Principal Profile: Jacqueline Jackson, St Michael’s School, Gordonvale
05/07/2021
The next wonderful addition to our 2021 Principal Profile lineup is Jacqueline Jackson, who is currently Acting Principal at St Michael’s School in Gordonvale. Mrs Jackson loves the sense of community at St Michael’s and is passionate about helping all children reach their full potential. She says: “You can be and do anything you put your mind to.” Jacqueline Jackson, Acting Principal of St Michael’s School, Gordonvale What do you hope to achieve in your role as ...
Read moreSpirit of Catholic Education Awards 2021
17/06/2021
The Spirit of Catholic Education Awards are presented annually in conjunction with Catholic Education Week to celebrate outstanding contributions to Catholic education in Queensland. Spirit of Catholic Education Awards Nominees Nominees List 2021 Nominees List 2021 – Diocese of Cairns
Read morePrincipal Profile: Michael Rowe, St Rita’s School, Babinda
08/03/2021
Our first Principal Profile of 2021 is Michael Rowe, Principal of St Rita’s School, Babinda. Mr Rowe talks about his vision for St Rita’s, reflects on his own childhood education and explains how sport brought him out of his shell. Michael Rowe, Principal of St Rita’s School, Babinda What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? I hope to continue to grow St Rita’s and its reputation as a place that provides a first-class Catholic ...
Read moreSchools re-opening Wednesday 3 March
02/03/2021
Catholic schools in Far North Queensland will re-open on Wednesday morning, as will their outside school hours and long day care services. The exception may be a small number of schools still without power where the Principal will make a local decision whether to re-open. At this stage (3pm Tuesday) these schools are Holy Spirit College at Edmonton, St Rita’s School at Babinda and St Michael’s School at Gordonvale. These schools will advise their communities ...
Read moreSchool closures Tuesday 2 March
01/03/2021All Catholic schools in the Cairns, Mossman, Cooktown, Tablelands and Cassowary Coast regions will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday 2 March due to the current cyclonic conditions caused by the tropical low which is slow moving off the coast. The only far northern Catholic schools to remain open will be St Joseph’s Parish School, Weipa and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Thursday and Hammond Islands. Boarding schools in Cairns, Herberton and Cooktown will have arrangements in ...
Read moreNew Cairns College Taking Shape While Enrolments Grow
01/02/2021
Excitement is building and enrolments are growing as construction continues at Cairns’ newest secondary school. Main building works are starting at Newman Catholic College following a month of demolition and preparation at the school’s site on the grounds of James Cook University. Newly-appointed construction company Bryant Building Contractors met with members of Cairns Catholic Education’s Building and Planning Department and the College’s architect, TPG Architects, at the site in January. Representatives from Bryant Building Contractors, Cairns Catholic Education Services and ...
Read moreSpreading Joy with a “Shoe Box Surprise”
23/11/2020
A creative Cairns school has turned the humble shoe box into a heartwarming vessel of kindness and joy. Students, families and staff from Mother of Good Counsel School (MOGC) in North Cairns created a “Shoe Box Surprise” for local aged care residents during the recent school holidays. “Each decorated shoebox contained a card or letter, with a family photo, telling a little about their family and offering good wishes,” MOGC Assistant Principal Religious Education, Manda Young, said. Mother of Good Counsel School’s APRE Manda ...
Read moreStudents Look to the Future After Extraordinary 2020
23/11/2020
Catholic secondary schools around the Far North recently hosted “Bump Up Day” events for scores of eager Year 6 students, giving them a glimpse of the exciting year to come following a challenging 2020. Students took part in a variety of informative and fun-packed activities as they got acquainted with their new surroundings, teachers and classmates. Events were organised to ensure compliance with COVID-Safe procedures, including hosting lunch outdoors with pre-packaged food and non-contact sporting activities. Students attend ...
Read moreTeachers, Staff Recognised at Awards Evening
16/11/2020
Educators from Catholic schools around the Far North have been recognised for their hard work at a prestigious awards evening. The Australian College of Educators’ Noreen Wilcox Excellence in Education Awards and Pam Gray Oration were held at Cairns’ Rydges Esplanade in late October. Among those nominated by their peers were Kate Atwell from St Mary’s Catholic College, in the Beginning Phase category, Lara Kirk from St Francis Xavier’s School and Gabrielle Doolan from Good Counsel ...
