New publications

Developed jointly by Queensland Health and Education Queensland, this publication aims to promote the supply of nutritional food and drinks in Queensland schools. The strategy covers the supply of food through school tuck shops, vending machines, on excursions and camps, as fundraising ventures, classroom rewards and at school events. The publication includes a colour-coded food and drink selector outlining which foods should be eaten often, occasionally and rarely. A 'ready reckoner' lists foods commonly supplied in schools and recommends how each should be categorised and managed. Nutritional criteria and advice on how to read food information panels are included. A poster and CD-ROM are also available to schools. (Adapted from publication.)

A range of reports and articles explore various issues around teacher induction. Contributors address questions such as which induction models are most successful in increasing retention rates for new teachers; important qualities of good mentors and good mentor training; the effects on teachers of having a quality mentor; and school cultures that promote teacher induction. (Adapted from the publisher's description, which includes online extracts and table of contents.)

This book is written for secondary mathematics and primary teachers, as well as researchers and university students. It explores how mathematics education incorporates complex and commonsense mathematical reasoning, offering both theoretical insights and practical advice. The authors consider how meanings are constructed, communicated and developed by those learning mathematics, and the challenges and opportunities created for teaching and learning. Topics include meaning and school mathematics, historical and didactical dimensions, collective meaning and commonsense, mathematics education and commonsense, communication and construction of meaning, the hidden role of diagrams in pupils' construction of meaning in geometry and linear algebra. (Adapted from the publisher's description.)

Operating an Independent School covers planning for curriculum, discipline, school finance, personnel, grants and support services. Chapter 1 discusses the creation, documentation and implementation of processes and procedures involved in managing an independent school. Later chapters address specific areas of school operations. Suggestions for working with the school community are also included. (Adapted from the publisher's description and online extracts.)

The study examines the prevalence, types and motivating factors associated with Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH) among adolescents in Australia. In 2002, more than 3,500 Year 10 and Year 11 students from 14 state and independent high schools in Queensland took part in a questionnaire covering lifestyle and coping strategies. Around 6.2 per cent, or 233 students, met the criteria for DSH in the previous 12 months, with a higher prevalence among females than males. Those who reported DSH were likely to have witnessed similar behaviour in family and friends, tend to blame themselves for their problems as a coping strategy and also tend to self-prescribe medication. Most did not seek help prior to or after their last incident. Those who did seek help generally consulted friends. The report recommends that programs for DSH prevention should encourage adolescents in stressful situations to contact health professionals. (Adapted from report.)

Written in the USA, this book uses a conceptual and research framework to explore the issue of portfolios in education. The author suggests practical methods to plan and construct portfolios, and provide tools that can be used during teacher education and for the professional development of practicing teachers. It includes descriptions of the use and design of portfolios, and of the process of selecting, organising, evaluating and presenting portfolio artefacts. Electronic portfolios are covered in a separate chapter. Various sections of the text link to material, such as video clips, templates, sample documents and websites on an accompanying CD-ROM. (Adapted from the publisher's description.)