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Chantelle Sansness, Bianca McLeish & Emma Derainne
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Creating a Culture of Care and Psychological Safety in Schools
We will explore how supporting teacher wellbeing enhances schools’ capacity to respond to student anxiety, trauma, and mental health challenges. Drawing on research, a staff wellbeing committee, and the WaND initiative, we will share practical strategies to build psychological safety, reduce emotional fatigue, and foster collegial trust. Participants will engage in a collaborative problem-solving activity and contribute to a Teacher Wellbeing Padlet, generating an ongoing repository of ideas. Practical guidance from active school engagement, recognition practices, and promotion of EAP resources ensures attendees leave with actionable tools to embed a culture of care for staff and students.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Thriving, Not Just Coping: The Psychology of Inclusive Classrooms
Creating inclusive learning environments isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing a few things differently and intentionally. In this highly engaging, science-backed session, organisational psychologist and leadership expert Simi Rayat will introduce educators to a simple psychological lens for understanding what diverse learners need in order to truly thrive, not just cope, in today’s classrooms. Drawing on neuroscience, motivation science and inclusive education principles, this session explores how psychological safety, clarity and capability shape learning, behaviour, engagement, and wellbeing, particularly for neurodivergent learners, trauma-impacted students and those navigating complexity or disadvantage. Designed as an energising final session of the conference, educators will actively participate in short reflective activities, live demonstrations, and practical scenario-based discussions. Participants will leave with three practical tools they can apply immediately to create calmer, clearer, and more inclusive learning environments, without increasing workload or burnout. This session is ideal for educators seeking practical, evidence-based strategies to support diverse learners while sustaining their own energy, confidence and impact in the classroom. Participants will leave with renewed clarity, confidence, and a practical framework for building classrooms where learners feel safe, seen and supported to stretch.
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Wellbeing and Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual World
How do students develop emotional intelligence skills if they don't see each other face-to-face? Hear from the Head of the Virtual Learning Community about how an online Prep to 12 school can create a sense of wellbeing, belonging and social connections - for students and teachers.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-DL2
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Jillian Stansfield & Danni Foster-Brown
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-W2
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

AI in the Classroom
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM It’s Only the Beginning… Using AI as a Springboard, Not the End Point
This session reframes AI as a catalyst for deeper learning rather than a destination. Instead of treating AI outputs as finished products, the presentation shows how they can become prompts for inquiry, iteration, and critical thinking. Practical classroom examples illustrate how AI can support planning, differentiation, and formative assessment while keeping teachers’ professional judgement at the centre. Participants will explore strategies that build students’ capacity to question, evaluate, and extend AI-generated ideas, ensuring academic integrity and authentic learning. The session positions AI as the starting point for richer human thinking, creativity, and agency.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM AI for UDL: Practical Strategies for Inclusion by Design
How can educators harness the power of AI to make learning accessible, engaging and challenging for every student without adding to teacher workload? This session explores the intersection of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and artificial intelligence, drawing on real-world examples using the Australian Curriculum version 9. Discover how tools like Copilot can help you revise assessment tasks, unit plans and learning experiences to provide multiple entry points, explicit support and flexible pathways, without compromising academic rigor. Walk away with practical strategies, hands-on resources and the confidence to use AI to support a universal approach to quality differentiated planning and teaching.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Is AI Bias Creeping into Your School?
