CSPWA President's Welcome
I have been afforded the opportunity to introduce myself as the new president of CSPWA. I have had children in Catholic Schools in WA for 22 years with my youngest child currently in Year 11. My involvement in my children’s schools has led me in several directions, however namely it has presented me with the opportunity to sit on this state council for 10 years – initially PFFWA and more recently the accurately named Catholic School Parents Western Australia.
I am the proud mother of 4 children, three who have graduated from Catholic Schools who these days are gainfully employed respectively as an architect, a PR & marketing officer and an apprentice electrician. I have no doubt that the Catholic School education received has played a pivotal role in their development as all-rounded individuals, with the ability to productively contribute in a meaningful way to society.
My professional life has been a true blessing where my reality of being a parent often helps me exponentially. I am a Registered Nurse at Perth Children’s Hospital specialising in Burns, Plastics and Orthopedics. I am fortunate that after several dozen years that this is still a passion.
As Term 3 draws to a close, we reflect that for so many of our families this has been an incredibly busy term particularly with the Spirit of the Arts (Catholic Performing Arts Festival) which was conducted across the majority of the term. The calibre of performances whether it be in dance, choral speech, instrumental, choral, theatrical productions or the like or work submitted for display in the Angelico Arts Awards was truly inspirational for all who witnessed. The culmination of the festival last Monday at the Final Concert was well worth attending. The young people who performed were nothing short of awe inspiring, an absolute credit to all involved with them! The hard work of our children, teachers and schools supported by their parents has been well displayed throughout the Festival. All are to be warmly congratulated!
This week is also the final week of ‘normal schooling’ for many of our Year 12 students. Those families with a 2022 Leaver will no doubt be preparing for the final countdown to the conclusion of the chosen courses of study and the inevitable reception of the WACE certificate of graduation from high school and for those studying ATAR subjects, the final ATAR score that always arrives around Christmas! I wish the students well and we parents well in the shopping for study snacks, nutritious meal preparation, conducive study environment preparations and the hope-filled conversations that will fill your homes.
This term CSPWA held our Awards of Excellence Night. The fabulous turn-out of parents from some of our metropolitan as well as country-based schools on the evening held at the Rose and Crown, Guildford was testament to the high regard so many of our individual parents, principals, parishes and P&F groups are held. The presentation by our Keynote speaker, Laura Alison, Chief Psychologist from CEWA on the topic of ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing – the Home/School Partnership’ was extremely well received by the attendees. My gratitude to the administrative staff of CSPWA for facilitating such a positive, fun and all-round enjoyable evening. There certainly was no evidence of shrinkflation on the night!
Recently some members of CSPWA attended the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) Conference in Melbourne, engaging in the multitude of opportunities to gain valuable knowledge of further enhancing opportunities for meaningful parent engagement in their children’s education as well as listen to very high calibre speakers both from Australia and countries abroad. The insightful presentations from some of the speakers will be of great benefit to many of our parents. Please see the article about the conference later in this newsletter.
No matter what stage your children are in their schooling journey, and therefore you are in yours – whether it be attending Kindy roster, canteen duty, volunteering for Performing Arts, coaching sporting teams, holding a prefect’s hand (figuratively speaking!) or the like, the premise remains the same … our children’s benefit from having their parent/s involved and particularly when parents are engaged in their education, is exponential.
I look forward to hearing stories from schools near and far – especially in those places warmer than the cool springtime temperatures of the metropolitan area! – everyone has a story to tell and the sharing of ideas and great work that is being achieved is always welcome. It can be just the right information just at the right time for others in a community that you may never meet in this lifetime and that you don’t even know you’re helping. Enriching opportunities for others is just one of the hidden benefits of sharing your story.
I wish you all (children and parents!) some time of relaxation and enjoyment during the upcoming school break. Rest is restorative for mind, body and soul no matter your age and stage.
Bye for now
Marina Hayward