Page 2334 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Her mastery of technology and her patient, calm demeanour have seen her as instrumental in enabling staff and students to use learning to maximum effect.
I congratulate them all and urge them all to continue to make the great contributions they make to current and future students in the ACT.
St Thomas Aquinas primary school
St John the Apostle primary school
Burgmann Anglican school
St Matthew’s primary school
St Michael’s primary school
MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.33): I rise this evening to acknowledge a number of schools I have had the pleasure of visiting in the last month or two. On Friday, 13 May I was pleased to attend the official opening and blessing of the refurbished school facilities at St Thomas Aquinas primary school in west Belconnen. The vision of the school is as follows:
To encourage the growth of each person through friendship with Jesus.
At St Thomas Aquinas we live out our Vision in four main ways—through Faith, People, Education and Innovation.
I have had the privilege of visiting St Thomas Aquinas on a couple of occasions and in each instance I have been very impressed by the warm welcome and strong sense of community and their commitment to living out that vision. St Thomas Aquinas is very well known in the west Belconnen community for working with the Charnwood-Dunlop school, the Ginninderra Scouts, the Christian Life Centre and others to organise the charny carny each year.
Those gathered at the opening heard from the school’s principal, John Bourke, and assistant principal, Michael Bradley. Moira Najdecki, the director of the Catholic Education Office, and June Edwards, the director of the Early Learning Centre, also addressed the school community and other guests.
On 27 May I was pleased to attend the blessing and official opening of the refurbished buildings at St John the Apostle primary school in Florey. The school is led by principal, Helen Currie, and assistant principal, Sharon Sams. They are assisted by the coordinators, Josh Downie and Samantha Mance. I would like to also make mention of Tricia Johnson who is a chaplain at St John the Apostle and St Thomas Aquinas primary schools and certainly has her work cut out for her in remembering the names of the staff, students and families at the two schools.
The construction work that has been undertaken at the school is quite remarkable. I have been informed that it has made a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of the classrooms as learning spaces. Having had a tour, it really is a special space. Almost every aspect of the site has been improved by the building works and has, in effect, brought the different parts of the school closer together. Such significant changes were not without considerable sacrifice during construction and I commend the entire school community for their patience during the building works.
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