Above: Jacinta with St Margaret Mary's Kindergarten students. Photo taken March 2021. 

The weekend news focused on the plight of this year's HSC students and whether they would face the same challenges as last year's cohort. Some newspapers ran stories about the difficulties for parents faced with home learning, and the wellbeing of students and staff was also high on the agenda. 

These are important issues facing our school communities and the ongoing disruption to students, staff and families is significant and requires our schools to be agile and creative in their response to these challenges.

As I contemplate our fifth lockdown in Victoria, it seems that COVID, and future global challenges, will never be over and done. There will always be some disruption, event or even a disaster that requires our immediate attention.

However, it's also critical that we don't lose sight of the bigger picture, particularly in the vital work of educating future generations of students. 

At a time when many industries and businesses are trying to 'pivot' to ensure their ongoing sustainability and success, education is also required to look to the future and see how we will better serve our students to face a world that is increasingly changing and uncertain. 

As Catholic schools, an integral part of that work is to form our students in faith to be hopeful about the future and to contribute meaningfully to a just and peaceful world. In the same way, we are responsible for providing an excellent education and access to opportunities for our students so they are equipped to live, work and serve in the world. 

As we go about our work this term, and in the face of the constant challenges that are thrown at us from COVID and other factors, I encourage you to find some space with your colleagues to focus on the incredible importance of your role as teachers, leaders and support staff.

Find some time to tune into what's really important and what will make the biggest difference to your students' learning and formation. And, most importantly, create opportunities for connection within your communities to recognise each other and the grace of God in our work. 

Jacinta Collins
National Catholic education executive director

A family from St Patrick's Catholic Primary, Mortlake. Photo from Sydney Catholic Schools.

Family Week will be held from 8 - 14 August 2021 and is an opportunity for Catholic school communities to celebrate the important role of families in Catholic education in Australia.

Family Week recognises the significant contribution families have made to the foundation, growth and continuity of Catholic schools in Australia over 200 years.

The week also coincides with the Feast Day of Australia’s First Saint, Mary MacKillop, who was a passionate educator and advocate for children and families.

Schools may choose to hold a variety of local celebrations and activities, for example, a family Mass, assembly or picnic. Or if an in-person event is not possible, a school might decide to send out the family prayer card to families or use some of the student activities and resources provided.

Resources available via the 200 years website:

• Family Prayer Card - Generic version PDF & Customisable version MS Word 
• Family Week - Suggested Events and Activities
• Newsletter Message template
• Draw your family colouring page
• St Mary MacKillop colouring page

Above: Sacred Heart in The Kimberley. Photo by Matt Biocich, Catholic Education Western Australia. 

A science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) student showcase initiated by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) in 2018 will expand to include Catholic schools and dioceses from around the country this year.

To take part in the national STEM MAD (Making a Difference), primary and secondary student teams will participate in their own diocesan or statewide STEM showcases, with each diocese invited to nominate up to three projects per category which best demonstrate their learning and meeting the project criteria.

These student teams will be invited to Melbourne for a live showcase to present their projects for judging in November, or participate in the showcase digitally and attend remotely.

Categories include innovative projects to develop a product or service, and projects targeted directly at protecting the environment.

MACS executive director Jim Miles said the STEM MAD Showcase is a celebration of student learning, designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate the distinct ethos of Catholic schools.

"Catholic schools aim to not only be innovative and leaders in teaching and learning, but also to make a positive difference in the world" Jim said.

"What better way to bring this philosophy to life than by challenging students to address real-world science and engineering problems in a way that also acts for justice and the common good.

"We are pleased, in this bicentennial year for Catholic education in Australia, to work collaboratively with the other dioceses to offer the STEM MAD opportunity to Catholic school students and teachers from around the country," he said. 

The STEM MAD National showcase is made possible with the support of Catholic Network Australia (CNA) and will take place in association with this year’s CNA Forum in Melbourne in November.

