Thursday, 9th September 2021
Child Protection Week Breakfast
A Wonderful Morning!
On Thursday 9th September I attended a Child Protection Week Breakfast, hosted by the Archdiocese of Perth Safeguarding Office, and coordinated by Safeguarding Team Leader Andrea Musulin. The compere for the morning was TV News Presenter Mrs Tina Altieri, and she did an excellent job of keeping the morning running smoothly. The introduction was performed by the St Mary’s catheters boys’ choir with “Safe Is The Way We Are Born”, which was followed by a Welcome to Country by Aunty Marie Taylor, who was very engaging to listen to. Grace was then given by Most Rev Donald Sproxton, before a lovely cooked breakfast was served.
Next was a presentation by keynote speaker Dr Karl O'Callaghan, who captured the attention of the whole room with first hand recollections, raw detail and personal experiences. He is the foster carer of four children, and his stories and encounters with all levels of protection services, schooling and community services is awe inspiring.
The room was then addressed by the Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth, who officially launched the new safeguarding book “You are Gods Marvellous Creation”, written by Andrea Musulin and aimed at children aged 3-9. The book teaches children about what it is to feel safe and why it is important to understand boundaries. The Saint Elizabeth Catholic Primary School choir then performed the closing number “You Own Your Body”, which was written to accompany the new book.
By Tracy Sievewright
Safeguarding Officer, New Norcia