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Catholic school opens its heart to refugees US Bishops warn against an attack on Iraq calling it unjustified page 13 HOLIDAY MOVIE GUIDE The best viewing for your kids - Page 14
Refugee children mix in with their classmates at St. Cecilia's Catholic School its Pat Malawi
The Port Hedland Catholic school has been accepting refugees into its classrooms and it's having a great effect on everyone. By Neil Smith
T
l'n refugee children from the Port Hedland detention centre are attending the St Cecilia's Catholic School. In what is seen as a breakthrough in the treatment of refugee families in detention centres, the children ranging from kindergarten to Year 10 have been assimilating well with Australian children, in classrooms and in the playground. They are also included in the school's representative sports teams, taking part
What some scientists don't want you to know about embryonic stem cells - page 11
in inter-school events. Australian children have received the refugees with a warm welcome, and the refugees have mixed well with the Australians. They have taken part in a school camp excursion to Broome. 800kms to the north: In a school sports carnival in Karratha. 240km to the south, and two of them have accompanied other students to Perth for a school expedition, where they stayed overnight in a suburban hotel. The Catholic schools in Derby and at Maribyrnong in Victoria have also been taking part in the program, although since the closure of the Curtin Centre outside of Derby, that has discontinued. and Marihymong is understood to be on a part time basis. St Cecilia's principal, Tony Chinnock. said the ptilgram there had started just before the end of term one this year. He said all of the refugee children had
been in detention centres in Port Hedland. Derby and elsewhere longer than he had been principal at Port Hedland - 'and that's two years.' The school's parent and teacher body had received the program well. 'There has been one abusive phone call - and on a school principal's terms, that is miniscule.' Originally there had been 11 refugee children, but one had succeeded in obtaining a visa and had gone to live with an uncle in Sydney. The successful visa recipient had been classified as 'unaccompanied' - he had no parents or adult relatives at the detention centre. The other children Australian and refugee - had missed the boy who went to Sydney. but had rejoiced in his good fortune, and had sent him away with farewell gifts and books. Continued Page 2
Billings receive international award internationally acclaimed Aus- award in front of doctors from 30 counI tralian bioethicists. Doctors John tries. They attended the congress en and Evelyn Billings have received route to China where they have been
another accolade from their peers. Delegates at the International Feder ation of Catholic Doctors' Congress (FIAMC) in Seoul, Korea. in early September presented them with the federation's international award for outstanding service to medicine and society . It is the highest achievement award for Catholic doctors. Mr and Mrs Billings, who developed the natural family planning methods adopted by4he Church. received their
working with authorities in the past few years highlighting their family planning methods. The secretary and immediate past president of the Catholic Doctors' Association in Western Australia, Dr Michael Shanahan attended the congress as the national delegate. He said it was further international recognition of their work and achievements. See full round up of the FIAMC congress on pages 10 and 11.
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