Specialist Teaching and Research - STaR Ltd

14/06/2026

Stay informed, connected and ahead in the world of special and inclusive education with InSpEd Insights. 📰

Whether you're a teacher, leader, or researcher, InSpEd's newsletter is a valuable addition to your inbox. InSpEd brings together evidence-based insights, policy updates, and practical guidance for professionals dedicated to inclusive and specialist education.

➡️ Sign up here: https://www.insped.org.au/newsletter-signup/

Institute of Special Educators

12/06/2026

Save the date - 5 March 2027 🌟 MonSTaR is back!

After a year off, we are thrilled for the MonSTaR Cup to be returning in 2027, and what a year to come back for. This special event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary.

MonSTaR has long been a vital source of support for STaR and the MND community, and with 2 Australians diagnosed with MND every day, the need for continued funding and research has never been greater.

While we count down to the big day, the MonSTaR Foundation is calling for donations big or small to help make a difference.

👉 Donate here: https://www.monstarfoundation.com.au/donate/

MonSTaR Foundation

11/06/2026

Today is the International Day of Play 🎨

Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises every child's right to play. Yet for many children with developmental concerns, delay or disability, access to meaningful and inclusive play can still be limited.

Through play, our children can develop communication skills, build relationships, explore their joys, and increase confidence in a fun way!

On International Day of Play, let's continue working towards a world where every child has the support and opportunity to play, participate and thrive. 💛

10/06/2026

Learn with STaR! 🌟

Join us for an upcoming KWS workshop - whether you're just getting started, or ready to take your KWS skills to the next level.

📍 Vinegar Hill Memorial Library & Community Centre, Rouse Hill

➡️ Basic Workshop
Getting Started with Key Word Sign
Tues 25 Aug | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

➡️ Intermediate Workshop
Using Key Word Sign in Daily Life
Tues 6 Oct | 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

➡️ Basic Workshop
Getting Started with Key Word Sign
Wed 25 Nov | 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Explore upcoming workshops and register now:
https://star-education.thinkific.com/collections/KWS

05/06/2026

What a lovely morning of fun and connection at Livvi's Place Playground! 💙

Recently, STaR families and staff came together at Bernie Mullane Reserve for our inaugural Family Park Play Date.

There is something wonderful about watching families connect in spaces like this. Enjoying a coffee, watching the kids play, and knowing you're surrounded by people who just 'get it'.

A big thank you to Resilience Insurance and the NSW Waratahs for generously providing mini footballs for the kids - they were an absolute hit!

✨ Mark your calendars - we have three more Park Play Dates coming up for the rest of the year:

📅 Saturday 25 July 2026
📅 Saturday 19 September 2026
📅 Saturday 21 November 2026

9am - 11am at Livvi's Place Playground, Bernie Mullane Reserve, Kellyville.

RSVP here: https://www.star.org.au/family-park-play/

We would love to see you there. Come along, bring the family, and let's keep connecting. 💛

26/05/2026

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The theme for (27 May - 3 June) is 'All In', a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.

'All In' makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.

The theme also reminds us that reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights isn’t a passive activity, and it is not solely the responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining and acting for far too long.

Reconciliation will not happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us.

Learn more: reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/

26/05/2026

Today, on National Sorry Day, we honour the strength, resilience and lived experiences of Stolen Generations survivors and their families.

At STaR, we acknowledge the ongoing impacts of past government policies and stand alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the continued call for truth, healing and meaningful action.

As Reconciliation Australia and the Healing Foundation remind us: sorry without action is not enough.

We encourage our community to take time today to listen, learn and reflect.



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DpCM7tDVM/

24/05/2026

Laura Woodbury, NSW Department of Education, is hosting two online information sessions this week for parents and carers of children with disability and additional needs who are transitioning to school.

The sessions will provide an overview of Department of Education support options, transition processes, and ways families can support a positive start to school.

18/05/2026

This National Volunteer Week, we’re recognising Sarah from the STaR team. 🌟

Alongside her work at STaR, Sarah volunteers with Feel the Magic, supporting children and teenagers who have lost a parent or sibling.

Having lost her own mum as a teenager, this work is deeply personal. At Feel the Magic camps, Sarah volunteers both as a mentor for children attending the program and as a Talk Time Leader, facilitating group discussions around grief and wellbeing through a psycho-educational model, helping to create safe and supportive spaces where young people can connect, share their experiences, and feel less alone in their grief.

Volunteering has given Sarah a strong sense of purpose and meaningful connection, while reflecting the same passion she brings to her work at STaR - supporting children and families through empathy, inclusion, and community.

We’re proud to celebrate the impact volunteers make in our communities this National Volunteer Week.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Kxcb4sgy1/

👉 More information on how you can volunteer with Feel the Magic:
www.feelthemagic.org/volunteer

👉 Read more about Volunteer Week: www.volunteeringaustralia.org

15/05/2026

We are proud to partner with Kids' Early Learning Blacktown City.

As national and state reforms are focused on foundational supports and early community-based intervention for children with developmental concerns, developmental delay and disability, the importance of strong, connected early childhood systems has never been greater.

STaR’s Early Years Program sits at the heart of this work. Building educator capability, embedding evidence-informed inclusive practice within everyday early learning environments, and supporting children to participate and learn meaningfully alongside their peers.

Importantly, this work is not just about supporting the child. It is about strengthening the capacity of adults and environments around the child; families, educators and communities, so inclusion becomes sustainable and embedded in everyday practice.

Partnerships like this demonstrate what best practice can look like in action: early support, shared expertise, collaborative relationships and inclusion embedded where children live, learn and play.

Thank you to Kids’ Early Learning Blacktown City Council for your ongoing partnership and shared commitment to inclusive early childhood education.



Blacktown City Council

Inclusive learning begins with strong support networks.

Our valued partnership with Specialist Teaching and Research - STaR Ltd continues to strengthen positive outcomes for children across our long day care centres through specialist guidance, collaborative support and inclusive practices.

Read more: https://www.kidsearlylearning.com.au/Our-approach-to-learning/Community-partnerships/STaR