National Catholic Education Conference
Greetings from sunny Cairns. I am at the 2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference (2025ACEC), surrounded by over 1,400 delegates including educators, leaders, clergy and religious, parents, academics, and board members from across Australia.
This year’s theme, Hope, anchored in faith, reflects our deep commitment to the mission and strategic vision of Catholic education, grounded in our three strategic priorities of Faith, Excellence and Access. The energy and passion here are incredible, with the three-day program featuring more than 70 keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops and masterclasses.
Key themes include Catholic identity, formation, learning and teaching, leadership and governance, parent, parish and community engagement, resourcing and infrastructure, advocacy and marketing, and more. Already, the conversations have been thought-provoking, energising, and full of practical ideas I am eager to bring back to our school.
Today we were blessed to join in an extraordinary Mass with delegates and more than 1,000 students from the Cairns Diocese. Celebrated by Bishop Most Reverend Caddy, the liturgy was both faith-filled and deeply moving. We were reminded to look to our students as sources of inspiration in hope and faith, and to ensure their voices are genuinely listened to and heard in all our interactions. Everything begins with listening.
Witnessing the students’ joyful and active participation in the celebration was a powerful reminder of the heart of our mission. While it was uplifting to be surrounded by so many young people, it also made me miss our own beautiful students all the more. I am looking forward to the rich learning and deep conversations that will unfold over the next few days, and I am excited to bring back new insights, ideas, and inspiration to share with our school community.
Book Week Fun
It was wonderful to see our students all dressed up as their favourite book characters and joining us for our Book Week Assembly last Thursday. Books have a special way of bringing adventures to life, opening doors to new worlds and sparking our imaginations in ways nothing else can. Some of my own fondest memories are of curling up with a favourite story or heading to the library for the next exciting book to take home.
Reading is also one of the best ways to wind down at the end of the day, creating a calm, happy moment before bed and fostering a life-long love of books. Research tells us that reading to children, even before they can read for themselves, builds vocabulary, strengthens comprehension, and sets them up for success in all areas of learning. It is such a joy to see our students creating those same memories and discovering the magic of reading for themselves.
Let’s Dance
Our Catholic Performing Arts involvement has continued with our wonderful St Denis dance team, under the expert direction of Mrs Watkins, performing last Friday evening at the Convention Centre. Weeks of preparation and hard work truly paid off and the excited smiles on the dancers’ faces said it all. It has been great to see the variety of expression of Arts through our various entries, and I look forward to our upcoming Choir performance in a few weeks’ time.
SAVE THE DATE: Father’s Day Breakfast and Liturgy – 5th September
I am really looking forward to our upcoming Father’s Day breakfast, kindly supported and prepared by our amazing Parents and Friends. It is such a special way to celebrate the incredible dads in our community. Please RSVP to the invitation further in the newsletter to help our parents planning this wonderful event.
Warm Regards,
Sarah Potts
PRINCIPAL
