New REC at St Bernadette’s Primary, Dundas Mary Elliot with her students.
On Wednesday 24 February 2016, more than 20 newly appointed Principals, Assistant Principals, Religious Education Coordinators (RECs) and Team Leaders attended the annual New Leaders’ Breakfast held at the Catholic Education Office in Parramatta.
The New Leaders’ Breakfast provided an opportunity for newly appointed school leaders to meet with System Leaders and Directors of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Parramatta.
New Assistant Principal at St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas Jason Scanlon with students.
Executive Director of Schools Greg Whitby said the breakfast provided a great opportunity for new leaders to meet with their peers and be reminded of the importance of their roles in Catholic schooling.
'I'm so excited for our new leaders,’ Greg said. ‘Our school communities will thrive on the fresh approach they bring to our work of learning and teaching.’
New leaders heard from Delegate to the Diocesan Administrator and Vicar for Education, Rev Chris de Souza PP about the expectations of being a leader in Catholic education.
‘In leading the learning, questions will arise and collectively we can find answers together, if we remain focused on the mission,’ Fr Chris said. ‘I am my work made in the image and likeness of God.’
New REC at St Bernadette’s Primary, Dundas Mary Elliot said she was reminded of what a privilege it is to work in a Catholic school.
‘Fr Chris reminded us that we are the face of mercy to all those we meet and reiterated the importance of working collaboratively with others "to lead all people in love",’ Mary said.
New Principal at St Oliver’s Primary, Harris Park Barbara Young said the breakfast offered a meaningful occasion to connect and engage professionally with her peers.
‘As a new leader, and as part of the system I am connected to, I am challenged to re-imagine Catholic education for the contemporary world,’ Barbara said. ‘This can only be achieved through collaboration with my faith and learning community on a local, diocesan and global level.’
‘Through this collaboration we can “give saints to the world”’, she said.
New Assistant Principal at St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas Jason Scanlon instructing students.
New Assistant Principal at St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas Jason Scanlon said the opportunity to lead as part of team of educators in the Diocese of Parramatta is a challenge that both engages and inspires.
‘As Fr Chris de Souza reflected this morning, we lead the common mission of the Church... and we do this, as Greg Whitby stated, by forming saints in our young people,’ Jason said. ‘My new role is all about this journey of learning for both teachers and students, so that we can build in each young person strong minds and gentle hearts.’
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
-
18 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning, Year 1 met with Father Andrew in the church to learn more about the Sacrament of Baptism. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to deepen their understanding by seeing, smelling and touching the sacred items used during Baptism. Through this hands-on experience, students were able to make meaningful connections between their learning in Religion and the sacramental life of our Church. A beautiful opportunity for our young learners to encounter and celebrate our faith!17 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Thank you to our wonderful Kindergarten parents for hosting the school canteen today! Lots of delicious treats were enjoyed 🍭
Latest News More news
28 Sep 2026
Celebrating 40 years of Voice of Youth and the power of student voice
Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
18 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning, Year 1 met with Father Andrew in the church to learn more about the Sacrament of Baptism. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to deepen their understanding by seeing, smelling and touching the sacred items used during Baptism. Through this hands-on experience, students were able to make meaningful connections between their learning in Religion and the sacramental life of our Church. A beautiful opportunity for our young learners to encounter and celebrate our faith!
17 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Thank you to our wonderful Kindergarten parents for hosting the school canteen today! Lots of delicious treats were enjoyed 🍭
15 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning, some of our Stage 3 students experienced the spectacular ‘Be the Witness’ musical at Riverside Theatre. The production shared the life of Jesus through the eyes of Peter, bringing the story to life through powerful song, dance and theatre. Our students were immersed in the story of Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection and had the opportunity to reflect on His message and mission in a truly engaging way. We are very grateful to CSPD for providing our students with this wonderful experience of faith, allowing them to encounter the story of Jesus in such a meaningful and memorable way.
11 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning Mr White, our Student Animator, led a small group of students in prayer. The prayer focus was ‘The Season of Creation’ and allowed students time to reflect on the gift of creation given by God. Students also reflected on our responsibility to preserve and promote creation 🍃🌸🌱🌷We look forward to Mr White offering students from Year 4-6 in future formation sessions throughout this term and in Term 4.
09 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Today in music, Stage 3 students practised maintaining a steady beat by creatively jumping to the beat of Michael Jackson’s music. They then began composing their own musical pieces, exploring the elements of beat, rhythm, melody and timbre. Musicians in the making 🎶🎵
04 Sep 2026
From Facebook
This morning we welcomed our wonderful Fathers, grandfathers and father figures for a delicious breakfast! Our Infants students led a beautiful Father’s Day Liturgy which was followed by some fun dad jokes and a great song! Thank you dads - you are simply the best!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic book week! We have loved every minute of the soundscapes, book reading, games and fun that 2026 book week has brought. We love reading and we love book week!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Going Faceless You might notice something a little different on our school social media page and we wanted you to hear the why straight from us. We have a new approach to social media, taking a proactive stand on protecting our students’ online safety. We’ll keep sharing what our students are learning and achieving, the wins, the projects, the everyday moments that make our school community special. But we will not be posting identifiable photos of children’s faces on our public social media pages. This follows new guidance from the e-Safety Commissioner about how AI tools are being used to misuse photos taken from school social media pages. Our school takes online safety seriously. We’ll continue to share event memories directly with families through our newsletter. We ask that these photos aren’t used on personal social media platforms. Families who have selected ‘not for publish’ will still not appear in these photos. To update your permission, please contact the office. This is a new endeavour and like any new approach, we may not get it perfectly right every time as staff adjust. We appreciate your patience as we find our feet. Thank you for backing us as we take this step. 💙
28 Aug 2026
Our schools are cracking the reading code
Do you remember how you learned to read? For a vital skill that is linked to all other learning, it’s surprisingly difficult to explain how to go about learning it.
23 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Another fun-filled trivia night! Parents, friends and staff gathered last night for an evening of trivia, music bingo, dancing and laughter. Thank you to those who attended and supported our school. Thank you to DJ Louie who brought the fun!!
20 Aug 2026
Six Habits That Help Children Develop a Love of Reading
Book Week is a celebration of stories, imagination and creativity, but helping children love reading isn't just something that happens during one week of the year. The good news? It doesn't take expensive resources or hours of extra time. Often, it's the small, everyday habits that make the biggest difference.