http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/recent.aspx - Recent Posts en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jitbit AspNetForum Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:06:42 GMT Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:06:42 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
the start of a new year and many people to go through refresher training for OH&S. this year everybody had the chance to attend several 1hr sessions to be interactive in their refresher training; subjects covering health emergencies in the classroom to fire and evacuation procedures. all those that couldn't attend have now been sent their own refresher training package, which was put together from training notes, slides and other information and then pulled together into a training package through School Induct. i only have to wait for the replies now and then the school should be up to nearly 100% attendance.

I hope you all had a very good break over Christmas and the New Year.]]> Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:06:42 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
no posts for a little while so I thought I would see how things are going. I have just used the SMS facility for the first time, as opposed to sending an email as everyone does not have an email account. The system allows for the name of the recipient and also allows you to place a short note that can be added to the message; this means that the recipient knows the message is genuine. Everything is going well - starting to plan for next years incomings and outgoings of teaching or other staff.
still interested to find out about swapping information and training packages between foundation schools and also any further progress on cyber bullying.

many thanks - speak to you again soon]]> Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:09:40 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=24
Anti-cyber bullying pilot
The Federal Government has announced a new pilot project aimed at curbing cyber bullying in Australian schools.
Education minister Julia Gillard said 150 schools will be involved in the $3 million project, to be carried out by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation (AMF).
The suicide of a 14-year-old girl in southern Victoria last July pushed the issue of cyber bullying into the spotlight when the child’s mother blamed the suicide on the Internet.
The case was the fourth suicide in six months among students from the same school.
The “deeply concerned” Rudd Government says the project will help confront safety issues in online communications, including social networking.
Communications minister Stephen Conroy has also recently announced a Youth Advisory Group to advise the Government on cyber bullying issues, made up of 305 youths. The group is part of the Rudd government’s $125.8 million cover safety plan, which includes the new Cybersmart Web site launched last month.
However, Queensland University of Technology cyber bullying expert, Dr Marilyn Campbell, has previously said that ACMA’s site, aimed at “empowering Australian children to be smart online”, does not effectively address the issue of cyber bullying and that researchers were too slow to realise its consequences.
“Unfortunately the [government’s} solutions to cyber bullying are these incredibly simplistic technological solutions,” Campbell said.
“I’d like more research and more concentration on assisting bullies to change their behaviour rather than supporting victims.”
The pilot will run until April 30 2010 and its outcomes, which will be assessed as part of an independent evaluation, will be taken into account in the Governments’ review of the National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF).]]> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:33:13 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=26 Guidelines for contracted external providers for physical education and school sport
also see:
Out of school hours

You may wish to include this as a part of your induction material and create a page in your School Induct course accordingly
edited by Paula_Johnson on 3/09/2009]]> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:32:17 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=24 Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying has become a recent hot topic with violence occurring across the nation and the mental health of students at risk. We are hearing from schools on a regular basis that they are concerned about the rise of this problem and dont feel that they have enough resources to tackle it.
We aim to assist our schools as they try to tackle this issue amongst their student population and provide resources both their staff and parent community.

I would like to hear more about your particular concerns in this regard. No specific details or names please, but you may use this forum to discuss your concerns and to ask questions regarding resources etc.

What resources is your school looking for to assist with this problem?
What do you feel is the biggest problem facing schools today in regards to bullying in general?
Is your school looking for resources currently? What have you found that may assist other schools?
Does your school have a plan in place to tackle this and prevent incidents in your school community?

If you have any concerns that you wish to discuss or perhaps questions that you wish to ask and do not wish these to be posted on the public forum, you can contact me directly on enquiries@schoolinduct.com.au

I will also post any newspaper articles that I find here so that everyone can be kept informed.
The latest is an article, regarding Facebook and bullying, listed in the Borderwatch, a South East South Australian newspaper.

go to Borderwatch to view the article and also the comments posted online.
edited by Paula_Johnson on 1/09/2009]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:44:59 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
I agree with Alan. The sharing of ideas and training information would be advantageous to most schools I think. The facility to "opt in" sounds a good way to go Paula.]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:28:13 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
I must admit that I am totally in favour of sharing ideas, training information etc with other members of the school community - there will obviously be differences in some areas, but other people may identify different problems or come up with solutions that we all may not even consider.

