Catholic Education (CE) has welcomed fourteen new Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) to schools across the diocese this year.

LSTs are a vital part of the school team as they ensure that students with diverse learning needs are supported so that they can access and be successful with the Australian curriculum. 

The new LSTs who are now working in Catholic primary and secondary schools throughout the Cairns diocese, were inducted in Cairns earlier this month.

“The purpose of the induction day was to provide our new LSTs with an overview of their roles and the  processes that support planning and implementation of curriculum, along with adjustments and interventions that support students with diverse learning needs, ” explained CE – Cairns’ Meg Ryan, Education Officer – Inclusive Education.

The new LSTs heard from speakers who covered a variety of topics including:

• implementing school-wide processes to support students with diverse learning needs,
• building school capacity to use Diverse Leaners Team meetings effectively, and
• developing an understanding of the roles of CE therapists and psychologists.

“The day was comprehensive and covered a lot of information that will help our new recruits follow process and access support to deliver the best outcomes for the students in the schools in which they work” said Meg.

“The Induction Day was a great success and all the LSTs felt grateful for the opportunity to gain new understanding about their role as well as network with other LSTs,” said Meg.

Kerrie Pheby from Mount St Bernard College attended the induction. She said, “The Induction day was an excellent introduction to the Catholic Education system.

“Meg came to our school soon after, to deliver a comprehensive professional learning day which was informative to my school setting, and which enabled me to become very clear about all the processes that I will be involved in. Thank you so much for providing great support for new LST staff.”