AI tools promise to save time and boost engagement. But at what cost to equity and inclusion? This workshop reveals uncomfortable truths: from AI grading and reporting systems that penalise students from linguistically diverse backgrounds to search tools that erase or misrepresent Indigenous perspectives. Learn to identify hidden biases and question whose knowledge AI privileges. Discover how to empower both students and colleagues to challenge discriminatory outputs. Walk away with classroom activities that develop critical digital citizenship. This session goes beyond AI literacy basics to tackle data sovereignty, cultural erasure, and the voices missing from mainstream AI models. Grounded in the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Bethany Wass & Janet Moeller to answer questions
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea AI_2
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM Student self-reported wellbeing data: Insights, evidence and next steps
Drawing on several years of post-pandemic student wellbeing data, Adam will examine emerging patterns across the Pivot Wellbeing Survey domains of resilience, safety and belonging. This snapshot session will connect these trends with current research in student wellbeing, clarifying what they signal for schools and identifying considered next steps for practice.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM Smarter, Not Harder: Reducing Teacher Workload While Elevating Pedagogy
This session explores how schools can redesign assessment to embrace AI’s potential while safeguarding academic integrity. Participants will examine practical strategies such as authentic, real-world tasks, oral defenses, process-based assessment, and adaptive feedback. The focus is on ensuring assessment remains rigorous, fair, and future-focused; measuring not just what students know, but how they think, create, and apply their learning in an AI-rich world.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM When Students Lead: Teaching AI Literacy Through Caring, Connection and Curiosity
This session explores how senior students can take ownership of their learning through AI. Using Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, it demonstrates how the right scaffolds help students build AI literacy, explore machine learning concepts, and then design their own project objectives, unit plans, and learning guides. By focusing on Caring, Connection, and Curiosity, students move from passive users to creative, ethical thinkers who direct their own learning. Participants will see how AI can transform classrooms into spaces where students lead with confidence, empathy, and purpose.
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Maria Mertzanakis & Bradly Saunders to answer questions
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - AI_2
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM AI for the Inclusive Classroom
AI tools are becoming an increasingly valuable part of the educator's toolkit, helping to manage workload and enhance our teaching practices. Technology has moved beyond simple chatbots; it is now a powerful thinking partner or co-teacher that can adapt a text, scaffold a task, or provide visual aids in seconds. This session is designed to build teacher confidence and find practical, inclusive solutions. We will explore how the latest AI developments can help you break down barriers to learning, support diverse needs, and most importantly, give you back the time to focus on what matters most: connecting with your students.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Canva Magic
Join this hands-on professional development session to explore Canva’s Magic AI tools and discover how they can supercharge creativity and efficiency in your teaching practice. In this interactive workshop, educators will experiment with Canva’s Magic suite and Code for Me to design engaging resources and create interactive, student-driven learning experiences. Canva offers a space for learning journeys, where teachers and students can collaborate, explore ideas, and bring concepts to life through creativity and innovation. From auto-generating lesson materials to building student games, quizzes, and custom widgets, participants will gain practical, classroom-ready skills while exploring how to use AI ethically and responsibly. You’ll leave inspired, empowered, and equipped with transformative tools to enhance both your workflow and your students’ learning experiences.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Mary McEvilly Butler & Jo Muirhead to answer questions
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience to share the one idea you will work on next week
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

Capacity Building School Libraries
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Inclusion and participation through reading as a social practice
This session is aimed at information specialists who are seeking to develop an environment that supports reading as a social practice. This session will focus on how information specialists can create environments (services, programs, and spaces) that enhance accessibility and engagement for all readers. Building on the evidence that a shared enjoyment of reading leads to increased engagement with leisure reading, this session will offer practical insights into an embedded teacher librarian approach to whole-school reading culture. Noni and Penny will share suggestions for designing a wider reading program with social reading and collaboration at the forefront, in order to cater to a range of diverse learners with accessibility, inclusion, and participation in mind.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM The Magic of Reading: Making Reading Fun
