This year we join with catholic schools throughout Australia to celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia.  On Monday we join with other Catholic schools to pray for Catholic education on the Solemnity of Our Lady Help of Christians.  The songs and readings were chosen to reflect the mission and vision we have for Catholic education; we celebrate the growth of wisdom, the uncovering and recognition of our unique gifts, the light that God provides to illuminate this for us all and as a part of one Church we are celebrating who we are and what we bring to our world. So I share with you this scripture

The rewards of wisdom

Wisdom teaches her children
    and gives help to those who seek her.
Whoever loves her loves life,
    and those who seek her from early morning are filled with joy.
Whoever holds her fast inherits glory,
    and the Lord blesses the place she enters.

Sirach 4:11-13

NAPLAN 2021

What an amazing job our students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 did over the past two weeks to complete their NAPLAN.  It was great to see them trying their best on the four different tests.  We look forward to the information these tests will provide to us, as a College, to inform how we can continue to improve and grow our teaching practice to progress student learning.

200 YEARS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION

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 in Australia

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. 

Catholic Education in Dalby

In 1863 the O’Farrell Family bought the Royal Hotel as their residence and a portion of this building became the first Catholic school in Dalby run by lay teachers.  Then 14 years later in 1877 formal Catholic Education began in Dalby with the Sisters of Mercy, under the leadership of Mother Mary Rose, conducted a school at The Plough Inn.  The school at the “Inn” was to be known as St Columba’s and was situated on the Corner of Myall and Bunya Streets. 

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 per cent of Catholic schools are located outside of metropolitan cities in regional, rural and remote communities.  www.200years.catholic.edu.au

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education