Principal's Report
Catholic Education Week
Welcome to Catholic Education Week 2021.
Catholic Education is celebrating 200 years in Australia, marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820.
First Catholic school
The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest Fr. John Therry and run by convict and lay person George Marley. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students. By 1833, there were 10 Catholic schools in the colony.
Celebrating the legacy
Over 200 years, Catholic schools have grown to become the largest provider of schooling in Australia (outside government) with one in five school age students attending a Catholic school.
This represents 777,000 students in 1,755 schools across the country and employing over 100,000 teachers and staff.
Nearly 40 percent of Catholic schools are located outside of metropolitan cities in regional, rural and remote communities.
This week we reflect in our schools on the gift of grace and our response in faith which leads us to action in spreading the Good News of Jesus and making our world a better place.
(Excerpt from https://200years.catholic.edu.au/
Faith is being sure of something even though we cannot see it. As St. Paul writes to the Hebrews in Chapter 11, verse 1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
In another letter to Timothy, St. Paul reminds the people to “fan into flame the gift that God has given us. God’s gift is not a spirit of timidity, but the spirit of boldness and love and self-control. You have been trusted with something precious; guard it and use it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in all of us.”
The goal of Catholic Education Week is to communicate and celebrate the distinctive mission of Catholic Education. It is an opportunity to celebrate and promote not only the great work being done in our schools but also our Kildare Ministries ethos.
Our College, with its rich heritage of providing Catholic Secondary Education in the Brigidine tradition for 135 years, has every right to be proud of the part it plays in the wider story of the Catholic Church. Many, many students have benefited from the Gospel value-based education provided and have graduated to make positive contributions to the communities to which they belong.
It is our ongoing prayer that all students who experience a Brigidine Catholic education at St. Joseph’s makes the most of the opportunities presented to them during their time at the school.
Parent, Student, Teacher interviews
Thank you to everyone who made these interviews a success this week. We comment often on how important it is for parents, students and teachers to be in a positive and cooperative relationship, working together to ensure the best possible outcomes for all students. This was very evident this week in that energy and preparation that went into making these interviews of the highest quality possible.
Over the next week it would be good for all families to make time to revisit the suggestions made at the recent Parent Teacher Student interviews and to also review the family calendar to make sure that students have adequate time set aside to make the most of the time that remains of Semester I.
This is not a time to let fear of failure interfere with the opportunity to make sure that the end of Semester report accurately reflects the efforts made. I reiterate the challenge to all students to ensure that they always submit their best work, that they approach every lesson and piece of work with a genuine desire to make the most of the talents they are blessed with.
Happy Mother’s Day
A Prayer for Mothers
O Loving Lord,
You have created mothers in love and blessed them with children.
As they work tirelessly to support their families may they be showered with your blessings.
Give mothers strength to exercise compassion as they live each day under your care.
May we, support mothers by their fervour of spirit and devotion to prayer.
Amen
Adapted from a prayer written by Bishop Kevin Manning, Parramatta Diocese
God bless.
Michael Delaney
Principal