Working in a school where low literacy levels and numerous barriers make it challenging to inspire a love of reading, promoting reading is a central part of my daily work. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to simply promote individual books; we need to celebrate the joy and habit of reading itself across the whole school community. This has led me to implement a variety of initiatives—ranging from quick and easy activities to more complex and time-intensive projects—all aimed at one goal: encouraging just one more student to pick up one more book and read one more page. In this session, I will share the practical strategies and tools I’ve used to make reading a more engaging and accessible activity for all students.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Noni Harrison & Barbara McGuigan
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea Lib_2
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM The Language of Learning: Vocabulary, Literacy, and the Power of the Library
Vocabulary is more than just word knowledge—it’s the foundation for deeper thinking, richer comprehension, and academic success across all learning areas. In this session, Trish explores how explicit vocabulary instruction, embedded in student-centred and inquiry-based learning, can significantly enhance reading comprehension and support disciplinary literacy in subjects such as science, health, and the humanities. Grounded in the work of Vygotsky, this session highlights the social nature of learning, and the importance of scaffolding is for student learning. Drawing on Halliday’s theory of language as a social semiotic, Trisha demonstrates how genre-based pedagogy and purposeful vocabulary instruction help students access, interpret, and produce increasingly complex texts. As a teacher librarian, Trisha showcases how libraries play a pivotal role in this process—curating rich, diverse resources; fostering collaborative planning; and creating literacy-rich environments that support vocabulary development across the curriculum. Through classroom evidence and resource-based strategies, attendees will gain practical tools and adaptable approaches to position vocabulary as a cornerstone of both literacy and learning.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Reigniting Reading Through Student Choice and Teacher–Librarian Collaboration: Literature Circles and Socratic Seminars in a Global Issues Unit
Engaging adolescents in reading is not just about fostering literacy, it is about igniting curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning. Adolescent reading engagement remains a key priority in contemporary education, and recent research highlights that when students are provided with voice, choice, and authentic opportunities to connect with texts and one another, their motivation and engagement increase. Literature circles and Socratic discussions are identified as effective strategies that promote deeper comprehension, critical thinking, and intrinsic motivation—key factors that underpin engaged reading and lifelong literacy development (Webber et al., 2023). By implementing these strategies, educators can foster a culture of curiosity and enjoyment while equipping students with the skills to think critically, communicate effectively, and take ownership of their learning.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Reading Lounges and Sustained Reading
After developing two reading lounges in the past 12 months, it can be seen how a change within a Library Space can alter the reading behaviour of students. Mr Sloth's Rainforest Reading Lounge for Year 3-6 and Sunny's Storyland for K3-Year 2 are examples of a new approach. Utilising Marketplace and a tight budget students are evolving into a new way of reading for pleasure in these spaces. Hear about new ideas within Junior and Senior School Libraries where sustained reading is the priority.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM Student self-reported wellbeing data_L2
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
Lunch - Lib2
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Trish Templeton, Virginia Hand & Trish Trchala
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Avoiding the Single Story: Including Culturally Diverse Texts in our Libraries and Classrooms
This workshop will focus on the importance of curating a library collection with diverse cultural resources. It will explore a range of culturally diverse texts, the reasons for including these texts, and the value this adds to school libraries and curriculum delivery. Throughout this workshop, participants will explore the research supporting the inclusion of culturally diverse texts. Practical examples will be given to support teachers and librarians to integrate these texts into the everyday classroom. A range of resources will be on display as examples and as a starting point for collection development.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Building Connection and Visibility in School Libraries: The Three Cs Approach
How can school libraries build their visibility and strengthen their role within the wider learning community? This session explores one library’s journey to increase its impact through the Three Cs: Cohorts, Community, and Curriculum. Using the Ciantar Learning Common’s (CLC) work as a case study, we will share practical strategies for connecting library programs with student cohorts, building authentic community engagement, and embedding the library within the curriculum. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own contexts, analyse key approaches taken by the CLC, and exchange ideas for transformative collaborations.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panel with Sharyn Pratap & Lauren Kyte
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week_L2

Diverse Learners Symposium
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Nurturing the Mind of a 'Livewired' Child!
