Friday 30th September 2011 
51k
Next week marks National Skills Week, from 1 to 8 October, and I encourage DET staff to get involved in the many activities being held by TAFEs and training groups across Queensland. Staff in Brisbane are invited to attend the Queensland launch of National Skills Week on Tuesday 4 October from 12 - 2pm at Reddacliff Place at the top of the Queen Street Mall. This public event will feature exhibits that allow people to try their hand at a trade as well as a number of information stalls. For details visit Queensland's National Skills Week website 
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Long day care services can now apply for kindergarten funding at any time under recent changes to the Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme. Under this new rolling funding program, services can also have their funding backdated to the beginning of the quarter in which they submit their application.
This news comes on top of the announcement of an extra 429 long day care services that can now deliver an approved kindergarten program. This means 780 long day care services have now been approved to deliver a kindergarten program since funding for the sector began in January 2010. For more information on these announcements, visit the department's website.
I am pleased to announce the Department of Education and Training Annual Report 2010-11 was tabled in Parliament today. The annual report plays an important role in fulfilling the department's commitment to accountability and transparency. It details our achievements, performance and financial position for the 2010-11 financial year. It also provides information on the department's future direction, human resource management, community engagement practices and corporate governance processes. I invite you to view the report online . I hope you find the annual report an informative and valuable resource.
Congratulations to the many teachers who have given up some of their school holidays to attend the latest round of Vacation Professional Development for Teachers. Twenty-eight sessions were held across the state, as well as online, over the past two weeks. Thank you to everyone who participated. It highlights the dedication of our teaching workforce to enhancing literacy and numeracy teaching in Queensland schools. The next round of Vacation Professional Development will be held from 9 to 18 January 2012, with registrations available through OnePortal (DET employees only) later this term.
Twenty-six of the state's most talented visual art students were in Brisbane this week for a five-day residential workshop. These students were winners of the 2011 Creative Generation Excellence Award in Visual Art and Design and have been working with professional artists in workshops covering painting, multi-media art, photography, jewellery making, fibre art and mixed media. The outstanding art being produced in our classrooms is inspiring and it is important that we recognise the exceptional talents of our up-and-coming young artists and designers. I look forward to seeing their artworks in the 2012 - 2013 touring exhibition.
I am travelling to the United States next week for the second Australia-United States Education Roundtable in Washington DC. I've been invited to attend as part of the Australian delegation organised by the federal government. The roundtable's focus will be on 21st century teaching and learning, addressing educational disadvantage and quality teaching. I will report back in a couple of weeks to let you know what I learnt. In my absence, Lyn McKenzie is the Acting Director-General next week.
If you have any questions on departmental initiatives, please send them to the Inquiries Mailbox.
For more news go to OnePortal (DET employees only) or the Training Employee Portal (DET employees only) under Marketing and Communication, Newsletters.
Regards
Julie Grantham
Director-General
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© The State of Queensland (Department of Education, Training and Employment) 2011.
