Over 25,000 students across the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese have started the new school year eager to learn and excited to be back with their friends. We look forward to celebrating their achievements in the coming year.

The first day of Kindergarten is often one of mixed emotions. Archdiocesan Catholic schools warmly welcomed new Kindergarten students and their families to school, marking this important milestone with a day of celebration and fun activities.

At Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula Beach, Kindergarten students and their families gathered in the morning for a special welcoming assembly. Parents then joined their children in their new classroom for activities such as colouring in and story time.

Lulu the therapy dog was on hand to calm any nerves and in no time, the students settled into their new routine.

Kindergarten teacher, Miss Chester, said she was excited about the year ahead and was looking forward to watching her new students flourish.

At Rosary Primary School, Watson, staff welcomed students, new and continuing, for another year of learning and discovery. Kindergarten students settled into their new classrooms, colouring in special crowns to mark their first day of school

“There was a happy hum buzzing across the school on the first day,” said Principal Vicki van der Sanden. “I wish all our students every success and much happiness and hope all our families will enjoy being a part of the Rosary community this year,” she said.

At St Joseph’s Primary School, Adelong, new Kindergarten students were welcomed to their classroom by their fellow students in Year 1. Together they read stories and drew pictures of things they liked.

Kirsty Beaven, Principal at St Joseph’s commended the Kindergarten students on how well they had settled into school.

Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn welcomed 43 new Early Career Teachers at a two-day induction held at St Christopher’s Pastoral Centre in Manuka.

The Early Career cohort are university graduates commencing their careers in Catholic Educations. 12 teachers started in our regional NSW Catholic schools and the remaining 31 in Catholic schools across the ACT.

We wish them all the best for the year ahead.

Four of our new Early Career teachers spoke about their goals for 2021, why they chose Catholic Education and what they were most excited about.

Ginnie Platts
St Joseph’s Primary School, Bombala

Johanna Rowcliffe
St Gregory’s Primary School, Queanbeyan

Nathan Hosie
St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Calwell

Sophie Murdock
St Matthew’s Primary School, Page

St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka, welcomed Catholic schools from across the Archdiocese and special guests for a Mass and morning tea to celebrate the 200 Year Anniversary of Catholic Education in Australia.

Selina Walker, Archdiocesan Parents Council President, gave the Welcome to Country in Ngunnawal language.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse, along with other members of the Clergy, celebrated Mass to commemorate this important milestone. In his homily, Archbishop Prowse spoke of the significance of the past 200 years, encouraging the congregation to keep moving forward by looking backwards.

During the Offertory Procession, Sisters from the founding Religious Orders offered up special symbols of their Faith. These were placed on the altar to serve as a reminder of their contribution to Catholic education in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese.

Throughout the Mass, the Merici College choir led the congregation in song.

Several schools including St Bernard’s Primary School, Batemans Bay, Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula Beach and Trinity Catholic College, Goulburn, participated in the Mass virtually via live stream.

“The 56 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, serving 21,000 students, share a wonderful heritage and tradition built up over 200 years in Australia,” said Director, Ross Fox.

“The Mass of thanksgiving at St Christopher’s Cathedral celebrated the commitment of thousands of teachers, Principals and school staff to continue to share the wonderful gift of Catholic education,” he said.

The first Catholic school in Australia opened in Parramatta in October 1820 and was founded by Irish Catholic priest, Father John Therry. St Bede’s Primary School, Braidwood, was the first school established in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and has continuously educated students since it opened its doors in 1859.

The Ensemble Choir from St Gregory’s Primary School, Queanbeyan, performed at the Good Folk National Folk Festival. Conducted by music teacher, Dee McFaul and Year 1 teacher, Anna van Aaken, the ensemble sang three folk songs, ‘Miaou’, ‘Bim Bom’ and ‘One Voice’.

The choir also accompanied Alan Hood, author of ‘Here Comes Brumby Jack’, his wife Annette and the Paverty Bush Band on stage to sing the well known song. Alan and Annette were honoured at the festival with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their commitment and contribution to Australian folk music and education.

The students learnt the musical pieces during four rehearsals held at school. They also had one rehearsal with the band prior to the performance. They were thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in the Bicentennial Hall and were given a tour of the green rooms and audio/lighting areas.

The two-day festival featured 22 concerts spread throughout a number of different venues in Queanbeyan including, The Q, Bicentennial Hall and the historic Royal Hotel.

“I could not be prouder of our students,” said Dee McFaul. “They handled a professional performance calmly and with great respect at all times. This was a highlight of my teaching career at St Gregory’s as music director.”

Each year, Catholic school students across the Archdiocese pledge to ‘shave for a cure’, losing their locks in support of the Leukaemia Foundation’s ‘World’s Greatest Shave’.