Read moreHoly Cross Students Ask…What If?
10/11/2020
In the land of lollies, what would your clothes be? What if hair was made with feathers and paper? What if an elephant had butterfly wings? What if you fell into a magical mirror and got stuck? These are just some of the clever and creative ideas pondered by students at Holy Cross School, Trinity Park this term as part of an inventive and interactive writing stimulus activity. The school’s Teacher Librarian Jo Neil and Leader of Teaching and Learning Deb Scarborough spent two days planning and constructing ...
Read moreNew Cairns Catholic College Opens for Enrolment Application
19/10/2020
Far North families are invited to get in on the ground floor of the region’s newest secondary school. Newman Catholic College, co-located with James Cook University at Smithfield, has started accepting enrolment applications through its brand-new website, newman.qld.edu.au, which also offers detailed information about the College’s design and development. The College, the first Catholic school in Australia to be located within a university precinct, will initially open for the Year 7 cohort in 2022 and add ...
Read moreQueensland Mental Health Week Calendar
12/10/2020
Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) is an annual awareness week that aims to shine a spotlight on individual and community mental health and wellbeing. This week we are encourage to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not. The week also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviours when needed. This year’s ...
Read moreSupporting Speech in Schools
16/09/2020
Amanda Carlone is one of Cairns Catholic Education’s passionate Speech Pathologists supporting students to achieve their full potential. There are currently six Speech Pathologists who work to support students and teachers across the Diocese. Amanda collaborates with schools as well as Cairns Catholic Education’s multi-disciplinary Allied Health Team made up of Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Counsellors, and Education support staff such as our English as an Additional Language and/or Dialect Consultant, Hearing Consultant, Vision Consultant and other inclusive ...
Read moreClare Keeps Kids Running
14/09/2020
Clare Zappala is a young teacher at St Mary’s College, Woree who is showing some real enthusiasm and initiative in her Health & Physical Education portfolio by inventing and successfully coordinating the very first North Queensland Cross Country Championships (NQCCC). In Term Two, COVID-19 sent schools in the region into lock-down and since they have been back in Term Three, Clare was motivated to make sure that keen and talented runners from St Mary’s and other ...
Read moreOutstanding Contributors to Cairns Catholic Education
10/09/2020
A significant night of celebration and acknowledgement of staff and volunteers across the Cairns Diocese was held at St Andrew’s theatre last night. The Awards night with a difference was for both the annual Docemus and Spirit of Catholic Education (SOCE) Awards and was livestreamed due to limited seating and COVID-safe restrictions. The event can be viewed below. The Docemus Awards (Cairns) were founded for former Cairns Catholic Education Director Tom Doolan in 2002. ‘Docemus’ meaning ‘we ...
Read moreCatholic Education Awards Night – Live Stream
07/09/2020
Join the live stream here on Wednesday 9th September at 5pm for the Cairns Catholic Education Docemus, and Spirit of Catholic Education Awards.
Read moreShowcasing Student Talent for an Important Cause
07/09/2020
Students across Cairns Catholic schools have turned into fashion designers, creating bright, new uniforms for some very important staff members. All students in the Cairns Diocese were invited to submit a t-shirt design to promote awareness about safety for themselves and others, as part of National Child Protection Week activities. The final design, a blue shirt with the motto “Children are our future”, incorporates a number of winning entries from students across the Far North. The final t-shirt design The shirts will be worn by Student Protection Contacts in schools around the region, to promote greater awareness of who ...
Read moreNewman Catholic College Funding Announcement
28/08/2020Development of Cairns’ newest secondary school is progressing through its major milestones, with funding for the highly anticipated project approved.
Read moreGeorgiana’s Song Celebrates Culture & Connection
06/08/2020
Year twelve St Mary’s student, Georgiana Thomas-Peddell, has embarked on a music composition project which was inspired by the NAIDOC theme ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’, and celebrates the strong and resilient cultures of First Nations people.
Read moreHoly Cross’ Gift of Giving Amid COVID-19 Fallout
04/08/2020
It goes without saying that businesses are doing it tough in 2020. Restrictions, border closures and weeks of lockdown have undeniably wreaked havoc on the Cairns economy. So, when the P & F Association at Trinity Park’s Holy Cross School started planning their annual Christmas Raffle – going online for the first time ever this year – they did not feel right asking for donations when business owners were already being hit hard. They came up with a novel way of helping the Cairns community ...
