News in Brief
Nicole Seifert on her graduation day (ACU)
Catholic mum graduates 30 years after dropping high school
Canberra mum Nicole Seifert has graduated from university nearly three decades after she dropped out of high school, not least because a teacher told her she was “dragging the class behind”, CathNews has reported.
“I just had anxiety about studying and some family issues so I didn’t think university was for me,” she said.
However, through resilience and determination, the 44-year-old can now call herself a university graduate.
Last month, Ms Seifert finally walked across the stage and received her university certificate in liberal studies from the Australian Catholic University in Canberra, almost 30 years after she left high school in year 11.
Ecclesial movements the focus of May’s prayer intention
Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of May is for ecclesial movements and groups, which he describes as a treasure that renews the Church. (Source: CNA)
“Ecclesial movements are a gift; they are a treasure in the Church,” the Holy Father said in a video released by the Vatican yesterday.
“These movements renew the Church with their capacity for dialogue at the service of her evangelising mission,” he said. “Each day, they rediscover in their charism new ways of showing the attractiveness and the newness of the Gospel.
“How do they do this? Speaking different languages, they seem different, but it is their creativity that creates these differences. But always understanding themselves and making themselves understood.”
“Always be on the move, responding to the impulse of the Holy Spirit to the challenges, to the changes in today’s world.”
New teachers Lisa Wright and William Baldwin of St Bede’s, Red Hill, Andrew Reynolds of St Joseph’s, O’Connor, Toby McNaughton of St Bede’s, Red Hill, Natasha Brittain of St Mary MacKillop College, Michael Thane of Carroll College, Broulee and Erin O’Leary of Mother Teresa School, Harrison. Picture by Karleen Minney
70 new teachers for Catholic schools in Archdiocese
Lisa Wright feels like she’s living her dream in her first year as a teacher at St Bede’s Primary School in Red Hill, the Canberra Times has reported.
Mrs Wright comes from a long line of teachers. She noticed growing up her mother, who worked at the school she attended, got a lot more satisfaction out of her job than other people.
“I just thought, ‘That’s it for me. That’s what I want when I’m a grown-up’,” she said.
“And now my daughter comes to school here with me, so it’s the same sort of thing and I just love it.”
The Catholic Education systemic schools in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese have employed 70 fresh teachers from the university this year – the most new educators ever hired in one year.
Sixty of these teachers came to Canberra this week for two days of professional development, faith formation and networking.
The beginning teachers are being taught high-impact teaching strategies in line with the system’s Catalyst program.