Media releases

BISHOP WELCOMES ROYAL COMMISSION FINAL REPORT

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba, Robert McGuckin, has welcomed the release of the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to child sexual abuse.

Proactive drug education is key

St Mary’s College have acted decisively and excluded six students from the college as a result of the exchange of marijuana.

Capital funding for Queensland Catholic schools - seeking an election commitment

Catholic schools are continuing to grow and building world class facilities and new schools across Queensland.

Continued funding of the Teacher Capability program beyond 2017 - seeking an election commitment

Continued funding of the Teacher Capability program beyond 2017 will deliver improved outcomes for students in Catholic schools. This successful and valuable program needs to be funded at existing levels over the next four years.

Holy Name teacher wins Apple for the Teacher Award

Mrs Rachel Coggan from Holy Name Primary School has been announced the winner of River 949's Apple for the Teacher Award for 2017.

Toowoomba Catholic educator wins Hedley Beare Award

Long-time Catholic education leader Ken Avenell from Toowoomba has been recognised for his contribution to education with the 2017 Hedley Beare Award for Educational Writing from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

Kids Connect preparations are well underway

Kids Connect preparations are well underway with students from Mary MacKillop Catholic College. The students from Year 6 are preparing a STEM conference for kids by kids.

Catholic schools seeking election commitments

Catholic schools in Queensland are seeking commitments from all political parties that they will maintain and expand their support for Catholic education to ensure the best possible outcomes for 147,000 students.

Toowoomba student wins national Ergon name a character competition

Electricity Safety Week begins on 4 September and Joshua Ringelstein from Sacred Heart Primary School, Toowoomba can’t wait as his competition winning name for one of the Safety Heroes will be a feature of the week’s activities.

Senior debating team win the Queensland Debating Union 2017 grand final

The senior debating team of St Mary’s College is celebrating a well-deserved win this week. Year 12 students: Finn Coleman, Darcy Coleman and Christopher Godfrey won the Queensland Debating Union 2017 Grand Final on Wednesday, 16 August 2017, which was held at Downlands College.

Thank you to professional and school officers

Over 50 Toowoomba Catholic Schools professional and school officers gathered for a thank you breakfast this week.

St Ursula's student in the running for major award

Toowoomba school-based Trainee Chloe Appo has won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award at the South West Darling Downs Regional Final of the Queensland Training Awards.

Catholic Sector Welcomes New Processes Around Accreditation of Non-State Schools

The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) has welcomed new legislation that will consolidate and modernise processes around non-state school accreditation in Queensland.

Staff come together to discuss the role of Catholic education in student’s life journey

Each year, during Catholic Education Week, staff from across the Diocese of Toowoomba come together for Bishop’s Inservice Days. This year, these days were held in Cunnamulla, Roma and Toowoomba.

Preppies prepare lots and lots of soup

Preppies at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby have made 40 litres of soup to share with those in need.

Spirit of Catholic Education award winner goes viral

Fr Ray Crowley is this year’s Spirit of Catholic Education Award recipient. When his win was posted on the Catholic Education Week Facebook page, he had nearly 6000 hits in the first few hours.

Links between schools are strong in Warwick

On Monday, 24 July students from St Mary’s School and Assumption College, Warwick gathered for what has now become an annual celebration during Catholic Education Week. Together, the two schools shared in a prayer based liturgy based on the story of the good Samaritan.

Celebrating 45 years of service and acknowledged with a special award

Well known for her love of rural people and communities, Sr Margaret Andersen has dedicated 45 years of her life to Catholic education as a Sister of St Joseph.

GOVERNMENT IMPOSES UNFAIR FUNDING POLICY ON AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS

National Catholic Education Commission executive director Christian Zahra says while Catholic schools across Australia are bitterly disappointed that the Federal Government has imposed a flawed funding policy on them without consultation, they will today continue to do what they have done for 200 years – provide a great education to one in five Australian students.

Legislation addresses some concerns for Catholic schools Queensland

Catholic schools are now able to plan for the 2018 school year with more certainty following the passage of the Federal Government’s school funding legislation through the Senate early this morning.

Funds being raised to support family of students hurt in traffic accident

Cash donations can be made to Ray White Rural, Pittsworth to help cover costs for the family as they stay in Brisbane as the children recover.

