This National Volunteer Week, we celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers in our school communities and say thank you for their selfless and tireless dedication.
Our 103 Catholic schools in SA are built on the hard work of its volunteers – and a very special one was celebrated at the recent Catholic Education Awards on May 21.
The Volunteer Supporter award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to a school in a voluntary capacity over a significant period of time.
2022 recipient Ralph Broughton has certainly done that – if you call over 20 years a significant period of time!
Ralph approached St Michael’s College at Henley Beach more than 20 years ago, offering his time and expertise as a retired educator.
Since then, the 80-year-old has tirelessly and selflessly applied his experiences to support the teachers and young people in the College community.
Ralph provides teachers both practical and emotional support, sharing his decades of experience in education. He has prepared teaching materials, assisted with marking and the development of curriculum and assessment plans, and contributed extensively to the development of a VET program.
Never hesitating to give his time or energy, he tutors students both in the classroom and out of class time, conducts holiday revision programs and runs exam revision sessions.
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 has developed course notes for several of SACE subjects to summarise the important concepts for students and learnt to use mathematical software to assist staff and students.
Despite being 80 years old, Ralph has been described as having boundless energy and St Michael’s College staff have said that “when they grow up, they want to be like Ralph”.
In his award acceptance speech, Ralph dedicated his award to his mother who worked tirelessly bringing he and his sister up by herself following the death of his father at a very young age.
He acknowledged that his life was influenced by many wonderful Josephite Nuns and Marist Brothers during his own primary and secondary education.
When talking about his dedication to St Michael’s College, Ralph said, “I acknowledge that I give some of my time in helping students achieve a measure of success in their learning. However, it is important to stress that I enjoy every minute of it.
“It adds purpose for my life, keeps my mind active and alert, and improves quality of life in these latter years. The respect shown to me by students and seeing them achieving success is extremely rewarding. The comradery of the staff, their acceptance, friendship, and respect they so freely give, is greatly appreciated”.
Ralph is a wonderful example of a selfless volunteer, as we celebrate National Volunteers Week 2022.
Congratulations on your Volunteer Supporter award and thank you Ralph!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the consultation held in April 2022 on Catholic Education South Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
Feedback was received from a broad cross section of stakeholders including employees, volunteers, contractors and the Independent Education Union.
