We recently sent a number of our Healthy Living Series books to Catholic Education Services in Cairns, Queensland, after identifying a real need for such learning resources throughout the area.

Indigenous Education Officer, Patricia O’ Donnell, will ensure the resources are distributed widely throughout the Catholic Diocese, with a particular emphasis on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The Catholic Diocese of Cairns consists of 18 Primary Schools and 6 High Schools, educating almost 10 700 students. The geographic distribution is from Tully in the South, West to the Atherton Tablelands and North to the Torres Strait. It is encouraging to see the enrolment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children throughout these schools is steadily increasing.

Initially books will be distributed to:

The 18 primary school libraries of the Cairns Diocese

The 23 school Indigenous Liaison Officers in the Cairns Diocese

Each child starting school at St Therese’s Catholic Primary School, Bentley Park, in 2015

The Catholic Education Services Resource Centre of the Cairns Diocese

The Indigenous Education Officers at Catholic Education Services

In 2015, copies of the Healthy Living Series books will be offered to the Primary Schools for use during Book Week and NAIDOC Week as shared reading activities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander volunteers.

The above photo shows the books being distributed at the Diocesan Indigenous Liaison Officers Day. Indigenous Liaison Officers: (from left to right) Caitlin Donigi, Sandra Remedio, Erica Savage, Cheryl Andy, Richard Ketchell, Norman Miller, Carmel Debel, R. Dawn Archer, Breanna Lyall, Destiny Naawi.