Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the 2025 School Year

As the Head of Catholic Schools, I greet each of you with great joy and anticipation as we embark on a journey filled with opportunities, growth, and shared aspirations.

Our catholic schools are committed to nurturing academic excellence, spiritual growth, and the holistic well-being of every student entrusted to our care. We aim to cultivate an environment where faith flourishes, learning thrives, and well-being is predominant, all of which requires a united and collaborative effort.

Our work has started, and I thank you in anticipation of your dedication, passion, and solid commitment to our mission. Together, let us set our sights high, inspiring each other to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.

I look forward to working with our Principals, Assistant Principals, Catholic School staff, and Shared Services personnel at the Good Governance Day on Thursday, 30 January 2025 and for visiting your schools during the year to witness first-hand the richness of each school community.

May this new year be a year of fulfilment and joy for our school communities. May we be filled with purpose, travelling together as Pilgrims of Hope, connected to all Catholics around the world in this Jubilee Year. Let us indeed, accept the call to savour the mercy of God, connected as communities of faith, love and hope. It is our united efforts that will influence, inspire and transform the lives of the students and families we minister to every day.

Lord Jesus,

As we begin this new school term, we ask You to be with us.

Allow us to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before us.

Open our eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new term brings.

Give us a generous spirit to be enthusiastic and courage to accept new opportunities.

Inspire us as a community to continue to work together in your name.

Amen

With my best wishes,

Jacqui

Congratulations to St Joseph’s Primary School, Charlestown who were recently commended by the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT (CCSP) for their commitment to family, school and community partnerships for learning.

St Joseph’s Primary School received a Commended award from the state’s peak parent body, with the judges stating they were very impressed by the way that the whole school community is involved in St Joseph’s Writing Fair, including families and even former students.

“The school demonstrated that the project is a genuinely collaborative partnership between families, the school and the broader community as a shared celebration of creativity and learning through writing. Families play an integral role by supporting their children’s writing efforts at home and actively participating in the event,” a judge of the CCSP’s Roger O’Sullivan Award commented. 

We acknowledge the efforts of the St Joseph’s staff who initiated this collaborative event, which strengthens the schools’ connection with families and St Mary’s Catholic College and reinforces the idea that learning is a lifelong process that is enriched by the perspectives and contributions of others. 

Please see the following for promotion:

Charismatic Prayer Meeting

The Immaculate Conception of Mary Charismatic Prayer Group will resume on Monday, February 3.

We are excited to invite you to experience charismatic prayer and worship and be inspired by our guest presenter, James Camden, Director of Mission and Evangelisation. 

All are welcome – no requirement to book

Date: Monday, February 3

Time: 7.30pm-9.00pm

Location: Diocesan Resource Centre

For more information contact Pam Tierney on  0447 498 298

Hunter SRE Refresher Training Course

Raymond Terrace Anglican Church, Saturday 15 February from 9am- 3pm - See attached flyer for more details.

Sisters of Faith Dinner

Thursday February 20

Join our annual dinner that provides an enjoyable and respectful evening of dialogue among women from diverse backgrounds and faiths, fostering learning, sharing, and unity. We are pleased to welcome Rev. Faaimata Havea Hiliau – Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT as this year’s guest speaker. The Moderator is elected to give prophetic and pastoral leadership to the people and congregations of the Synod and called to remind the church of our hope in Jesus Christ.  Tickets for the dinner are limited to 100 women and can be purchased at a heavily subsidised price of $35 from this link - https://sisters-faith-2025.eventbrite.com.au 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email mission@mn.catholic.org.au and one of our wonderful team at Mission & Evangelisation will be able to assist you.

2025 Diocesan Launch of the Jubilee Year

Sunday 2 March

Celebrate the Jubilee Year with a Diocesan pilgrimage from Nobby’s Beach (8am) to Sacred Heart Cathedral, culminating in Mass (10am) and a Festival (11am) in the Cathedral precinct grounds.

The festival will feature an official Launch of Project Compassion 2025 and distribution of some resources.

All corners of the Diocese are encouraged to have representation and involvement as we mark Pope Francis’ theme -Pilgrims of Hope.

For more information email mission@mn.catholic.org.au

See attached flyer for more events occurring this Jubilee Year.

High Potential and Gifted Education Academic Excellence Strategy

The Diocese remains steadfast in its commitment to enriching the educational journey of High Potential and Gifted students. KPMG continues its collaboration with the Diocese to implement the Academic Excellence Strategy, driving initiatives in 2025 to ensure strategic growth and alignment.