As a member of a local WHSO group covering many diverse industry types we find it very useful to explain to other like-minded people who may have more expertise in certain areas. Schools and colleges cover a very wide area as far oh&s goes and it is good to talk to people facing similar problems etc.

count me in !!!]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:48:44 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21 Does everyone think that this would be an advantage to being a School Induct member - to be able to share, request and exchange policies and information between the network of School Induct schools?
knowing the answer to this question will definitely help me in making the decision to invest in programming to allow for this either now or in the future.
the idea might be that schools could "opt" into the information sharing network, so as to allow for some schools that elect not to participate.
your views would be appreciated on the value of such a system.]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:29:15 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
if there is a way that the information can be used without infringing copyright - I would be more than happy to do it. There is a short video attached to the end of the training package, which the college has permission to use as part of this online system. I have based the information on the First Aid Training material that I have from the Queensland Ambulance Service; some of it is also particular to the college.

Paula, is it possible to share information across the various schools and colleges in this way?

On another note, I was asked to attend a recent Business Managers Meeting for independent schools and colleges on Friday. Unfortunately, due to time and agenda constraints I was unable to present the information formally; however, several of the Business Managers did show an interest during breaks and lunch. A copy of the PP presentation is being emailed to all attendees for their information.]]> Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:31:05 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=23 Q: If I want to pay per month but then choose to stop using School Induct after 3 months are there any penalties? no there is no contract and no minimum usage period.
Q: If I stop paying for my School Induct package after a couple of months do I lose all of my data or can I simply resume the membership and retain all of my data at a later stage? You must keep your payments up to date. If you allow your membership to lapse, your School Induct package will expire and your data (inductee information and any course pages that you have edited or added) will be lost. When you resume your membership you will need to start again with a new package.]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:58:14 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
We have only a few inductees left to complete the induction. Reports back indicate employees have enjoyed the process and the competition seemed to be fierce amongst many of the staff. From over 300 inductees only 3 have scored below 90%. Most were 95%+.

Alan, would you be willing to share your templates for medical emergencies in the classroom?

Thanks Graeme for your time to discuss the Contractors induction yesterday. It was very helpful. With all the building and maintenance programs in our school, Contractors will ne next.]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:56:43 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
So wonderful to hear the great work that you are doing at Launceston Christian School in regards to inducting your contractors!
we will all be very interested to hear how things go with your staff inductions as well.
looking forward to the next update!]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:24:06 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=24
An online safety survey conducted by NetAlert and ninemsn in February 2007 found that:

16% of young people said they had been bullied online

Cyber bullying has dramatically increased and according to the National Crime Prevention Centre:

over 40% of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online during the past year

Our hope is that this forum will allow schools and individuals to express their feelings about the topic. The idea is not to discuss specific situations but rather how it might be affecting your community. You also may wish to share initiatives or programs in place to protect students in your schools.
edited by Derek_K on 20/08/2009]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:53:57 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21 With the commencement of building work at Launceston Christian School under the BER program, we have ensured that all contractors are inducted before coming on-site. This has been working very efficiently with contractors doing the induction off-site and presenting our project managers with a certificate prior to commencing work on-site. This has cut down the induction process significantly with task specific on-site inductions now only 15mins rather than 1 hour long.
We have just started a trial with permanent staff inductions soon to be rolled out to all staff. We are making slight modifications to include site specific pages including reference to LCS Policies.]]> Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:55:02 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
The changes were local to the college, such as photographs, emergency procedures, signing in, evacuation details and I also added some information about how staff need to book times for working out of hours.

In addition I have also added links into the various pages for documents in use within the college - for example, our H&S Policy, our Protection from harm policy etc

I have also created additional training packages for Emergencies in the Classroom (- covering Epilepsy, Diabetes, Anaphylaxis and Asthma) and Fire Training ( - covering fire chemistry, which Extinguisher to use, how to use them and what to do when discovering a fire).

I hope this helps]]> Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:07:18 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21 Alan, what were some of the changes (if any) that you made to the generic courses provided in the system?]]> Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:02:17 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:59:26 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=23 We have a number of schools that are enquiring regarding School Induct and have posed questions either not covered in the FAQ's or not fully explained.
I will from time to time post a number of these questions and the responses here so that all interested parties can view the information:

Q: Is there a capacity to record extra information in each persons profile? Eg if they have attended a face to face training session ? School Induct does not give you this ability. School Induct is a condensed version of the Rapid Induct system – the full Rapid Induct premium system does however include the option of “training manager” which allows you to track third party training etc such as attendance at a Red Cross first aid course. There is a significant price point difference between the School Induct and Rapid Induct systems however with Rapid Induct starting at $22k and including on going fees of $10 per person per course as opposed to the low fixed p/a cost of School Induct that is defined by your enrolment numbers. See pricing page on website for further information.