Read moreLeading the Way with Digital Technologies
03/08/2020
Teacher librarian and technology teacher Michael Doherty is just one of the Cairns Catholic Education digital technologies specialists combining the latest digital technologies with curriculum outcomes for 21st century learners in our schools. What’s your background and what led you to where you are today? I have been teaching for 12 years, but have been passionate about computers since high school. In 1994 I completed an associate diploma of computing at FNQ TAFE. In 2012 I was given the role of ICT ...
Read moreSupport When Times Are Tough
16/07/2020
Free and confidential support services are available for parents and caregivers going through tough times. Parenting is a journey that can be challenging, particularly during periods of financial pressure. Many in the Far North have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact will likely be felt long after restrictions are eased. Getting support early can help families get back on track and keep home life stable for children, so they can continue to develop in a healthy and positive way. Family and Child Connect is a free service that links ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Rita Petersen, St Thomas of Villanova School, Mareeba
15/07/2020
This month, we catch up with St Thomas of Villanova School principal, Rita Petersen, who shares insights into leading the Mareeba school’s community as well as the school’s experience with COVID-19. What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? I became a teacher to make a difference in the lives of the students I taught. I became a principal to make a difference in the lives of staff and students under my care. To be a leader is a privilege; working hard ...
Read moreReaching for the STARS
02/07/2020
Aspiring young writers from St Monica’s College, Cairns are reaching for the stars – and they haven’t let a global pandemic get in their way. What do most writers want to achieve? To have their book written, edited, and published. Yes! So, if we want to encourage young high capacity writers to be involved in a fun, non-assessable writing project, why not get them to write a story and publish it in a collection of stories. What if we ...
Read moreHistory Lessons: St Augustine’s College, Parramatta Park
24/06/2020
History echoes throughout the halls of St Augustine’s College, Parramatta Park – a school with humble beginnings as an all-boys’ primary school that has since grown in both reputation and size throughout the 90 years of operation in the Far North. We reflect on the proud history of the now day and boarding secondary college in our first #CathEdCairnsHistoryLessons as we celebrate 175 years of Catholic Education in Queensland. The early years St Augustine’s College ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Dr Sean Mangan, St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch
17/06/2020
Our latest Principal Profile stars Dr Sean Mangan, principal of St Andrew’s Catholic College, a co-education P-12 college nestled in the foothills of Redlynch Valley. Dr Sean is a committed and experienced Catholic educator with more than 25 years’ experience teaching and leading in P-12 settings. What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? To continue to develop a thriving learning community of excellence involving students, teachers and parents. Being on a journey of continuous improvement that aims for personal ...
Read moreRAISE News: Graduate Teachers Show Resilience During COVID-19
28/05/2020
This year’s graduate teachers launched their teaching careers in unprecedented times, and while they should have been celebrating at their graduation ceremonies, they were instead forced into the biggest learning-from-home experiment the country has ever seen. Graduate teacher Jeorjie Hawkins became a YouTube and Google Sites whiz during the COVID-19 crisis. St Joseph’s School, Paramatta Park teachers Jeorjie Hawkins and Bree Ludemann are just two of the alumni of graduate teachers who navigated the online learning ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Liam Kenny, Good Counsel Primary School, Innisfail
20/05/2020
This month we catch up with Good Counsel Principal Liam Kenny to find out about his hopes and plans for the Innisfail-based primary school. What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? To lead a very successful primary school catering to the educational needs of every student while supporting each and every staff member to make learning and teaching engaging. What makes you most proud to be the leader of your school community? Witnessing the student learning ...
Read moreCairns Catholic schools across Zoom issue
28/04/2020
Cairns Catholic Education is aware of the issues in a southern Catholic school involving ‘Zoom bombing’ and had worked with its service provider prior to the start of online learning to enhance security protocols. Zoom is one of the video conferencing apps used by Cairns Catholic schools for home learning, along with Google Hangouts Meet and Microsoft Teams. Staff hosting zoom meetings with students have been updated on further security measures and how to apply them to reduce the ...
