Announcing the 2023 Roger O'Sullivan Awards Recipients
The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT
proudly announces the recipients of the
2023 Roger O’Sullivan Award
Congratulations to Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville, Diocese of Wollongong
for the Mount Carmel Home–School Literacy Partnership
CCSP would like to acknowledge, thank and congratulate all our wonderful school communities who submitted entries to our Roger O’Sullivan annual award, and for their effort and commitment to building partnerships between home and school to enhance the learning outcomes of students.
We received 15 impressive entries, and the judges had an extremely difficult decision selecting from the inspiring projects and initiatives that schools have undertaken to improve family engagement.
A huge ‘congratulations’ goes to Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville, who took out First Place in the 2023 Roger O’Sullivan Award and is the recipient of our $5000 grant.
The independent judging panel awarded the grant to Mount Carmel Catholic College for their ‘Mount Carmel Home–School Literacy Partnership’, as it acknowledges that parents are the primary and ongoing educators of their children and is an excellent example of how learning partnerships between school and home improves student outcomes. The literacy project has involved building rich and meaningful connections with parents and caregivers, ensuring parents understand the ‘language of learning’ and engendering an intrinsic love of learning and positive sense of self in students.
'The project began with one teacher’s passionate belief that as the first and continuing educators of their children, parents and carers are a vital part of the learning process. Through respectful dialogue and attentive listening, an authentic relationship was forged with the parents of a Year 8 English class.
Stories of negative school experiences, disconnection and literacy struggles were shared along with prayerful hope that their children would have opportunities to learn and to flourish. This parental engagement had a significant impact on the learning of the students in this class. The initiative evolved into a whole school commitment to a joint action in which parents and teachers worked together to improve student learning outcomes.
The Mount Carmel Home-School Literacy Partnership program – connecting learning at home and learning at school – resulted in the establishment of regular literacy conversations, reading and writing workshops, the publishing of a weekly literacy article for parents and teachers, and the most unexpected outcome – the creation of a vibrant Parent Library. This last initiative came from a recognised need for ready access to books and further opportunities for support and connection in a non-threatening context. Students, families and teachers have journeyed together here.'
CCSP would like to acknowledge, thank and congratulate the school communities for their effort and commitment to building partnerships between home and school to enhance the learning outcomes of students.
Find out about our seven finalists' projects here.
Congratulations also to the following schools:
SECOND PLACE: $2500 GRANT
St Mary’s Parish School, Warren, Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes
The Lion King Musical
THIRD PLACE: $1000 GRANT
St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Milton, Diocese of Wollongong
Our Kitchen Garden
HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARDS: $500 GRANT
St John the Baptist, Primary School, Woy Woy, Diocese of Broken Bay
Nancy Kitchen and Garden
Mother Theresa Primary School, Harrison, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
The Sensory Walk
FINALISTS: $250 GRANT
St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown, Diocese of Wollongong
The Rite Journey
St Patrick’s Primary School, Lithgow, Diocese of Bathurst
The HUB
The Executive Director of CCSP will arrange to attend ceremonies at the schools awarded first, second and third place. All seven finalists will also receive an award certificate. All fifteen schools that submitted entries will receive a letter via email thanking them for their entry, notifying them of the judging panel’s decisions and providing feedback from the judges about their entry and project.
Details of these projects will be included in future issues of our eNewsletter Parent Talk and on the CCSP website.