Q: Can we manually set up reminders (eg we might be able to set up reminders to attend a face to face training session)? No – again all of this is possible with Rapid Induct. A future vision for School Induct is to provide additional features such as the ability to include additional courses and therefore reminders, however this vision is dependent on the mass take up of the School Induct program by schools in Australia. The more schools involved, the more features that we as a business can provide at a reduced rate to the education sector.

Q: My course may need to include some information (ie food handling) that is not relevant to all staff members. Can I create an additional course just for these persons? You are unable to create additional courses, you can however add to the course that is there and create additional modules. All of the people that are allocated this course will see and have to undertake all modules in the course. This does mean that you may need to have inductees, for whom food preparation is not a part of their job description, undertaking the food preparation module when it does not apply to them. I suggest that you simply add a page that explains that the following information is relevant to those working with food etc.

Q: I registered for a School Induct free trial and I would like to extend the free trial period. Do I need to extend this immediately once my 7 day free trial period ends? You may re-activate your free trial at any time and you will be given another 7 day period. There is no limit on how long you wish to delay re-activating this free trial.
edited by Paula_Johnson on 19/07/2009]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:14:02 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=22 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:00:40 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21
It has been impressed upon the inductees that it is important for them to read the content pages for the questions to be answered correctly. The inductees have been given 4-5 weeks to complete the induction.]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:48:38 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=20 For further information please contact us at enquires@rapidinduct.com.au and mention you are interested in further information regarding this exciting new system.
edited by Paula_Johnson on 17/06/2009]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:43:14 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=19 Published 16/06/09 The Advertiser. section: Education
June 16, 2009 12:00am
SCHOOLS are being warned they face potentially huge payouts if they fail to comply with occupational health and safety laws in the rush to take part in the Federal Government's Building the Education Revolution (BER).

An OH & S training company says many schools do not have the required programs in place to inform staff and contractors of on-site risks, leaving them liable if an avoidable accident occurs.

"Many funding recipients are recognising the inadequacy of their compliance programs when faced with an influx of contractors and building equipment as a result of new facilities being built," said Frank Templeton, director of induction provider Rapid Induct.

"Unfortunately, though, there are still many schools across Australia that don't have adequate OH & S programs in place for staff and contractors, exposing themselves to potentially costly legal battles should an accident happen."

Under the BER funding, all primary schools are receiving funds for new buildings, such as halls and gyms, while primary and secondary schools get money for maintenance works.

Last week, Education Minister Julia Gillard announced $6.3 billion for 3716 primary schools - including 318 in South Australia -for major infrastructure projects under the second round of Primary Schools for the 21st Century funding.

Co-ordinator-general Rod Hook, who is overseeing the SA roll-out of the federal stimulus package, has sent letters to all primary schools outlining the OH & S obligations of school leaders and contractors. Mr Hook could not say how many of the 142 schools which received money in the first round of funding had begun construction, but he said all must start their building activity by the end of the month.

Problems have increasingly arisen as educators begin implementing the program.

It was revealed last week at least 21 schools earmarked for closure - including 15 in SA - had received money for new facilities, prompting Treasurer Wayne Swan to order an investigation into how the money had been allocated.

Federal Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne claims some regional schools are not allowed to use local builders and that some builders are profiteering by adding up to 30 per cent to quotes.

Restrictions on building designs and how schools can spend the money have also caused problems.

Schools must choose from a limited range of standard templates for new gyms, halls, laboratories and libraries, prompting concerns about a proliferation of "McSchools" with little architectural character.

The money cannot be used for new or refurbished airconditioning or heating systems, facilities for religious worship or information technology equipment which is not essential to the "operation" of a new facility.

State Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni said the State Government was meant to ensure schools used contractors who committed to retaining or taking on apprentices - to support the economy - but this was not being enforced.]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:40:24 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=18 persons who only stay for a short time (visitors) are usually at the college for a particular reason or to visit someone or a specific class event. We have several areas where these people can "sign in" and be issued with visitors passes as well as an A4 sheet of paper with safety information on it.]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:29:33 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=18 Our view is, based on our multi industry experience, that a person that is fully escorted during their visit, is not working on any equipment and is fully supervised while in contact with students may only require an emergency response induction. This might include a visiting speaker, a politician or a visiting headmaster etc. Certainly visitors that are accessing the administration building for the purpose of a meeting only would fall into this category. A school therefore may have a policy that uninducted persons may only access certain areas of the building or school grounds. Parents visiting the school for student drop off or pick up would not require induction.
A person that will be regularly visiting the school or in contact with students, such as a library helper or school chaplin, would fall into the category of a volunteer or contractor and would require induction.
It should be noted however, that the definition of visitor (in relation to who needs to be inducted) is not our area of expertise in relation to the education sector and therefore I invite comments from all of our foundation schools and members of the public who may have further information to add to this.
I will also invite comment from safety consultants.
I look forward to hearing from anyone with further information that may assist our schools in this area.]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:58:01 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=15 Here it is apadated for schools. - I would love any comments people have on this.