Read moreCorrection of Misleading Fee Relief Reporting in Cairns Post
16/04/2020
Statement by Executive Director, Bill Dixon 16 APRIL 2020 Cairns Catholic Education wishes to correct the misleading information published in today’s Cairns Post. Executive Director Bill Dixon responded to a question why parents should continue to pay fees while schooling was delivered remotely, not whether parents who were experiencing financial difficulty because of the coronavirus pandemic response would receive fee reprieve. The headline ‘No fee relief in sight at Far North Catholic Schools’ is the exact opposite of the facts. Cairns ...
Read moreEaster Reflection in a time of COVID-19
14/04/2020
Catholic Education Services Director Identity and Outreach Sharon O’Keeffe and Leader Formation Rachel McLean share their Easter reflections in a time of COVID-19. This year we have experienced a Lent and Easter unlike anything we have experienced before. It has challenged us to explore not only how we live and work, but how we worship and be people of faith. Whilst there has been much written about those on the frontline: our essential workers, we ...
Read moreKeeping Kids Safe Online During COVID-19
09/04/2020The Australian Government has released a new guide to online safety for parents and carers in response to COVID-19. With more kids at home using their devices, it’s more important than ever for parents and carers to take some simple steps to help keep their kids safe online according to the Minister of Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP. “The school holiday period will be very different for Australian families – and children will be spending a lot of time online,” Minister Fletcher said. “Parents and carers can take ...
Read moreHoly Spirit College Attracts Award-Winning Staff
01/04/2020
We caught up Holy Spirit College, Manoora Deputy Principal Eryn Grady after she was named one of the Top 100 Leaders in Education by the Global Forum for Education and Learning in Dubai. Deputy Principal Eryn Grady named one of the Top 100 Leaders in Education by the Global Forum for Education and Learning. Tell us more about the Global Forum for Education and Learning? The Global Forum for Education and Learning (GFEL) is a worldwide organisation to ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: David Adams-Jones, St Therese’s School, Bentley Park
18/03/2020
We spend five minutes with St Therese’s School Principal, David Adams-Jones, to find out more about what he hopes to achieve at the Bentley Park primary, what motto he lives by and what makes him most proud to be the leader of his school community. What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? My dream is our students have a strong sense of belonging, becoming and being part to our family at St Therese’s School and that they ...
Read moreRAISE News: School Seminars Offer Support
03/03/2020
Schools throughout the Cairns Diocese, along with their P&Fs, are creating parent engagement seminars with specialist guest speakers to help parents and carers navigate parenting in today’s world. Parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual and parents often consciously and subconsciously parent in a similar way to their own parents’ style. But times have certainly changed, and today’s youth come with new challenges such as cyber safety concerns, social media, mobile phones, screen time and ...
Read moreCOVID-19 Self-Isolation Update
03/03/2020
Department of Health have upgraded their advice regarding COVID-19. Information for schools and early childhood centres, students and their parents Students and staff returning from, or transited through Iran are now also required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to Australia. The self-isolation period is still applicable to persons returned or transited from mainland China, but at this time it is not required for anyone return from any other country. When this advice changes, we ...
Read moreFourteen new learning support teachers for 2020
20/02/2020Catholic 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 ...
Read morePrincipal Profile: Paul Rayner, St Augustine’s School, Mossman
17/02/2020
Hailing from the South Coast of New South Wales, Paul Rayner left the seaside city of Wollongong in 2012 to relocate to the Far North after an exciting opportunity to work in the Cairns Diocese. In 2015, he commenced in the role of Principal of St Augustine’s School, Mossman, a school he is proud to lead due its strong sense of community. What do you hope to achieve in your role as principal? Building a positive ...
Read moreRAISE News: A Play-Based Approach to Early Childhood Education
12/02/2020
Children are naturally curious, inquisitive and engaged with their environment. When their surroundings are stimulating, they learn through experiment, trial and error and discovery. In other words, they learn through play. The Reggio Emilia Approach The concept of children learning by doing is part of the Reggio Emilia philosophy, a play-based, child-led early years and primary school approach that originated in Northern Italy after WWII when parents and teachers in the city of Reggio Emilia ...
