Dear Parents, Students and Friends

I trust that you enjoyed a wonderful winter break. As we begin Term 3, I offer the following news and information to support a successful start to the new term.

As communicated at the beginning of the year, the Catholic Church is celebrating the Jubilee Year of Hope, a sacred year officially proclaimed by Pope Francis. This special year-long event invites Catholics around the world to embrace a time of grace, prayer, and reflection. It serves as an opportunity to renew their faith, draw closer to God, and centre their lives on mercy and forgiveness. Guided by the theme "Pilgrims of Hope," the Jubilee Year highlights a shared journey of faith, hope, and spiritual renewal, inspiring all to walk together in hope and trust in God's love.

During the break, Mrs Kym Millikin and Mr Andrew Kenneally travelled to Italy as part of the Archdiocese’s Jubilee Year pilgrimage. They encountered the pathways of some of the Church’s greatest saints, from St Francis and St Clare of Assisi to St Peter and Paul in Rome, where they crossed the threshold of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica and received the Jubilee blessing. I am confident their experiences will have a profound impact on them both personally and professionally for years to come, contributing to their capacity as Catholic leaders.

ACCREDITATION B - Nurturing the call: tending the seed
Teaching in a Catholic School
On the last day of last term, Accreditation B was offered as professional learning for all teaching staff who had not experienced this training and received their accreditation at this level. Whether teachers are Catholic or not, their choice to teach in a Catholic school calls them to make a commitment to share with parents a sacred responsibility for the educational, spiritual and emotional development of the young people in their care.

“This challenge demands certain essential qualities. It requires careful preparation, a facility for reflection and a constant readiness for professional renewal and conversion of heart. Such teachers bring to their task an extraordinary giftedness and a profound sense of mission which significantly impact on their schools and on their own effectiveness. All teachers who are people of faith, trying to live according to the values of the Gospel, can make an enormous contribution to the specifically Catholic character of the schools in which they work and to the growth in faith of their students.”

The Privilege and the Challenge:
The Teacher in the Catholic School
Sydney, 2009, p. 6    

It is important to highlight that Catholic Character is not merely articulated or delivered as a slogan:

• it is present and identifiable in relationships within the college
• it is present in the symbols, the visible metaphors of Catholic faith and culture, in and around the college
• it is present in the rituals and routines of daily college life
• it is present in the way pastoral care is exercised and the way pastoral care programs are developed
• it is present in the celebrations and the values those celebrations reflect
• it emanates from an understanding and appreciation of the Sacred Scriptures and the life and tradition of the Church.

Catholic Education, Archdiocese of
Canberra & Goulburn

WELCOME FR JOSHUA SCOTT – PARISH PRIEST
SACRED HEART PARISH MORUYA

It has been delightful to welcome Fr Josh as our new Parish Priest. In such a short time, Fr Josh is enlivening the parish and bringing a fresh perspective to Sacred Heart parishioners. Fr Josh intends on visiting the college regularly and being involved in the daily religious life of Carroll. A warm welcome, Fr Josh!

NAIDOC WEEK

NAIDOC Week celebrations for the College began last week with our biennial event known as Yuin Bunaan on Wednesday 23 July at Captain Oldrey Park, Broulee. Mrs Michelle Katuke, Mr Riley Nolan and Miss Sam Ellis organised the Yuin Bunaan in collaboration with St Mary’s and St Bernard’s staff. The Yuin Bunaan is a cultural celebration held by our Catholic Schools on the South Coast. Students, families and staff from our three schools were involved and our Aboriginal families were invited to attend. This event forms part of our NAIDOC celebrations and is a day for students and families to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture through participation in a range of traditional activities, including a traditional cook-out. Funding to support this event was provided through a grant from Aboriginal Affairs.

Last Friday 25 July, our Indigenous students, accompanied by Mrs Katuke, Mr Nolan, Miss Ellis and I attending the NAIDOC Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral in Canberra.  

Following Mass, we undertook a guided tour of Reconciliation Place before travelling home. It was a really enjoyable day with our students who attended.

Today, we have celebrated as a college community with a NAIDOC Service in our hall. Thank you to all involved who have been working with our Indigenous students and leaders to prepare for this special occasion. A profoundly moving and deeply meaningful service.

This year’s theme chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience. The 2025 theme celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors. 

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENT LEADER (SPADL)
We are delighted to welcome Mrs Philippa Brearley to our school community this term as our new School Performance and Development Leader (previously known as the Performance and Improvement Leader – PIL), succeeding Mr Tim Smith. Mrs Brearley will be visiting the college regularly, and we warmly congratulate her on this significant appointment.

CATALYST FOCUS
Guided Practice – 'We Do'

Our staff professional development day to begin Term 3 saw the continuation of our Catalyst implementation with HITP (High Impact Teaching Practices) Theory & Practice modules. We looked at effective teaching with Guided Practice – the ‘We Do’ phase of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. This research-based instructional framework is designed to transition learning from teacher-led to student-driven in three stages: I Do, We Do, You Do.

This session zeroed in on the ‘We Do’ phase, where students actively participate with teacher support. We’ll explore how to:

• Manage cognitive load effectively,
• Use targeted questioning to deepen understanding,
• Distinguish between review and retrieval, and
• Monitor and support student progress during guided practice.

This session was valuable for refining our knowledge and understanding of explicit instruction and deepening student engagement.

As part of supporting schools with the onboarding of new teachers, the Catholic Education Teaching and Learning team facilitated an onboarding day yesterday in Canberra. This was attended by Mr Barnett, Mrs Jamieson, Ms Paull, Mrs McAsh, Mrs Gosch and Mr Nebelung.

We are proud to offer an array of exceptional opportunities for both students and staff. Our students are truly fortunate to engage with the principles of the Science of Learning, which provide invaluable insights into the learning process. The application of cognitive load theory, in particular, elevates learning to an entirely new level, fostering deeper understanding and enhanced outcomes.

With respect and encouragement to you.

Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal

“The Holy Spirit reminds us first and foremost that we are children loved by God –
                                        everyone equal in God’s love, and everyone different.”     (Pope Francis)