Page 2:
My Information
My Employee ID Number
My Phone Number
My E-mail
My Site Location
My Principal's Full Name
My Principal's Phone Number
My Principal's E-mail
Department Fax Number
Security
IT Help
HR Contact
Benefits
Payroll
Emergency Services

Page 3
Your First Week
Build Your Plan
Getting connected to any community begins with getting to know your environment, the people in it and letting them get to know you.
You will want to be sure you do these things:
Explore your work environment
Get to know your new manager
Get to know your new team
Learn about the business
The topics above are outlined on the next few pages. Record information you learn and questions you want to ask.

Explore your work environment
No matter where you are working, you will want to get familiar with your surroundings. You'll need to know where to find what you need to do your job and where to go for lunch, meetings or relaxation. Ask a new co-worker to help you.
Look for these locations if available in your workplace:
Parking
Restrooms
Cafeteria/Break Room
Supply/Stationary area
Fax machine
Copy machine/Copy center

Page 4:
Get to Know Your Principal/Vice Principal
Your relationship with your Principal/Vice Principal is important. Learn about how they came to XX and the other roles they've had here.
These are some conversation starters during your initial meeting with them, discuss some of these questions. Also, learn about the department and how you and your work fit with its goals and objectives.
Discuss how your performance will be monitored and measured.
Ask about the best way to communicate with them.
Use the space on these pages to record your notes.
Get acquainted
How long have you been with XX?
How did you get to be where you are today?
Get oriented
How can I best meet the students needs?
How can I best support you?
How would you like me to keep you updated?
What are the acronyms I need to know right away?

Page 5:
Get answers
What are my initial priorities?
How will we measure my progress?
Where can I get help along the way?
What is acceptable or unacceptable in the culture here?
Get connected
Who else should I meet? Why?
Who are the key people to help me get my job done?
What references and resources do you recommend I read?
What additional information would be useful to know about me?

Page 6:
Get to Know Your New Team
You'll be working closely with others on your team. They'll want to know some of your strengths and experiences, just as you want to know theirs.
The questions here are conversation starters to help you get to know other people on your team. You can use this space to record your notes.
Name
How long have you been at XX? What is your role?
How long have you had this job?
How will I work with you?
What do you do for fun as a team?
Who else should I meet? Why?
What references and resources do you recommend I read?
What acronyms do I need to know?
What are the dos and don'ts of working here?
What additional information would be useful to know about me?

Page 7:
Use this additional space to record your notes on your conversations with your new teammates.




Page 8:
Your First Week
Build Out Your Network
In addition to your Principal /Vice Principal and your immediate co-workers, you will work with many other people in this new community. Use this space to plan your meetings with people identified in your conversations with your Principal and teammates. You are encouraged to continue to build out your network beyond your first week.
Who to meet
Joe Smith (HR)
What should we discuss?
Educational Assistance policies
Meeting date, time, location
4 February, 10:30am
Joe?s office

Page 9:
Your First Month
Things to Do
After the first week or so, you'll be more comfortable in this community, and you'll be ready to reach out and explore further. The items listed here could make life easier, or just more fun. They can help you quickly be part of the community and help welcome others!
Take required action to ensure Benefits activation is completed
Confirm Business/Personal Information and Emergency Contacts
Complete the Standard of Conduct Certification
Establish goals with your Principal
Meet for lunch with a new co-worker
Learn about development opportunities?such as Books 24x7, course offerings and ?
Learn about the school:

Page 10:
Additional Notes __.____._
edited by Paula_Johnson on 9/06/2009]]> Sat, 30 May 2009 05:08:48 GMT http://www.schoolinduct.com.au/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=3 This forum provides a unique way for you to gain an understanding of School Induct and how it can help you solve your compliance issues.
We expect that the users will drive discussion on the issues that are important to them.

Please begin by viewing the threads or by asking a question through a thread.

When you purchase School Induct for your school you also become a member of the Members only School Induct Forum which provides a communication tool for the users of the system.

We look forward to the School Induct evolution!

Frank Templeton
Managing Director - School Induct]]> Fri, 22 May 2009 00:54:11 GMT