Read moreSt Monica’s Student’s Summer Space School
06/02/2020
Over the summer holidays, St Monica’s College student Mary Blee and science teacher Wanda Metcalf represented the Far North as they travelled to the USA for a once in a lifetime opportunity at NASA Space School. ‘Space School’, officially known as the CASE Space School International Study Program, provides students with an opportunity to experience leading STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) learning environments, from in-class to out-of-class settings, and is a ‘once in a ...
Read morePrincipal 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 moreRAISE: We Are More Engaged Than We Think
01/10/2019The P&F meetings, the fete days, the cake stalls, the calls for volunteers for school excursions, discos and athletic carnivals. Some weeks, it seems the extra pressures on parents never end. But if you can’t make it to every call out (or don’t really feel up to baking cupcakes at midnight for the cake stall), is it negatively impacting your children? According to the experts, definitely not! Cairns Catholic Education Manager – Governance and Engagement, ...
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, ...
Read moreRAISE: How to Raise Resilient Children in a Chaotic World
01/08/2019
How often have you watched your child give up on something? Or mutter the phrase, “I can’t do it!”? Or break down in tears due to frustration and fear of failure? It’s a hard thing to experience when you’re a parent. But it’s also a completely normal reaction for a child. We find out more in the latest issue of Raise. All children feel vulnerable from time to time. They feel as though they are not good enough, ...
Read more2019 SOCE Awards
31/07/2019
Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic education communities around Queensland to celebrate and promote the distinctive mission of Catholic schooling: to make a difference in the lives of students and in the wider community by challenging young people to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes through The Spirit of Catholic Education Awards (SOCE Awards). The SOCE Awards are ...
Read moreStudents Celebrate Creativity and Sense of Sacred this CEW
29/07/2019
Cairns Catholic Education is celebrating Catholic Education Week’s 2019 theme ‘Many Voices. One Spirit’ with the launch of The Creative Arts Collective. Catholic Education Week: ‘Many Voices. One Spirit’ The theme for 2019 is ‘Many Voices. One Spirit’ with the ‘Many Voices’ representing students, teachers, families and communities from all backgrounds and walks of life, while the ‘One Spirit’ can be interpreted as faith, the Holy Spirit, charisms, school spirit, team spirit, parish spirit or family spirit. The theme brings feelings of ...
Read moreMother of Good Counsel Students Making Grounds Greener
26/07/2019
Students from Mother of Good Counsel Primary School, North Cairns (MoGC) rolled up their sleeves to make the school grounds greener on National Tree Day. MoGC students Shreya, Lachlan and Oscar planting trees with Ben Vallely from Russgo’s Wholesale Plants. National Tree Day Students from the MoGC Environment Committee planted 14 new native trees to make the school grounds greener. “Our school is very lucky to have such wonderful huge green trees lining our school oval and ...
Read moreStudents’ assessments bring joy
25/06/2019
It’s rare for students to smile so much and enjoy their assessments, but earlier this month, Mount St Bernard College’s (MSB) Art and Music students did just that. The twenty Year 10 to 12 students shared their artistic talents and stories with residents at the Carinya Home for the Aged in Atherton, where they explained the meaning and techniques behind their art pieces and performed some songs to a packed room. Full marks Assessments are rolling out ...
Read moreJCU and Cairns Catholic Education announce plans for new Catholic College at Smithfield
07/06/2019
James Cook University and Catholic Education in Cairns have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to plan a new secondary college, to be located at the University’s Cairns Campus at Smithfield. The college would function as an autonomous and separate school, located on JCU land under a long-term lease. “This collaboration offers valuable opportunities for staff and students at both institutions, and would complement the ongoing growth of the campus, where construction has just begun on ...
Read more#Better Together for Brighter Futures
28/05/2019
Education sectors and Child Safety came together for the first time with a focus on improving educational outcomes for students in care, and developing practices and relationships that support the child’s present and future. Cairns Catholic Education, Department of Education and the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women will collaboratively present #Better Together for Brighter Futures – a conference held May 24 at Brothers Leagues Club.The 130 attendees comprised of team leaders and managers from ...
Read moreNational Reconciliation Week 2019
27/05/2019
Yarning Circles at CES Cairns Our staff have respectfully kicked off their shoes and opened their hearts and minds to participate in Yarning Circles as part of National Reconciliation Week. The Yarning Circles are a traditional cultural activity that has been carried out by the first Australians for 60,000 years. This week, staff at CES Cairns are having honest conversations through Yarning Circles to discuss issues in an inclusive and collaborative manner. Each ...
