TERRA Sancta College teacher Layla Aziz was recognised with a staff recognition award last week for innovation in learning and teaching.
The award is presented to one teacher in the Parramatta diocese each year.
Principal Phil Smith said the Catholic Education executive director, Greg Whitby, presented the award to Ms Aziz for developing a program and series of workshops.
The workshops provide new teachers with practical advice and an opportunity to share their experiences with others.
Ms Aziz was nominated by learning community facilitator Raquel Sheehy for her professional development of first-year staff.
“She challenges …

THE kingfish bite is hotting up, with a couple of lucky anglers snaring some over the 80cm bite in the Parramatta River on lures and baits intended for flathead and bream.

This is rare, and bodes well.
Matt T, of Parramatta, was also fortunate enough to land a 75cm jewfish on his lunch break from a wharf he was working on. All right for some.
Dusky flathead are on the chew as the water begins to warm up, and good captures of 70cm-plus frogs have been reported from Middle Harbour, Botany Bay and …

A 30-year-old man will face Parramatta Local Court today charged with importing heroin into Australia that had been concealed within mahjong tiles and dominoes.

Customs officials stopped the Ashcroft resident for questioning when he arrived at Sydney International Airport on a flight from Vietnam yesterday.
A search of his luggage allegedly uncovered four medium-sized black cases containing mahjong tiles and dominoes.
The tiles appeared to be of poor quality and were subjected to further tests by Customs officers.
A mahjong tile was drilled and presumptive testing of the contents indicated the presence of heroin. …

HERE are just three of the 750 things I swore I’d never do when I became a parent.

1. Give in to repeated requests for finger buns or plastic spider people in supermarkets (sorry, but there’s a limit to the number of Iwantatreats I can take before something inside me breaks).
2. Use the TV as a babysitter (sorry, but its hourly rates are reasonable, it’s never clubbing with its boyfriend that night and I don’t have to drive it home to Parramatta afterwards).
3. Fib to avoid discussing …

PARRAMATTA ferry-lovers can circle this date in their diaries: on Monday, November 23, at 7am, the first peak-hour ferry service will depart Parramatta Wharf for Circular Quay.
Nearly six months after a commuter service to Parramatta was first flagged in the State Budget, Labor will deliver on its promise when Transport Minister David Campbell announces today the official start date for a new River Express timetable.
There will be 45 new River Express services operating between Monday and Friday every week, with one stop at Rydalmere en route to Circular Quay. The …