Traffic accident involving students at St Stephen’s School, Pittsworth this morning

This morning two students of St Stephen’s School, Pittsworth were involved in a traffic accident on their way to school.

Queensland Budget steady for Catholic schools

The 2017 Queensland State Budget provided for a steady level of state funding for Catholic education in contrast to the uncertainty at the federal level, Executive Director of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission Dr Lee-Anne Perry said today.

Students extend their care to police colleagues of Brett Forte

Special visit to the local police station by St Saviour's Primary School greeted by Deputy Commissioner.

POLITICIANS WARNED ABOUT RISKS OF LOCKING IN FLAWED MODEL

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS STAND UP FOR REAL NEEDS-BASED FUNDING

Catholic education leaders have today told a Senate Committee that they cannot support the Turnbull Government’s school funding policy because it fails to deliver real needs-based funding.

DESPITE CUTS, CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WANT TO KEEP FEES AFFORDABLE

Two Worlds

Inspired by each other, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from across the diocese came together recently for a three-day workshop called ‘Identity Matters, the result is a song and video called Two Worlds.

BUDGET LOCKS IN RAW DEAL FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

National Catholic Education Commission acting executive director Danielle Cronin says the Federal Budget has confirmed that funding for Catholic school students will increase more slowly than their peers in other schools – and funding will decrease in ACT Catholic schools.

Celebrating teachers

Teachers from across Toowoomba Catholic Schools recently came together for a special breakfast, with a focus on their patron saint, St John Baptist de la Salle.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS MUST REMAIN AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL FAMILIES

The National Catholic Education Commission said today that Catholic schools must remain affordable and accessible to all Australian families.

No funding certainty for Queensland Catholic schools

Queensland Catholic schools face an uncertain future under the Federal Government’s school funding plan announced yesterday.

Recording a song about identity

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students gathered to write a song about being a young person, with a focus on their culture and identity.

Catholic schools singled out for cuts in new funding system

The Federal Government today has unfairly singled out the Catholic schools sector for funding cuts.

Local schools getting even more technical with Digital Literacy Grant

Minister Simon Birmingham has announced that 54 Digital Literacy School Grants have been awarded to schools across Australia. Four local Catholic schools, St Mary’s Warwick, St Patrick’s Allora, St Francis de Sales Clifton and St Maria Goretti Inglewood have been successful in receiving one of the $55,000 grants.

ANZAC LETTERS FOCUS OF SERVICE AT ASSUMPTION COLLEGE

Letters sent home from Gallipoli by a nurse and soldier made the events of the First World War even more vivid during Assumption College, Warwick’s ANZAC commemorations.

Catholic sector withdraws from 2017 NAPLAN Online

The Queensland Catholic Education Commission will follow the government sector and delay the roll out of NAPLAN Online until 2018.

FRUSTRATION, CONCERN GROW AFTER ANOTHER SCHOOL FUNDING DELAY

The National Catholic Education Commission says the Turnbull Government risks further alienating education stakeholders if it decides to announce the amount of funding the Commonwealth will spend on Australian schools in future years without extensive consultation with the sector.

Sharing the positivity of St John's, Roma

The Inaugural Positive Education Wellbeing National Conference in Cairns was the perfect place for St John’s Roma to share the success of its positive education program.
Cathy Perkins, School Counsellor and Bernadette Makim, Coordinator of Positive Education from St John’s presented at this conference and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Acknowledging women

Last week St Saviour's College hosted its annual International Women's Day breakfast.

Building positive futures

TCS recently launched its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education plan.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools launch new ATSI education plan

Toowoomba Catholic Schools launch new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education plan

Where: Picnic Point, 164 Tourist Road, Toowoomba Qld 4350
When: Wednesday, 8 March 2017 from 5.00pm - 6.00pm

Walking together to create a better future

Staff, students and community members will come together on Wednesday afternoon to launch Toowoomba Catholic Schools new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education plan.

Parents continue to choose a Catholic education for their kids

Sustained growth in enrolments has continued in Catholic schools across the Toowoomba Diocese in 2017 as families continue to choose a Catholic education for their kids.