Dear Colleagues,

Global Scholar’s Cup

Recently, the World Scholar’s Cup was hosted for the first time in our region at Cessnock. Over two days, students from across our Diocese joined peers in this festival of learning, where collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are at the forefront.

They participated in four challenging and engaging events: Scholar’s Bowl, Team Debate, Scholar’s Challenge, and Collaborative Writing.

All our students who competed represented our Diocese with distinction, demonstrating teamwork, resilience, and intellectual curiosity.

In some exciting news, one of our students, Phoenix Denny from St Joseph’s, Merewether, has qualified for the World Scholar’s Cup Global Round. He has seized this opportunity and will be attending the Global Round in Bangkok from September 5 to 10, 2025. He departs next Thursday to take part in this incredible international event.

Check out all the action from the day here at https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/news/worlds-scholar-cup-comes-to-the-hunter-region/.

HALT Recognition Ceremony Celebrates Excellence in Teaching

On Friday, 22 August, Christine Owen from Holy Family Primary School in Merewether Beach and Erin Jordan from Catherine McAuley Catholic College in Medowie proudly represented our Catholic schools at the NESA Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) Recognition Ceremony at the NSW State Library in Sydney.

The event acknowledged the outstanding accomplishments of educators statewide who have achieved HALT accreditation. Erin and Christine received their Highly Accomplished medals from Mr. Greg Warren, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Early Learning, and Western Sydney.

Both are proud alumni of All Saints College in Maitland, class of 2002. This meaningful moment marks a full circle, as they both reached this milestone in the same year.

We sincerely congratulate Erin and Christine on this significant professional achievement and commend their dedication to educational excellence.

St Kevin’s Cardiff Student Honoured with Medal of Excellence

St Kevin’s Primary School, Cardiff, is celebrating the success of one of its students, Conor Porter, who has received a Medal of Excellence for his Creative Art entry in this year’s Koori Kids ANZAC Day Competition.

The presentation was held on Wednesday at St Kevin’s, where Conor was presented with his medal by Aunty Louise Campbell, Principal Mary-Anne Jennings and Aboriginal Education Teacher Phil Taylor. Conor’s proud parents were also in attendance to witness the special occasion.

This recognition continues a strong tradition at St Kevin’s, with two other students receiving the award over the past three years.  It’s wonderful to see students like Conor bringing together the stories of ANZAC and the richness of Indigenous culture. Programs like this allow students to reflect creatively on the values of courage, sacrifice, and community that ANZAC Day represents.

At St Kevin’s, there is a strong commitment to ensuring students respect and celebrate both histories as part of their learning. Conor’s medal is not only a personal achievement but also an excellent moment for St Kevin’s community.

Annual School Visit 

St Francis Xavier’s Primary School, Belmont

I sincerely thank Freda Pascoe and her staff for their dedication to our students and the Belmont school community. It is evident that the individual learning and wellbeing needs of students are front of mind and efforts to strengthen the faith life of the school are obvious.

The school shared their proactive approach to strengthening Case Management processes and aligning PLT structures to support student outcomes. Their impressive work with learning progressions and commitment to consistent teacher judgement stood out as a clear priority. Collaboration with other schools was also a highlight, particularly in the use of learning progressions and moderation to enhance teaching practices.

A strong focus on wellbeing was also evident, with the school implementing whole-school practices aimed at building consistency and fostering a supportive environment. Their thoughtful reflection on the well-being goal, particularly in relation to PB4L, demonstrated a deep commitment to ongoing improvement. The school’s data-driven revision of PB4L was deliberate and proactive, with clear next steps to ensure consistency and enhance student understanding of PB4L and the school’s core values.

With my best wishes,

Jacqui