December 2025: SCEA announces the opening of the CHARIS Teacher Training School (CTTS).

January 2026: Mrs Melissa Meloni announced as our Head of CHARIS Teacher Training School.

April 2026: Partnership with St. Philip’s Teaching School in Newcastle is announced.

May 2026: The Expression of Interest is now open for the CHARIS Teacher Training School for 2027. 

Our vision and hope is that CHARIS Teacher Training School (CTTS) will support the development of highly skilled Christian Educators who will be in our classrooms from ‘Day 1′ of their undergraduate and postgraduate teaching courses, as they are mentored by our exemplary Christian educators across schools.  

To register your interest, please use the link below:

If you know of someone who may be interested in being a part of this program, please send them this link to register their interest in this new initiative.

The post CHARIS Teacher Training ‘Expression of Interest’ is now open! appeared first on SCEA.

The post SCEA News – 15 May 2026 appeared first on SCEA.

Day 1 – A gathering of two of our key networks across SCEA: The Learning Support Network and the Wellbeing & Chaplaincy Network

These two groups came together to learn more about an issue they are deeply invested in: tackling school avoidance.

Attendee Mrs Danielle Grisham gave us the scoop on what the day was all about:

“School avoidance is a relatively new phenomenon, with rates increasing significantly since COVID-19. The Australian Government estimates that school avoidance affects between 1% and 5% of students, with higher rates among neurodivergent students.”

AISWA’s Senior Psychologist, Wendy Vasquez, and Dana De Bunnetat spoke at the combined Learning Support and Chaplains Network meeting. School avoidance, or ‘school can’t’, is difficult to address, not only for parents, but also for schools.

Dana and Wendy emphasised the importance of early conversations with parents and students when warning signs begin to appear.

Both psychologists also stressed that our focus should not be on fixing the student, but on understanding and adjusting the environments that support them.

It was lovely to bring learning support and wellbeing together in collegiate conversation, to deepen our understanding of school avoidance and work within our school teams to improve ways we can support our students who are struggling.”

Day 2 – CSA/SCEA Senior Leaders Institute Coaching Day  

This full-day event formed part of the Christian Schools Australia (CSA) Senior Leaders Institute, aimed at developing potential school leaders.

Many of the leaders present had already had contact with Mrs Emily Dickinson, who has been engaged by SCEA in recent years as a coach and trainer.

However, it was the second presenter, Mr Grant O’Sullivan, who was the ‘new face in the room’, bringing insights from decades of leadership coaching. Mr O’Sullivan is also a former colleague of our Chief Executive Officer, Dr Graeme Cross, and he shared some anecdotes throughout the day about their time together as leaders in a school setting.

Together, the tandem of coaches delivered a number of fresh insights and opportunities to develop the coaching skills of the SCEA group.

These events work together to increase our knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues in Christian education and also provide opportunities for rich conversation and fellowship across our SCEA schools.  

The post Staff training days allow room to grow and leaders to be upskilled across SCEA appeared first on SCEA.

Today we reach the halfway point of the Month of Prayer, and here is the ‘half-time report’ for those of us praying each day for different Local Government Areas (LGA’s) and schools across our state.

Step 1: The Geo-Networks have connected to unite in this initiative.

(‘Geo-Network’ refers to a geographical network of pastors who gather together regularly to work for the good of their communities.)

Step 2: A dedicated website with resources is set up, including videos about each community, daily prayer guides, a prayer schedule, and an interactive prayer map.

Step 3: Start praying!

For many people, prayer is an intensely personal experience. It’s a private moment between you and God. It’s completely sacred – and the more you contemplate its depths, the harder it is to put into mortal words.

However, there have been some positive messages, and it is clear from website visits and map usage that people from all over Western Australia have come together to demonstrate their belief in the power of prayer and its positive effects on our wider community.

As of today, the Month of Prayer initiative has covered schools in 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in prayer.  

At the heart of this mission are the thousands of students, teachers and families connected to WA’s schools.  

