AS Term 3 continues to unfold I am finding it hard to believe that we are in the last week of July! The news from the southern states are again a stark reminder that coronavirus is ever present. Please look after yourselves, stay safe and continue to follow the advice of our health professionals. While we cannot celebrate as we normally would, there are still some opportunities over the coming weeks to mark important occasions and celebrations.
This week we celebrate Catholic Education Week (July 26 -August 1) and all the good things we do in our Catholic schools.
To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope. Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn't lock itself into darkness, that doesn't dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow. (Pope Francis)
We had been planning for a great week of celebrations to mark 175 years of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Brisbane this year. While we had to curtail these celebrations, I know our school communities will be creative in the way you celebrate locally this milestone in our Catholic education story. I would like to take this opportunity to send a heartfelt message of support to all involved in our Catholic schools - dedicated principals, passionate educators, committed staff and supportive parents and caregivers. You have been through the most testing of times in 2020 and I sincerely thank each of you for your efforts. I will look forward to hearing what your schools are doing to recognise Catholic Education Week.
It has been wonderful to see so many nominations from BCE schools for the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards this year. Thirty-three individuals and eight teams have been nominated from across our schools. The fact that this is the highest number of nominations ever received from our schools speaks volumes about the calibre and quality of all in our schools. Congratulations to all nominees for these annual awards. It will make it difficult to judge the final winner, which will be announced in a few weeks. While we are not able to host the usual annual awards event as part of Catholic Education Week, we will certainly be celebrating the nominees in our schools and the broader BCE community.
It seems like we are in awards season!
In addition to the high number for the Spirit of Catholic Education Award nominations, I was thrilled to hear that our Student Voice initiative has won a Queensland Child Protection Week Award in the Youth Participation Category. I recently spent time with our Student Voice Consultants, and I witnessed the great impact the initiative is having in our community and the outstanding young people involved in Student Voice who are remarkable. Congratulations Carolyn De Witt-Ryall, Renee Devereaux and all students and school leaders involved in this wonderful initiative. Well done!
It is not just our initiatives and people getting awards at BCE, but our school buildings as well. At the recent annual Queensland Architecture Awards St Joseph's College, Coomera, took home two prestigious awards while St Augustine's College, Augustine Heights, new Senior Years Hub, got a mention and Holy Family School, Indooroopilly's striking church won the prestigious Enduring Architecture Award. I know the level of consultation and work that has gone into the development of these schools and the new buildings, and it is fantastic to see them being recognised across industries beyond the education sector.
Take care and regards,
Pam Betts
Executive Director
Catholic Education Archdiocese of Brisbane