What's On

01 Sep 2025

Celebrating Faith, Learning and Mission at 2025 Education Mass

Students, parents and carers, educators and clergy from Catholic schools across the Diocese of Parramatta gathered in a spirit of unity and celebration for the 2025 Education Mass on Wednesday 27 August.

31 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese mourns the loss of former Executive Director of Schools Greg Whitby AM KSG. Diocese of Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long has shared a moving tribute to Greg here: https://catholicoutlook.org/vale-to-greg-whitby-am-former-executive-director-of-catholic-education/ Greg led our organisation, then known as Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, from 2006 to 2022. He will be remembered fondly, including for his dedication to making a difference to the lives of children and young people across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains through education. Not only was Greg our leader, he was also one of our own: a graduate of St Monica's North Parramatta as well as a former Principal of Emmaus Catholic College Kemps Creek. A larger-than-life character, his championship of change and innovation was a source of inspiration. He leaves an extraordinary legacy of thought-leadership and advocacy that continues to serve Catholic schools in the Parramatta Diocese today. CSPD gives thanks for Greg’s life and leadership. He will be remembered for his courage, vision and passion, which will live on through the generations of educators he has inspired. We share our sincerest sympathies with Greg’s wife Sue, their children Matthew, Alexandra and Sophie, his grandchildren, and extended family at this very sad time. Eternal rest grant unto Greg, O Lord. May perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

30 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

🌟FORMER STUDENT HITS THE NRL STAGE!🏈 We're thrilled to celebrate Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown Class of 2024 graduate, Jacob Halangahu, who had officially made his NRL debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons! 🐉👏 Throughout his school years, Jacob was a standout both on and off the field - a natural leader with an unshakeable work ethic. His rugby league journey at school was nothing short of outstanding: 🏆 Debuted in the school's NRL Schoolboy Cup Team 🏆 Led the team to a State Championship title as captain in 2024 🏆 Collected two national championships with NSWCCC 🏆 Represented the Australian Schoolboys twice - captaining the side in 2024 What an inspiring journey! 🎉 Congratulations Jacob, we can’t wait to see your next chapter unfold! 🤩🙌

29 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

🩹⛑️ READY, SET RESPOND! 🚑 Students from Chisholm Catholic Primary Bligh Park students participated in the First Aid for Kids program facilitated by St John Ambulance, an important initiative that equips students with the knowledge and confidence to respond in emergency situations. 🤝 🙌 This hands-on learning experience gave students the opportunity to develop essential, and potentially life-saving, first aid skills. Students learnt how to: 🤕 Recognise emergency situations 📞 Call Triple Zero (000) for help 🩼 Provide basic care for common injuries What a incredible way to build practical skills and gain the confidence to act in a crisis! 💭 Chisholm Catholic Primary is committed to student wellbeing and empowering students with real-world skills that make a difference. Click here to learn more 👉https://www.chisholmblighpark.catholic.edu.au/school-life/student-wellbeing

28 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

🔧🎭🍰 TOOLS, TALENTS & TASTY TREATS! 🔧🎭🍰 CathWest Innovation College Mt Druitt was thrilled to host 59 Year 6 students from St. Aidan's Primary School, Rooty Hill for the Junior Skills Quest as part of National Skills Week! ✨ Students got a taste of the exciting learning opportunities at CathWest by getting hands-on in two of the following workshops: 🔨 Carpentry: sanding, varnishing and decorating boomerangs with Aboriginal art 🧁 Hospitality: making milkshakes & decorating cupcakes (one student even tried their very first milkshake!) 🎥 Screen & Media: acting in front of a green screen with space/ocean themes ⚽ Fitness: volleyball, soccer & chats with our CathWest fitness students 💇 Hairdressing: curling hair like pros (some serious natural talent at St Aidan's!) The day wrapped up with teachers and students enjoying a sausage sizzle, a screening of the students' media clips and a CathWest goodie bag for everyone! 🙌 What a fantastic way to celebrate National Skills Week! 🎉 👉 CathWest offers learning like you've never experienced before. Click here to discover how students develop real-world skills for success through relevant student-driven learning. https://cathwest.parra.catholic.edu.au/about/why-us

27 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

🌱👩‍🌾🌟 AG CLUB IN ACTION! 🌱👩‍🌾🌟 The amazing Ag Club students from Caroline Chisholm College Glenmore Park have been hard at work getting show-ready for the Penrith Show! 🐄 🥕 🌾 From feeding and grooming animals to weeding paddocks, planting crops and preparing their displays, these dedicated students have gone above and beyond to make their school farm shine.🌟 🐑 With show day approaching, the Ag Club can’t wait to celebrate their efforts and share their love for agriculture beyond the school gates! 🙌 👉 Click here to learn more about Caroline Chisholm College’s unique agriculture spaces, where students gain hands-on experience in farming, horticulture, animal care and stewardship. https://www.cccglenmorepark.catholic.edu.au/about/facilities-and-resources 🌱🌏

