Principal Profile: Cathy Barrett, Good Counsel College, Innisfail
16/01/2020
Good Counsel College Principal Cathy Barrett began her career in teaching in 1987 as a PE teacher, before teaching science and maths and later entering the Catholic system in 1995 – and never looking back! Her mother was a refugee from Latvia, giving her Latvian citizenship and she describes her three adult daughters as “the light of my life”. We learn more about the community-focused Innisfail college and Cathy’s goals as principal. What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? ...
Read moreName Announced for Northern Beaches Catholic College
08/01/2020
The new secondary college planned for the James Cook University campus at Smithfield has been named: Newman Catholic College. Cairns Bishop James Foley announced the name following community consultation and recommendations from the Catholic Northern Beaches Parish whose parishioners strongly endorsed the recognition of the recently canonised St John Henry Newman. St John Henry Newman “Having spent considerable time with the writings of John Henry Newman, I was delighted with the local recommendation,” Bishop James ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Gavin Rick, St Joseph’s School, Parramatta Park
10/12/2019
With more than 30 years of experience in Catholic education, Gavin is both proud and honoured to be the principal of St Joseph’s School. The Parramatta Park primary school was recently transformed from the oldest school in the city to the most modern with innovative new learning spaces inside a state-of-the-art, three-storey building. We spoke to Gavin about the values a principal should uphold, opening day of the renovated school and his proudest moment as ...
Read moreAspire to Teach
05/12/2019
Two schools in the Cairns Diocese are encouraging students to consider a career in teaching through pilot-program Aspire to Teach. Cairns Catholic Education has partnered with the Department of Education Queensland and James Cook University to develop Aspire to Teach. The program is designed to encourage Year 10 students to consider teaching as a career and was trialled at St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch and St Mary’s Catholic College, Woree in Term 4, with a plan to roll it out to ...
Read moreCatholic Education Cairns to Present at 2020 Positive Schools Conference
04/12/2019
Catholic Education’s Senior Student Protection Officer Ann Barr and Professional Standards Officer Jenny Pardilla are set to present at the Positive Schools 2020 Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference. We spoke to Ann about the presentation and the submission process. Senior Student Protection Officer Ann Barr and Professional Standards Officer Jenny Pardilla What is the 2020 Positive Schools Conference? The Positive Schools conferences support the development of positive schools and colleges through the ...
Read moreOLHOC Teacher First to Receive Highly Accomplished Teacher Certification
27/11/2019
Madonna Archibald is the first teacher in the Cairns Diocese to become certified as a Highly Accomplished Teacher (HAT). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rXLS8dgbYQ&feature=youtu.be The nationally-recognised certification, which is open to all teachers, took two years to complete and was not an easy process according to the Our Lady Help of Christians, Earlville teacher. “The process of compiling a HAT portfolio is definitely not easy, but most certainly worthwhile,” Madonna said. The evidence collection is based on the teacher’s practice, how they support their colleagues, ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Sarah Hamilton, Holy Cross School, Trinity Park
20/11/2019
This month we caught up with Sarah Hamilton, proud principal of Holy Cross School, Trinity Park. Sarah’s passion is evident when she speaks about her school, the students and families and her role as the leader of the Holy Cross school community. We spent five minutes chatting about what she hopes to achieve at Holy Cross, the impact of introducing Walker Learning to the school and how her education shaped her to be the person she is ...
Read more30 Years of NATSICC in Australia
20/11/2019
To commemorate 30 years since the first conference of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), principals, APREs and other Cairns Diocesan staff have spent time acknowledging the Spirit and work of the First Nation people throughout the Cairns Diocese. What is NATSICC? NATSICC was formed in Cairns in January 1989 and in 1992, it gained official recognition as the national representative and consultative body to the Catholic church on issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ...
Read moreProviding Personalised Learning & Support
13/11/2019
Teachers in the Cairns Diocese are providing students personalised learning and support through new student support system, Engage. Meg Grouhel is the Catholic Education Cairns Education Officer – Inclusive Education. Education Officer Meg Grouhel is part of the Cairns Catholic Education team training and supporting teachers across the Cairns Diocese. “My role involves working with schools to build their capacity and confidence with inclusive practices particularly personalised support to ensure we support all our students, including students with diverse needs,” ...
Read moreNew Bin on the Block at St Joseph’s
29/10/2019
There’s a new charity bin on the block thanks to the ingenuity and open heartedness of students at St Joseph’s School, Parramatta Park. Parent Emma Kilfoy (centre) says the new bin is so convenient, while students Jamie Kilfoy, Indyannah Jackonia and Lewana Woolcott are excited to be able to help support Vinnies. Students at St Joseph’s recently designed their own Vinnies donation bin, which was unveiled at the school earlier this month. Donations from the bin will ...
