The ISASA Staff Development Fund (SDF) sponsors overseas and other study grants for staff members in ISASA schools. Currently the Fund awards overseas visitorships, tenable for one month, as well as Conference awards to attend a specific overseas conference. Award winners are responsible for arranging their own programmes.

ISASA invites applications for the 2010 Staff Development Fund awards. The Guidelines and Application Form should be completed and returned to the ISASA offices by no later than 30 September 2009. Applications will only be considered from staff members at schools that contributed to the Staff Development Fund in 2009.

ISASA's Input June 2009 is available for download and will also be emailed to all ISASA members. Input is an overview of ISASA's activities during the previous quarter - both within the association and in the wider environment.

The June 2009 edition includes updates on ISASA workshops, school support visits by ISASA staff, alerts on policy issues likely to affect schools, an update on progress in the Mathematics and English Programme and report-backs from key international conferences.

Input also contains important information on changes in state subsidies to independent schools and recent developments in curriculum and assessment, especially at the FET level.

The Winter 2009 edition of Independent Education has been published. Independent Education is the official ISASA magazine and is produced by ISASA Publications.

The print publication has been posted to ISASA member schools and other subscribers. An electronic version is also available for download.

Independent Education Winter 2009 features Jane Hofmeyr's experiences of the NAIS Conference, Gillian Godsell's analysis of the state of South African education and Ronnie Todd's article on the "Secret Treasure Trove" - remote, low-fee schools with totally committed educators.

Other highlights in this edition include Ciska Tempest's suggestions to curb bullying in girls' schools; John Gardener's essay on irony; several articles on IT in the school; and a tribute to Tom Bourquin, a fine educator.