Public speaking is something that many people are afraid of undertaking. According to research, it tops our biggest fears, and is one of the world’s most common phobias – but it isn’t a concern for the students who attended this year’s Catholic Development Fund Diocesan Public Speaking grand final - an annual competition which challenges students to develop communication skills, confidence, motivation and knowledge sharing.

A reminder for people to be vigilant about their health and take precautions as the air quality across NSW may be affected by the extensive smoke from ongoing bushfires.

Information on managing bushfire smoke haze health risks and the things you can do to reduce your chances of being affected.

In a society where we are exposed to an avalanche of images every day – be it online, through television or social media – a striking photograph can still cut through the clutter, revealing to us something in our world we’ve been missing. John Therry Rosemeadow students have risen to this challenge, producing remarkable visuals to win 'Champion Photography High School' at this year’s Macarthur Nature Photography Competition.

The decision has been made to REOPEN St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Milton tomorrow (Tuesday 3 December) for those students who can access the school without any impediment.

However, we are respectfully asking that families who live in bushfire affected areas south of the school, such as those between Termeil and South Durras to avoid all non-essential travel including transporting children to school.

In a competition where fast cars are the name of the game, students at Magdalene Catholic College, Narellan are going from strength to strength in their bid to design, construct and race the best Formula 1®​ Car of the Future in the prestigious international F1 in Schools competition.

Read how our three Magdalene teams fared at the recent State Finals.

A song about happiness, a short story about a golden piano, and a painting inspired by a Dubstep song that filled the artist with a “pulse of enjoyment” – these are some of the talented artworks produced by primary and secondary students from Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW).

Catholic Schools NSW's latest 'Teacher Feature' stars Ms Toni Sillis, Principal of Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School, Fairy Meadow. The three-stream school opened in 2012 – an amalgamation of the former St Francis Xavier’s and St John Vianney’s schools. The school also has a Learning Support Centre for students with special learning needs. 

We spent #OneMinuteWith Toni to ask her about her educational background and her aspirations as principal of Good Samaritan.

Eight Year 12 students from across the Diocese of Wollongong have been celebrated at this year’s Bishop's Student Excellence Awards for their outstanding schooling achievements and contributions – praised for exemplifying the best of Catholic education in a young adult about to graduate from school.

INSIDE: View our photo gallery and listen to audio of each student's citation, read out at the ceremony by their principal.

Cushioned lounges, areas for audio recording and ‘charging cupboards’ for gadgets – these are some of the highlights of a renovation makeover at St Pius X Catholic Primary School in Unanderra which has excited students and teachers alike.

The new facilities provide modern and ambient spaces where students are able to learn in a diverse range of settings that incorporate flexible classrooms with breakout areas extending to airy outdoor zones.

Creativity has filled the hallways and classrooms of St Joseph’s Albion Park with a special enthusiasm over the past month – music, singing, art, design, photography, drama, dance and more, all to celebrate ARTSTOBER and showcase some of the wonderful creative and artistic opportunities available at the school.

From investigating the effect of phone radiation to studying the local koala population in an effort to improve conservation practices, John Therry Rosemeadow student, Riley Tonna, has a heart and mind for science. His dedication and hard work in his Science studies have seen him awarded a prestigious Victor Chang School Science Award  for 2019.

Over 50 students from five of our Catholic primary schools have put their innovative engineering, problem-solving and teamwork skills to the test, competing in the inaugural Diocesan VEX Robotics Final – with three impressive teams qualifying for the VEX Robotics Nationals Competition!

Which teams won the challenges and who has been invited to Nationals? Find out inside!

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong was well and proudly represented at the 2019 Teachers' Guild of NSW Awards night, with two key awards conferred on CEDoW staff – John Therry Rosemeadow Science Coordinator, Dr Aidan Johnson, and St Joseph's Albion Park early career teacher, Zachary Ellul.

As Pope Francis said, “An education in the fullness of humanity should be the defining of Catholic schools”. This sentiment is reflected in a new series of policies and procedures from Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW), which were released to schools during several workshops held in September and October. Their aim is to embrace and support student pastoral care, wellbeing and diverse learning needs across all age groups.

World Teachers' Day will be celebrated in Australia this Friday 25 October. The day is an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions all staff in our schools and offices make, each and every day in support of the learning and wellbeing of our students but particularly the important role teachers play in shaping the next generation.

Over a thousand Years 5 and 6 children across the diocese began last term with blank canvases and sheets of paper. Now, 56 talented young students have had their artworks selected for the 2019 CEDoW Christmas Story Art Competition and Exhibition at the Wollongong Art Gallery – inspiring us with beautiful imagery and artistry, rich meaning and creative storytelling to celebrate the Christmas Story. 

Missed out on seeing the Christmas Story Art Exhibition? View our interactive virtual tour with audio to explore the exhibition yourself. View all our top 56 students' artworks in detail and hear from each student as they describe their artwork to you.

They may be young but they’re not lacking in talent. In August, students from St Thomas More Ruse shone in the Wakakirri Story-Dance Challenge extravaganza - Australia’s largest performing arts event for schools - held at Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. The theme of their dance had guests captivated and enthralled, winning the school the ‘Best Biographical History Story Award'.

Describing water as a precious element, Pope Francis emphasises that “access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights”. Noting the fundamental role of water in creation and human development, Pope Francis stresses that it is precisely for this reason that “care for water sources and water basins is an urgent imperative”. 

How do you interpret the words ‘Do not fear for I am with you’? This was the question posed to attendees of the launch of World Mission Month – an annual occasion which celebrates stories of mission around the world, the power of collective charity and generous intentions.

This year, the words of Isaiah 41:10 inspired the theme of the event, which marked a special milestone. In 2019, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV's Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, Pope Francis announced that October would, from that point, be known as The Extraordinary Missionary Month - a worldwide occasion of prayer, stories of mission, formation and charity.

Students at John Therry Rosemeadow have enjoyed a high-quality, interactive biotechnology experience this term, with staff bringing the excitement of scientific discovery to the classroom. Using the kind of equipment university and PhD students use in the laboratory, the students have recreated the process used to manufacture human insulin and other life-saving medications, while practicing core STEM, critical thinking and collaboration skills.

Leadership, inclusivity and the importance of owning your choices - these were some of the wisdom-filled topics shared by Bishop Brian Mascord when he came together with over 2,000 students from systemic and congregational secondary schools to mark the students’ final year at secondary school.

CEDoW Education Officer, Cathy Brown, said the purpose of these gatherings is for our Year 12 students to meet together as young women and men of the diocese to have the opportunity to converse with Bishop Brian.

“The dream has always been to give young people a dynamic, relevant and inspiring experience of the Catholic faith and this year, we saw that dream once again become an exciting reality.” These were the words of Seth Harsh, the Director of the Wollongong LIVE festival, who opened the annual event with a talk unpacking the theme ‘Called’. The subject? 'Who are we called to be, and by whom?’.

After a most distinguished 39-year career as a Catholic educator and leader, Mary Immaculate Catholic Parish Primary School, Eagle Vale’s Don Spencer has enjoyed his last day as principal, retiring from his position last Friday, 13 September 2019.

Read more from Don on his retirement, and the Mary Immaculate community's retirement celebrations for Don at Eagle Vale last Wednesday. 

It’s the final countdown to nominate someone for a prestigious Lighting the Way Faith & Learning Award for 2019.

Hurry! The deadline for nominations is THIS FRIDAY, 20 September.

Head to www.dow.catholic.edu.au/ltw-awards for more information and to nominate today.

Forget the Scarecrow’s wish: ‘If I only had a brain’! Students at St Joseph’s Albion Park have creatively and cleverly tackled a ‘Wizard of Oz’-inspired challenge at the Tournament of Minds Regional Final, outdoing all other Illawarra and South Coast secondary schools to win the Arts competition and earn their place in the NSW State Final!

Read more about the ToM success at St Joseph's, as well as at St Clare’s Narellan Vale, inside.

Robots ready to rumble! After weeks of practising and refining their coding, students across the Diocese who qualified for the CEDoW 2019 mBot Challenge Finals were set to let their mBots do the talking! The culmination of northern and southern regional rounds, the Finals saw over 250 people pack into the Fraternity Club at Fairy Meadow to cheer their teams on, as students coded their mBots to battle, dance and race their way to success.

How do you raise resilient children? How can I help my teen manage anxiety and stress? What’s going on inside my child’s adolescent brain? 

Parents at Holy Spirit College, Bellambi have gained insight into the answers, hearing from adolescent expert, author and educator, Maggie Dent, on how to help teens cope, conquer and shine, with what she calls "calm, common-sense, connected parenting".

Read more about her visit and what advice she gave to parents and teachers.

The next generation of teachers was celebrated at a special event last week to commemorate the achievement of 66 proficient teachers – 30 primary and 36 secondary – who will educate and guide the minds of tomorrow.

At Villa D’oro Function Centre in Wollongong, guests gathered for the Teacher Accreditation Recognition Ceremony - an initiative under CEDoW’s Awards and Recognition Program, acknowledging the achievements of teachers who have reached this significant career milestone.

It’s not every day another country hears of your school’s innovative learning and teaching, and sends delegates to visit to learn more. But that’s exactly what has happened at St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Albion Park, where the High Commissioner for Zambia and his delegation have seen firsthand how the school is using technology to improve student outcomes.

From Kiama to Eagle Vale, Fairy Meadow to Moss Vale, Year 6 leaders across our diocese congregated as faith-filled communities, when Bishop Brian Mascord led a series of regional Masses to mark the students' transition to secondary school – an important milestone in each child’s educational journey.

The yearly Masses, which are a coming-of-age tradition for students graduating from their primary school education, are an opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist and they also remind students how they can foster their relationships with Jesus through compassionate actions and loving words as they grow.

App smashing, augmented reality, iPad tips and tricks, and even creating new and innovative ways of learning using Apple apps and technology – it’s all at the fingertips of St Joseph’s Bulli teacher, Michelle Bunder, who has been accepted into the Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Class of 2019!

Read more from Bunder on her experience as an Apple Distinguished Educator, attending the recent ADE Institute event, and using Apple technology in the classroom to enhance learning and teaching.

In just their first time participating in Wakakirri – Australia’s largest Story Dance Festival involving hundreds of schools and over 20,000 students across the nation each year – St Paul's Moss Vale has won not one, but two awards for their fantastic contemporary dance performance.

A phenomenal effort from the St John’s Nowra Wakakirri dance troupe – they’ve performed spectacularly to win the 2019 Wakakirri Shoalhaven Regional Challenge and pick up a further nine performance and production awards for their powerful dance telling the heartfelt story of a Syrian refugee's tumultuous journey fleeing home.

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I write to you concerning the decision handed down today by the Supreme Court of Victoria’s Court of Appeal in relation to Cardinal George Pell’s conviction on five charges of child sexual abuse. The court rejected the cardinal’s appeal, in a 2–1 ruling...

Read more from Bishop Brian inside.

Caped crusaders, crazy costumes and colourful characters – it’s shaping up to be a jam-packed week of fun and creativity this Book Week, bringing children and books together in our schools all across the Diocese. With inspiration from this year’s theme, ‘Reading Is My Secret Power’, we have a lot to look forward to! 

Here is a snapshot of some of the wonderful celebrations of children’s literature in our schools this week – 10 ways our CEDoW schools are marking Book Week 2019.

It was a young 20-year-old, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, who started the St Vincent de Paul Society when he decided to do something about the poverty he saw in his community. Today, it is the young people in our Catholic primary and secondary schools who are a driving force behind the success of Vinnies’ good works in the Diocese of Wollongong. 

Read more about the Vinnies-CEDoW partnership, as published in the Winter 2019 edition of Journey Magazine.

Smiling in the face of adversity, the value of hard work and ‘doing the God stuff’ - these were some of the topics that delighted, educated and had guests in fits of laughter at the biennial Leading Inspirations Dinner held on 2 August 2019, an initiative of CEDoW's Workplace Gender Equality (WGE) Committee.

Since its inception, the dinner has become a significant networking event for CEDoW employees and their external colleagues, to inspire attendees to pursue their passions while maintaining a work-life balance. This year, we were fortunate to have Robyn Moore as the evening's keynote speaker, whose motivational talks have touched hundreds of thousands across Australia and internationally.

Students at St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Albion Park will now have the chance to train next to first-class athletes at the top of their game – the likes of Matildas star Caitlin Foord, UFC champion Alex Volkanovski, and the Illawarra Hawks. The school’s Aspiring/Elite Athlete Program will see students enjoy state-of-the-art facilities, resources, mentoring and support to be the best-equipped young athletes in the region. 

The exciting new program is aimed at providing aspiring athletes at St Joseph’s with the education, skills and support they need to reach their full potential – in their chosen sport, their academic studies and their life and career ahead.

In 2019, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV's Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, Pope Francis announced that October would, from that point, be known as The Extraordinary Missionary Month - a worldwide occasion of prayer, stories of mission, formation and charity.

This year, the theme of the month is ‘Baptised and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World.’ As his Holiness Pope Francis shared in an open letter, “I have asked that the whole Church revive her missionary awareness and commitment. Celebrating this month will help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in baptism.” 

Students at St Paul’s Camden have enjoyed valuable opportunities to sharpen their artistic skills from those who have come before them, engaging in experiences with talented local artists – including a former student!

Year 4 students were excited to have Magdalene Catholic College, Narellan Year 12 student and gifted artist, Peter Cornett, visit the school to facilitate a manga art workshop with them. Meanwhile, Year 2 students enjoyed learning about perspective drawing from Camden artist, Roger Percy.

Congratulations to our CEDoW staff involved in promoting sustainable development projects and solutions to poverty in disadvantaged communities in the Pacific – our Diocese has been awarded the ‘Sustainable Relationships Award’ at Palms Australia’s Solidarity Awards 2019.

As a roomful of primary school children sat in their classroom engaged in a STEM activity, there wasn’t anything unusual about the scene – apart from the age of their ‘teachers’. On this day, a group of Corpus Christi Catholic High School, Oak Flats students took part in a role swap and became educators for the day in a unique immersion.

A group of students from Years 9 to 12 were tasked with teaching younger students from Nazareth Catholic Primary School in Shellharbour City to give them a glimpse of what it takes to be a teacher and whether it could be their future vocation.

Catholic Schools NSW's latest 'Teacher Feature' stars Mr Danny Sykes, principal of Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Shellharbour. Stella Maris was founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1958. Seven Sisters of Charity have guided Stella Maris in faith, hope and love as educational leaders since the school's foundation, including Sr Colleen Mills, who retired in 2009 – the last Sister of Charity principal in the country. 

We spent #OneMinuteWith Danny to ask him about his hopes in Catholic education and returning as principal to the primary school he once attended himself...

Holy Spirit College, Bellambi invites you to their musical production of Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast'.

See inside to purchase tickets, and for performance dates and times.

“As a student, I am one of many who seem to almost lose themselves in the rush of schoolwork, extra-curricular activities and growing responsibilities,” shared Jaden from Mount Carmel Catholic College in Varroville.

“In this chaotic world, controlled by social media and influenced by the advancement of technology, it’s easy to not find time for reflection and engagement with faith, and to lose track of the important things in life.”

It started off as a short 20-second background video for the homepage of the Diocese of Wollongong’s new website. Six months and 23 separate film shoots later, the diocese has released its new 'It’s Who We Are' video.

The short sub-three-minute video clip narrated by Bishop Brian Mascord and shot by master filmmaker, Hugh Clark, showcases the wonderful people and works of the diocese that happen every day and often go unnoticed.

WATCH the diocese's new video inside.

What better way to practise your language skills than to speak to the experts! In a heartwarming intergenerational experience, students at Holy Spirit College, Bellambi have visited the Italian residents of Marco Polo Aged Care to get to know about life in Italy and put their beginner Italian to the test.

Why did Humpty Dumpty fall? How does an egg move? If Humpty wanted to sit safely on the wall, how could the structure be changed to keep him upright?

These are some of the key inquiry learning questions children from Kindergarten Blue at St Francis of Assisi Warrawong have been investigating, as part of their STEM inquiry based unit – and they’ve left no brick unturned!