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Above: Students participate in the STEM Showcase 2019. Source Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools.

Source: Pixabay

On 2 July Education Ministers agreed to make improvements to national standardised testing in Australian schools to better inform teacher practice.

Federal Minister for Education and Youth and chair of the Education Ministers Meeting Alan Tudge said that it was a constructive meeting with good progress on key national initiatives. 

“NAPLAN has been an important tool to inform teacher practice and give guidance to parents on how their child is progressing. These incremental reforms will enhance these objectives,” Minister Tudge said in a media release.

“It will also provide more opportunities for schools to 'opt in' to additional assessments in the key subject areas of Science, Civics and Digital Literacy,” he said.

Education Ministers agreed to the following:

• the writing test would continue to be conducted as a census test
• the testing of spelling, grammar and punctuation (Conventions of Language) will be separate from writing as part of the annual census-based standardised assessment program
• ACARA would work with jurisdictions to explore the feasibility of shifting of the test as early as possible in the school year and turn around test results in two weeks
• the assessments remain in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9
• in-principle agreement to enabling schools to 'opt-in' to assessments in the domains of Science Literacy (including critical and creative thinking), Digital Literacy and Civics and Citizenship annually in Year 6 and Year 10 
• ACARA to investigate the feasibility of incorporating critical and creative thinking in English and Mathematics into the existing NAPLAN domains, with advice to be provided to the next Education Ministers’ Meeting.

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Above: Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta executive director Greg Whitby AM KSG, Joanne Ryan MP, Julian Leeser MP, Diocese of Parramatta chief of operations and finance Geoff Officer and Julie Owens MP. Source: Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta.

On Wednesday 23 June, Federal Members of Parliament jointly supported a private member’s motion to acknowledge 200 years of Catholic education in Australia, which marks the anniversary of the first official Catholic school opened on Hunter Street in Parramatta in October 1820.

Member for Parramatta Julie Owens MP moved the motion, which was supported by five other members.

Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta executive director Greg Whitby AM KSG, Diocese of Parramatta chief of operations and finance Geoff Officer and other members of staff attended the parliament for the occasion.

“It’s with great pleasure that I rise today to acknowledge the bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia,” Ms Owens said during her motion.

“Two of the schools in my electorate, St Patrick's Parramatta and Parramatta Marist High School, trace their origins back to that very first school on Hunter Street.

“I want to congratulate all the Catholic schools on what is now their third century,” she said. “Congratulations to their teachers, staff and students on what is an incredible achievement. I know we will see many more great achievements in years to come.”

Member for Berowra Julian Leeser MP said decades before public education existed anywhere in this country, we had church schools, charity schools, which taught children from all walks of life.

“That legacy has not only been formational in Australia’s history, but continues to serve the Australian community today, with the incredible service Catholic schools provide to families and communities,” Mr Lesser said.

Member for Holt Anthony Byrne MP said Catholic schools have educated millions of Australians over the past 200 years.

“A faith based, values based education system that offers a comprehensive environment to develop the total person, not just educate a person,” Mr Byrne said.

“The community good that’s done by having these schools in our region, which I would completely agree with as someone who went through the Catholic education system as a student at a Christian Brothers college both in Kalgoorlie, in the far-flung regions of Western Australia, and also in Adelaide.”

Member for Bennelong John Alexander OAM, MP said over the past two centuries, Catholic schools have become the largest non-government providers of schooling in Australia, with one in five school-age students attending a Catholic school.

“Catholic schools will continue to represent a vital part of the Australian educational landscape in the future,” Mr Alexander said. “This government is committed to continuing our support for Catholic schools.”

Member for Lalor Joanne Ryan MP said Catholic schools have been dedicated to ensuring equality and equity for children across the country for 200 years.

“These are faith based schools that are dedicated to social justice, and I think that’s really worth celebrating,” Ms Ryan said.

Member for Goldstein Mr Tim Wilson MP said we respect the choice of parents to be able to make decisions to educate their children in their religious and cultural traditions that reflect their aspirations and their hopes.

