Teacher learning community focuses on sustainability

Professional Learning Community - Sustainability meeting

Catholic school teachers and leaders from the Diocese of Parramatta, schools outside the diocese, and the NSW Department of Education met at the Aengus Kavanagh Centre on Wednesday 19 March to form a professional learning community (PLC) for sustainability.

With the vision of ‘creating a more ecologically and socially just world’, the PLC is a forum for educators to share and learn from each other about issues related to sustainability and stewardship of the environment.

Using the national curriculum’s cross-curriculum priority on sustainability, informed by the Catholic Church’s teaching on stewardship, the learning community aims to provide resources and encouragement for teachers to create rich and engaging learning and teaching experiences

Catholic Education teaching educator, Cathy Smith said the initiative was a timely and important one.

‘This is an exciting initiative and a timely one,’ said Cathy. ‘This is a call to action to look at how sustainability and stewardship of the earth can be embedded and enlivened in the syllabus.’

The learning community shared some of the many sustainable projects already in practice in their schools including kitchen gardens, rubbish free yards and healthy nutrition and fitness programs

Catholic Education teaching educator, Daryl Castellino, spoke about how Catholic values can be applied to the vision of the PLC specifically highlighting the dignity of human life and the role of supporting the common good through creative and aware stewardship.

The PLC will be meeting throughout the year. Teachers and leaders are encouraged to join by contacting Cathy Smith via csmith@parra.catholic.edu.au.

Written By

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au

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21 Feb 2026
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This week our Year 6 students had the privilege of taking part in the Gen Bryant Encounter – a powerful experience of faith, music and personal story. ✝️🎶 Through prayer, song and reflection, our students were invited to deepen their relationship with God and see how faith can be lived with courage and joy each day. 💜💚

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Trading the classroom for the nursery! We would like to wish Ms Theoharous and her husband all the best as they prepare for the arrival of their baby girl. We know you’re going to be an amazing mum, and we can’t wait to see photos of your newest (and cutest) student! God bless your beautiful new family.