Assistant Principal's Message
Student Leadership 2026
The process of selecting our Student Leaders for 2026 will begin on Monday 17th November. Please see the proposed timeline below:
Monday 17 November
- Year 5 complete Leadership Reflection sheet
- Leadership Parent letter & student nomination form sent home
Thursday 20 November
- Nominations need to be returned
- Absent students to email their nomination form
Monday 24 November
- Year 5 students vote and determine 10 girls and 10 boys
Tuesday 25 - Friday 28 November
- Staff vote to narrow 20 children to 10 - 5 boys and 5 girls – the Student Leadership Team of 2026
Monday 1 December
- Student Leadership Team for 2026 announced
- Nominees for Sports House Captain to complete speech at House Team Meeting
- Students Years 2-6 vote for Sport House Captains
Tuesday 2 December
- Sports House Captains announced
Thursday 4 December
- Student Leadership Team will write a short speech at school
- Speeches presented to the whole school in the hall
- Year 2-6 vote
- Captains and Vice Captains and their parents are informed
- Captains and Vice Captains for 2026 announced
Graduation Mass – Wednesday 10 December
- Passing of light between 2025 Leadership Team and 2026 Leadership Team at the End of Year Mass.
Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT)
PAT testing will be completed by all students in Years 2-6 over the next few weeks, in Mathematics, Spelling and Reading. PAT is completed each year and looks at student growth across the year. The results from these tests assist us to organise flexible groups for 2026 and ensure that teaching and learning programs are targeted to the needs of all students. There is no need for students to “study” for PAT.
Safeguarding - ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’
Children’s Week 
This week is National Children’s Week. Children’s Week is a national celebration of children’s rights, talents and citizenship. The Children’s Week National Theme for 2025 is based on Article 42 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC): Everyone should know about children's rights.
Acknowledging and celebrating Children’s Week aims to highlight children and young people’s right to play, rest, engage in cultural life, the arts and recreational activities and the fundamental role it has in their learning. This project was initiated to support the implementation of the Wellbeing Framework and Early Learning philosophy that advocates for student voice and agency in the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
As we all know, the online world is constantly evolving and often challenging to navigate. With new social media age restrictions for under-16s, the increasing presence of AI-generated content, and the continued rise of online scams and fraudulent activity, staying informed and vigilant has never been more important — for adults and children alike.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and in recognition of this, we would like to share a range of useful resources, including webinars and trusted websites, to help support you and your family in staying safe online.
Social Media Age Restrictions - Webinars from the eSafety Commissioner (several dates available)
For more webinars, please feel free to browse their website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars
For a fun quiz to see how Cyber-Secure you are, click here: https://www.cyber.gov.au/learn-basics#quizcontainer
Online safety is a vital part of our shared responsibility as adults and parents. Together, we can help our children safely and confidently navigate the digital world.
Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L)
During Term 4, we will continue focusing on our four PB4L expectations:
- Act Safely: Be sun safe
- Be Respectful: Be honest
- Care for All: Care for God’s creation
- Do Your Best: Have a go and particpate
Our PBL focus this coming fortnight is Be Respectful – Be honest. During PBL lessons, students are identifying:
- What is meant by truthfulness and honesty?
- Why is being honest important?
- How can we be honest at school?
The following PowerPoint may be a conversation starter for you and your child/ren. Below you will also find another resource which reinforces this concept. Hopefully they are useful too.
Truthfulness and Honesty PowerPoint
Renata Rozenfeld
Assistant Principal