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- Welcome back
- Benedictine Wisdom Beneath the Southern Cross
- National School Chaplaincy Program
- Commitment to provide an equitable education system
- Evaluation of capital processes
- New principal St Patrick's College, Townsville
- Celebrating our teachers
- Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme
- 2019 TEACHX Awards
- EB9 update
- 2020 Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Certification Workshops
- QCEC staff changes
- Catholic Education Week 2020
- Featured links
- Circulars 2019
Last week I was honoured to facilitate the global conference of the International Commission on Benedictine Education which saw more than 150 delegates from every continent collaborate in Sydney.
The conference provided an opportunity for teachers and administrators to support, liaise and inspire each other and was a wonderful reminder of the influence of the Benedictine charism in many Catholic schools.
The theme Benedictine wisdom beneath the Southern Cross saw a mix of Australian and international speakers provide everything from presentations and workshops to liturgy and prayer.
The conference began with an incredibly powerful welcome to country and then formal opening by Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, a school captain from St Scholastica’s College, Glebe, where the conference was hosted.
Some of the highlights included keynote addresses by Kathy Cox, Visiting Research Scholar, Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego and Father Michael Casey on Benedictine Education: Two Words.
The two words Fr Michael explored in a very thought-provoking presentation were honour and humility.
Terry Creagh, who is well known to Catholic educators in Queensland, also gave a wonderfully creative and engaging presentation tracing the history of the Good Samaritan Sisters and their involvement in education in Australia.
It was an absolute delight and privilege to share time with educators from around the world linked by their shared commitment and connection to Benedictine education.
Caption: Delegates are welcomed to the BENet Global Conference in Sydney (Source: Facebook – Good Samaritan Education)
Read LessQueensland’s Catholic education sector is committed to providing alternative education pathways to young people finding it difficult to thrive in conventional school settings.
On behalf of QCEC, I recently co-signed a statement of commitment, alongside representatives of the state and independent sectors, to support alternative education pathways.
The Quality Pathways for all young people: A commitment to alternative education document was developed to provide support and resources for students who require alternative education settings.
This commitment also outlines how alternative school settings make a vital contribution to achieving an equitable school system.
Read more about this commitment on the QCEC website.
Photo source: Xavier Flexi Schools Network
Over recent years QCEC has made a number of changes to the processes around the distribution of capital funding to Catholic School Authorities (CSAs).
In order to ensure that our processes and governance around the management of capital funding is achieving best practice, QCEC has commissioned Dr Lyn Alderman from the Evaluator’s Collective to undertake an evaluation of our capital processes.
An external evaluator will bring an objective perspective to the evaluation of our processes.
Catholic School Authorities are invited to express interest in participating in the evaluation which is set to begin in November. Please submit expressions of interest to lyn@theevaluatorscollective.com.au by 31 October.
More information is available in Circular 2019/106.
Caption: Beatrix Brice, Principal Policy Adviser QCEC, Lyn Alderman Evaluator’s Collective and Dr Lee-Anne Perry, Executive Director QCEC
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Congratulations to Amber Hauff who has been appointed Principal of St Patrick’s College, Townsville from 2020.
Amber is currently Deputy Principal at the college.
We would like to wish Amber all the best in starting her new position next year.
Caption: Amber Hauff (Photo source:St Patrick’s College, Townsville)
Read LessOn Friday 25 October we will celebrate World Teachers’ Day and acknowledge the wonderful contribution that teachers make to the learning and development of all students in our schools.
Congratulations to the students and staff from Mount Alvernia College, Padua College, and St Anthony’s Primary School, Kedron, who feature strongly in the World Teachers’ Day promotional materials produced by the Department of Education for use across all sectors.
These materials have been distributed to Catholic School Authorities this week for use in conjunction with World Teachers’ Day activities.
Staff in schools across Queensland will also receive ribbons to promote the event.
To find out more about how you can get involved visit the 2019 World Teachers’ Day website.
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Applications for this semester’s student travel rebate close on 31 October.
Schools may wish to promote these details on their school website or in their newsletter.
Please note, the Bus Fare Assistance Program is only available for travel to schools outside the Brisbane City Council boundary.
Click here for further information.
There will be a further meeting of the Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) in Brisbane next week as we continue the EB9 negotiations.
The negotiations are in an important phase and Catholic school employers are keen to have a new Enterprise Agreement approved and in place as soon as possible.
It is essential that staff are well briefed on the implications of the various issues being discussed during enterprise bargaining and are kept up to date with developments.
These developments are regularly updated on the EB website.
In-depth Workshops for teachers who intend to apply for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Certification in 2020 will get underway this month.
The workshops will take place across Queensland with the first event taking place in Brisbane on Tuesday, 29 October.
To view the events and register click here.
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Catholic Education Week in Queensland will be celebrated from Sunday 26 July until Saturday 1 August 2020.
Please make note of this event in your diary and visit the Catholic Education Week website for further information.
