This Saturday, Armidale Diocese will see what has become a rare event in the recent history of most Australian Catholic dioceses; an ordination to the priesthood. Damien Locke will be ordained by Bishop Michael Kennedy. COVID restrictions will mean the ceremony will involve only a tiny number of people, those actually involved in the ritual. That’s surely a very different scenario from what Damien and those organising the ceremony had long envisaged.
Huge congratulations and thanks must go to Damien for the commitment he is making to serve God’s people. The priesthood is a path which very few Australian men are choosing to follow. Honour boards of most Catholic boys’ colleges haven’t seen additions to the one listing Old Boy Priests for a long time. Sociologists of religion can suggest different reasons for why this has happened.
Let’s pray for Damien that the joys of his new way of life far outweigh the sorrows and that many people benefit from his loving, pastoral leadership for many years.
Let’s pray that the Church in Australia and in many other parts of the world experiencing a swift decline in the number of priests will find ways to meet that challenge.
Let’s pray for those priests who have come from their home to become part of the Catholic Church in Australia.
(Details of the livestream of Damien’s ordination will be available later in the week on the Diocese’s website and Facebook page.)
Working With Children Check Extended For Three Months
The Office of the Children’s Guardian(OCG) has advised that working with children checks due to expire between 19 July 2021 and 26 September 2021 have been extended for three months. The three-month period applies from the date of the person’s current expiry date. Anyone granted an extension will be advised by email from the OCG.
(Leanne Woods)
Income Statements for 2020-21 Financial Year
The Catholic Schools Office has finalised our employee’s pay and superannuation data for the 2020-21 financial year and this information has been forwarded to the Australian Taxation Office.
With the introduction of Single Touch Payroll the Catholic Schools Office is no longer required to issue Payment Summaries (aka Group Certificates) to our employees. Your end-of-year financial information (Income Statement) is now available in your ATO online account (via myGov) or from your accountant.
Applications for the 2021 Roger O’Sullivan Memorial Award for Family, School and Community Partnerships for Learning. The due date is now Wednesday 20 October 2021.
The goal of this retreat is to provide an opportunity for you to deepen your relationship with Christ and to experience how Catholic rituals and practices support us in growing and deepening this relationship. There will be times of input, time for personal reflection and reading and times to join in Catholic faith practices and prayer.
Available to: Classroom teachers, Educational Assistants and Administration Assistants who have at least 3yrs experience in our Diocesan schools.
On 13 September, 2021, Google Drive will apply a security update to some of your files to make file sharing more secure. This update will change the links used for some files, and may lead to new access requests for the impacted files. Access to these files won't change for people who have already viewed them.Learn more
As always if you have any questions or experience any issues following this maintenance please reach out via the ICT Service Request Form.
(Fletch Davies)
Annual School Report - Final Assurance Task for 2021
Please ensure your School Annual Report has been uploaded onto your School Website. NES - 36 Assurance Task is now able to be completed. It is due 20 August 2021.
(Geraldine Chapman)
Provide feedback on K-2 DRAFT English & Mathematics Syllabuses
The evidence-based draft syllabuses and support material will be released on 2 August for a three-week consultation period.
This consultation is to confirm changes made after initial feedback on draft English and Mathematics K–2 outcomes and content.
NESA is encouraging all stakeholders, including teachers and school leaders, to give feedback by completing the survey between 2 August to 23 August.
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete for each Key Learning Area (KLA). There are a number of specific questions as well as the opportunity to make general comments at the end of the survey.
The survey will be open until 5pm on Monday 23 August 2021. For more information contact: syllabusdevelopment@nesa.nsw.edu.au
(Vicki Hartley)
MAPA Training 03/09/2021
Management of Actual or Potential Aggression Training (MAPA) will be held (COVID permitting) in St Philomena's School Moree on 3 September 2021 starting promptly at 8.30am until 3.45pm. Register hereby 27th August 2021.
(Geraldine Chapman)
Diocesan Men's Gathering
These gatherings are a project of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. See link. There are two phases but participation in the first, while recommended, is not a prerequisite for participation in the second. In the first, available from early August, men in small groups from parishes, schools etc. are invited to come together for three one hour sessions, each based on a pre-recorded talk of about 20 mins. For Phase 2, a gathering is planned to take place at St Nicholas’s Tamworth on Saturday 16 October. Male staff members are urged to consider taking part, either as part of a parish group or by forming a school-based group. If the group is school-based, a leader should contact the organisers as indicate in the linked flyer.
(Gerard Hore)
Catholic Mission: “One Heart, Many Voices” Virtual Conference
RECs may wish to consider their schools’ being involved in this event (1-3 September). Registration not only leads to participation if and when time allows but also to access conference materials after conclusion of the event.
(Gerard Hore)
Vinnies Winter Sleepout Postponed
The COVID outbreak has led to the postponement (perhaps optimistically?) of the sleepout until 27 August. So schools can still register.
While the Society of St Vincent De Paul is not an official Diocesan or Papal Agency (unlike Caritas or Catholic Mission respectively) most Australian Catholics recognise “Vinnies” as another marvellous example of the Church in action. See this for information about Vinnies’ 2021 Winter Sleepout. Schools may wish to engage in it as their additional “charitable works fundraiser” for this year.
(Gerard Hore)
Extension on Maintenance of Accreditation and Proficient teacher Accreditation due this term Teachers who are overdue or due to complete Proficient Teacher accreditation or maintenance of accreditation in Term 3, 2021 have been given an extension to the start of Term 4, 2021 (5 October 2021).
For a confidential discussion about this opportunity and to obtain a copy of the Information Pack please contact Anthony Spata at REACH Human Resources on 0402 210 055 oranthony@reachhr.com.au Closes 22/08/2021
Catholic Education, Northern Territory Pleaseclick herefor further information.
