Dear Parents,

I hope that all Mum’s enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday spending time with your families. It is a great opportunity for us all to stop, say thanks and reflect upon the special place that Mum’s hold in our lives.

I hope all Mum’s enjoyed the Mother’s Day Prayer afternoon at school last Friday. Thanks to Danielle Hinds and Jacinta Holmes for their organisation of the stall and Jo, Sarah, Emma, Lisa, Sherry, Thilani, Luke, Sajani, Sinsy, Jessica, Melissa, Katherine, Sheree, Pavan and Renee who assisted on the day.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Anna Viney and Jessica Ornsby for the excellent job they did leading the school during my Long Service Leave. It was comforting to know that the school was in such capable hands. Term Two is very much up and running and many different events and activities are planned. Please keep your eye on the school calendar and ensure that all of your details on SIMON are up to date.

Camps
Our Grade 5 students head off today to Lady Northcote Camp, Glenmore. All information regarding the camp has been sent out to families. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the children and I sincerely thank Rian Prestwich, Jessica Ornsby, Jisha George, Samantha Smith, Vanessa Keenan, Assumptha Gozmao, Amanda Ebbage, Georgia Kapotis, Claire Culpitt and Gavin Balzary for their willingness to attend the camp. It is a huge effort them to leave their own families to afford this opportunity to the students.

This camp concludes our camping program for 2023. We are currently booking our 2024 camps and will let parents know as soon as they are finalised.

Catholic Education Week
Next Week is Catholic Education Week, providing an opportunity for us to reflect upon the wonderful role that Catholic Schools play in Australian society, in particular for us, and the Diocese of Sale. When taking the time to celebrate Catholic Education as we know it today we can never forget the huge sacrifices made by Parishes and parents before us. Establishing the system as we know it today was not an easy process, and it would not have been possible without the vision of previous Religions, parents, parishes and dedicated lay people. We thank them for their efforts and sacrifice as our students are the direct beneficiaries.

As communicated previously our Diocese has recently undergone a significant change with the appointment of our new Director, Mr Paul Velten. Mr Velten has a clear vision of wanting the very best education possible for the students in the Diocese of Sale and we wish him all the success in his new role. Together as a system we look forward to working with him to achieve his vision.

National Sorry Day
Friday 26 May is National Sorry Day. As a school we will be acknowledging and learning about what this day means to us as Australians.

Carpark
Carpark rules are in place purely and simply to make it as safe as we possibly can for our children. I ask that parents please respect the rules, following the signs and ensuring that pedestrians cross at the allocated areas so they are predictable to the traffic.

Staffing
At the end of this week we farewell Sarah Watson. We thank her for her time at St Catherine’s and wish her all the very best for the future. It is with pleasure that we  welcome Mr Anthony Preston who will be replacing Sarah. Anthony is an experienced teacher who is very much looking forward to joining St Catherine’s. Anthony will commence on Monday 29 May.

Earlier in the Term Anna Viney wrote to parents to inform you that Miss Hannah Carr had resigned from her position. We welcome with pleasure Mrs Kathleen Dullabh as the new teacher of Grade 5LA3. Kathleen is an experienced teacher who is looking forward to joining our school. Kathleen is very excited about her new position and I am sure she will be made to feel welcome by all. It is anticipated that she will commence in the grade on Tuesday 13 June.

For personal reasons Mandy Collingwood will be on leave until the end of the 2023 school year. We are currently advertising for her replacement.

2024 Enrolments
We are currently taking 2024 Enrolments.  If you are an existing family please get your forms in asap to guarantee you a spot.   If you know of anyone considering St Catherine’s for their child please ask them to contact the Office for a tour.

School Gate Opening Time 2023
As mentioned in the past newsletter's to allow us to cater for the new EBA that Catholic teachers in the Diocese of Sale have entered into for 2023 we will be opening the school gates at 8.30am this year.  Children arriving before 8.30am must be enrolled in before school care.

Bike Shed
Due to the refurbishment of the Northern Portables the bike shed has been relocated to in between the STEM and Japanese portables.  It is temporary fencing at the moment whilst we are awaiting the installation of new fencing.

Playground
Planning for the new playground is underway.  We will hope to have this installed as soon as possible this year.  Thanks to the Parents and Friends for contributing money towards this exciting project.

COVID Advice
Please see the latest COVID advice regarding students who are unwell;

It is strongly recommended that students:

• Who test positive to COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five (5) days;
• Should not attend school after five (5) days if still symptomatic;

• Who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school until their symptoms resolve;

• Parents, guardians or carers advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result.

SCHOOL FEES

School fee statements were emailed to families on monday 15 May.  Please check your statement.  If you have any queries, concerns or did not receive a statement please contact the school office on 97021466 or email Margaret Lonergan. accounts@stcberwick.catholic.edu.au.

Families who hold an eligible Health Care Concession Card, may be eligible for CSEF (Camp, Sports and Excursion Funding).  If eligible, this would also entitle families to make an application for a fee remission, which effectively would see a significant reduction of fees to be paid for the year.  For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Margaret Lonergan in the Office.

Kind Regards

Simon Dell'Oro