What are the most important things we can do to nurture the development of children’s brains and minds and by association enhance learning experiences? Equally important, what might limit or hinder those opportunities? The first question has an extensive body of research to support it and this will be explored by looking at new understandings of how the brain grows and develops and how experiences shape a child’s life and future. The second question has an equally expansive corpus of research, and key elements of this are important considerations when it comes to raising and educating young minds. This presentation will unpack all of the key points noted above in a user-friendly and interactive way. The aim is to provide food for thought and strategies related to fostering environments that positively contribute to the mind of a ‘livewired’ child.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM Neuroinclusivity in Action: What It Feels Like to Learn with a Different Brain
Every classroom includes students whose brains process, learn, and behave differently, yet many teachers still feel unsure how to recognise and respond to neurodiverse needs. In this powerful and practical session, Scott B Harris draws on 17 years of lived experience with a traumatic brain injury to give teachers a firsthand understanding of what neurodiversity feels like, and how to create classrooms where every learner can thrive. Combining evidence-based research (developed in collaboration with Professor John Hattie) and practical classroom strategies, this session takes participants through interactive simulations that mirror real neurodiverse experiences such as cognitive dysfunction, disorganisation, and sensory overwhelm. Teachers will walk away with a deeper understanding of executive functioning, simple adjustments that de-escalate behaviour, and classroom tools that make learning more inclusive, not just for neurodivergent students, but for all.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Navigating Education with Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Dual Lens of Parent and Educator
Children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), particularly those who have been in out of home care, face unique challenges in educational settings. This session, led by an educator and carer with lived experience of neurodivergent children impacted by trauma, will explore the profound impact of ACEs on learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation. Attendees will gain insights into the dual perspective of a parent and educator, with practical strategies to create trauma-informed, supportive environments that foster growth, safety, and resilience for all students.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Q&A Panel with Dr Michael Nagel, Scott B Harris & Jade Wong
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Tea DL_2
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Spotting Hidden Struggles and Creating Classrooms Where Students Don’t Have to Pretend
Masking (when students hide their needs, distress, or differences in order to “fit in” at school) is one of the most overlooked challenges in education. These students often appear quiet, compliant, or high achieving, yet crash at home or in safe spaces. In this interactive session, we will unpack the hidden cost of masking and how educators can learn to spot the subtle red flags. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how masking affects learning, how to respond compassionately when unmasking looks “messy,” and how to build classrooms where every student feels safe enough to be themselves.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM Creating Buzz for All Learners: Inclusive STEM through Sustainability and Design
Discover how to engage diverse learners in critical and creative thinking through authentic, real-world STEM challenges. This hands-on workshop immerses educators in the urgent issue of the Varroa destructor mite and the essential role of European Honey Bees in Australian agriculture and biodiversity. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive pedagogies, participants will explore adaptable strategies that differentiate learning and support students with a range of abilities and behaviours. The session will also demonstrate how Harvard University’s Project Zero thinking routines can extend classroom practice to deepen thinking and foster transferable skills. By connecting sustainability, agriculture, and STEM design processes, educators will leave equipped with practical tools to create inclusive, engaging, and thought-provoking STEM experiences that empower all learners to thrive.
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Millie Carr & Nicolette Wheaton
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch - DL2
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Thriving, Not Just Coping: The Psychology of Inclusive Classrooms
Creating inclusive learning environments isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing a few things differently and intentionally. In this highly engaging, science-backed session, organisational psychologist and leadership expert Simi Rayat will introduce educators to a simple psychological lens for understanding what diverse learners need in order to truly thrive, not just cope, in today’s classrooms. Drawing on neuroscience, motivation science and inclusive education principles, this session explores how psychological safety, clarity and capability shape learning, behaviour, engagement, and wellbeing, particularly for neurodivergent learners, trauma-impacted students and those navigating complexity or disadvantage. Designed as an energising final session of the conference, educators will actively participate in short reflective activities, live demonstrations, and practical scenario-based discussions. Participants will leave with three practical tools they can apply immediately to create calmer, clearer, and more inclusive learning environments, without increasing workload or burnout. This session is ideal for educators seeking practical, evidence-based strategies to support diverse learners while sustaining their own energy, confidence and impact in the classroom. Participants will leave with renewed clarity, confidence, and a practical framework for building classrooms where learners feel safe, seen and supported to stretch.
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-DL2
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools
9:10 AM - 9:40 AM Boundaries That Protect: Sustainable Strategies for Teacher Wellbeing
The demands of teaching can make it hard to switch off, protect time, and manage the emotional load that comes with supporting students every day. Without intentional strategies, stress and fatigue can quickly accumulate, leaving educators vulnerable to burnout. This session provides teachers with practical, evidence-based tools to manage workload, set healthy boundaries, and sustain their own wellbeing. Participants will explore ways to streamline workflow, protect time for recovery, and use simple reflective practices to reduce emotional fatigue. The session also highlights how to communicate and uphold boundaries in ways that strengthen relationships with colleagues, students, and families. Teachers will leave with a personalised toolkit for sustainable practice — strategies that help them protect their energy, manage stress proactively, and stay well so they can continue to do their best work with students.
