Term 2 Week 10 Newsletter 2025

Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of St Catherine’s,  

Welcome

When the new Reception students join us as they have for their transition visits over the past two weeks, I am filled with a sense of hope for their future. It is sobering to think that they will graduate from school in 2038! The teachers of Reception do most of the hard work and I acknowledge the incredible work that Jess Barolo and Josie Silver do in supporting these students and their families through arguably the biggest step they will make in their school journey. I enjoy meeting with the parents and students over the months and sometimes years in the lead up to them joining us, and while I enthusiastically emphasize our virtues including our strong values, caring community, and high standards I am always pleased to see them experience these first-hand once they commence. St Cath’s is a special place. Welcome to our new students Willa, Chloe, Emilia, Louis, Charlie, Sage, Luella, Alby and Luca.

Sacramental Program 

Congratulations to all the students who have undertaken their Confirmation Sacrament: Harry, Quinn, Conor, Elliott, Toby, Scarlett, Alice, Liam, Oliver, Harper, Holly, Toni-Mari and Alexander. Well done! This marks a significant step in your faith journey as you deepen your commitment to your Catholic beliefs. We are proud of your dedication, courage, and openness to God's call in your life. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide, strengthen, and inspire you as you grow in faith and love. Thanks to Fr Fred and Cathie Oswald from the parish and thanks to Carla Thomas for their support of our students  

Netball carnival  

The netball carnival this week was a highlight and no surprise that most of our students chose to take part. High participation of students in events like this doesn’t happen at all schools but it is testament to the fact that our students feel safe and connected that they participate so readily. I have seen this regularly during my time at St Cath’s most notably with the School Musical last year when all Year 5 and 6 students had a part, and events like debating where we have 7 teams from Years 5 and 6. In addition, it was no surprise to see so many parent volunteers. Thank you for your support. Thanks also to Mr D and the staff for their support in organising, training, supervising, and supporting the students. 

Debating 

Last week our students enjoyed their last debate for Term 2. Congratulations also to all our debating students for dedicating their time and effort to extend their learning through this extra-curricular activity. 

Liturgy for the term  

Our final liturgy was notable for the way the students prepared thoroughly but participated enthusiastically. Thanks to the staff who have guided students in their participation in liturgies and Masses this term, and thanks to Fr Fred for his support - the students are grateful for his pastoral leadership as am I.

Semester 1 Student Achievement reports  

Student reports were made available this week via SEQTA. The information contained in this report is a summary of your child’s achievement this year. Reports are provided twice per year and are one of several ways that the school communicates your child’s achievement and approach to learning. Reporting provides an opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to maintain authentic conversations and partnerships focussed on learning. 

I encourage parents to talk through the report with their child and highlight their strengths. You may find it helpful to discuss one or two areas to work on in the second half of the year and the following are suggested questions that can guide these conversations: 

• What success can you celebrate? 
• What did you find challenging with but managed to persist? 
• What goal/s might have you set yourself for Term 3? 

Should you wish to discuss any element of your child's progress, please make a time to meet with your child's teacher. Our next formal parent learning conversations are scheduled for Term 3, week 8 and will be an opportunity to talk with your child's teacher about you’re their ongoing progress throughout Semester 2. 

Student Leaders 

As Semester 1 draws to a close I would like to thank all our student leaders who have represented their classes with a sense of responsibility and pride. I have been very impressed with the engagement and leadership of our School Captains.  

I have also been pleased with our SRC (Student Representative Council). Thanks to Ayla, Levi, Harriet, Alexander, Harry, Eva, Ariana, Nellie, Angus, Sophie, Tilly, Sam, Conor, Josie, Mia, Joseph, Liam, and Archer, who have shown through sharing their points of views on a range of different topics as well as using problem solving skills to ensure our school is a safe and happy environment, caring for the common good. As you may be aware the students serve on the SRC for 2 terms, so I thank them for their contribution. We remain committed to nurturing student voice and agency and providing opportunities for students to learn to lead. 

