1 Jul 2026
Dear colleagues, students, parents, and friends of Catholic education,
The first half of the year has concluded, so I want to thank our dedicated principals, teachers, and non-teaching staff who help ensure our schools and offices are delivering the quality, Catholic education that families expect from us.
Throughout this term, I’ve been privileged to visit a number of our schools including a regional visit to seven schools in the Bunbury Diocese, and celebrating anniversary masses at St Columba’s School in Bayswater (90th), Mazenod College (60th), and Clontarf Aboriginal College (40th). I also joined Catholic Education Commission WA Chair, Tim Shanahan for a visit to St Kieran Catholic Primary School, took in school productions at St Norbert College and St Mary MacKillop Catholic College, and joined the Liverpool FC International Academy community day at Irene McCormack Catholic College. Finally, I joined Mater Dei College for the groundbreaking on their new build, a lovely way to close out the term at a College where I previously served as Principal.
During each of these visits, I am reminded of the long history Catholic schools have of supporting young people to discover their passions and nurture their talents. It’s great to see our alumni shine on the national and international stage, and no stage is greater than the FIFA World Cup. With an estimated 5 billion viewers, soccer’s global showcase features amongst its players, Jacob Italiano (Mary MacKillop Catholic Community Primary School and Servite College), and Alessandro Circati (Servite College), who have been representing the Socceroos.
In addition to nurturing students’ passions and talents, our schools support students to become thoughtful, caring young people. Each year, students are encouraged to demonstrate this care for others through LifeLink. Earlier this term, I spoke to Secondary students at their annual LifeLink Day, thanking them for the dedication they show to find creative and inspiring ways to raise funds for this cause. The care and time involved in producing these projects is a wonderful example of the spirit of service that we place at the heart of our Catholic school communities.
These are great opportunities to witness first-hand the wonderful communities being built in Catholic schools across the State, and to celebrate the milestones and achievements of each of these schools. There will be further opportunity to showcase the programs and talent within our schools next term through the annual Quality Catholic Education (QCE) Awards, and the Performing Arts Festival.
Nominations for the QCE Awards close on 11 August, with winners announced at the Staff Celebration and QCE Awards event on 19 October. I know that there are great initiatives and programs taking place in all our schools which would be worthy of being recognised, and I encourage you to submit your nomination by visiting https://awards.cewa.edu.au/.
Whilst our schools are at the forefront of delivering a quality, faith-based education to families who seek one, they are quietly supported by our CEWA office staff. Those staff provide a range of services that create environments in which principals and teachers are empowered to live out their vocation. In May, office staff joined together for our annual Staff Development Day, which followed the Commissioning of new CEWA office staff. This year we commissioned new staff before gathering in Leederville to take part in sessions ranging from building bikes for charity, learning about managing food waste and improving nutrition, to getting in touch with their creative side through art and craft workshops.
Giving our leaders and staff an opportunity to gain knowledge, learn new skills, and deepen relationships is an important part of ensuring the education we deliver is modern and child focused. In Term 3, school and office leaders will gather for the second of our Leaders’ Forums, whilst many of our leaders and staff will be taking part in the Early Childhood Conference, hosted by CEWA at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in August. I look forward to hearing what ideas emerge from these events.
Finally, I want to wish you all a safe and restful break and thank you for your continued support for Catholic education.
God Bless,
Annette Morey
Executive Director
