Welcome back teachers! We trust you had a relaxing New Year break and are ready to take on the new school year! Academy Travel is in the midst of preparations for our biggest April school holidays yet, with 17 schools with 475 participants travelling to 10 countries in just 3 weeks. It is a logistical feat which involves countless hours of work from teachers, Sydney office staff, Rome office staff and our team of tour managers. In addition to our school tours, Academy Travel also offers a range of accredited professional development tours just for teachers. Information on our PD tours in the planning for 2017 and beyond can be found on pages 2-3. Some advice on tour planning and information on Dr Estelle Lazer’s schools outreach program are on page 4. From the Academy Travel Schools Team
Schools travelling with us in April 2017: • Camden High School • Campbelltown Performing Arts High School • Colo High School • Cowra High School • Denison College Bathurst • Elderslie High School • Geelong Grammar School • Hastings Secondary College • Lambton High School • Macintyre High School • Manly Selective Campus • St Andrew’s Cathedral School • St John Bosco College • St Paul’s Catholic College • Sydney Grammar School • Warners Bay High School • Wenona School
January 2017 PD Tour to Greece and Italy Academy Travel is the only NSW Education Standards Authority (formerly BOSTES) accredited provider of overseas study tour for NSW teachers. We are proud of the professional development opportunities we can provide to teachers with our links to international institutions and academics. A group of 26 Ancient History teachers (photo below) from around NSW and Victoria have recently returned from our tour to Greece and Italy. The program included detailed site visits with Dr Stavros Paspalas from the Australian Archaeological Institute of Athens, Rome with Agnes Crawford, Herculaneum with Christian Biggi and Vesuvian sites with Dr Estelle Lazer. The group was guided by academic expert Dr Jennifer Lawless and tour manager Grace McLean.
Some of the feedback we have received from this most recent PD tour:
“I found the tour to be definitely educationally beneficial and provided a wealth of resources and information for me to synthesise and develop for my teaching.” “Very professional and helpful staff. A great way to see such wonderful, relevant places with like-minded professionals.” “A very impressive, knowledgeable team. I learnt a great deal!” “Utterly satisfied!” “Just being with a group of Ancient teachers created a wealth of professional discussion – great opportunity for it.” “An amazing experience!!” “Overall an excellent tour – it met all of my expectations.”
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UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Academy Travel is the only NSW Education Standards Authority accredited provider of overseas study tour for NSW teachers. We are proud of the professional development opportunities we can provide to teachers with our links to international institutions and academics. With the change to teacher accreditation looming in 2018, we are pleased to be in the planning stages for a number of overseas study tours across a range of subject areas.
HISTORY January 2018 – City of Rome for teachers of ancient history July 2018 – Russia and Germany for teachers of modern history September 2018 – Revolutionary Paris for teachers of history September 2018 – Classical and Bronze Age Greece for teachers of history January 2019 – Egypt for teachers of ancient history subject to local conditions) January 2019 – East Coast USA for teachers of history
PERFORMING ARTS January 2018 – New York and LA for teachers of drama and dance September 2018 – Japan for teachers of drama
CREATIVE ARTS September 2018 – New York for creative arts teachers
SPORTS September 2017 – Football in England for PDHPE teachers January 2018 – Basketball in the USA for PDHPE teachers Our PD tours should be tax deductible for teachers (please speak to your tax adviser for details) and offer up to 45 hours of accredited hours for teachers at a Proficient Level. If you are interested in finding out more about any of the above accredited professional development tours, please email your details to schools@academytravel.com.au. If you have any ideas of PD tours you would like us to offer, please also email us! We are currently also considering proposals for teacher librarians and leadership in teaching.
CHANGES TO PD REQUIREMENTS IN NSW As of the 1st January 2017, BOSTES is now the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). This organisation combines the former Board of Studies and Institute of Teachers. As of 2018, all teachers will come under the NESA requirements for teaching standards. All pre-2004 teachers will be accredited at the career stage of Proficient Teacher. In order to maintain this level, teachers are required to complete 100 hours of professional development within a 5 year period (or 7 years for part time teachers). 50 of these hours must be completed through an accredited NESA provider. The remaining hours can be “teacher identified” professional development. PD is mapped against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Teachers must complete PD addressing all descriptors within Standard 6 (Engage in Professional Learning) and at least one descriptor from the other 6 standards.
Academy Travel PD tours are accredited at a Proficient Teacher level and address the following descriptors: • 2.1.2 Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies area to develop engaging teaching activities. • 6.2.2 Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice targeted to professional needs and school and/or system priorities. • 6.3.2 Contribute to collegial discussions and apply constructive feedback from colleagues to improve professional knowledge and practice. Teachers who accompany school groups on tour do not qualify for the accredited PD hours. However, we do suggest that teachers put this forward as “teacher identified” PD using the same descriptors listed above.
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School lectures by Dr Estelle Lazer
Getting a tour off the ground If your school has never offered a syllabus-based study tour before, it can be difficult to get the first one up and running. For many schools, cost can be an issue and the more participants you have, the lower the cost can be. So, perhaps you may consider the following: • Offer a cross-curricular tour – such as history with visual arts, languages or studies of religion. • Combine with a similar school – this works successfully with similar student bodies and like-minded teachers. • Invite the school community – open up the tour to all students at the school, all year groups, or even parents. • Have a chat with us about the best value places to visit, time of year to travel, length of tour, type of inclusions, etc – we can help to offer a tour within your price range.
Dr Estelle Lazer has once again kindly made herself available for outreach to schools in 2017. Dr Lazer has seven lecture topics that she can present to your students, and you can choose to have either a one hour lecture or two 45 minute lectures. Bookings are available within the following dates: Term 3: August 7-25 Term 4: November 6-24 If you would like further information on fees and requesting a booking, please email natalie@academytravel.com.au.
Dr Estelle Lazer’s latest documentary with Mary Beard Pompeii: New Secrets Revealed will be screening on SBS at 7:30pm on Sunday 26th February.
Organising a school tour for 2018 If you are considering offering a study tour for your students in 2018, now is the time to get the ball rolling. We recommend getting in touch with us for a quote at least 12 months prior to your planned departure in order to secure the best priced flights, hotels and guide services. While April is the most popular time for groups with senior students to travel, the other school holiday periods can offer other advantages. Schools with a 3 week June/July break may consider the extra time either to travel or recover. December/January can be a great value time to travel and fewer crowds makes for an enjoyable experience. Email schools@academytravel.com.au to be provided with a tour offer within 48 hours.
P: (02) 9235 0134 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) E: schools@academytravel.com.au W: academytravelschools.com.au Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Level 1, 341 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
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