Safeguarding Policies and Child Protection Curriculum Information for Parents and Carers 

The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide values the dignity of all God’s children and takes seriously our role in safeguarding their wellbeing and protection both within the Church environment and communities in which they are raised. The Archdiocese strives to maintain a child safe culture which recognises the welfare and safety of children and young people as paramount.  

The following documents are provided for your information.  

• Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy (Archdiocese of Adelaide) 
• Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum information for parents and carers 

These documents are available along with other Policies, Reports and Guidelines on our school website: https://www.stcaths.catholic.edu.au/our-school/policies-reports 

Pupil Free Day in Term 3

Monday 21st July is a Pupil Free Day as Staff will be attending an East Region Catholic Schools conference focused on Student Agency and Learning. Camp Australia OSHC will be available 8am-4pm.

Students return to school on Tuesday 22nd July 2025. 

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday break. 

Kind Regards,

Mark 

As quickly as the term began, we now find ourselves at its end! Time certainly has a way of moving quickly when we're immersed in meaningful work! Since our last newsletter, there has been so much to celebrate. As we pause to reflect, we’re proud of all that has been accomplished together.  

Staff Reflection Day – An Encounter of Hope Through Story 

In week 6, our staff came together at the Sofia Centre, Cabra College, for a special day of reflection and spiritual renewal. Grounded in our Catholic identity and inspired by the Dominican tradition, this day offered a valuable opportunity for the staff to pause, gather, and deepen our collective understanding of our shared story at St Catherine's as a faith-filled community. 

The theme for our Reflection Day was "An Encounter of Hope Through Story", inspired by the late Pope Francis’ call for the Church to be Pilgrims of Hope. Throughout the day, staff listened to and reflected on the stories of Fr Fred, as well as the life and legacy of St Catherine and St Dominic. These stories invited the staff to consider how faith, courage and hope shape our mission and influence our work in the life of our school. We thank Fr Fred for spending the day with us. 

To represent our reflections, staff were invited to draw a symbol or write a word on a piece of recycled timber that captures our collective hope-filled intentions for our community. The timber and frame for our artwork was generously prepared and donated by John Leeton from the parish, and will be displayed in the school next term. 

Congratulations Sacramental students on celebrating Confirmation 

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the students in our school and parish who recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is a significant and sacred step in their faith journey, as they are strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and called to live out their faith with courage, love and hope. 

It was a joy to witness our young people embracing this milestone with reverence and enthusiasm, supported by their families, sponsors, and the wider parish community. We thank everyone who contributed to their preparation and celebration, especially our staff, Fr Fred and Cathie Oswald for their guidance and care. 

Vinnies Winter Appeal 

Thank you once again for your incredible generosity as we support those doing it tough this winter. Your donations of food items, toiletries and warm socks will make a real difference to local families in need, helping to bring comfort and care this winter. 

Our PJ and Oodie Day was a huge success, not only bringing warmth and fun to our school, but also helping us raise money towards this important cause. These funds will help us continue supporting those in need in practical and compassionate ways.   

We are so grateful for your continued support and the compassion shown by our school community. Thank you for making a difference.   

Thank You to Our Eco Leaders 

As we come to the end of the semester, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible Eco Leaders for their commitment and care for our environment. 

Throughout the term, they have eagerly led by example, organising and leading our Clean Up Australia Day event, carefully monitoring bin use to ensure we’re reducing waste, and recently taking the time to plant for our watercourse area. Their efforts around the bird boxes have helped keep these important habitats safe, and they’ve taken on the important task of educating others in the community about sustainable cubby building using sticks and work in progress cards. 

We thank our Eco leaders for their dedication for helping to make our school a cleaner and greener place to learn and grow. 

YELP Update 

Our YELP students have been working hard to lead a new composting initiative at our school, inspired by the message of Laudato Si’ to care for our common home. Recently, the group worked with Jeremy Gramp from Green Adelaide to set up a trial compost bin in the kitchen garden area. This hands-on project is part of their commitment to reducing food waste and promoting sustainable practices in our school community. 

