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ABOUT THE EVENT

 

Live online · Free to attend · Open to all parents and educators

Join Dianne Giblin (CEO, ACSSO) and Nikki Bonus (CEO, Life Skills GO) and Darryl Thompson (Principal of Wellington Primary School) for a powerful conversation designed to support parents and schools in building stronger relationships.

 

Strengthening Connections to Help Every Student Thrive

When families and schools work together, every student wins.

Meaningful partnerships between families and schools are not just valuable — they are vital. Research clearly shows that when parents and carers are actively engaged in their child’s education, it leads to higher academic achievement, stronger wellbeing, and improved social outcomes. But true engagement goes deeper than attendance at meetings; it is built through authentic connection, a strong sense of belonging, and a shared commitment to student success.

Join us for a dynamic and practical conversation with Australia’s leading education voices. Discover how to foster powerful family-school relationships that create thriving, connected communities.

 

Why Connection and Belonging Matter

The Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) — Australia’s national peak body for families of public school students — has identified family engagement as a critical driver of educational success.


Their research shows that:

  • Family engagement is more strongly associated with student achievement than socio-economic status.

  • Students whose families are engaged show improved academic results, greater motivation to learn, better behaviour, and higher rates of school completion.

  • A positive sense of connection and belonging at school significantly enhances students’ mental health, resilience, and lifelong learning outcomes.

As ACSSO emphasises in their Parent and Family Engagement Position Statement (2020):

“When families and schools work together in genuine partnership, it creates an environment where students can thrive, and where the broader school community becomes stronger, healthier, and more inclusive.”

In short, we are better together.
Building strong relationships based on trust, respect, and shared responsibility lifts outcomes not just for individual students, but for schools and communities as a whole.

We are honoured to be joined by Wirrigirri Primary School, who will share their inspiring journey of fostering authentic connection and belonging within their school community. Their real-world story offers powerful, practical insights into what it truly means to engage families meaningfully.

This will be an interactive webinar — bring your questions, your experiences, and your ideas.
Let’s build the future of education together.

 

What You Will Experience

  • National insights into the latest research on family engagement and belonging

  • Practical, evidence-based strategies for building lasting partnerships

  • A real-world success story from Wellington Primary School

  • A live Q&A panel — where your questions will drive the discussion

Register Here
ABOUT OUR EXPERTS
 

  • Nikki Bonus, CEO & Founder of Life Skills GO, brings over 20 years of experience in social-emotional literacy programs and real-time wellbeing data solutions. Life Skills GO platform helps schools detect patterns, deploy interventions, and enhance student wellbeing. 

Darryl Thompson, Principal, Wellington Primary School

Darryl is a passionate advocate for public education. He has been a teacher and principal for almost 40 years with the Department of Education in western New South Wales. A love of the dust versus a sea breeze has seen him dedicate his career to building an understanding of the unique nature of a education in a rural context and the need to ensure that ALL STUDENTS achieve to their own potential despite their postcode. He has led, in his own schools, an integrated approach to rural education where all levels of government, supported by local communities work together to achieve quality learning, cultural and social outcomes.

 

Dianne Giblin AM MICDA – CEO, Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO)

Dianne has worked in education in both paid and unpaid capacity for the past 32 years.

  • Di has a passion for education, in particular public education, and the opportunities it affords young people. She has led the ACSSO secretariat since 2011 but has been a significant player in parent activism since 1984 when her eldest child commenced school. She is proud of her four children’s achievements – all successes of public education.

    She has held various volunteer roles in the parent movement finishing her P&C career as President of the Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW.

  • Di was a founding Director of Public Education Foundation whose board position she held for six years; a founding Director of Primary Ethics Board and also a founding Director of The Parenthood board.

  • She worked in a paid capacity for the NSW education department in a number of roles across a large area of Sydney. Her roles were all in the area of parent engagement and home-school partnerships including school based community officer, across district Community Development Officer and regional Partnership Officer – all through the Priority Schools Program.

    • Recognition of her work saw her commended for Meritorious Service to Public Education and Training in 2010. In 2012 Dianne was admitted as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her service to public education and the community.
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