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200 Years of Catholic Education
To mark the Bicentenary of Catholic Education, the Faith in the Future Virtual Symposium will be held on Wednesday 27 October 2021 3:00pm-4:15pm (AEDT).
This is a free ticketed event for educators and leaders in Catholic schools, education offices and universities, which offers an opportunity for the Catholic educational community to gather and participate in professional learning and engagement.
The program will feature keynote speaker Dr Lyn Sharratt, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Australian broadcaster Geraldine Doogue.
Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) in Conversation with NCEC Executive Director Jacinta Collins
EREA is hosting conversations to celebrate and vision the future of Catholic education in Australia on Tuesday 14 September 4.30pm (AEST) 4.00pm (SA/NT) 2.30pm (WA).
Humble Beginnings: Commemorating 200 years of Catholic education in Australia
From Humble Beginnings: Commemorating 200 years of Catholic education in Australia features a history of the first Catholic school in each existing diocese in Australia.
The commemorative book is full colour and includes historical and contemporary images of the schools. It is available in paperback and hardcover versions and would make a great addition to school libraries or as a bicentenary momento.
Lifeline Award for Sacred Heart Geeveston
Sacred Heart Catholic School in Geeveston received a ‘Lifeline Tasmania Communities in Action for Suicide Prevention LiFE Award’ this month, in recognition of the school’s proactive work in the mental health and wellbeing space.
Principal Luch Brighella said the award was a wonderful recognition of the school’s focus long-term on mental health support.
“Providing wellbeing support underpins success for the students,” he said.
“If they are happy and supported and upskilled in managing anxiety and self-esteem, they are open to learning and want to come to school. The kids are generally happy to be at school. It is a safe haven.”
Mr Brighella said it had been a particularly hard couple of years for the community, with the Huon Valley bushfire of 2019 leading into the introduction of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In the bushfire, a lot of students and staff were directly impacted and had to evacuate their homes,” he explained.
“It is a good indicator of the work we have done in the wellbeing space that families trusted the school to help and guide them in that situation.”
During the emergency, the school provided daily check-ins with school families and organised food parcels, care packages and financial support for those in distress.
The following year, while many wellbeing practices were already established to deal with the pandemic, Mr Brighella said he noticed an increase in students talking about self-harm and anxiety.
The school reacted immediately, providing additional resources and enabling students to have open conversation and ongoing support.
“It is critical because if we want them to succeed with their learning, they need to feel safe and be well supported,” he said.
“If students are anxious or upset or lacking in self-esteem, that will be reflected in their work.”
Mr Brighella said he was grateful to be part of the Sacred Heart team, a group of people who went “above and beyond what we could expect” to care for the wellbeing of students.
Image: Sacred Heart Catholic School staff receiving their award from Relationships Australia CEO Michael Kelly (right).
Cultural Awareness Training
Last week a group of staff and students from Catholic Education Tasmania and the St Thomas Aquinas Teaching School visited Risdon Cove where they took part in a day of Cultural Awareness Training facilitated by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
Throughout the day, facilitator Dewayne shared stories and walked participants through the history of lutruwita/Tasmania, describing the impacts of settler colonialism on the palawa people through to today.
Experiences like these are vital contributors to our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history, as well as working towards creating a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our schools.