The students are now developing a PowerPoint presentation to share with classes, helping to reteach the process and importance of composting. Through this leadership, our young environmental leaders helping us to remember that small actions can have a big impact on the environment and help us live out our call to be stewards of creation. We look forward to sharing the final product with you soon. 

Carla Thomas
Acting APRIM

Student Reports 

This Wednesday, your child’s Semester 1 academic report was released via the SEQTA Engage platform. The report provides a summary of their learning progress and achievements so far this year.  

Next term, families will have the opportunity to discuss your child’s learning in more detail during our scheduled Learning Conversations with teachers.  

NAPLAN Results Update 

We would like to inform families that individual NAPLAN results are expected to arrive at the school in early Term 3. Once received, we will distribute them to families within the week. 

These results provide one snapshot of your child’s learning progress and will be considered alongside a range of other assessments to support their continued growth. If you would like to discuss your child's results with your teacher, we encourage families to arrange a mutually agreed time. 

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in your child’s learning journey. 

Reminder - Register your child for ICAS 

We know our students are amazing, so we’re giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition this year.   

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students in years 2-6 the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.   

Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals. 

ICAS Assessments in each area will run between August 4th to 29th. To learn more about this year’s exciting ICAS competition, visit: www.icasassessments.com/products-icas/     

Registrations must be completed by July 28th! 

Please contact Carla if your child is interested in participating cthomas@stcaths.catholic.edu.au  

Digital Devices - Capturing the Balance 

In today’s digital world, devices are a big part of our children’s lives—for learning, connection, and play. While technology can be enriching, it can be challenging to manage screen time without conflict. Rather than focusing solely on limits or bans, it’s more effective to support balanced use by creating healthy routines, having open conversations, and involving children in setting expectations.  

At school we endeavour to teach our students how to use technology as a tool for learning, grounded on an ICT agreement introduced at the start of the year.  

With guidance and shared responsibility, we can help our children enjoy technology in ways that support their learning, wellbeing and real-life growth. 

As we head into the holiday period, the following tips may be helpful in capturing this balance 

Top 5 Tips for Balanced Device Use 

1. Model Healthy Tech Habits: Children notice how we use screens. Show what balanced use looks like by setting boundaries around your own device time. 
2. Create Screen-Free Zones & Times: Set clear times and places—like mealtimes, before school, or bedrooms—where screens are put away to prioritise connection and rest. 
3. Involve Kids in Setting Limits: Co-create agreements about screen time and responsibilities. When children help shape the rules, they’re more likely to respect them. 
4. Prioritise Real Life First: Make sure key parts of the day—like physical activity, relationships, chores, and rest—come before screens. 
5. Be Curious, Not Controlling: Talk openly about what your child enjoys online. Build trust through understanding rather than constant monitoring. 

Presented by Mark Le Messurier  teacher, counsellor, author and public speaker, the workshop below discusses how to create a balance between screens and other aspects of living a 'connected' life. 

Parent Seminar presented by Mark Le Messurier 

If you require any further assistance, please reach out to your child's teacher. 

For more information on this topic and others, please visit the Catholic School Parents SA webpage: cspsa.catholic.edu.au 

Narelle Brine and Carla Thomas 
Leaders of Learning – Curriculum and Assessment         

PPL Review Meetings

Over the last 2 weeks, teachers and I have been meeting with families to review extensive and substantial PPL documents. This process allows teachers to critically reflect on the goals and adjustments in place and analyse if these are continuing to support growth. We always have such open and insightful conversations with families on how we can work together as a team to support all students at school to flourish.

PBIS Value Jars

Next Term, we’re excited to introduce our school-wide PBIS jars, which will be displayed in the front office. Once a classroom PBIS tube is filled with buttons, a student from that class will be able to pour the contents into the corresponding school-wide jar. These jars will fill gradually over time, and once full, the whole school will earn a collective reward.

To make these rewards more meaningful, we’d like students to help choose them. All classes will brainstorm suggestions which will be drawn out of a hat to select. We cannot wait to see what rewards the students propose!

Bianca Foote
Leader of Learning – Wellbeing and Inclusion