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CSPWA Awards of Excellence 2020

Catholic School Parents WA are the peak body representing and advocating on behalf of parents who choose a Catholic education for their children. Whether parents are part of a P&F Association, Parent Forum, Friends of ….. or other types of a parent group, CSPWA assist them to work collaboratively with their schools and parishes to provide a Catholic education that will help all children reach their full potential.

This year CSPWA celebrate 10 years of ‘Awards of Excellence in Building Positive School Communities’. The awards acknowledge those within our school communities who contribute to positive outcomes for all members of the school community whether it be children, families, staff or parish. The awards are adjudicated externally and are under normal circumstances presented at the State Conference dinner. However, as with many events this year, the State Conference had to be postponed.

With many schools still not allowing parents on site, due to Covid-19 restrictions, CSPWA were unable to attend school assemblies to present the awards directly to the recipients and so were offered the opportunity to attend the Catholic Schools Staff Breakfast, and to present the awards as part of those celebrations. The Staff Breakfast took place on Friday 19^th October at Crown Perth, acknowledging those staff members who have served Catholic Education in Western Australia for 30 or 40 years. The event also included a presentation of the Quality Catholic Education awards celebrating school improvement that is Christ-centred and child-focused. This year CSPWA were delighted to be asked to be part of the morning’s celebrations.

The CSPWA awards include five categories which are –

Award of Excellence in Building Positive School Community

Parent Group Category
Individual Parent Category
Parish Category
Principal Category
Agnes Weymouth Award

The first four categories are self-explanatory. Some of the criteria these nominees must meet are

Works collaboratively within the school community
Promotes and affirms the work of the school
Takes time to listen respectively to each other and to hear parent perspectives
Facilitates good networking opportunities to build positive school communities
Works collaboratively for the benefit of both school and parish

All nominees this year clearly met all these criteria and more, which of course made the job of adjudicating that much more difficult - a great complaint to have!

2020 also saw the introduction of the ‘Agnes Weymouth’ award which is awarded to a nominee who does not match the criteria of the previous four awards. This award acknowledges that any member of a Catholic school community can make a truly positive difference, whether that person works in administration, is a grounds person or indeed a member of a team specific to that school. The award is named after a much loved, long-standing member of CSPWA. Agnes has contributed to the organisation for over 32 years and was the first female president of CSPWA (then known as the Parents & Friends Federation). Agnes went on to provide the parent perspective on many committees including the Catholic Education Commission of WA. Agnes’ deep faith and her commitment to the importance of the family unit, has been inspirational to council and staff for the past 32 years. Her service and commitment to the organisation will be honoured through the presentation of this annual award. Although CSPWA staff and council are sad that Agnes has decided to step down from CSPWA council, they know she will still be available to provide advice and counsel should it be needed!

The award winners for 2020 were:

Parent Group – Queen of Apostles P&F Association, Riverton

Individual Parent – Michelle McIntosh, St Paul’s CPS, Karratha

Principal – Gina Burns, Principal St Paul’s CPS, Karratha

Parish – Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Girrawheen

Agnes Weymouth Award – Marie Blackburn, Head of Inclusion, Sacred Heart College Sorrento

In Catholic education, parents are considered an essential part of the educating community of a Catholic school, as the first and continuing educators of their child/ren. CSPWA also differentiates between opportunities for parents to be involved in the life of the school through volunteering and participation in governance and advisory bodies and opportunities for parents to be authentically engaged in the learning, wellbeing and development of their children. CSPWA acknowledge the many years of research which points to significantly better outcomes for children and young people when parents are encouraged to be engaged in their children’s learning and to work in true partnership with the school. The CSPWA Awards of Excellence celebrate the successes in this space.

CSPWA would like to thank Dr Debra Sayce – Executive Director, CEWA for her heartfelt words on the morning which spoke of her commitment to the vital partnership between parents and schools. “The parents present on the morning felt truly affirmed for the work they volunteer to do in Catholic schools and CSPWA sincerely thank Dr Sayce and her leadership team for acknowledging them in this special way,” says Siobhan Allen, Executive Director CSPWA.