Administration of CogAT 2025

The 2025 CogAT administration is scheduled for Term 2, as outlined in the Assessment Schedule.

In Term 1, Gifted Education Mentors (GEMs) will work with school leadership to confirm the most suitable week for administering CogAT to students in Years 2, 4, and 7:

• Year 2: Administered over three consecutive days.
• Years 4 and 7: Administered on a single day.

Schools will confirm dates in consultation with the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) to ensure adequate support. Professional learning for GEMs administering the test will be provided beforehand.

High Potential and Gifted Education Networking Day

Mark your calendars! A High Potential and Gifted Education Networking Day is scheduled for GEMs in Term 1, 2025. Stay tuned for the date and further details.

Virtual Academy – Current Students

Parents and guardians of current Virtual Academy students have been contacted via Compass to complete a Form regarding their child’s continuation in the program for 2025. Once submissions are finalised, Principals and GEMs will receive the list of new and continuing students.

Virtual Academy Nominations for 2025

This year, we received over 180 nominations for the Virtual Academy! Outcome notifications were sent to students’ current schools at the end of last year, and it was anticipated that schools would communicate these results to the relevant families.

Acceptance finalisation from students and their families will occur next week, with a list of student names shared with schools shortly after. Students and families have been asked to nominate their preferred units, and Personal Plan meetings and Virtual Conference schedules will be confirmed after negotiation with all stakeholders (GEMs, Parents, VA Educator, and any other relevant party).

Virtual Academy Connect

All Virtual Academy students will begin 2025 with a Connect Day on Friday, 14th February 2025. Further details will be communicated.

University of Newcastle’s High Performing Students Program (HPSP)

A friendly reminder that applications for identified Years 9-11 students for the University of Newcastle’s High Performing Students Program (HPSP) must be submitted by Sunday, 9th February 2025. This program provides a unique opportunity for high achieving students to enrol in first-year university courses while still in high school, offering an early taste of university life. Details have been emailed to both GEMs and Principals.

GEMs in 2025

For schools continuing with the GEM model, we encourage maintaining the Thursday GEM allocation where possible. We understand the logistical challenges and appreciate your thoughtful discussions with your leadership team. Schools transitioning to the GEM Project Officer model will receive confirmation of allocations shortly, if they haven’t already received this.

High Potential and Gifted Education Staff

Virtual Academy Educators

• Andrew Roberts
• Elizabeth Singh
• Heather Porter-Kay
• Julian Honeywill
• Kirsten Bufi

Gifted Education Mentor Project Officers

• Gary Pomplun
• Kim Dickson
• Cathy Curk
• Maree Pittaway
• Nigel Richardson
• Terri Cornish-Allen

Education Officers – High Potential and Gifted Education

• Caroline Donohoe
• Bek Henshaw

Leader of High Potential and Gifted Education

• Maree Karaka

Assistant Head of Schools

• Dulio Rufo

We appreciate your continued commitment to High Potential and Gifted Education and look forward to collaborating further. For any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Maree Karaka maree.karaka@mn.catholic.edu.au

We are delighted to announce that Lauren Carlson has returned to the Catholic Schools Office in her role as Education Officer: School Leadership Development. With her extensive experience and passion for professional growth and impact, Lauren is available to design and facilitate bespoke professional development sessions tailored to meet the unique needs of your school context.

Whether you’re looking to enhance team building, focus on leadership development and goal-setting, planning for and facilitating challenging conversations, provide individual coaching sessions, or explore any other area that would benefit your staff, Lauren can create a program to suit your context.

Sessions can range from one-on-one meetings to whole staff development days at your school.

To book dates for 2025 or to discuss your school’s needs, please reach out to Lauren via email at lauren.carlson@mn.catholic.edu.au.

Learn about online safety this Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day is a global day of action marked on 11 February 2025.

Led by the eSafety Commissioner in Australia, Safer Internet Day highlights the importance of online safety issues and aims to foster a safer and more positive digital culture and environment within our communities.

It is an important annual reminder to educate ourselves and others on being safe online.

Here are 5 tips to help create a safer internet experience:

1. Be kind: practice respect, empathy and kindness online
2. Be mindful: balance your time online and consume and share positive and respectful content
3. Speak up: report online abuse and harmful content
4. Start the conversation: talk about online safety with your networks and communities, family, friends and colleagues
5. Share online safety resources: promote online safety tools and tips with your community

Access additional resources from the eSafety Commissioner below:

• https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
• https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people
• https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators