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- Message from Head of Schools
- What's on the CSO Calendar
- 2025 ‘back to school’ media blitz
- Diocesan Pilgrimage 2025
- RE&S Program and Events Booklet 2025
- Invitation to Musicians and Singers for the Called to Serve Mass
- Safety Alert - Slips, Trips and Falls
- Congratulations to Christine Owen on Achieving Highly Accomplished Teacher
- "Doorways" Early Career Teacher’s Retreat
- EARLY LEARNING
- 2025 BECOME Program
- Curriculum Focus Days
- Education Officer School Leadership Development – Lauren Carlson
- Bus Safety Week (17-23rd Feb 2025)
- Topics for the beginning of the school year and resources for Safer Internet Day
Dear Colleagues,
Remembering Sr Carmel Hanson
During the past week, our Diocesan community learned the passing of Sister Carmel Hanson, a cherished member of the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
Sister Carmel was a former Principal of St Patrick’s Lochinvar and served the school community with courage and humility from 1978-1982.
She made a significant contribution to our work thanks to her dedication to the community, as well as her strength and fortitude when faced with challenging times.
Sister Carmel was involved in the transition of the primary school from the high school site, now St Joseph’s College, Lochinvar. In fact, Sr Carmel was given the directive at the time to close the school rather than relocate and due to the enormous efforts of selected parishioners and the parish priest, Fr Dilley, the battle was on to save the school for the future. The current school community of St Patrick’s Lochinvar is the beneficiary of the battle to save it from imminent closure.
As a previous principal of this great school, I followed in her footsteps and was a beneficiary of Sr Carmel’s leadership.
Sr Carmel went on to lead the House of Hospitality with her work impacting many people in our region leaving a lasting legacy. Click here to read more about Sister Carmel’s life and contributions.
Good Governance Day – Thursday 30 January 2025
My sincere thanks to our Principals and Assistant Principals who joined with our Director of Schools, Sean Scanlon, Trustees of the Diocese, Heads of Service, and Responsible Persons across agencies for attending the Good Governance Day on Thursday, January 30, 2025. Your presence and active participation were invaluable in ensuring the day's success.
I also offer my thanks to each member of the organising committee for making the day engaging, interactive, and informative for all who attended. Your dedication, hard work, and attention to detail were evident in every aspect of the event and contributed immensely to its success, ensuring responsible persons have effective training to mitigate risk and fulfil their governance obligations.
Thank you once again for your time, insights, and collaboration.
Schools will undertake their own induction processes, rolling out System and Site-specific training modules to staff, before students commence the year.
Call to Serve Mass – Wednesday 12 February at 6.30pm
This is a reminder that the Call to Serve Mass will be held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Wednesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m.
This beautiful tradition is a lovely way to celebrate the start of the school year. It's a time to reflect on our divine call to serve, a call that resonates deeply within all our hearts, and unites us in our shared mission, that is, the ministry of Catholic education.
A warm welcome is extended to all staff, and especially to new staff who will be commissioned during the service.
CSO name change
I want to share an update regarding a change of name for the Catholic Schools Office through the removal of the word ‘Office’.
- The name change offers a more contemporary representation of the support we provide, helping those we serve to understand who we are and what we do, not just in an office, but right across our Diocese.
- The term ‘Catholic Schools Office’ holds limited recognition beyond our internal workforce. It is not widely understood by many parents and carers, making it less effective in communicating our role.
- The removal of the word ‘Office’ aligns with naming conventions adopted by other dioceses nationwide, which are referred to as simply ‘Catholic Schools’ or ‘Catholic Education’.
You may have noticed updates to the Intranet and our new Catholic Schools website. Further updates will be rolled out in the coming weeks, including naming conventions, templates, and logos.
If you have any specific requests or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact either the Communications and Marketing team or the area relevant to the query.
With my best wishes,
Jacqui
Going forward for 2025 Calendar, please click the following link to the live calendar.
Join us on pilgrimage with Bishop Michael Kennedy.
It is with great excitement that we can announce this year’s Diocesan Pilgrimage, taking place from 25 September to Sunday 12 October 2025.
Our pilgrimage will see pilgrims embark on a 20-day pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of St. Paul and other revered saints, visiting pivotal biblical sites across Greece, Turkey, and Italy. From the ancient wonders of Athens and Corinth to the spiritual heights of Meteora and the holy grounds of Ephesus, each location offers a unique opportunity for deep spiritual reflection and connection to our rich Christian story. The pilgrimage culminates in Rome during the Jubilee Year, where pilgrims will experience the grace and blessings of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, uniting in faith and community.
Further information regarding this pilgrimage can be found here, including costs and contact details.
Those interested in applying for this pilgrimage are required to submit an application (found on the link above) by Friday 14 March 2025. All applications will be considered on merit to ensure a fair and transparent selection process.
We ask that you please promote this deeply enriching experience within your communities.
It is with great excitement that RE&S present to you our Program and Events 2025 booklet which can be accessed here.
Inside this document you will find all our formation offerings, including those applicable to AWTL (Accreditation to Work, Teach, Lead), staff retreats, diocesan opportunities, assembly days and possible school formation day programs. You will notice the breadth of formation available to all staff and we encourage you to use this information in your planning and collation of school calendars for this year.
We highlight in particular the 2025 Diocesan Pilgrimage, which will see pilgrims embark on a 20-day pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of St Paul and other revered saints across Greece, Turkey and Rome. The pilgrimage will conclude in Rome for the Jubilee Year, where pilgrims will experience the grace and blessings of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica. Additional information about the Diocesan Pilgrimage will be advertising shortly which can be forwarded to staff for promotion.
Please note that registering for formation opportunities in 2025 will open midday on 11 February 2025 via MN People. Having registrations open on a particular time will ensure that all schools have equitable access to register for those programs in high demand.
Hard copies of this Program and Events booklet, along with theme resources should arrive in your schools over the next few days.
Musicians and singers on staff are encouraged as always to join in leading the faithful in song. Please pass on this link for them to RSVP https://forms.office.com/r/wzQwQvBrBu or place this poster in your staffroom.
We are delighted to announce that Christine Owen from Holy Family Primary School, Merewether Beach has been recognised as a Highly Accomplished Teacher by NESA. This prestigious achievement reflects not only Christine's exceptional teaching skills but also her unwavering dedication to fostering a positive, inclusive, and inspiring learning environment for both her colleagues and the students at Holy Family. Congratulations Christine!
Christine has demonstrated excellence in her teaching, making a lasting impact on the educational journey of her students at Holy Family and in her previous school on the Central Coast. She regularly supports her colleagues by facilitating Professional Learning Teams focused on analysing student data to plan and implement effective contemporary teaching, learning and assessment strategies that drive improvement for all students. Christine is committed to working closely with students with diverse needs and their families to ensure that their needs are consistently met. She regularly engages in professional learning and willingly shares her knowledge and skills with colleagues. Christine’s support of all staff in understanding and implementing new syllabuses through effective collaboration in planning and programming is commendable.
Christine’s passion for teaching truly sets her apart as a leader in the field. We thank Ann Jackson and the staff of Holy Family who have supported Christine in her journey to achieving Highly Accomplished Teacher. We wish Christine a future filled with continued success and inspiration in education and look forward to seeing the ongoing contributions and positive impact Christine makes to her school community.
Jane Scahill
School Improvement
Phase 1 Come and See (3 days, 2 Nights) – 15 Hours of AWTL Currency
Dear Early-Career teacher,
As an early career teacher, you are invited as a valued member of the Diocese to join the Doorways Retreat Program to explore more of what it means to be a teacher in our Catholic school system “from and for the community of faith”. The theme to Phase 1 of Doorways (Come and See) is Jesus as doorway. It poses the question from Jesus to each participant: “Who do you say I am?” This is the doorway to understanding the Catholic School’s Office Vision statement.
The retreat is a gentle time of reflection on your faith, dialogue, rest and have some fun getting to know fellow early-career teachers from around the diocese in the peaceful environment.
Dates: Commences Wednesday 15 October from 5pm and concludes Friday 17 October 2025 until 2pm
Venue: Riverwood Downs
Contact: Adam Frost | adam.frost@mn.catholic.edu.au
Release: Approval by Principal is essential. Release for all permanent staff is provided.
REGISTER Via mnpeople: Registrations close 6th October (Numbers are limited. Staff members will be placed on a waiting list if the retreat reaches full capacity.)
For any questions, please contact Adam Frost at adam.frost@mn.catholic.edu.au
and to provide any dietary requirements to re&s@mn.catholic.edu.au
We look forward to your participation! Further details of what to bring etc will be provided to staff once you have registered.