Read moreDevelyn’s Domestic Violence Voice
12/04/2019
Develyn Wong recently had success in the Lions Youth of the Year competition when she spoke about Domestic Violence with passion and commitment. Being a survivor herself, The Year 12 St Monica’s student is not ashamed of what happened to her. She said, “It is such a relevant topic in Australian society as the statistics are disgustingly high.” She recently spoke about the topic and a range of others at a debating competition in Mossman, progressing through ...
Read moreIt’s Virtually Year 11 Business
12/04/2019
Our young people are moving with the times where the presence of technology is ever so strong and continues to change. Classroom teachers are finding new and innovative ways to use technology to engage their students in a progressive way. Mr Breck Nielsen is the Trade Training Centre Director at St Mary’s Catholic College in Woree, and he has introduced the use of virtual reality to the school’s year 11 students studying the Diploma of Business. ...
Read moreSaints boys seeing smiles
09/04/2019
The junior and senior students at St Augustine’s gain perspective and a sense of joy by regularly giving food and friendship to people sleeping rough in Cairns. Every other week, Saints supports a team at Rosies – Friends on the Street (Cairns), alternating Saturday and Sunday nights. The Year 7 boarders make sandwiches and the Year 12 boys take the food out to Rosies, help the team pack the van, and go out to the streets to offer ...
Read moreLife insights gained from Iconic Dance Theatre
04/04/2019
Bangarra Dance Theatre recently treated twenty Mount St Bernard (MSB) College students to an exclusive performing arts workshop on the main stage at the new Cairns Performing Arts Centre. The professional dance troupe made time for the students while they were in Cairns performing their last show of the Bennelong Regional Tour in March. Students not only learnt some fantastic dance moves, but also some essential life lessons. A teacher with connections MSB’s School Officer for the ...
Read moreChange for Charity
18/03/2019
Catholic Education Services Cairns is giving change to charity with the help of the Queensland Government’s Containers for Change scheme. Catholic Education’s Karla Adam-Jones and Priscilla O’Brien, who helped launch the fundraising initiative. When the opportunity to support both the environment and a local youth charity came about, Administration Officer – Identity & Outreach, Priscilla O’Brien was eager to be involved. “As a state, Queensland has the lowest rate of recycling and as a Catholic organisation ...
Read more2019 Safeguarding Children Conference
28/02/2019
Catholic Education’s annual Safeguarding Children Conference will be held on Saturday, 27 April, from 8am to 3pm, at Pullman Cairns International. The event is organised by the Professional Standards Office as part of the Cairns Diocese’s ongoing commitment to protecting all children. The 2019 conference theme is “Stronger Communities, Safer Children” and all leadership, staff and parents of Catholic Education, other school systems, and agencies of the Catholic Diocese of Cairns, including Centacare and Catholic Early Learning and ...
Read moreNew Senior Religious Education Program for Cairns Diocese
12/02/2019The start of the 2019 academic year has brought with it a new and exciting religious education program, ‘Catholic Faith in Action’ (CFiA), in the senior secondary years of education across all schools in the Cairns Diocese. Hear from staff and students about the new Catholic Faith in Action program Dcn Michael Lindsay – CES Education Officer Identity and Outreach Jack Jenkins – Year 11 student, St Augustine’s College Cairns Molly Stager – Year 11 student, Good Counsel College ...
Read moreSafer Internet Day
04/02/2019
With our kids connected with the outside world via their devices every day, it’s important to understand how you can educate and protect them from any potential threats online. The internet is undoubtedly an incredible resource for education, connection and innovation and in our modern world children are accessing the web from a young age. Along with all the advantages this technology brings come risks such as cyberbullying, online predators, scams, inappropriate content and security breaches. Safer ...
Read moreCES Reach Out to Rough Sleepers in Cairns
13/12/2018CES staff making sandwiches for Rosies. L-R Gloria West, Jessica Skinner, Andrew McKenzie and Donna Moore. A production line of dedicated Catholic Education Cairns (CES) staff regularly team up to make sandwiches and pack personal items for homeless people sleeping rough at night in the local area. CES’ Manager of Governance and Engagement, Andrew McKenzie mobilised the organisation’s contribution to the charity ‘Rosies’ almost five years ago. “There are more than 70 people living and sleeping on the streets in the Cairns area, ...
