Eileen O'Connor Catholic College Lewisham

Supporting life beyond school at Eileen O’Connor Catholic College

Students and families at Eileen O’Connor Catholic College came together on Monday 20 April for the College’s first-ever Post-School Provider Expo – an initiative designed to open doors and spark meaningful conversations about what life after school can look like.

Held in the Parish Hall in Lewisham, the Expo brought together 26 trusted providers, giving families a clear, accessible and supportive space to explore post-school pathways and connect with the organisations that can help make them a reality.

Deborah Bestulic, Principal of Eileen O’Connor Catholic College, said the Expo reflected the College’s broader commitment to its students and families.

“Our Post-School Provider Expo is about giving our students and families the confidence to navigate life beyond school. By bringing trusted providers together in one place, we are creating meaningful opportunities for connection, conversation and support.

“At Eileen O’Connor College, we are committed to ensuring every student is known, valued and supported to achieve their full potential. This Expo is a reflection of that commitment, empowering our young people and their families to plan for the future with clarity, dignity and hope.”

Families had the opportunity to connect directly with leading organisations including the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Services Australia, Northcott, Sunnyfield,Civic, Scope and Wesley Mission, among many others.

Across the day, providers offered information and support across a wide range of services:

Day programs and life skills
Employment services
Social programs and community access
Disability advocacy
Disability support workers
Financial information and support

Eileen O’Connor parent Nicola said the format of the Expo and the opportunity to speak …

domenictrimboli01April 21, 2026|

Teaching ‘a dream’ at Eileen O’Connor

A move to special education has proved to be a highly rewarding career change for Clare Lourey and Monica Gonzalez.

The pair teach Years 11 and 12 at Eileen O’Connor Catholic College (EOCC) Lewisham, a school for students with moderate intellectual disabilities and part of the Sydney Catholic Schools network.

Ms Lourey worked as a registered nurse and midwife for six years before retraining as a teacher, then moving from mainstream classrooms to EOCC.

While she said becoming a teacher felt ‘inevitable’ with her parents in the profession, her time as a midwife honed skills that are invaluable in the education space. They include empathy and the ability to form strong connections with others.

“There is a lot of crossover, like making a connection and feeling like you are helping instil something positive in people’s lives,” she said.

“Here we have many students who are non-verbal or very minimally verbal. You do rely heavily on a good relationship with the parents and the families because ultimately that is what assists the student to flourish.”

“What we have in common with mainstream schools is the absolute belief that our students can achieve anything,” – Monica Gonzalez

EOCC students complete the Life Skills curriculum, an alternative for students who cannot access regular course outcomes.

The ability to personalise this curriculum for students and the diversity of personalities and needs within the classroom means no two days are the same.

“When we are doing our rotations we are working with three or four students at a time,” Ms Loury said.

“That is a dream. You are working in such small groups that even small growth is visible.”

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauMay 15, 2024|

EOC@Work: Inside our school’s new social enterprise

The creativity and commitment of Eileen O’Connor Catholic College (EOCC) Lewisham’s students is driving a new social enterprise at the college.

EOC@Work began at the college for students with moderate intellectual disabilities this year.

The not-for-profit enterprise was inspired by a Christmas art project that saw colourful and expressive paintings professionally printed on cards to great effect.

For their first social enterprise project, the students made Mother’s Day cards and gifts with vibrant tutti frutti, palm tree, flamingo and other designs. They sold these at a school stall on May 10.

Creative arts teacher Katie Crowl said the enterprise helped students in years 9 to 10 to practise valuable work skills.

“For the students an important part of it is that they develop confidence and their communication and expressive communication skills,” Ms Crowl said.

“They become workers in a team and learn all of the things you need in the real world.”

Hub supports life skills

A blend of work skills and the creative arts, EOC@Work was named by students and is a practical expression of what students learn through the Life Skills curriculum.

The enterprise operates in a space called ‘The Hub’, a centre where students practise administrative and other work-related tasks. It features a creative centre downstairs and cafe, uniform shop and garden centre on the upper level.

“When the students come in to start their shift, they sign in,” Ms Crowl said.

“We have a team meeting and we allocate the jobs for the day.”

Tasks include the design and production of artworks. In the workshop space, students focus on card-cutting, tracing and later packaging, assembly and distribution.

“The potential is limitless.” – Katie Crowl

“It’s exciting that there is so much creative opportunity for the school,” Ms Crowl said.

“The potential is limitless. The other …

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauMay 15, 2024|

VIDEO: Student-run café teaches life skills

Watch this video to find out how a student-run café at Eileen O’Connor Catholic College Lewisham in Sydney’s Inner West is changing students’ lives, one coffee at a time.

Isabell PetrinicSeptember 1, 2022|

Committed to helping community

Gabriel Liu joined the Adopt-A-Park program with his family a few years ago, and helps to clean up his neighbourhood park once a month.

It is among the reasons the Eileen O’Connor Catholic College Lewisham student has received a 2021 Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence.

“The work includes picking up rubbish, planting new trees and watering the garden, so we can enjoy a clean and nice environment,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel has also given his time to youth group fundraising activities, his church choir, and serving morning tea after Mass.

Another outlet for his love of cooking was serving in the school cafe at Eileen O’Connor.

“It is definitely one of my happiest moments” – Gabriel Liu

Gabriel said he liked the social and teamwork aspects of volunteering, and was excited to receive the Archbishop’s Award.

“Some of the work I’ve done has been really fun,” he said.

“I like to see other people feeling happy and living in a clean environment.

“I feel very honoured to receive such an award and at the same time very grateful to all my teachers in Eileen O’Connor and my family for teaching me and guiding me.” ARCHBISHOP’S AWARDS: STUDENTS SHOW FAITH AND FOCUS

jaderamirezsydcatholiceduauSeptember 3, 2021|

iLight2020: Virtual Carols

Welcome to Sydney Catholic Schools #iLight2020 Virtual Carol Choir.

We have now reached the end of the snapshot of how to prepare for Christmas using the Jesse Tree with your family. It is hoped that you continue your journey towards Christmas in this way through prayer, symbol and song. Today we have the Virtual Carols Night which showcases our schools.

To toggle through the songs, use the menu bar in the top right corner of the video player, otherwise the songs will play one after the other.

Enjoy the light of our students shining brightly for all to see.

Schools featured in the virtual choir:

AdminDecember 9, 2020|

Supporting life beyond school at Eileen O’Connor Catholic College

Teaching ‘a dream’ at Eileen O’Connor

VIDEO: Student-run café teaches life skills

Committed to helping community

iLight2020: Virtual Carols

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our schools and offices now stand. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

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