Read more‘Socking It’ to Poverty
24/10/2019Students across the Cairns Diocese are ‘socking it’ to poverty this Socktober. Students at St Augustine’s School, Mossman wearing crazy socks for Socktober. Students are pulling up their socks and digging deep for a good cause this October with 12 schools across the Cairns Diocese participating in Socktober, an initiative of Catholic Mission. “Socktober is Catholic Mission’s new school’s engagement platform and invites schools to engage with mission encouraging a learning mind, an open heart and hands for action,” ...
Read moreSaints Boys Reunite After 30 Years
23/10/2019
The St Augustine’s College class of ’89 gathered on the weekend for an emotional, all-boys school reunion. Despite the 30 years that have passed since graduation, it was the first reunion for the cohort and one of the biggest 30th school reunions ever held at St Augustine’s College, Cairns. The St Augustine’s College, Cairns class of ’89. “The class of ’89 were a very close bunch so it was a very special and emotional day,” tells former student Brett Goodman-Jones, who ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Lea Martin, St Gerard Majella, Woree
15/10/2019
The latest Principal Profile stars Lea Martin, principal of St Gerard Majella, a co-educational Catholic primary school in the Cairns southern suburb of Woree. Lea is a former teacher, a mother and a qualified paramedic with three master’s degrees and a career in education spanning more than three decades. We spent five minutes chatting to Lea about her past, what makes her most proud of being the leader of her school community and what she ...
Read moreSharon O’Keeffe represented in Plenary Council 2020 Discernment and Writing Group
26/09/2019
Cairns Catholic Education’s Director Identity & Outreach, Sharon O’Keeffe, has been appointed the chair of one of six National Discernment and Writing Groups as part of Plenary Council 2020. Cairns Catholic Education’s Director Identity & Outreach, Sharon O’Keeffe Seventy people from across the country – including a dozen bishops – will serve on the six Discernment and Writing Groups that will help the Plenary Council build towards its first session in October 2020. As part of ...
Read moreGloria does Letters and Numbers
18/09/2019
#PeopleofCathEdCairns Gloria West is a Literacy and Numeracy Coach at Catholic Education Services (CES) – Cairns. She works with eleven primary schools in the southern region of the diocese to support teachers to use best practice in the classroom, and often to work with students directly. Gloria has worked in the Cairns diocese as a primary teacher at St Therese’s Bentley Park for 20 years. From 2013 to 2016 Gloria was the school-based Literacy and Numeracy ...
Read moreNew Catholic College on Track to Open in 2022
10/09/2019
The proposed new Catholic college on the James Cook University Campus at Smithfield is on track to open in 2022, with the first milestone in the process achieved. Catholic Education’s Director School Effectiveness (Secondary), Dora Luxton said Catholic Education was advised last Thursday by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board that the school is now accredited to open in 2022. “This means we have passed our first regulatory hurdle in getting the school ...
Read moreNew Phone Numbers
04/09/2019
Many of our school phone numbers are changing! Click image to enlarge Schools New Phone Numbers Sept 2019
Read moreSpeech Pathology Week: Communicating with Confidence
03/09/2019
There are 1.2 million Australians with communication disability. Cairns Catholic Education Speech Pathologists Amanda Carlone, Kate Giulieri, Davita Oraya, Chanelle Chate, Steph Fox and Tenille Bellamy work with these Australians in Catholic Education to provide them with the confidence to communicate. Communication Disability “In Australia today, communication disability is largely invisible. Unseen and out-of-sight,” Davita said. “Australians with communication disability cannot maximise future educational, health and social outcomes, without the intervention of a speech pathologist. “Communicating ...
Read moreSupporting Students with Dyslexia and Significant Reading Difficulties
20/08/2019
Cairns is the only diocese in the state offering Catholic school teachers an evidence-based, tutor-led learning course: Dyslexia and Difficulties in Reading. The Dyslexia and Significant Difficulties in Reading course, which includes online and face-to-face elements, aims to assist teachers and schools to identify and respond to the personalised learning and support needs of students with dyslexia and reading difficulties. The engaging course is the first of its kind for the diocese and has been ...
Read more2019 Docemus Awards
05/08/2019
The 2019 Docemus Award recipients were presented at a special function to culminate the end of Catholic Education Week. The Docemus Awards were founded by former Cairns Catholic Education Director Tom Doolan in 2002. 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. L-R: Cairns Catholic Education Executive Deputy Director Ian Davis with this year’s Docemus Award recipients Breye Buckland, Christine Edwards, Rita Peterson, ...
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