Priests, Principals and RECs Forum 16 August 2015
Clergy, Principals and Religious Education Coordinators (RECs) from the Diocese of Parramatta gathered for the annual Priests, Principals and RECs Forum on Thursday 6 August at Rosehill Gardens.
The Archbishop of Vancouver, Most Rev J. Michael Miller CSB, was the keynote speaker for the forum focusing on “Educating for today and tomorrow: A renewing passion”. In his address, Archbishop Miller said Catholic schools play a vital role in the evangelising mission of the Church asking the question, ‘is personal witness to the gospel evident in the life of a school?’.
‘It is more necessary now than ever to make people aware of the responsibility to give witness to Christ and the Gospel,’ Archbishop Miller said. ‘In addition to all the other things Catholic teachers do they have the proclamation of the Gospel at the centre of everything they do.’
‘The best way anyone supports it is by personal witness of life, being a joyful Christian around students and on occasion to share explicitly what makes their own heart sing,’ he said. ‘Teaching is one of the noblest vocations because you touch the minds, the heart, the souls of the next generation.’
The Executive Director of Schools, Greg Whitby, said the visiting Archbishop challenged leaders in their work of Catholic schooling.
‘Archbishop Miller brings an understanding of the universal Church and affirmed our direction of “renewing and adapting”,’ Greg said. ‘In a simple, yet powerful, way he asked the hard questions and laid before our leaders four challenges if they are to truly lead schools that live up to the evangelising mission of the Church.
‘At the heart of his challenge, is the call to act and be Church, not just talk about being Church,’ he said.
Following the forum, clergy from the Dioceses of Parramatta and Broken Bay and the Archdiocese of Sydney, celebrated the Feast of St John Vianney, the patron saint of priests, at a special lunch attended by Archbishop Miller.
Educating for Today and Tomorrow: A Renewing Passion - Archbishop Miller Address.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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From Facebook
🏃♀️🌄 Celebrating Our UTA Superstars! 🌄🏃♂️ We are so proud to celebrate the outstanding efforts of our school community at this year’s Ultra-Trail Australia — Australia’s premier trail running event, set in the stunning Blue Mountains. With events starting from the iconic Scenic World in our beautiful town of Katoomba, we had staff, parents and students take part across a range of distances. What an incredible achievement! 👏 Erin took on the UTA22, battling mud, mist and rain — and smashed her goal by finishing 44 minutes faster than expected! 👏 Robert conquered the UTA50 and shared that it was an amazing day with amazing people. 👏 Our very own Ms Sarah completed the UTA100 — an extraordinary feat — made even more special as she was joined by her children crossing the finish line, with cheering crowds making it all worthwhile ❤️ 👏 A special mention to Harriet and Clara, who ran in the Kids UTA and crossed the finish line with plenty of energy still in the tank! Congratulations to all who participated — your determination and spirit are truly inspiring! 💙
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From Facebook
📚 Student Led Conferences – Bookings Now Open! Bookings are now open for our upcoming Student Led Conferences, taking place next week on Tuesday 26th May and Wednesday 27th May. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity for your child to share their learning journey, celebrate achievements, and reflect on their goals with you. 🖥️ Bookings can be made via your Compass Parent Portal. We encourage all families to secure a time that suits them. We look forward to seeing you there!
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From Facebook
🏃♀️🌄 Celebrating Our UTA Superstars! 🌄🏃♂️ We are so proud to celebrate the outstanding efforts of our school community at this year’s Ultra-Trail Australia — Australia’s premier trail running event, set in the stunning Blue Mountains. With events starting from the iconic Scenic World in our beautiful town of Katoomba, we had staff, parents and students take part across a range of distances. What an incredible achievement! 👏 Erin took on the UTA22, battling mud, mist and rain — and smashed her goal by finishing 44 minutes faster than expected! 👏 Robert conquered the UTA50 and shared that it was an amazing day with amazing people. 👏 Our very own Ms Sarah completed the UTA100 — an extraordinary feat — made even more special as she was joined by her children crossing the finish line, with cheering crowds making it all worthwhile ❤️ 👏 A special mention to Harriet and Clara, who ran in the Kids UTA and crossed the finish line with plenty of energy still in the tank! Congratulations to all who participated — your determination and spirit are truly inspiring! 💙
20 May 2026
From Facebook
📚 Student Led Conferences – Bookings Now Open! Bookings are now open for our upcoming Student Led Conferences, taking place next week on Tuesday 26th May and Wednesday 27th May. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity for your child to share their learning journey, celebrate achievements, and reflect on their goals with you. 🖥️ Bookings can be made via your Compass Parent Portal. We encourage all families to secure a time that suits them. We look forward to seeing you there!
