From the President
We are nearly halfway through the school year and the work continues to require agile and creative ways of meeting the changing needs of our school climates, especially the difficulty of attracting staff, even for relief.
The ACPPA Board met in Adelaide last week with an extremely full agenda.
We firstly welcomed two new members, James Quigley from South Australia and Penny Collins representing Queensland.
Our week commenced with Sunday Mass and the feast of the Ascension. Our Directors then participated in a retreat that continued the theme led by Lillian Van Brusse, spiritual director and retreat facilitator and former employee of CESA ( Catholic Education South Australia). It was the first retreat for the board since 2019 and it offered each busy principal an opportunity to slow down and refresh. The work of The Miriam Rose Foundation and Dadirri was our starting focus, with a call to the inner deep listening and quiet. The short YouTube video that we used as a follow up in our Board Meeting can be found at Dadirri. It is well worth the viewing and a reminder for why we need to search inwards to hear what is important to each of us.
We continue our ongoing work of our strategic plan and subcommittees, which now are an embedded part of the work when we gather as well as between board meetings. This work helps direct work of the board and the management team.
We met via zoom with the executive director of the NCEC, Jacinta Collins, who outlined several areas of interest at both the national and each jurisdictional level. The complex nature of federal and jurisdictional foci and working together around shared outcomes is something that is also a struggle within our system. The term “unity is strength” was shared with us by Jacinta and will continue to be at the forefront of our discussions and interactions across the nation.
We also met with members of the CESA leadership team, including their Executive Director Dr Neil McGoran. Four areas were discussed: Faith Formation, Educational Agency, Accessibility and Affordability and how to support the critical role of the principal so they can flourish as a Catholic Leader. The opportunity to have Executive Directors speak to the board provides each member a different viewpoint across the nation and is something unique for ACPPA and is well received and regarded by the different state and territory principals.
With the upcoming APPA conference in Hobart in late July, early August I look forward to seeing many of you attend and gather at the traditional mass and gathering as a Catholic principal community.
Peter Cutrona
PRESIDENT