This week, Amit met with local chaplains and church pastors as part of this work:

“It’s exciting to see how God will move through a unified and surrendered church,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the results of this month of prayer in our local schools.” 

And it’s not just schools that will be positively impacted – as churches commit to prayer, they have shared several encouraging testimonies with us.   

At the core of each story is the growing heart of compassion towards schools in each church’s local area.  

Their churchwide prayer meetings began with a dedicated time of prayer for their local schools.  

In our next edition of SCEA News, we will conclude the Month of Prayer with some details of the 30-day campaign. What a wonderful initiative for our schools, the Central Office and the wider community!

The post May’s ‘Month of Prayer’ – Half Time Report! appeared first on SCEA.

This year, the work has expanded with ‘Matrix Matt’ delving deeply into the statistics around our departments and tackling new challenges.

This week, we caught up with Matt, who can speak Hebrew and a little Greek when required.

Thankfully, his answers for you today are printed in English!

Tell us about how your initial work in the Dashboard has been received by SCEA Schools, Matt.

“In the first year, the Dashboard was used primarily in the domains of staffing, timetabling, relief management and analysis of the SCEA surveys.”

The introduction of longitudinal trend analysis and drill-downs for the SCEA surveys was particularly welcomed.  

The Relief Module has assisted relief managers in assigning staff to relief duties and maintaining a balance of ‘relief hours’ undertaken during the course of each term.

School leaders have been using the employee allotments module when allocating loads to teachers.

The Timetable and Enrolments modules have proven informative for strategic capital planning and investment across the organisation.

What are the new ideas that you have in store for us this year? 

“In 2026, the initial focus has been on extending the depth of the existing boards, allowing end users to drill down and address their inquiry questions using a range of filters, including historic trends.”

Development is underway to expand access options, including mobile device access.  

Initial work has been undertaken to develop the student-tracking (wellbeing, attendance, and academic) module and the financial module.  

The goal is then to broaden further across other domains, such as Marketing & Partnerships, People and Capital Projects. 

The post ‘Dufty’s Dashboard’: Reloaded for 2026! appeared first on SCEA.

The 2005 Head Girl of Swan Christian College is now a stay-at-home mum of four.

The devoted wife of Tim Johnson (also an SCC graduate) lives a quiet life with her family in Esperance.

While raising her children has been her priority for many years, her passion for food has never faded. She currently owns 250 cook books!

From a young age, Hannah had a deep curiosity and love for cooking, spending her pocket money collecting recipes from wherever she could find them.

Although her day-to-day cooking is designed to suit her family’s needs, Hannah is constantly experimenting with new recipes and refining her fine-dining skills at home, with her children serving as her toughest critics!

Hannah has already delivered some standout moments in the competition, including earning herself a coveted ‘White Apron’ and securing her place with her stunning “Octopus Garden” dish.

Week after week, she continues to impress both the judges and viewers across the country. 

Her journey is an inspiring reminder that passions and dreams can flourish at any stage of life.

We are so proud to see Hannah representing WA and shining on the national stage. 

Congratulations, Hannah!

The entire SCEA community is behind you and can’t wait to see what you cook up next!  

The series began with 40 contestants and is now down to the final 18 chefs.

The final is due to air on Channel 10 in the coming months.

The post SCC Alumni Shines on MasterChef Australia!  appeared first on SCEA.

The post SCEA News – 1 May 2026 appeared first on SCEA.

In the very near future, the ‘Staff Orbit App’ will launch across SCEA schools.

Designed to support staff in their day-to-day roles, Staff Orbit will provide easy access to key information and tools in one place.

From marking rolls and checking timetables to staying up to date with school events and important communications, the app will offer a simple and convenient way to stay connected and organised.

This week marked an important milestone for the project, with the first meeting of the Staff Orbit App Working Group.

The group includes nominated representatives from each school, who will work closely with the Applications team to review, test and provide feedback on the app’s functionality.

Their insights will help ensure the app is practical, effective and aligned with the needs of staff across the organisation.

Ms Sarah Beatty (Applications Specialist – SCEA) presents the demonstration app to the Staff Orbit App Working Group.

