28 July – 3 August 2019
Catholic Education Week is held in Week 3 of Term 3 each year. It is an opportunity for all Catholic education communities around Queensland to celebrate and promote the distinctive mission of Catholic schooling.
Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.
Catholic education:
- Is a faith-based education which places the values of Jesus at its centre
- Is a high quality, holistic education for 1 in 5 young Queenslanders, educating them to be well-informed, highly skilled and constructive members of the community
- Values diversity and treats each student with dignity enabling them in turn to promote and respect the dignity of all
- Nurtures in students a commitment to social justice and a critical social consciousness
- Prepares students for global responsibilities through stewardship of the earth’s resources
- Is an integral part of the local and universal Church
- Occurs in welcoming, inclusive, and connected communities.
Theme
The theme of Catholic Education Week 2019 is Many Voices. One Spirit.
This theme has been chosen for its promotion and support of inclusiveness. The ‘Many Voices’ represent those of students, teachers, families, communities, parish, social services and government within all five dioceses in Queensland and include students of all educational ages (kindergarten to university), all genders and all beliefs.
‘One Spirit’ will be interpreted differently by different audiences and could include for example: faith, the Holy Spirit, charisms, or school spirit, team spirit, parish spirit, family spirit.
The theme brings feelings of energy, enthusiasm, love, joy, values, relationships, togetherness, learning, unity and belonging – all ideals relevant to Catholic schools in Queensland.
During Catholic Education Week 2019, Catholic education communities across Queensland are invited to celebrate and share how they represent Many Voices. One Spirit.
Creative Arts Collective
Cairns Catholic Education has launched its inaugural Creative Arts Collective for CEW 2019 which will highlight the amazing and creative artwork by students in our primary and secondary schools.
The Creative Arts Collective will visualise and celebrate our Catholic Identity through our students’ creativity.
Full details are in the flyer and submission form below.
SOCE and Docemus Awards
The Spirit of Catholic Education (SOCE) Awards and the Docemus Awards are run concurrently and are both presented during Catholic Education Week.
The SOCE Awards are state-wide and conducted by the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC). They recognise individuals
or teams (staff members, parents/carers or volunteers) who are making an outstanding contribution to the life of the school community in one or more of the following areas:
- Showing outstanding integrity in leading a school community or program
- Implementing change that improves teaching and learning and supports greater equity in education
- Building Catholic education identity and ethos in ways that support exceptionally life-giving relationships and build hope in school communities or Catholic education agencies
- Demonstrating excellence in team work that supports and builds Catholic education
- Demonstrating outstanding service to others in the school education community and beyond.
Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award
- Creating positive change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff and/or developing an improved understanding of Indigenous cultural heritage in Catholic school communities.
They are presented at the official State Launch of Catholic Education Week.
The Docemus Awards are Cairns Catholic Education’s awards, founded in 2002 in recognition of the outstanding contribution to Catholic Education by Tom Doolan, a former Deputy Director. Meaning ‘to teach’, the awards acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional commitment, achievement and contribution to Catholic Education by staff, volunteers and supporters of Catholic Education.
Award categories for the Docemus Awards are:
- Primary Teacher
- Secondary Teacher
- Early Career Teacher
- School Officer
- Leadership
- Volunteer
- Lifelong contribution
They are presented at a special Cairns function to culminate the end of Catholic Education Week.
Visit the Catholic Education Week website.