Read moreIt Takes a Village
10/12/2018
Families are often time poor with mid-week mornings punctuated with prepping porridge while loading up lunch boxes, stuffing school bags and rushing out the door to school drop offs, errands, work or various extra-curricular commitments. Cairns Catholic Education share their tips for creating calm amongst the chaos, plus how their schools can support you and your family throughout your child’s education. The old proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ really resonates when your ...
Read moreHeatwave on the way
22/11/2018
There is a very high likelihood of a heatwave for the Cairns and greater Northern Queensland region next week. With high humidity, and the temperature set to exceed 38°C, there is an extreme risk of heat stress for both students and staff and it is important that schools are prepared. The followings strategies may assist in reducing the risk of heat exposure. Parents are encouraged to: Talk to your children about how best to manage the hot ...
Read moreBe Prepped for Prep: Tips for transitioning
12/11/2018
Your little one’s introduction to prep can seem equal parts anxiety-inducing and exciting – and it’s important to be prepared for a range of emotions from both yourself as parents and carers as well as from your child. Finding the right school for your family and being prepared to support your little one’s emotional needs can make the process much easier than you may think. Starting prep is not just about the first day of ...
Read moreEducation Law at the fore in Cairns
04/10/2018
A broad range of timely topics about education law have been undergoing detailed discussion at the Australia New Zealand Education Law Association Ltd (ANZELA) international conference in Cairns this week. The conference theme explores new developments in education and law, with an emphasis on innovative ways of meeting traditional challenges and the needs of regional communities. The issues “The nature of the school environment is rapidly changing with increasing legal and community expectations,” said ANZELA National Vice ...
Read more2018 Safeguarding Children Conference
03/04/2018
The Safeguarding Children’s Conference on April 28 is an annual event organised by the Professional Standards Office as part of the Cairns Diocese’s ongoing commitment to protecting all children. The Professional Standards Office has staff who are trained to deal with and respond to student protection matters, allegations of staff misconduct and parent complaints. The conference is open to all staff, parishes, volunteers and parents. Its aim has and always will be to ensure children in our ...
Read moreTJHC addresses Canberra Catholics
28/03/2018
In his final public appearance as CEO of the Truth Justice and Healing Council Francis Sullivan called on the Catholic community to support the Church leadership in its efforts to address the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Speaking at a public forum in Canberra on Thursday evening, Mr Sullivan said many of the Royal Commission’s recommendations relate to the future policies and administration of all institutions and it called ...
Read moreProtecting children must be at the centre of Catholic Church’s mission: head of new Catholic Church professional standards body says
21/03/2018
Ms Sheree Limbrick, head of the Catholic Church’s new safeguarding body, has told more than 85 members of the Toowoomba diocese’s clergy, religious and lay leadership that protecting children from danger in Church environments must be at the very centre of the Church’s mission. “If the safety of children and other vulnerable people is not at the very centre of the Catholic Church’s mission both here and in all other places around the world then something ...
Read moreCatholic Education Student Video Competition
15/02/2018
Cairns Catholic Education are currently running a student video competition! We are giving students the opportunity to win themselves and their schools a share in over $2000 worth of prizes. The competition is open to all ages, and to students from all of our schools. Applications have been extended, and will now close on the first day of term two – Tuesday 17th of April. Email sgriffiths1@cns.catholic.edu.au for more information and entry forms.
Read moreYear of Youth 2018
29/01/2018
The Australian Bishops have identified the liturgical year of 2018, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent (3rd December 2017), as a national Year of Youth. The Year of Youth invites the Church into prayerful discernment about the importance and life-giving presence of young people in the local Church and society. It calls for dialogue and active engagement focused on the reconnection and renewal of a new generation of young people in the life of the ...
Read moreQueensland election – political parties responses to priority issues in Catholic education
23/11/2017
The Queensland Catholic Education Commission asked five political parties contesting the Queensland election for their responses to priority issues in Catholic education. These issues are important for Catholic schools to be able to continue to deliver high quality, affordable education in effective contemporary learning environments. The table below summarises the parties’ responses to these key issues. (This table is available on the QCEC website) Issue ALP LNP One Nation KAP Greens Recurrent funding Continued support for the existing basket nexus funding mechanism according ...
