What a busy week we have had! So much has happened in such a short time and it seems as though that will be the flavour for the remainder of the term. The Swimming Carnival held on  Friday 18^th February was a resounding success. It was glorious weather, the students were enthusiastic and well behaved and everything ran according to schedule. Thank you to Ms Withers and Ms Van Kerk Oerle, who put in an enormous amount of hours in preparing for the day. Thank you to Gareth Jones who volunteered his time to help unpack the new carnival software to enable smooth running of the day.

Last week our Term One Fee statements will be sent out. Thank you to all our families who are financially committed to supporting our school so that we can continue to provide an outstanding education. If you have any queries about the fees please contact Mrs Deep at the Front Office. If at any time you need to discuss fees and/or a remission please make an appointment to see me at your earliest convenience.

We continue to be informed and managed regarding current COVID protocols and despite the possibility of parents coming onto school grounds there are still expectations that students and staff take a COVID test if they display any symptoms and that parents can only transport their own child/ren to sporting or extra-curricular events. If this changes, I will inform the school community. We do encourage students to continue to practise positive COVID safe habits of handwashing and sanitising. Thank you again for your cooperation in this matter. At the moment we appear to have stemmed the tide of COVID cases but we must continue to stay vigilant and sensible despite the relaxing of restrictions. Some schools in the region have shifted to remote learning for some stages because they have experienced extreme numbers of cases. Our staff and students have very maturely approached the restrictions and limitations and have helped us to manage tricky situations and keep the school functioning as normal with learning for all.

We are continuing to monitor attendance, especially in this COVID climate so that our students are given every opportunity to learn by being in the classroom. This also includes attendance at any school event like the Swimming Carnival, sport days and other activities beyond the classroom. It is a legal requirement that every absence is authorised by parents/guardians and see value in all students being physically present at whole school activities to help build community regardless of their sporting prowess or interest.

Last Friday our Primary swimmers competed in the Western Region Swimming Carnival here at the Cootamundra pool. It was an extremely successful day and our swimmers conducted themselves with distinction, smashing personal bests and winning ribbons. We were only narrowly beaten by St Marys’ for the overall champion school by a measly 5 points. We will get them next year. Thank you to Mr Winsor, Ms Van Kerk Oerle and Ms Withers for their organisation. A big thank you to our Stage 5 PASS class who helped out in so many different ways in a mature, enthusiastic and positive manner. Thank you to the P & F who organised a BBQ and raffle to raise funds for our school. Thank you to Brad Shields, Dermot Kiely, Brigid Holder, Carmen Clark, Kim Sannazzaro and Sonya Ward who were instrumental in coordinating the success of the fundraising. Also thank you to the Westaway family at the Cootamundra Pool who generously donated the prizes for the raffle.

This week will mark the beginning of Lent. Father Lolesio told our students last year Lent is a “time to change ourselves”. The Year 10 students will conduct the Burning Branches liturgy on Tuesday in preparation for Ash Wednesday. We are sticking to the original planning (before restrictions were talked of being lifted) in that we will have individual class prayer services to distribute ashes. We will also be marking Rice Day in our cohorts to minimse interaction. Please send a gold coin donation in with the students as we remind them about the people who go without and survive on less than a bowl of rice a day. Fr Kevin used to wish us a happy Lent because it is time to reflect on all we have been given and to be grateful. Hopefully as the year progresses we will be able to celebrate all of our important celebrations and moments in a traditional way when restrictions are totally lifted and life goes back to a new normal.

The end of the school day is always typically manic and our most important focus is that our students are safely crossing roads. We encourage students to be crossing at street corners and not from behind parked cars or buses. We pray

Our first Uniform free day was well supported. Students and staff were decked out in their loudest shirts to raise funds for Tonga. Thank you for your support for this important venture. The money will be sent directly to a school in Tonga to help them rebuild.

A reminder that uniform expectations remain in force and we are trying to maintain an equitable and fair approach. The uniform expectations are laid out in the uniform policy in regards to haircuts, jewellery, nail polish, socks, hats, facial hair and all other aspects of our policy. We are very proud of our uniform and the way our students present themselves to the community. Please support us with this standard.

Words of wisdom from Dr Seuss: “Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get the chance, take it! If it changes your life, let it! Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it!”

Ms Trinder

Principal