2000

22nd March 2000
NSW Catholic Schools' Parents Conference Makes History Books
The first catholic schools parents conference held outside Sydney takes place this weekend.

About 150 delegates from 11 Catholic dioceses throughout New South Wales will travel to Port Stephens to attend the conference, proudly hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Federation of Parents and Friends Associations.

The Federation is organising and hosting the conference on behalf of the NSW and ACT Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP).

The CCSP is an advocate for Catholic parents at a state level, with representation on many ministerial and catholic education committees. According to the Chair Person of the Council of Catholic School Parents, Mrs Kerrie Biddle, "the CCSP provides a forum for catholic school parents from New South Wales and the ACT to come together and discuss the implications and impact of various educational issues".

The year 2000 has been declared a year of great jubilee, and is being celebrated by the Catholic Church throughout the world.

Jubilee calls us to reflect on our past and present so that we might move with joy and hope into the future. According to Mrs Helen Kearney, President of the Federation of Parents and Friends Associations, Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, reconciliation is an important jubilee theme which will be discussed and reflected upon at the conference.

Mrs Kearney believes that it is important to "take time just to have a look at where we are, so we know where we're going too. You don't understand where you are unless you know where you've come from. You can't take a path forward with any kind of integrity unless you are sure of where you are".

Conference delegates will be treated to a diverse program which includes 11 workshops and six keynote addresses.

The Most Reverend Michael Malone, Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, will officially welcome the delegates on Friday evening, and will celebrate Mass on Sunday.

The conference will be officially opened on Saturday Morning by NSW Minister for Education and Training, the Hon John Aquilina, who was educated by the Christian Brothers at Lewisham.

Director of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, Mr Michael Bowman, will also address the conference.

Other keynote speakers include the popular psychologist, Dr John Irvine, and leading Australian educationalist, Mr Barry Dwyer.

Workshop topics include: suicide prevention, adolescent depression, educational issues facing Indigenous students, special education and boys' education.

Organisers hope that the conference will reinforce the fundamental role that parents play in the education of their children.

The conference will be held at Westbury Marina Resort, 33 Magnus Street, Nelson Bay, from Friday March 24 until Sunday March 26. All media are warmly welcome.

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