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- Anzac Day 2022
- Federal election
- Capital Schools Visit
- Catholic Secondary Principals Association of Queensland Conference
- BCE Executive Director
- Stuartholme School principal changes
- Supervising Teacher Training opportunity for Catholic schools
- EREA new governance structure
- Bishops prepare for election
- Last chance to nominate for SOCE Awards
- School transport applications open
- QCEC events
- Circulars
I was honoured to once again attend the Anzac Day Students’ Ceremony at King George Square in Brisbane alongside students and staff representing the Queensland Catholic schools.
The service reminded us to take time to reflect, pray and pay tribute to those who lost their lives and served in the battles and conflicts of World War 1 and those that followed.
Many of our schools held their own Anzac commemorations to both honour those who served and instil in students an understanding of the history and meaning of Anzac Day.
In a separate Anzac Day commemoration, QCEC staff recognised the spirit of Anzac with a reflection featuring a presentation from Brendan Cox, who has served in the Australian Army and is currently the CEO of Legacy Queensland. Brendan spoke of how his faith had guided him through times of crisis and the importance of servant leadership and ritual.
For more images of Anzac Day commemorations in Catholic schools see our gallery here.
The federal election campaign continues to roll out with very little mention of education, at least at the national level.
Catholic School Parents Queensland has begun a series of candidate forums in marginal Queensland seats. Last week I attended a forum at St Mary of the Cross School, Windsor, which provided an opportunity for candidates in the seat of Brisbane to answer questions about their commitment to Catholic education. The candidates gave short, prepared addresses and then responded to questions from those attending. Parents posed a number of challenging questions on a range of topics including support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with disability and the need for a review of the capacity to contribute component of the current Federal recurrent funding model.
A similar forum in the seat of Griffith was held last night at Sts Peter and Paul School, Bulimba, and tonight candidates in the seat of Ryan will attend a forum at Our Lady of the Rosary School, Kenmore. Next week an online forum will be held in the seat of Dawson to allow families from a wide area of north Queensland to participate.
Last week Acting Federal Education Minister Stuart Robert visited Our Lady of the Way Primary School, Petrie, to announce further funding for the Smiling Mind program which is in use at the school. Thanks to Brisbane Catholic Education and the school community for hosting this visit at short notice.
This week I am joining the Capital team on their visit to the far north Queensland and the Torres Strait.
It has been wonderful to be able to visit Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School on Thursday Island today, a reminder of the many unique faces of Catholic education in Queensland.
My thanks to principal Majella Lynch-Harlow for welcoming us to Queensland’s northern most Catholic school.
Tomorrow I will visit Newman Catholic College in Cairns, which this year welcomed its first cohort of Year 7 students. The school has been built on the James Cook University campus at Smithfield and is the first partnership of its kind in Australia.
Last week I attended the Biennial Catholic Secondary Principals Association of Queensland Conference at Maroochydore on the Sunshine.
The conference theme Nurturing New Horizons – Embracing the Future gave educators and leaders the opportunity to address challenges faced throughout the pandemic and reflect and share insights with colleagues.
The face-to-face conference was another welcome return to more normal modes of operating and a wonderful opportunity to once again engage with colleagues in person.
My conference presentation focused on OECD trends shaping education in 2022, the future of schooling and the challenges ahead in ensuring Catholic education continues to thrive in an ever-changing environment.
I would like to welcome Dr Sally Towns back to the Queensland Catholic education sector as she commences in her new role as Executive Director with Brisbane Catholic Education this week.
Sally was previously the Director of Catholic Schools and Chief Executive Officer of the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools and prior to that Director of School Effectiveness in the Diocese of Cairns.
I also take this opportunity to thank Dr Doug Ashleigh for his dedication and service as Acting Executive Director over the last six months which have been a tumultuous time for schools working through COVID-19 and the south-east Queensland floods. 
The Stuartholme School Board has advised that the Principal, Kristen Sharpe, will retire at the end of Term 2, 2022.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kristen for her contribution to Catholic education and to QCEC through its committees and networks, particularly the Education Reference Group.
During her time as principal, Kristen has led the school through significant changes, challenges, building refurbishments and celebrations. She has been a strong advocate for the return of boarding students during COVID border restrictions. We wish Kristen every blessing for the future.
Daniel Crump has been appointed acting principal for the remainder of 2022.
Image source: Stuartholme School
Archbishop Mark Coleridge’s tenure as president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) will conclude next week.
Archbishop Mark has served two terms as president and is not eligible for re-election as he will turn 75 next year and the Holy See has asked that bishops not serve in leadership roles in bishops conferences past that age.
A new president will be elected on the opening day of the plenary meeting, which begins on Friday. Read more in the ACBC media release here.
Nominations for the 2022 Spirit of Catholic Education Awards close this Sunday 8 May.
Catholic school communities in Queensland are invited to nominate individuals or teams who are making an outstanding contribution to the life of their school community.
Each nominee will receive a certificate of acknowledgment for presentation during Catholic Education Week celebrations in Term 3.
To nominate online click here.
Applications for the Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme opened this week. The NSSTAS provides financial assistance for families transporting students to non-state schools in Queensland. Applications will remain open until 31 May. To find out if you are eligible to apply click here.
QCEC VET Forum
QCEC will host the 2022 Vocational Education and Training (VET) Forum from 19-20 May at the Australian Catholic University Leadership Centre in Brisbane. The two-day forum themed Destination Career will provide a rich and varied program to deliver quality professional development and conversations. The forum was developed for Senior and Middle Leadership, Heads of Department, VET Managers/Coordinators, School RTO Managers, Careers Advisors and VET teachers. For more information and to register click here.
NCCD Cross-School Moderation
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) Cross School Moderation workshops are being hosted by QCEC throughout Term 2. These workshops are suitable for teachers who have completed a within school moderation and are relatively new to NCCD moderation. Find out more here. This activity is supported by funding from the Australian Government’s Non-Government Reform Support Fund.
#HATCHAT and #LEADFEED Session
Catholic school teachers aspiring to certification in 2022 and beyond, are being given the opportunity to meet some of the Queensland's Highly Accomplished and Lead Catholic teachers online. The next #HATCHAT and #LEADFEED session will be held on Tuesday 7 June at 3.30pm and there is still time to register. For more information click here.
Senior External Assessment
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) will speak with the Queensland Catholic sector in a dedicated session focussing on external assessment at 3.15pm on 14 June. This online opportunity will feature a presentation from QCAA on external assessment processes and learnings from the first years running external assessment in Queensland. The event will also incorporate masterclasses, which give teachers the opportunity to share their learnings from marking external assessment pieces to assist with the preparation of students and teachers. To register click here.