Welcome to AASN

The 2010 ASSN Conference to be held in Brisbane from 13-15 August promises to inspire, to confront, to challenge and to confirm us in our faith. Like Moses encountering God in the burning bush, we hope to be Burning But Not Consumed during our Queensland conference.

Here’s the roll up of key note presenters: 

• Associate Professor David Tacey of Latrobe University is a national authority on spirituality issues and the generational divide within our culture. His work affirming the positive spirit of the coming generation offers great hope to those of us who work in church schools.
• Sr Veronica Brady of the University of Western Australia is one of the most distinguished women in the Australian church. A Loreto nun and prophetic voice she has a long record of scholarship and teaching on Australian culture. She will be best known to many as the biographer of Judith Wright McKinney.
• Professor Robert Bland is a national authority on family mental health issues. Robert is addressing the essential nature of the helping professions and the cost of engagement in any work in schools and welfare agencies.
• Dr Gilbert Bond is an African American theologian, teacher and academic. He will be acting as the Conference Prophet to listen, to challenge and to engage with us through the three days of our conference.
• Finally, our opening keynote speaker is Li Cunxin – the distinguished dancer, writer and public figure whose inspiring book Mao’s Last Dancer is now a major Australian film.  

There are two collateral programs running in tandem with the mainstream conference program.

Chaplaincy: Beginning on Thursday 12 August, the conference offers an experience for chaplains in our schools to work through some of the conference themes at a deeper level, to network and to share. The program will incorporate the opportunity to nominate for the ongoing chaplaincy shadowing program that has worked very well in the past. Other chaplains may take this opportunity to come for the full one day program planned by the Brisbane community of school chaplains.   It is expected that chaplains who register for this program will continue as part of the mainstream conference from lunch on Friday 13 August.

Bright Sparks: This is an innovation that should attract significant interest. For a full day before the conference begins, AASN is inviting schools to nominate the brightest and the best young leader in their school to come along for Bright Sparks. We want schools to identify future leaders so that these people can begin thinking seriously about career planning and preparation for leadership through mentoring, networking and focussed reflection. We hope to emphasize the career paths that lie open to talented young people in our schools – and to give them the opportunity to begin life long associations with other like minded people. Some of these Bright Sparks will already be in leadership positions such as Head of House or Subject Master; others will be aspiring to this role.

Like the chaplains, the Bright Sparks will move seamlessly from their program into the mainstream conference from lunchtime on Friday.

Some other features of the Conference already planned for: 

• Networking opportunities – some of them more formal than others including a spot of Scottish Speed Dating.
• Opening worship in Saint John’s: Australia’s most newly consecrated cathedral church. Saint John’s is one of the greatest buildings in Australia and a joy in which to worship.
• Several keynote presenters have agreed to do workshop presentations to give participants the opportunity for extended interaction.
• Good coffee at all hours.

Look for the Conference Brochure early in the new year but plan now to be in Brisbane for the Queensland conference in August 2010.

Interested in following up with a question or response? Send your email to projects@ascqld.org.au.

The 2010 ASSN Conference to be held in Brisbane from 13-15 August promises to inspire, to confront, to challenge and to confirm us in our faith. Like Moses encountering God in the burning bush, we hope to be Burning But Not Consumed during our Queensland conference.

Here’s the roll up of key note presenters: 

• Associate Professor David Tacey of Latrobe University is a national authority on spirituality issues and the generational divide within our culture. His work affirming the positive spirit of the coming generation offers great hope to those of us who work in church schools.
• Sr Veronica Brady of the University of Western Australia is one of the most distinguished women in the Australian church. A Loreto nun and prophetic voice she has a long record of scholarship and teaching on Australian culture. She will be best known to many as the biographer of Judith Wright McKinney.
• Professor Robert Bland is a national authority on family mental health issues. Robert is addressing the essential nature of the helping professions and the cost of engagement in any work in schools and welfare agencies.
• Dr Gilbert Bond is an African American theologian, teacher and academic. He will be acting as the Conference Prophet to listen, to challenge and to engage with us through the three days of our conference.
• Finally, our opening keynote speaker is Li Cunxin – the distinguished dancer, writer and public figure whose inspiring book Mao’s Last Dancer is now a major Australian film.  

There are two collateral programs running in tandem with the mainstream conference program.

Chaplaincy: Beginning on Thursday 12 August, the conference offers an experience for chaplains in our schools to work through some of the conference themes at a deeper level, to network and to share. The program will incorporate the opportunity to nominate for the ongoing chaplaincy shadowing program that has worked very well in the past. Other chaplains may take this opportunity to come for the full one day program planned by the Brisbane community of school chaplains.   It is expected that chaplains who register for this program will continue as part of the mainstream conference from lunch on Friday 13 August.

Bright Sparks: This is an innovation that should attract significant interest. For a full day before the conference begins, AASN is inviting schools to nominate the brightest and the best young leader in their school to come along for Bright Sparks. We want schools to identify future leaders so that these people can begin thinking seriously about career planning and preparation for leadership through mentoring, networking and focussed reflection. We hope to emphasize the career paths that lie open to talented young people in our schools – and to give them the opportunity to begin life long associations with other like minded people. Some of these Bright Sparks will already be in leadership positions such as Head of House or Subject Master; others will be aspiring to this role.

Like the chaplains, the Bright Sparks will move seamlessly from their program into the mainstream conference from lunchtime on Friday.

Some other features of the Conference already planned for: 

• Networking opportunities – some of them more formal than others including a spot of Scottish Speed Dating.
• Opening worship in Saint John’s: Australia’s most newly consecrated cathedral church. Saint John’s is one of the greatest buildings in Australia and a joy in which to worship.
• Several keynote presenters have agreed to do workshop presentations to give participants the opportunity for extended interaction.
• Good coffee at all hours.

Look for the Conference Brochure early in the new year but plan now to be in Brisbane for the Queensland conference in August 2010.

Interested in following up with a question or response? Send your email to projects@ascqld.org.au.