Read moreSpirit of Catholic Education Awards 2017
18/07/2017
The Spirit of Catholic Education Awards have been announced for 2017! Congratulations to our Cairns Diocese recipient Ben Smith for his work at Mt St Bernard College in Herberton! Benjamin Smith Mount St Bernard College, Herberton (now at St Andrew’s Catholic College) It takes a brave, courageous teacher to stand up for the vulnerable and set about a plan to make a difference for indigenous students in the field of Mathematics. Yet such a plan has driven the ...
Read moreCommonwealth School Funding Update
21/06/2017
An update from Cairns CES Executive Director Bill Dixon on the new Commonwealth school funding plan and its likely impact on Cairns Catholic schools and Catholic schools nationally. Letter to Catholic Education Community re Funding
Read moreInfluenza Vaccination and Prevention Measures
18/05/2017
Queensland Department of Health has issued a request to disseminate information to schools so that staff and parents/guardians are informed, prepared and proactive as we enter the influenza season. The Department of Health advises: With the influenza season just around the corner it is an opportune time to actively encourage influenza vaccination. This year the vaccine covers two strains of Influenza A and two strains of Influenza B. The inclusion of a second Influenza B strain provides ...
Read moreCairns Catholic schools call for clarity, detail and certainty
09/05/2017Cairns Catholic schools have echoed national and state concerns regarding the lack of clarity in the new Federal Government school funding plan. Catholic Education Services Executive Director Bill Dixon said the sector had not been involved in meaningful consultation with the Commonwealth regarding the plan. “Our bottom line is we want to make sure our schools remain affordable for our families against a background that the local economy is still not as strong as it could be ...
Read moreRoyal Commission Hearings focusing on the Catholic Church
03/02/2017
From Monday 6 February, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will begin a three-week hearing focused on the Catholic Church. In particular, the hearings will focus on the current child protection practices within Catholic Church authorities in Australia, factors that contributed to the occurrence of abuse in the past, and past and present responses to reports of abuse. It is expected the Commission will examine what the Church has learned from the evidence ...
Read moreAdvancing Futures – New senior assessment and tertiary entrance systems in Queensland
25/10/2016
Changes to Senior assessment and tertiary entrance will apply from Year 11 in 2019. Read more in the ‘Advancing Futures – New senior assessment and tertiary entrance systems in Queensland’ brochure.
Read moreEB8 New Approaches – Agreed Statement (9 June 2016) & Letter from Durm O’Riordan re EB8 New Approaches (9 June 2016)
14/06/2016Following New Approaches bargaining in the Fair Work Commission between Catholic School Authorities and the Independent Education Union of Australia, in principle agreement has been reached on a number of matters. The parties will now work together to finalise a replacement agreement for the consideration of school staff prior to a final ballot being held. EB 8 – New Approaches EB 8 – Agreed Statement 9 June 2016
Read moreEnterprise Bargaining and Protected Industrial Action Update – May 2016
12/05/2016May 6, 2016: Catholic school employer representatives and IEUA representatives participated in a conference facilitated by the Fair Work Commission under the New Approaches program. The parties have been participating in this program with a view to moving towards resolving the current enterprise bargaining negotiations. As an outcome of this conference, the parties drafted an agreed framework for proceeding with the New Approaches program. To assist the process, all current and prospective protected industrial action will ...
Read moreHow do QLD and NSW Catholic teachers’ pay rates compare?
01/03/2016Contrary to claims by the Independent Education Union that teachers in Queensland Catholic schools are worse off than their counterparts in New South Wales, weekly wages for both are comparable, as the following table shows. Under the awards, to establish an hourly rate the weekly wage is divided by the prescribed normal hours of work – for State School Teachers it is divided by 25 hours and for Catholic School Teachers it is divided by ...
Read moreEnterprise Bargaining and Protected Industrial Action Update – February 2016
18/02/2016Catholic Education Services – Diocese of Cairns remains committed to good faith bargaining and reiterates its position that a 2.5% wage increase for all school staff backdated to May 2015 for School Officers and July 2015 for Teachers is a fair offer in the current economic climate and in the context of market conditions in Queensland. In further detail: The wage increase of 2.5 per cent is fair. The current CPI rate is 1.7 per cent, so this ...
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