9:40 AM - 10:10 AM High Performing Teams Improve Staff Well-Being, which improves performance
Andrew will share his knowledge of 6 Team Conditions of High Performing Teams and apply these conditions to school teams. Providing practical ideas as to how individual staff, in school teams, may work together to maximise their health, performance, diversity and sustainability, this session will be relevant to teachers and school leaders. Andrew will give participants a snapshot of three tools that maybe used to improve psychological safety and well-being (Team Diagnostic Survey; ERGO Analyst; PRAiSE (Psychological Risk Assessment integrated Solutions for Employers). These three tools give school leaders options to analyse the well-being of their staff (and themselves). By creating high performing teams that are a Circle of Trust, high performing teams will have interdependent individuals, working together for their mutual well-being.
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Q&A Panel with Dr Matt O'Connor & Andrew Oberthur
10:10 AM - 10:40 AM
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Tea W2
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Health & Wellbeing on the Menu: Explore QUT’s School Foodies Toolkit
Discover QUT’s School Foodies Curriculum Planning Toolkit – an adaptable, research-based resource designed to enhance food and nutrition environments in primary schools. This free website helps teachers to: • Meaningfully integrate food and nutrition education across the curriculum • Save time with ready-to-use, curriculum-aligned planning tools • Engage students through real-world learning contexts • Promote student health, wellbeing, and a strong sense of belonging Co-designed with school leaders and educators, the toolkit will equip you with practical tools and resources to tailor food and nutrition education to your unique school communities.
11:30 AM - 11:40 AM
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Empowered Educators: Building Emotional Regulation Through Self-Awareness
Teachers are expected to frequently calm dysregulated students — often without foundational knowledge of how to regulate themselves during ongoing stress. This workshop invites educators to develop practical skills in self-awareness, learning to identify their own nervous system states and respond with empowered regulation. Grounded in neuroscience and compassionate practice, we’ll explore how teacher wellbeing directly shapes classroom tone, relational safety, and student engagement. Participants will leave with strategies that support not just the teacher role — but the whole human being behind it.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM How Good are School Gardens?
School gardens are more than green spaces — they are living classrooms that nurture curiosity, wellbeing, and community. This session will explore how gardens foster student engagement, promote sustainability, and support equity by connecting curriculum with lived experience. Emma will highlight practical examples of how teachers integrate gardens into teaching practice, and discuss how these spaces contribute to whole-school wellbeing — a contribution recognised when she was named a finalist in the 2024 Queensland Wellbeing Awards. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to harness school gardens as powerful tools for learning and inclusion, and with practical strategies for advocating for garden-based initiatives in their own contexts.
12:00 PM - 12:40 PM
12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch W2
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Q&A Panel with Chantelle Sansness, Bianca McLeish & Emma Derainne
1:40 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Creating a Culture of Care and Psychological Safety in Schools
We will explore how supporting teacher wellbeing enhances schools’ capacity to respond to student anxiety, trauma, and mental health challenges. Drawing on research, a staff wellbeing committee, and the WaND initiative, we will share practical strategies to build psychological safety, reduce emotional fatigue, and foster collegial trust. Participants will engage in a collaborative problem-solving activity and contribute to a Teacher Wellbeing Padlet, generating an ongoing repository of ideas. Practical guidance from active school engagement, recognition practices, and promotion of EAP resources ensures attendees leave with actionable tools to embed a culture of care for staff and students.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Wellbeing and Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual World
How do students develop emotional intelligence skills if they don't see each other face-to-face? Hear from the Head of the Virtual Learning Community about how an online Prep to 12 school can create a sense of wellbeing, belonging and social connections - for students and teachers.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Q&A Panel with Jillian Stansfield & Danni Foster-Brown
3:20 PM - 3:40 PM
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Ask the Audience - share the one idea you will work on next week-W2
3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

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