On Wednesday, leadership teams from schools across the diocese met at Homebush, in order to unpack the Archbishop’s Charter. This was in preparation for the Cyclic Review process.

The Keynote address given by Archbishop John Miller, from Vancouver, provided insights into fostering authentic Catholic schools, based upon the charter’s eleven items and corresponding reflection points. The archbishop spoke with wisdom and passion in encouraging Catholic schools with their distinct role in the Church’s new evangelisation.

The Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, Dan White then spoke to the gathering of the importance of asking the essential questions, and reflecting on practices in order to ensure that schools revitalise their understanding of their mission as a Catholic School.

Janice Haydon, Senior Regional Consultant (Eastern Region) then provided the staff with a practical understanding of ways in which schools could respond to the Charter through the School Review and Improvement (SRI) Framework processes.

In order to conclude the day, Pat Williams and Karen Lemarre, both Primary School Principals, explored models of best practice, displaying processes and resources that could assist in guiding school communities in reflection and professional development on the Charter.

The professional development day was filled with discussion and reflection as leaders explored and gained an understanding of the newly released charter. Of particular significance was the keynote address by Archbishop Miller, which can be found at the link below.

Keynote Address by Archbishop Miller
Executive Director’s Address – Asking the Essential Questions