Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd has celebrated the work of a key group of local Catholic school teachers.
During a Leadership Eucharist at St Peter’s College Clyde North campus on Friday 17 May, DOSCEL held an awards presentation as a way to kick off Catholic Education Week.
Dominic Arcaro and Alisha Johnston from St Clare’s Primary School in Officer received a Service Award in recognition of 25 years or more of service to Australian Catholic education.
Narre Warren’s Don Bosco Primary School teacher Amanda Wignell received a Daniel Ahern Bursary, which provides financial support to non-teaching staff employed in primary and secondary schools in the Diocese of Sale, who are presently undertaking teacher education studies.
Lizabeth Privitera from Mary MacKillop Primary School in Narre Warren North and Robyn Lewry from St Ita’s Primary School in Drouin received a Spirit of Catholic Education – Inspiring Faith award, which recognises staff who make a significant contribution to the development of students’ faith.
Ms Privitera has been a key contributor to the integration of the ‘To Live in Christ Jesus’ Religious Education Curriculum at Mary MacKillop Primary School, supporting staff professional development, and sharing expertise with other local Catholic schools.
Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, Mr Paul Velten said all award recipients deserved recognition for the work they do.
“In all, 25 people from Catholic schools across the Diocese of Sale received awards,” he said.
“Five award recipients were from Catholic schools in the Officer, Beaconsfield and Narre Warren area.
“We are grateful for their leadership, service and excellence.“
Summer Freeman, who graduated from St Francis Xavier College Beaconsfield in 2023, received an Elizabeth Hunt Scholarship, which provides a contribution to the cost of university teaching studies for each year of the course with the aim of supporting graduates to pursue a teaching career in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale.
The Diocese of Sale covers 38 Catholic primary schools and seven Catholic secondary schools spanning a geographic area from Melbourne’s outer south-east suburbs from Narre Warren and Cranbourne to Phillip Island in the south, and right throughout Gippsland to Orbost in the east.
