In a first for Catholic Education South Australia – twelve educators (and a dog!) have been recognised at the inaugural Catholic Education Awards ceremony on May 12.
The Awards – which are celebrated as part of Catholic Education Week (May 9 – 15 2022) – recognise outstanding achievements and contributions by staff and volunteers across South Australia’s 103 Catholic schools.
The awards were presented at an event at Sacred Heart College, attended by Mr Blair Boyer MP, Education Minister, Sally Egan, Deputy Director, National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) and Professor Denis Ralph, Chair, South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools.
The awards were presented to 12 outstanding recipients across six categories including:
The exceptional recipients are those whose efforts are beyond the already high standards of education and care delivered by all those involved in Catholic education, including St Joseph’s School, Renmark who received an 'Innovative Program' Award for their Wellbeing Program. The program has seen them implement a Wellbeing Team, a Wellbeing Room, a Wellbeing Expo, a standalone Wellbeing Hub website - and even a Therapy Dog!
Through their commitment, the awardees will have made a difference in the lives of students or others with whom they come into contact as they carry out their responsibilities in Catholic education.
“Every single one of these recipients has gone above and beyond. They are a wonderful example of the unwavering commitment to Catholic education shown by staff and volunteers in our 103 school communities across the State. Our Awardees demonstrate the extraordinary outcomes that can be achieved when people are passionate about teaching and learning,” said John Mula OAM, Deputy Director, Catholic Education South Australia.
“At Catholic Education South Australia we really care about our students – we are keen to see every young person in our schools thrive. These awards shine a light on the incredible lengths our staff and volunteers will go to support the learning and wellbeing of our students.”
Congratulations to all the awardees below. Full citations can be read on the Catholic Education SA Awards website.
Aurianne Warley
Early Career Teacher (Primary)
Aurianne is an Early Years educator and team leader at Nazareth Catholic College – Early Childhood Centre, Findon. She nurtures each person she meets, helping them to thrive through warm, genuine relationships and an exceptional educational program.
Aurianne has used her initiative to embed ICT practices into the classroom and supports the ongoing learning of her colleagues. She has developed instructional videos for her teaching team in her own time, offers to meet with and provides continuous professional support for her colleagues, again in her own time.
Her outstanding skills were exhibited when Aurianne developed a website to showcase the Nazareth ELC for their Excellence Application to the Education Standards Board with the centre consequently awarded an Exceeding rating.
Alanah Rowe
Early Career Teacher (Secondary)
Alanah is currently the Middle Years Curriculum Enrichment Coordinator and a Years 7-12 Educator at Caritas College, Port Augusta, in her fifth year of teaching.
She was nominated by multiple colleagues for this award for consistently demonstrating excellence in teaching through her commitment to seeing all students achieve.
The Awards panel received multiple letters and emails from current students and families who shared Alanah’s inclusiveness and ability to create safe learning environments where each individual student felt recognised and celebrated as unique learners.
Leigh O’Shaughnessy
Experienced Teacher (Primary)
Leigh has been a highly respected and much revered educator at Caritas College, Port Augusta for over 20 years.
He is a contemporary leader of faith; a role model to staff and leads by example, who willingly mentors early career teachers and encourages them with his innovative teaching practices.
As the Leader of Teaching and Learning, Leigh actively supports and leads other staff in developing their teaching and learning practices. Through his role of Reception-Year 6 Director of Learning he helps to ensure that the College remains a safe and happy place for every student to learn and grow.
Rebecca Footner
Experienced Teacher (Secondary)
Rebecca has been a dedicated and cherished member of the Mount Carmel College, Rosewater community for 19 years. Rebecca is a passionate, dedicated, lively and experienced educator and leader, holding many positions of responsibilities including Health and Physical Education Coordinator and Year Level Coordinator.
Rebecca is passionate about providing all students with the opportunity to achieve to their full potential. She is committed, compassionate, kind, generous with her time and is someone whom students and staff can depend on.
In supporting students with their wellbeing, Rebecca has established many lunch time activities including Games Club, Chess Club and a highly popular Breakfast Club. Students cherish her positivity and enthusiasm.
Ralph Broughton
Volunteer Supporter
St Michael’s College, Henley Beach has been wonderfully served for 20 years by the generous efforts of retired educator Ralph Broughton.
Since retiring from teaching 20 years ago, Ralph has worked with teachers and provided extra support for them in classes. He has tutored students out of class time, conducted holiday revision programs, run exam revision sessions, prepared teaching materials, assisted with marking and helped develop curriculum plans.
Ralph often works with students at risk to ensure that they meet minimum SACE requirements, while offering them academic and emotional support. He has taught himself the content of many Year 12 subjects and attends all the Year 12 study periods to assist students. He makes himself available to students at lunch breaks and has developed course notes for several of SACE subjects to summarise the important concepts for students. Ralph has also learnt to use mathematical software and written user manuals to assist staff and students.
Despite being 80 years old, Ralph has been described as having boundless energy and staff have said that “when they grow up, they want to be like Ralph”.
Paul Morgan
Education Support
Paul Morgan has been employed at Sacred Heart College since 1986. During this time, he has had a considerable positive impact on the lives of staff, students, parents and old scholars.
Paul is the Grounds Manager at the College, working tirelessly, including early mornings, late nights and weekends to ensure the College is always impeccable and well-presented.
Paul’s contribution to the College extends far beyond his role of Grounds Manager. Paul has regularly been involved with students and staff through a program designed to form their spiritual development. As part of this program, Paul visited the Davenport Aboriginal community in Port Augusta and put his skills to use to landscape their community, in his own time.
