Spring is here! The beautiful blossoms and warmer days have been a blessing after a bitter winter. We are blessed by the plentiful rain that promises a bountiful harvest for our farmers and has brought forth so many weeds that I have never seen before and are filling up our garden beds. The beautiful weekend weather was the perfect enticement to spend time outside in the garden and I hope that we will get to enjoy the lovely spring weather before it turns into the torrid heat of summer. Despite the sunshine the days are still cool enough to warrant the full winter uniform and this will be the order until such time as the weather temps soar. Next week’s Photo Day will dictate that all students are decked out in the full winter uniform and that they adhere to the uniform guidelines in terms of hair, makeup and other adornments. Whilst we do encourage our students to take pride in their uniform there is no need for extravagant new hairstyles and extra makeup for the school photos. Please ensure that you have completed the payment envelope or ordered online before next Tuesday 8 September. If you were planning on having family photos you will need to order them online before the day.

Hopefully by the end of the week we may have further clarity around what options we have available for our 2021 transition programs. Last week our current Year 6 students were able to spend a day experiencing all that secondary student life has to offer. Thank you to Ms Marsay for her planning and organisation. The students thoroughly enjoyed their day and are already feeling like they have outgrown primary. At this time we are unable to provide any such opportunity for our 2021 Kindergarten students. Traditionally our transition program has been extensive and a very smooth path to the routines and expectations of Early Stage 1. We recognise that we will need to put some measures in place to alleviate the anxiety and challenges that some little people will have about starting school. We are just trying to find the best, most appropriate and achievable way to make this happen. A letter should be sent to our 2021 Kinder families by the end of the week.

This weekend our wonderful Stage 3 teacher Miss Kaitlin Hudson will marry her fiancée Mr Jack Niddrie in Young. Originally her plans were to be married during the Easter holidays but, like many things, COVID played havoc with her plans. We wish Kaitlin and Jack a lifetime of happiness and the richest of God’s blessings as they begin their married life together.

Thank you to all the families who completed the Annual School Satisfaction Survey. I have recently received the data and it made for very informative reading. Our parent community recognised and affirmed many of the wonderful aspects about out school and made some very constructive suggestions about things that warranted consideration and improvement. One very pointed observation was that many of the parent body were unsure of the composition of the School Board and their function/role within the school. Currently we have a very invested and forward-thinking Board made up o: Mr Chris Drum – Chair, Mrs Liz Bodycott – treasurer, Mr John English, Mrs Emma Deep, Mr Gareth Jones (P&F rep), Ms Lisa Buchanan (Staff Rep), Fr Lolesio (ex-officio), Mrs Katie Thompson – Secretary and myself. The School Board is an advisory committee who lends their expertise and wisdom to decisions on finance, maintenance works, parent concerns, uniform and possible directions for future works. They are not involved in matters of staffing but are aware of current policies and procedures. I am extremely grateful for their sage advice and passion for our school. The parent representatives are very happy to take concerns or input from the parent body that they represent.

A reminder about the current directives around COVID-19:

A significant change to the guidelines is in regard to COVID-19 testing requirements. We need to continue to exclude any students (or staff) if they display any flu-like symptoms, even if mild. Students (and staff) with even mild flu-like symptoms are now required to be tested and can only return to school upon a receipt of a negative test result that must be provided to the school.

Remember if you can be anything…. Be kind! And as St Therese of Lisieux counselled followers of Jesus ‘do little things with great love‘.

God Bless

Mrs Nicky Trinder

Principal