Religious Education 

Shaping Our Future Together

To mark the beginning of Term 3, we gathered as a staff for a productive Professional Learning Day facilitated by Mr Des Noack, a retired principal of several Catholic schools. The focus of the day was to begin reflecting on who we are as a school community and to lay the groundwork for renewing Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School’s Vision, Mission, and Values.

Rather than adopting a whole new direction, the goal was to listen deeply, reflect on our daily practices, and celebrate the strengths that already define our vibrant school community. 

Staff worked through three collaborative phases:

• Listening: Reflecting on what we value most about our school, what affirms our work, and where our opportunities and challenges lie.

• Discerning: Exploring our shared beliefs about children, learning, and the values that guide our daily actions.

• Becoming: Looking ahead to articulate what we want every student to experience each day at Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School. 

Informed by Community Voices

A crucial part of our discussions involved reviewing feedback gathered from recent student and parent surveys. Grounding our conversations in this data ensured that our reflections were deeply informed by the genuine experiences and perspectives of our families and children. This feedback helped staff highlight where our community feels most supported and guided our focus on sustaining a positive, student-centred environment.

Key Outcomes & Insights

The day reaffirmed that our school has a remarkably strong foundation. Rather than trying to fix our culture, our staff agreed that our focus is on protecting, sustaining, and deepening the special identity we already share as times and needs evolve.  

Key themes and core values that emerged consistently throughout the day included: 

• Core Values of dignity, respect, belonging and compassion

• Living Our Faith: Catholic identity at our school is most powerfully seen through genuine care, daily interactions, and respectful relationships.

• Student-Centred Focus: A strong commitment to putting every child at the centre of our decision-making, ensuring high expectations for learning while maintaining a warm, inclusive environment.

Next Steps Moving Forward

This professional learning day was just the first step in a broader process of renewal. The rich insights gathered from our staff, combined with student and parent feedback, will now serve as a foundation for our Leadership Team, the School Advisory Council and Parents and Friends to finalise this work.

We thank Des for his dedication, wisdom and effort that he has invested into our school and this process - he was able to both challenge and affirm us in the way we think about Catholic Education and working at Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School.

We look forward to keeping you updated as this journey continues.

Mary Mackillop Spirituality Centre

The Mary Mackillop Spirituality Centre is holding an open day to celebrate the Feast Day of Mary Mackillop on the 8th August. This day will be a day of prayer, reflection and community. As part of this day, there is an Art Competition inspired by Mary Mackillop.

See the flyer below for more details about the competition, or visit their website for more information about their open day.