Dear Parents,

We’re delighted to welcome everyone back for what promises to be another exciting and enriching term at our school! Alongside our engaging teaching and learning experiences, we’re looking forward to a range of special events that bring our school community together. Highlights this term include First Communion, the Diocesan Athletics Carnival, Book Week, ICAS and Newcastle Permanent Maths Competitions, and our beautiful Feast Day celebrations for St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and the Assumption of Our Lady.

Our Year 5 students are preparing for the much-anticipated Great Aussie Bush Camp, while other grades will enjoy excursions to Tocal and the Zoo. We’re also excited to welcome student teachers to several of our classes and visiting teachers from SFX into our Year 6 space. Another lovely new initiative this term is our ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, giving families the chance to connect and be part of our learning journey. There’s so much to look forward to!

Building Project Update

Over the holidays, significant progress was made on our building project. The COLA in the Quad and the old stairwell have been removed, and footings are now being laid for the exciting new structure. Inside, the Library has been stripped out in preparation for its transformation. At the moment, the Quad is filled with light and space—it’s truly inspiring to see the changes happening before our eyes each day. The possibilities for poi to come are energising for the students and staff alike!

Grandparents’ Day

Last week we celebrated a truly memorable Grandparents’ Day. We had a wonderful turnout for our liturgy and morning tea, followed by a very special reading session in the sunshine. Grandparents and grandchildren shared stories and smiles, and the atmosphere was filled with warmth and love.

Besides the touching songs the Kinder children sang about grandparents in the liturgy, a particularly moving moment came when Lucy’s great-grandfather spoke so beautifully about the bond between grandparents and grandchildren—many were moved to tears. Some words he shared with the children were to “… love your grandparents. Know that we are happy just for you to be you. We will celebrate your successes, help you through disappointments and we will always, always love you.”

The feedback we received on the day was incredibly heartwarming: visitors spoke of how welcoming our school feels, the strong sense of community, and the "heart" that shines through all we do. We are so proud of the culture we’ve created together, and we’re grateful to be walking alongside our families in creating meaningful experiences for all our students. Thank you to everyone who joined us—it was truly a day to remember.

100 Days of Kindergarten

On Monday, our Kindergarten students marked a big milestone—100 Days of Kinder! The celebrations were full of joy and laughter, with an impressive display of grey hair, pearls, glasses, and bowties! With the help of their Year 6 buddies, our youngest learners had an absolute blast celebrating how far they’ve come since the start of the year. It was a fun-filled day of games, learning, and community spirit!

ASPIRE

We are incredibly proud of two of our talented students, Ava and Hugo, who have been taking part in the 2025 Aspire production "The Rise of Bozz' for Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle. Their dedication, creativity, and outstanding performances showcased their gifts and commitment to the arts. Representing our school with pride, they demonstrated confidence, collaboration, and a love of performing.

Our Years 5 and 6 students were lucky enough to attend the show on Thursday and absolutely loved being part of the experience. They were inspired by the performance and thoroughly enjoyed cheering on Ava and Hugo from the audience. Congratulations to them both on this wonderful achievement!

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday night shows are still available at https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/the-rise-of-bozz if you can make it, get along and support our amazing talents!

Funding of Schools

Recently there has been much public discussion around the Australian Government's model of funding schools. Catholic Schools NSW have put together some data to explain how government funding for non-government schools—such as Catholic and

Independent schools— supports your right to choose the best educational environment for your child while also reducing costs for Australian taxpayers.

Using the most recent data, the report outlines how funding these schools through a mixed education model reduces pressure on public education resources, with savings of up to $6.88 billion annually. The report highlights how school choice benefits families and the broader community alike. To read more, find the report here:

Karen
Principal