Staff Orbit App Working Group (from left): Ms Lize-Mari Janse van Rensburg
(Enterprise Applications Manager – SCEA),
Ms Sarah Beatty (Applications Specialist – SCEA), Ms Céline Grobler (Senior College Administrator – Mundaring Christian College), Mrs Fritha Badini (Business Manager – Southern Hills Christian College), Ms Sindisiwe Gxumisa (Finance Business Partner – SCEA), Mrs Vanessa Erasmus (Year 5-6 Coordinator – Ellenbrook Christian College),
Ms Adena Leach (PA to the Head of Primary – Northshore Christian Grammar School),
Mr Mathew Woodbine (Teacher – Learning Enrichment – Swan Christian College), Mrs Nicole Campbell (PA to the Principal – Beechboro Christian School), Ms Marisa Streeton (Office Manager and PA to the Executive – Ellenbrook Christian College)
Mrs Janine Jones (Assistant Business Manager – Ellenbrook Christian College) and
Mr Ian Ludlow (Business Manager – Mundaring Christian College).

Further updates will be shared in the coming weeks as testing continues.

Term 2 Applications Training Sessions

Registrations are now open for the Term 2 Friday Training Sessions on SCEA Applications.

With several new sessions this term, including a focus on Academic Reporting, staff are encouraged to take a moment to review the schedule and register for any sessions relevant to their role.

The next session will be held on Friday, 8 May.

These sessions offer a practical opportunity to strengthen confidence in using SCEA applications, pick up helpful tips for everyday tasks and stay informed about recent updates and enhancements.

For detailed session information and to register your interest, please use the link below:

If the available topics are not relevant to your role, or the scheduled times are not suitable, staff can submit a Training Request Form.

The Applications team will follow up to provide tailored support.

If you have any questions about the training, please contact our Applications team at appsupport@scea.wa.edu.au.

The post SCEA’s Apps Team Releases New ‘Staff Orbit App’ to Help Staff Stay on Top of School Life! appeared first on SCEA.

Rounding out the final week of Term 2, the SCC Boys headed off to the School Sport WA State Futsal Championship in Kingsway Indoor Stadium.

Both teams played extremely well, holding strong leads in all their games.

The SCC team defeated title favourites Shenton College in the round-robin regular season clash.

The team performed particularly well in the preliminary games, advancing to the top-team clash at Cockburn Recreation Centre.

The boys opened the finals campaign with a convincing 6–4 quarterfinal victory over St Norbert’s College, with Samuel Appleby and Chesyl Nyama each scoring a hat-trick. 

They then produced an outstanding semifinal performance, defeating Lake Joondalup Baptist College 7–2.

Samuel Appleby again led the scoring with three goals, supported by a brace from Aaron Mukundu, as well as goals from Chesyl Nyama and Liam Connor.

This set up a grand final rematch against Shenton College.

Having already defeated Shenton twice in the preliminary rounds, the team entered the final with confidence and rose to the occasion once more.

In a tightly contested match, the boys secured a 3–2 victory, with Aaron Mukundu scoring twice and Liam Connor adding the decisive goal to seal the win.

Not only did the boys take home the championship, but Benjamin Gallichan won the Golden Gloves award, and Aaron Mukundu won MVP.

The post Swan Futsal Team Wins State Title! appeared first on SCEA.

Last week, several of our SCEA schools gathered for special ANZAC assemblies to honour this important occasion. Across the week, students participated reverently by laying wreaths, raising the Australian flag, and joining together in respectful remembrance. It was a meaningful time of unity as school communities reflected on the sacrifice, courage, and service of those who have gone before us.

Across our seven schools, The Last Post was beautifully performed by students and special guests, followed by a solemn moment of silence, allowing everyone to reflect and pay their respects.

Beechboro Christian School will hold their ANZAC service today, continuing this important tradition of remembrance and gratitude.

Here are a few photos from across our SCEA schools honouring the ANZAC legacy:

The post Honouring our ANZACs across SCEA schools appeared first on SCEA.