Meet Jackson Parker, My Gateway’s first school-based apprentice!

Jackson, who is a student at John Therry Rosemeadow, began his carpentry apprenticeship in March, working one day per week at host employer, Combined Building.

"My Sisters and Brothers in Christ – this year will mark the first time that I have experienced an Ad Limina visit to Rome with my fellow Australian bishops. The last Ad Limina took place in 2011 and usually happens every five years. So, this visit is very overdue..."

Read more from Bishop Brian as he prepares to travel to Rome next week with Australia’s Catholic bishops for their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit.

As winter begins and times get even tougher for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness in our region, the St Vincent de Paul Society is calling for people to generously volunteer their time to help support our local Vinnies Van.

Read on for more information about the Vinnies Van, what our volunteers say about the experience, and everything you need to know to be a Vinnies Van volunteer and help those in need in our region this winter.

It started off as a simple excursion; a fun trip away from school to visit the kids of Jarjum College in Redfern. But by the end of the day, the students of Holy Spirit College Bellambi came away having an experience they won’t soon forget – appreciating the power of human connection and valuing the start of beautiful, lasting friendships between the students and both schools.

Alpacas, maracas and book stackers galore! Students in our CEDoW schools across the Diocese have joined over one million kids for National Simultaneous Storytime – gathering together in libraries, classrooms and homes across in Australia and New Zealand to be read aloud Australian author and illustrator, Matt Cosgrove’s book ‘Alpacas with Maracas’ at the same time.

Here’s a round up of National Simultaneous Storytime activity in our Catholic primary schools.

Catholic Schools NSW's latest 'Teacher Feature' stars Mr Stephen Lo Cascio, principal of Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville. Mount Carmel is a Year 7-12 co-educational Catholic college serving the parishes of Campbelltown, Eagle Vale, Ingleburn, Macquarie Fields, Ruse and Varroville in the Macarthur region.

We spent #OneMinuteWith Steve to ask him a bit about his background and aspirations in Catholic education...

St Michael’s, Nowra is making the healthy choice the easy choice for students after becoming an official ‘healthy school canteen’, meeting the NSW Government’s new Healthy School Canteen Strategy and food and drink criteria.

The St Michael’s canteen menu now includes a variety of healthy, tasty and interesting food options, providing students with the essential nutrients they need to learn, play and grow.

It’s the lunchbox that's ticking boxes for both parents and kids – colourful, leak-proof, airtight, flexible compartments, cost-effective and an easy lunch-packing solution that reduces our waste and impact on the environment.

Now, the Kindergarten students at Mary Immaculate, Eagle Vale are all proud owners of these special ‘rubbish free lunchboxes’, thanks to a CEDoW Environmental Education Grant.

Illawarra carers Nathan and Deb have been carers for 11 and a half years through CatholicCare Wollongong's Permanency Support Program, Fostering Futures.

After being unable to have their own biological children, Deb and Nathan (pictured) decided to enquire about becoming carers in the hope of being able to provide a child with a permanent home.

Please find a statement from Bishop Brian Mascord regarding the court appearance of Fr Ron Peters.

Each year, over a hundred thousand people and hundreds of organisations celebrate National Families Week — Australia’s biggest celebration of families in all their diversity.

The aim of National Families Week (15–21 May) is to celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society. The enduring theme ‘Stronger families, stronger communities’ highlights the importance of families to communities and that community wellbeing is enhanced by family wellbeing.

The 2019 federal election will be held this coming Saturday, 18 May 2019.

Throughout the election campaign, Catholic Education has highlighted the needs of Catholic schools, and the parties have responded with various election promises. Here are the facts to keep you informed about the policies that affect our Catholic school students and their families.

Catholic Schools NSW's latest 'Teacher Feature' stars Mr Michael Reardon, principal of St Paul’s Catholic Parish Primary School, Camden. The school’s origins go back to 1883, when two Josephite nuns arrived to teach in what is now the school library.

We spent #OneMinuteWith Michael to ask him a bit about his background and aspirations in Catholic education.

I’m writing to express my gratitude for the prayers and support provided for the Townsville Catholic Education Office community, following the recent devastating floods.

The financial support for the ‘Show the Love for Townsville’ initiative, inspired by Brisbane Catholic Education, has been greatly appreciated. Over $4,000 has been raised in our coordinated efforts, with $2,000 of this donated at the Diocesan Education Mass.

On Friday 17 May, children from across Australia will put their feet first, and journey towards a healthier future by participating in the 20th anniversary of National Walk Safely to School Day.

The annual event raises awareness of the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits that regular walking (especially to and from school) can provide for the long term wellbeing of our children. Apart from the physical benefits, regular walking also has a favourable impact on their cognitive and academic performance.

Students with a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at St Therese, West Wollongong are now able to engage in STEM learning in a dedicated ‘makerspace’ area, fostering creativity and inquiry-based learning.

St Therese’s once tired looking basement has been transformed into a vibrant and engaging space that incorporates the school’s Spheros, mBots and VEX robots, as well as a range of construction tools and materials for the students to use to engage in STEM-related activities both as part of in-class learning and during lunchtime workshops.