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✨ Little Learners is Back at St Canice’s! ✨ We’re excited to welcome back Little Learners starting Term 3, running every Wednesday! If you have a child who will be ready for big school next year or the year after, we warmly invite you to join us. It’s a wonderful way for children to build confidence, make new friends, and become familiar with school life. Even better — Little Learners will run at the same time as our Little Lyrebirds Playgroup, so if you have younger children, you’re more than welcome to come along too! We can’t wait to see you there 💙
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From Facebook
Last week, St Canice’s had the pleasure of welcoming exchange students from Japan into our school community ✨ Our Stage 2 and Stage 3 students came together for a wonderful day of cultural sharing and connection. Students enjoyed playing traditional Japanese games, creating origami, making paper planes and even racing them! It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from one another, build new friendships and celebrate different cultures. To mark the occasion, St Canice’s proudly presented our new friends with gifts of books from local authors 📚 Thank you to everyone involved in making this such a special and memorable experience!
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From Facebook
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From Facebook
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From Facebook
Our Year 4, 5 and 6 students have enjoyed spending time visiting local early childhood centres in our community. Through reading stories, engaging in play, and building meaningful connections, our students have shown kindness, leadership and care for younger children. These visits have been a wonderful opportunity for students to develop confidence, communication skills and a sense of community while creating special memories together. We are so proud of the positive relationships they are building and the joy they bring to others. 💛📚
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From Facebook
📚 Enrolments for 2027 are now open at St Canice's Catholic Primary School! A welcoming and inclusive K–6 Catholic school where every child belongs 💙 ✨ Now FEE FREE!* ✨ Small class sizes with personalised learning ✨ Contemporary learning spaces ✨ Passionate teachers using the latest technology ✨ Supporting every child to grow through love and learning Located in beautiful Katoomba, St Canice’s nurtures students to reach their full potential in a caring community. #InclusiveEducation #StCanicesKatoomba #CatholicEducation #Katoomba #BlueMountains #PrimarySchool #NowEnrolling #FeeFree #InclusiveEducation
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From Facebook
What a fantastic day for our Stage 2 boys and girls at the Futsal Gala Day! A huge congratulations to all students who competed with enthusiasm, skill and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. It was wonderful to see teamwork on display, determination in every match, and a genuine respect for opponents and officials. A special mention to our amazing parent supporters—your cheering and encouragement from the sidelines made such a positive difference and helped create a great atmosphere for all involved. Well done Stage 2, you did yourselves and the school proud! 🏆
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From Facebook
St Canice’s students proudly marched in the ANZAC Day parade in Katoomba, showing respect, courage and community spirit as they honoured the service and sacrifice of our ANZACs. We are so proud of the way our students represented the school with such dignity and pride. 🌺
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From Facebook
On Thursday, our FIAT (Faith In Action Team) gathered for the first time this term. 💛 Together, we spent time in prayer, giving thanks and reflecting on how we can continue to make a positive difference in our school community. The company was delightful, the conversations meaningful… and of course, the cupcakes were absolutely delicious! 🧁 We look forward to all that FIAT will bring this term as we continue to put our faith into action. ✨
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From Facebook
🌟 Is your child starting school in 2027? 🌟 Enrolments are now open at St Canice’s Primary School! In an exciting move to support families, St Canice’s is fee-free because we want families to choose the right education for their children without money being the deciding factor. At St Canice’s, excellence in education is at the heart of everything we do. From engaging classroom learning to enriching outdoor experiences, students thrive in a supportive and inspiring environment. 🌿 Set in a world heritage-listed location 🎶 Weekly music lessons & Conservatory of Music access 🏀 Spacious outdoor play areas, sandpits & basketball court 🤝 Strong community focus with inclusive programs St Canice’s is more than a school — it’s a place where children grow, belong, and flourish. 📞 Book a tour today: 4780 6800 📧 Email: stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au ✨ Discover the difference at St Canice’s ✨
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From Facebook
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