Six year old triplets, Emme, Kade and Jace Ramsay from St Mary’s Primary School, Moruya, participated in the event. Having been inspired by many of the sick children they met during their own time in hospital, Emme coloured her hair while Kade and Jace both shaved their heads.

St Mary’s held a superhero dress up day in support of the cause. Teachers, Matthew Harpley, Jeff Prow and Dom Ziino, joined the triplets in shaving and colouring their hair.

Principal Noelene O’Neill said she was very proud of the triplets’ efforts. “Following a difficult 2020 for our families and the Moruya community it is good to be able to give back,” she said.

The triplets raised over $1500 in support.

At St Clare’s College, Griffith, teacher, Juliette Major, and ten brave students also shaved their heads for the cause. Collectively the team raised over $22,000 with funds going towards researching for a cure and for families doing it tough while fighting blood cancer.

“The College community is so proud of the involvement and support for this important cause that helps raise awareness and much needed funds to fight blood cancer in Australia,” said Principal Brad Cooney.

All teachers, leaders and support staff from our 56 Catholic schools and 8 Early Learning Centres, came together virtually for a professional learning initiative that will continue to improve the learning outcomes of all students across the Archdiocese.

The Catalyst professional learning program is based on the latest research and best practice teaching methods. Catalyst aims to further enable teachers to transform lives through learning.

Participants were introduced to the Science of Learning education theory by national and global presenters. These included: Melbourne teacher and learning specialist Ollie Lovell; Tom Sherrington, a high impact instruction specialist from the United Kingdom and; Toni-Ann Vroom, a writing instruction specialist from the United States.

Teachers also heard from Archbishop Christopher Prowse and from Director, Ross Fox, who spoke about the vision for teaching and learning within the Archdiocese and two bold goals:

• To ensure every student is a competent reader.
• High impact teaching is visible in every classroom.

Under the guidance of Principals and leadership teams, staff members from each school participated in the shared sessions together, which were broadcast live from the Catholic Education Office in Manuka. Each school had the opportunity to plan together how Catalyst will be rolled out and set goals for the year ahead.

The feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, with many teachers expressing their excitement about the new initiative and their desire to see their students succeed.

Patrick Ellis, Education Lead, Catholic Education Office, Manuka, said that the day was a great way to start the System’s Catalyst journey.

“The combination of live and pre-recorded presentations and keynote speakers focused on high-quality, evidence-based professional learning to support and develop excellent teachers to transform their students’ lives through learning,” he said.

“We look forward to watching Catalyst take shape in our schools throughout this year.”

‘A challenged world is an alert world!’ that was the message at Merici College’s International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration.

The Merici College school community affirmed their commitment to IWD, recognising the importance of honouring the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and the call to action for acceleration of gender parity.

“We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively we can all help create an inclusive world,” said Renee Taylor, Assistant Principal at Merici in her address to the College. “From challenge comes change, so we urge you all to choose to challenge.”

Students and staff welcomed Tara McClelland, 2021 ACT Young Australian of the Year, to the College where she spoke about her life’s journey, gave personal reflections and the importance of taking advantage of opportunities, accepting challenge and moving forward.

As a Youth Worker for the Salvation Army, Tara works with 16-25 year olds experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, helping to expand their skills while in crisis accommodation. She is a passionate advocate for youth mental health, volunteering with the Youth Reference Group at the Headspace Mental Health Centre in Canberra where she helps apply for funding, organises events to support mental wellbeing and holds school information sessions.

Tara encouraged students to take that step forward; even the smallest act of service can make a huge difference in the lives of others. “Your voice is important and deserves a platform,” she said. “Now is the time for us to speak up, stand out and create the world we want to be a part of.”

“Thank you Tara for your truly inspirational address,” said Merici Principal, Anna Masters. “You are an amazing woman, a wonderful role model for all our students and community. We look forward to working together on special projects in the future,” she said.

Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula Beach, recently purchased a solar system under the Social Justice Advocates (SJA) Solar Bulk Buy Program. The 50 Kw solar system, installed by Lakeside Electrical, was switched on prior to Christmas and is predicted to produce 97,706 kilowatt-hours of clean, free electricity per year.

“Schools are suited to solar as they use the power generated by the sun during the day,” said Lumen Christi’s Business Manager, Kevin Kelly. “Based on the limited statistics we have we are very happy with the financial benefit we have gained so far.”

Paul Palacios from Lakeside Electrical said “the 50 Kw system should address 30 – 40% of the school’s energy requirements. This system also will create a foundation for future expansion over the coming years,” he said.

The College, in consultation with students and the Lumen Christi Social Justice Advocate group, has been making changes to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. Water tanks now service all water sources to the primary school building including the toilets, basins and external taps.

A new waste management plan was also recently introduced in an effort to reduce the landfill output of the College by recycling, green waste bins, worm farms and chickens.