The end of another term has arrived, and as our schools prepare for the winter break, it is an opportunity to reflect on what has been an inspiring and exciting term in Catholic education.

Just this week, CEWA co-hosted the Catholic Schools Youth Summit with the University of Notre Dame Australia at the university’s Fremantle campus. Inspired by the Pope’s call for us all to put faith into action, students from Catholic schools across WA were inspired by stories, music and workshops.  The Summit, now in its second year, provided a fantastic opportunity for the Year 10 and 11 students to get together in a less formal setting to develop an action plan to support their school community to #getoffthecouch.

Term Two also presented some great learning and development opportunities for CEWA staff through a Staff Development Day in Leederville, ongoing Studio Curious projects, and the Aboriginal Teacher Assistant conference in Broome, Catalysts for Transformation, held for the first time in 9 years, and attended by 120 delegates from across the state.

Alongside these events for students and staff, the Catholic School Board Chair Conference brought together 120 school community leaders to focus on their role in transforming Catholic schools to deliver the best learning environments possible. The one-day conference included a Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe, Archbishop of Perth, and a keynote address from WA Education Minister Sue Ellery.

It was also a significant Term for CEWA’s engagement with the broader community. Our staff and students were once again strongly involved with the Sorry Day event held at Wellington Square in May.  Along with a range of activities for students and staff celebrating National Reconciliation Week, our involvement reflected the commitment of Catholic education to reconciliation. Newman College and Aranmore Catholic College also hosted launch events for the Archdiocese of Perth’s LifeLink campaign for Catholic welfare agencies with primary and secondary students respectively. CEWA also supported the Western Australia Young Achiever Awards for the second year running, sponsoring the CEWA Young Leadership and People’s Choice award categories.

There is still plenty to look forward to for the school year ahead, and I look forward to updating you again in Term Three, but for now I hope you enjoy a safe and happy holiday period with family and friends!

Dr Tim McDonald

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