Welcome back to a new school year in 2025! The Early Learning team are looking forward to visiting all our primary schools across the diocese during the Successful Foundations Project to support our Kindergarten teachers in Term 1. In addition to Successful Foundations, if there is an area in Early Learning our team can support your school with during 2025, please connect with us to organise a visit. Our team members include:
Education Officer – Early Learning: Bridie Stanger bridie.stanger@mn.catholic.edu.au
Project Officer – Early Learning: Taylor Stokes (Monday/Tuesday) taylor.stokes@mn.catholic.edu.au
SUCCESSFUL FOUNDATIONS
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
We are excited to be starting our year off gathering with all Kindergarten teachers at the Successful Foundations professional learning day on Tuesday, 4 February 2025.
As a result of feedback and discussions with teachers, the Successful Foundations: Going Deeper professional learning day agenda has been based on the identified needs of our Kindergarten teachers. We are fortunate to have Craig Moore, Education Access Officer – Positive Behaviour join us as our Keynote speaker to explore the importance of relationships in a time of transition.
Due to the positive feedback from last year, a portion of our day will provide the opportunity to deepen our learning in four Insight Sessions to support Successful Foundations. In collaboration with the wider Learning & Wellbeing team, the following Insight Sessions aim to cater for the varied experience and needs of teachers within Successful Foundations from across the diocese:
- The importance of relationships in a time of transition – Proactive strategies with Education Access Officer, Craig Moore
- Supporting high potential and gifted children during Successful Foundations with Education Officer - Gifted Education, Bek Henshaw
- Supporting children with a disability during Successful Foundations with Education Officers – Developmental Disabilities, Katrina Kemp and Rachel Wright
- Play Reflections and Play Stories with Education Officer - Early Learning, Bridie Stanger and Project Officer, Taylor Stokes
The following day, Wednesday, 5 February, is allocated to the setting up of provocations and embedding the learning from the previous day's professional learning.
PARENT LETTERS – IMPORTANT CHANGES IN 2025
Each year, the CSO provides schools with weekly parent letters throughout the duration of Successful Foundations which previously began at the very beginning of the school year. Based on feedback from principals and parents, we have made some adjustments in response to what we heard. This year, the format of the letters will be different. A flyer that summarises the week’s focus for Successful Foundations will be sent directly to parents via Compass. The flyer will have a link to connect parents directly to the new Catholic School website where they will be able to read further information in a related blog post. In addition to this new format, we will also be starting the Compass notifications at the end of the first full week of Kindergarten (end of Week 3). This decision was made to ensure families have the opportunity to navigate the beginning of year Compass notifications for each school before the Successful Foundations notifications begin, while still honouring the timing of the letters to support the project.
SCHOOL VISITS
Each year, our team aims to visit all schools throughout Term 1 to support Kindergarten teachers. I am finalising our Term 1 school visit schedule, and it will be shared with Kindergarten teachers at our PL day. We have a significant number of new Kindergarten teachers joining us this year and priority of visits are given to these teachers within the first few of weeks of the project.
Following our PL day, I will communicate the dates and times with each school individually next week. We understand the busyness during the start of the school year, so if there are dates you would like us to try to avoid for your school due to whole school events, please let me know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate these. All whole school events, e.g. pupil free days, on the Catholic Schools 2025 Calendar have been noted in our schedule.
Wishing you a playful and happy start to Term 1 and the year ahead. Taylor and I are looking forward to seeing you in schools again throughout the year!
Bridie Stanger
Education Officer – Early Learning
Read LessBus Safety Week (17-23rd Feb 2025) aims to raise awareness for all road users on how to stay safe on and around buses.
There are activities designed for primary and secondary teachers for use during Bus Safety Week as well as key bus safety messages to highlight.
Any school who would like to access TfNSW funding to assist with this initiative please click on the link, complete the form and email to Bernadette Duggan by Feb 7.
SchoolTV will continue to be a resource schools can use to support families. It has a range of relevant topics to support parents/carers at the start of the school year including:
- School Transitions – this topic focuses on starting a new school, transition to high school as well as between years. It also has a Special Report on Starting Year 7;
- Friendship and Belonging – explores how parents can support children and young people to navigate the ups and downs of friendships;
- School Refusal – helping parents understand this complex situation and how to support their child/young person.
Safer Internet Day topics include:
- Digital reputation
- Managing screentime
- Online gaming
- Cyberbullying
- Internet addiction
Each topic has short video clips with leading specialists, articles, fact sheets and resources. These can be shared through the School Newsletter, Compass, at Parent Information Nights, at PEG events, and for individual families. Staff may also find many of these resources useful. All parents and staff can access SchoolTV through a link on your school’s website.
For more information or how to promote SchoolTV in your school community contact Nerissa King or Lizzie Watkin.
Read Less