“We should be immensely proud of the role that the Catholic education system has played in that story, because it’s the story of our nation and how it was built.

“It is the proud tradition and stewardship of young minds, creating opportunities and driving a sense of social justice through empowerment in the Catholic tradition that we should celebrate, because that is what so many Australians look for in their education system,” he said.

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The Council agenda, which has emerged from three years and several layers of prayer, listening, dialogue and discernment, will shape the program of the Council’s assembly commencing on 3 October. 

The agenda’s preamble draws from Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium which explores the Pope’s “dream of a ‘missionary option’”.

Plenary Council president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said that invitation and exhortation to be a missionary people runs through the agenda.

“Through the Plenary Council, we are being called to consider how we can be a Church that goes out to the peripheries, that welcomes all into our communities and shows the face of Christ to the world,” Archbishop Timothy said in a statement.

The agenda has been developed in the form of posing questions, with 16 questions falling under six themes - conversion, prayer, formation, structures, governance and institutions.

Plenary Council facilitator Lana Turvey-Collins said the agenda asks questions with widespread relevance.

“These questions have been developed for a specific purpose – for prayer, conversation, discernment and decision-making during the Plenary Council – but they are questions that can challenge each of us, each parish, each Church community,” she said.

“In preparing for the Council and beyond, the agenda can be a rich source of reflection and contemplation in our own settings.”

Archbishop Costelloe asked people to continue to pray for the Council and for the members who will attend the assemblies. 

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Applications are now open for Schools Plus Smart Giving grant for schools seeking funding for strategic projects that improve student outcomes.

Funding from $20,000 to $60,000 will be available for schools across Australia, with both individual schools and clusters of four to 10 schools able to apply for projects that run for 12 to 18 months.

Until Friday 20 August schools can submit a simple application to receive funding for their strategic project and more information on the types of grants available can be found on the Schools Plus website.

Schools Plus is a national not for profit that helps close the education gap and empowers teachers in disadvantaged communities to implement strategic school projects that will help their students succeed.

Since 2015 Schools Plus has funded over 1,000 school projects around Australia, benefiting more than 300,000 students and 15,000 teachers.

Schools eligible for support through Schools Plus must have a value below 1,000 on the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).

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The National Liturgical Architecture and Art Council (NLAAC) has created a new website launched virtually during the plenary meeting of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference on 11 May. 

The website aims to deepen people’s appreciation of sacred art by featuring Australian artists and liturgical art in its various forms.

All the content is written by Australians and each article has a clear Australian link, featuring artists, architects and works in Australia.

NLAAC chair Fr Tom Elich said the current set of articles will be added to regularly, to produce an extensive database and reference point for Catholic art.

“We have taken a broad view of Catholic art because the Church has not adopted any particular style or form of art as its own,” Fr Tom said.

The NLAAC hopes the website will be of benefit to a wide range of people, including parishes renewing liturgical spaces, for architects and artists, for students and researchers, and lovers of art.

Bishops Commission for Liturgy chair Archbishop Patrick O’Regan launched the website virtually, with members of the NLAAC joining members of the Bishops Conference online.

“The Australian Catholic Liturgical Art website is another significant contribution to the Church in Australia, helping promote the work of some wonderful local artists and educate the faithful along the way,” Archbishop O’Regan said. 

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The First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated on 25 July with the theme, I am with you always (Mt 28:20).

Pope Francis said "I am with you always” (Mt 28:20) is the promise the Lord made to his disciples before he ascended into heaven.

"They are the words that he repeats to you today, dear grandfathers and grandmothers, dear elderly friends," he said in a message. 

"The whole Church is close to you – to us – and cares about you, loves you and does not want to leave you alone!

"I am well aware that this message comes to you at a difficult time: the pandemic swept down on us like an unexpected and furious storm; it has been a time of trial for everyone, but especially for us elderly persons," he said. 

