Stand out staff have been recognised this Catholic Education Week at the state-wide Spirit of Catholic Education Awards and the locally held Docemus Awards.
Wayne Wood, Principal, St Mary’s Catholic College and Jennifer King, Indigenous Liaison Officer, St Monica’s College, were two of just six across the state to receive the prestigious Spirit of Catholic Education (SOCE) Awards.
Jennifer was the recipient of the Aunty Joan Hendriks Reconciliation Award in recognition of her work as the College’s Indigenous Education Officer.
“Jennifer has worked unceasingly to offer Indigenous students life-changing opportunities by ensuring they have access to the best possible learning and teaching to improve their educational outcomes,” the award citation reads.
While Wayne was acknowledged for his “care for students, support for staff, connection with the community and living out his faith”.
The Queensland Catholic Education Commission SOCE awards are presented annually to recognise individuals or teams making an outstanding contribution to Catholic education in Queensland.
Wayne and Jennifer are two of the seven staff across the region to also receive the Cairns Catholic Education Docemus Awards. The Docemus Awards, meaning “to teach”, were presented at a ceremony on the Friday night of Catholic Education Week as a fitting culmination to the week’s celebrations.
“The volunteers and staff in our schools and the Catholic Education Services offices consistently go above and beyond in their roles to give students in the Far North every opportunity for success. The Awards are a heartfelt recognition of their dedication and excellence in education,” said Cairns Catholic Education Services Deputy Executive Director Ian Davis.
“We are grateful to have such dedicated and passionate staff throughout the Diocese of Cairns.”
The complete list of Docemus Award recipients are as follows. Click the links to watch the messages of congratulations from staff and students:
- Primary Teacher: Jacqueline Doolan, St Joseph’s School, Parramatta Park
- Secondary Teacher: Prue Vaughan, St Stephen’s Catholic College, Mareeba
- Early Career Teacher: Julia Debel, St Stephen’s Catholic College, Mareeba
- School Officer: Jennifer King, St Monica’s College, Cairns
- Volunteer: Mary-Anne Stokes, St Therese’s School, Bentley Park
- Leadership: Wayne Wood, St Mary’s Catholic College, Woree
- Lifelong Contribution: Ursula Elms, Catholic Education Services, Cairns
To find out more about Catholic Education Week and the SOCE Awards, including the full award citations, go to the Catholic Education Week website.