Paul is also involved as Group Leader on Year 12 retreats, teaching meditation to the students and sharing his wisdom and faith journey with them. One person commented about Paul that “Everything he is involved in, is just a better thing.”
Wellbeing Program St Joseph’s School, Renmark
Innovative Program
The Wellbeing Program at St Joseph’s School, Renmark provides support to children, families, and the wider community in managing and developing their spiritual wellbeing, mental and emotional health, physical wellbeing, and provides connections to community contacts to assist with hardship matters.
The program has fostered a school environment that is supportive and nurturing, promotes respect for the dignity of each person, enables inclusivity of those at the edges, and encourages sensitivity, justice and compassion.
During the past four years the program has been evolving and opening up a greater range of options to the benefit of all students, including those who require extra support, either during the school day or for families to assist with supporting their child at home.
Key aspects of the program are the strengthening of support through an enhanced Wellbeing Team, the creation of a Wellbeing Room, the introduction of a Therapy Dog, a Wellbeing Expo and a standalone Wellbeing Hub website.
The program continues to evolve and has the capacity to flow through the Riverland and more broadly across Catholic education in South Australia.
Project Recology & SEED Framework Tenison Woods College, Mount Gambier
Innovative Program
Tenison Woods College, Mount Gambier has a deep long-term commitment to sustainability.
The College has developed a Sustainability and Ecological Environment Education Development (SEED) Framework to integrate sustainability and ecological conversion to ensure a sustainable future and address its environmental footprint.
The College is on track for achieving zero waste by 2025 and zero reliance on the energy grid by 2030 through student led initiatives. The College has is developing a Project Recology Centre which is the vehicle for an innovative Electro-technology program involving student supported solar installations, installation of a 100kg anaerobic bio-digester to capture and process the College’s streamed organic waste through student managed micro-enterprise and implementation of a “Precious Plastics” program, where students repurpose the College’s plastic waste into bespoke usable items.
The College is now partnering with local, national and international organisations and hopes to share the SEED Framework with other school communities in implementing sustainability into their curriculum, culture and community.
Arch D Radio and Podcasting
Innovative Program
Arch D Radio and Podcasting has been an avenue for student voice, student formation, media skills development and community building for the past 11 years.
Founder James Meston sought to create an engagement tool that would highlight the authentic voice of students and young people in a medium that would be entertaining, inspirational and shareable to their peers.
Arch D Radio developed an innovative three-tier podcasting course based that can be delivered in both primary and secondary Catholic school settings, taking students with “no-assumed knowledge” through to producing, writing and announcing their own narrative podcasts.
The Arch D Radio’s original mission statement: “To provide a snapshot of a positive Catholic experience” remains central to its work. The audience has grown to over 30,000 listeners. Several students who engaged with Arch D Radio in school have gone on to university studies in journalism and communication and have succeeded in roles at major radio stations.
Monica Conway
Leadership / Lifelong Contribution
Monica Conway recently retired as the Assistant Director: Catholic Identity at Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) after 44 years of exemplary leadership.
Monica has held many roles in Catholic schools and the Catholic Education Office including class teacher, Religious Education teacher, Religious Education Coordinator, Deputy Principal, Coordinator Religious Education, Principal Consultant and Assistant Director of Religious Identity and Leading Learning and Catholic Identity and Mission.
Monica’s contribution and achievements include multiple roles for the South Australian Commission for Catholics Schools (SACCS), and representing CESA on the Education Standards Board, SACE Board and more, as well as research for and the development and implementation of multiple CESA standards and documents.
Monica’s leadership in the Church spans her local parish, pastoral council, Catholic council for Integral Ecology, The Plenary Council and Diocesan Pastoral Council.
Kylie Johnson
Leadership / Lifelong Contribution
Kylie is the Director of Learning at St Barbara’s School, Roxby Downs. She is an inspirational, passionate, and experienced teacher, leader, colleague and mentor, insistent in making a difference to the lives of teachers, students, and families in the outback.
In her roles as class teacher, Inclusive Education Coordinator, Director of Learning and Acting Principal that she has engaged in over the years, Kylie has forged life-giving relationships with students, colleagues, and families.
Kylie’s contribution and achievements include leading high-impact professional learning for all staff, coaching and mentoring early career teachers and advocating for students with additional needs.
Dr Paul Rijken
Leadership / Lifelong Contribution
Dr Paul Rijken is Principal of Cardijn College, Noarlunga Downs. After 17 years of admirable leadership and service to the College, Paul retires at the end of Term 2, 2022. Paul has been at Cardijn since it opened in 1984, its pioneer Physical Education and Mathematics teacher.
Paul has been a teacher, coordinator, Deputy Principal, Principal Consultant, SACCS Commissioner from 2021-2017 and Principal. He has consistently demonstrated dedication and service to children, young people, teachers, support staff and while creating a culture of collegiality and a sense of family.
Paul’s contribution and achievements include leadership in the development of a survey that enables student voice in learning, building a learning community at Cardijn that is consistently achieving outstanding academic results, expansion of outstanding facilities that meet the highest standard of learning environments, the integration of Marcellin Technical College into Cardijn, the growth of the registered training organisation (RTO) and the expansion of Cardijn College as a multi-campus model with Galilee in Aldinga.
In a South Australian first, a new miniature supermarket has opened at Our Lady of La Vang School, Flinders Park. The supermarket will support the education of students with an intellectual disability, autism and a range of specific needs with hands-on learning experiences.