27 Aug 2025

From CSPD YouTube

25 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

It's National Skills Week and we're excited to announce the winner's of the inaugural Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Skills Week Competition.😃🤩🏆💫 The CSPD VET team was impressed with the quality of entries as 29 teams from 15 schools submitted short videos promoting the VET subjects they're studying at school - from Hospitality👩‍🍳🥘 and Business Services👩‍💼📈 to Entertainment💡🎤, Primary Industry👨‍🌾🚜, Construction👷⚒, Fitness🏋️‍♂️, Information and Digital Technology🌐 and more. - Winners → Catherine McAuley Westmead (Isabella, Georgia, Danijela, Ayva-Rae) → Business Services - Winners → Caroline Chisholm College Glenmore Park (Fatima, Lily)→ Hospitality - Runners Up → St Luke's Catholic Marsden Park → Hospitality - Highly Commended → Marian Catholic College Kenthurst - Entertainment - Highly Commended → Marian Catholic College Kenthurst → Primary Industry - Highly Commended → Caroline Chisholm College Glenmore Park → Entertainment Congratulations to all the students, as well as the teachers who helped them with their entries. Your hard work and dedication truly showcases the strength and talent within our VET community. Gilroy Catholic College Castle Hill, St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens, St Columba's Catholic College, Springwood, Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown, Xavier College Llandilo, St Patrick's Marist College Dundas, St Clare's Catholic High School Hassall Grove, Penola Catholic College Emu Plains, Cerdon College Merrylands, Santa Sophia Catholic College. Find out more about the wonderful opportunities afforded by VET here: https://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/learning/senior-school-learning-pathways/vocational-education

24 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

📖🌈 BOOK WEEK, CHAPTER 2 – The ADVENTURE Continues! 📖🌈 🎭 Just when you thought the story was over... we’re back with more Book Week magic! From bold bookworms to fairytale favourites, students brought colour, creativity and character to the playground! 💛 A huge thank you once again to our amazing school communities for all your efforts in turning this week into a true celebration of reading! 📚 💫 📸 Swipe through to see even more unforgettable costumes, smiling faces and Book Week fun from St. Aidan's Primary School, Rooty Hill, Holy Family Primary School, East Granville, Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School Kellyville, St Finbar's Primary, Glenbrook, St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens, St Luke's Catholic College Marsden Park, St Matthew's Catholic Primary, Windsor, St Nicholas of Myra Primary Penrith, St Patrick's Parramatta and St Anthony's Primary, Girraween. 🔍 Spotted your favourite character? Let us know in the comments!👇💬

23 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

🎓🌟 BIG NEWS! Catherine McAuley Teams Up with USYD for Women in STEM! 👩‍🔬 👏 Congratulations to Catherine McAuley Westmead on partnering with the University of Sydney through the Khuda Women in STEM Program - a groundbreaking 20-year initiative made possible by a generous $100 million donation from the Khuda Family Foundation. 🧪 This exciting program supports young women from Western Sydney to explore, engage with and excel in STEM education and careers. 🙌 The program includes 3 key components: 🔬 STEM Outreach - Hands-on workshops for Years 7-10 led by USYD’s Science & Engineering teams. 💡 STEM Academy - Years 11-12 students receive a $4000 annual scholarship, mentoring and a university admissions pathway. 🎓 Scholars Program - Graduates studying STEM at USYD receive scholarships, career support and join a vibrant women-in-STEM community. 🤩 What a fantastic opportunity for Catherine McAuley students and a major step forward in empowering the next generation of women in STEM! 💫

22 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

📚 BRINGING READING TO LIFE! 🌈 It's been an incredible week as schools celebrated BOOK WEEK 2025: ‘Book an Adventure’, and what an adventure it truly was! 📖 😍 From vibrant parades to creative costumes, schools were transformed into a sea of colour and imagination as students brought their favourite characters and stories to life - a true celebration of the magic of reading! ✨ Activities included: 🧙‍♂️ Character parades 🎤 Author visits 🛍️ Book fairs 🪄 Storytime sessions ...and plenty of fun along the way! 📚 Straight from the pages of our favourite books, check out these incredible Book Week costumes from St Patrick's Guildford, Trinity C.P.S Kemps Creek, St Patrick's Primary School Blacktown, St Joseph's Primary School Schofields, St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens, St Anthony's Primary, Girraween, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Wentworthville and Mary Immaculate Primary School Quakers Hill. 🎭✨ A huge thank you to the amazing parents, teachers and caregivers who helped make this week so special. Your creativity, effort, time and enthusiasm helped turn stories into reality for the students. 📖💛 👇 Have a Book Week highlight? Drop it in the comments below - we’d love to hear all about it! 💬📚

22 Aug 2025

From CSPD Facebook

🧒❄️ AFRAID YOU MIGHT BE RAISING 'COTTONWOOL' OR 'SNOWFLAKE' KIDS? Are you guilty of helicopter or snowplough parenting? 🚁🚜 We’ve all heard how important it is to raise resilient kids — but do we really understand what that means? 🤔 ✨ Join renowned parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson, co-host of Ch 9's 'Parental Guidance', at a FREE event for parents and carers, where you'll discover: ✅ How lacking resilience can damage your child’s wellbeing now — and impact their future as adults ✅ Practical strategies to build your child’s: • 💪 Strong sense of identity • 🧠 Genuine competence • 🌟 Lasting hope 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Hosted by the Parent Representative Council Parramatta, this is a must-attend event that could change the way you parent — for good! 📅 WHEN: Monday 25 August 7pm 📍 WHERE: The Morley Centre, Catherine McAuley Westmead & Parramatta Marist High, 2 Darcy Rd Westmead 📝 REGISTER NOW: Use the link below! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1A0e3PktSNGN2Cdtbhd07xonpxV6m7-IhuOQJwbzc1kE/viewform?ts=688c1a95&edit_requested=true