Teachers, school staff and volunteers are at the heart of Queensland’s 313 Catholic school communities
01 February 2022
1 February 2022
Teachers, school staff and volunteers play an enormous role in building and maintaining the strong community spirit and strong relationships with families that characterise Catholic schools.
Prep teacher and Leader of Engagement, Ann Blakeney, from St Gerard Majella Primary School, Woree, is an exceptional role model and a dynamic leader within the school community where she manages many roles including classroom teacher, acting APRE and Leader of Engagement. Her efforts were recognised in 2021 with a Spirit of Catholic Education Award.
Ann strives to bring the St Gerard Majella family together within the school and into the greater community. From the Garden Club to the Cairns Regional Council Festival Parade, Ann is always there. She works quietly and most often behind the scenes, never wanting attention drawn to her but always ready with a smile, advice and a listening ear.
During a COVID-stricken 2020, Ann was a bright light of hope, supporting family engagement throughout the period of home learning and beyond. During learning at home Ann engaged with other prep teachers and organised “driveway visits” to each prep student and their families. It is these ideas that make Ann so unique and wonderful.
Ann instigated two new programs at St Gerard Majella throughout 2021 that brought in community members from opposite ends of the age spectrum. She introduced a monthly playgroup for 2-4-year-olds that enabled families to become familiar with the school environment before their children start school. Her second initiative was the SGM Grandparents Club. Ann recognised that there was a wealth of knowledge among grandparents and implemented a program to harness that knowledge and pass it on to our students in a variety of ways including classroom visits, helping with craft, and assisting in the tuckshop.
Hear what Ann has to say about her role with Catholic education in Queensland in the QCEC podcast here. Ann also speaks about her role in Catholic education via the video here.
If you would like to find a Catholic school in Queensland near you, visit the school directory on the QCEC website.