Pope Francis said keeping memory alive is a true mission for every elderly person.

"I also think of my own grandparents, and those among you who had to emigrate and know how hard it is to leave everything behind, as so many people continue to do today, in hope of a future.

"These kinds of memory can help to build a more humane and welcoming world," he said. 

A number of pastoral resources have been created to celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly: 

• Prayer
• Message from Pope Francis 
• Pastoral Guidelines
• Liturgy notes
• Social media graphic  

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Above: Artist impression from Russell & Yelland Architects for Nazareth’s newly announced Kidman Park Campus. Source CESA.

Catholic Education South Australia announces new senior school campus

Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) announced on 18 June that Nazareth Catholic Community will open a new campus at Kidman Park in 2023 to cater exclusively for Year 11 and 12. 

The campus will be CESA’s first purpose-built standalone campus for senior students.

The Reception to Year 12 College, which already has campuses at Findon and Flinders Park, is South Australia's largest Catholic school with 2,045 enrolments.

The new campus will initially cater for 500 senior students and is expected to expand to cater for up to 800 students.

South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools chair professor Denis Ralph said we are pleased to be strengthening our provision of Catholic schooling in the western suburbs.

“The expansion will continue to support the unprecedented enrolment demand for a Catholic education. We are also mindful of the high demand for primary school places in the western suburbs, and at Nazareth in particular, and work is currently underway to address this situation," he said in a media release. 

The announcement comes as the College prepares to welcome a record number of Year 7 students in 2022.

Nazareth Catholic College principal Andrew Baker said they will welcome 41 Reception students in mid-year intake and approximately 400 Year 7 students at the start of 2022.

“This expansion allows us to continue to reimagine how we deliver curriculum and create community in a modern and ever-changing context," he said. 

Above: Nazareth Catholic College students. 

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Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns delivers record enrolment numbers 

Above: St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch Valley.

Catholic Education Services in the Diocese of Cairns has made a record number of Year 7 enrolment offers in preparation for the 2022 school year.  

Cairns Catholic Education Services executive director Bill Dixon said the high number of applications and subsequent offers is testament to the growing popularly of Catholic secondary education in the Far North.

“Catholic schools across Cairns have had waiting lists for several years, particularly in the peak enrolment phases of Prep and Year 7, and this trend has persisted,” he said in a statement.

“Newman Catholic College in Smithfield, which will open next year to its first cohort of Year 7 students and was opened to help ease the demand for Catholic secondary schooling, already has a waitlist.

“MacKillop Catholic College in Mount Peter, which opened in 2016 with Prep to Year 3 and welcomed its first Year 7 group last year, also continues to contribute to the growing enrolments," he said. 

In 2021 Catholic schools across the Far North had an intake of about 900 students in Year 7 and for 2022 that figure has already grown to more than 1,050.

He said the increasing enrolments were also indicative of Catholic schools’ commitment to continuity of learning and fee relief options as the region weathered the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Prayer for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 

I thank You, Lord, for the comfort of Your presence:
even in times of loneliness,
You are my hope and my confidence,
You have been my rock and my fortress since my youth!

I thank You for having given me a family
and for having blessed me with a long life.
I thank You for moments of joy and difficulty,
for the dreams that have already come true in my life and for
those that are still ahead of me.
I thank You for this time of renewed fruitfulness to which You
call me.

Increase, O Lord, my faith,
make me a channel of your peace,
teach me to embrace those who suffer more than me,
to never stop dreaming
and to tell of your wonders to new generations.

Protect and guide Pope Francis and the Church,
that the light of the Gospel might reach the ends of the earth.
Send Your Spirit, O Lord, to renew the world,
that the storm of the pandemic might be calmed,
the poor consoled and wars ended.

Sustain me in weakness
and help me to live life to the full
in each moment that You give me,
in the certainty that you are with me every day,
even until the end of the age. Amen.

- Laity Family Life 2021

Photo: Pexels, Alex Green.

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