Term 2 Week 2 Newsletter 2025

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

Welcome back to Term 2. I am pleased to report that the children have returned to school with smiles on their faces and have settled into the school routine.  

Anzac Day Service 

I acknowledge the student leaders and Mrs Barolo who represented St Catherine's at the Anzac Day Service at the Stirling RSL. I am pleased to say that have received correspondence and thanks from the Stirling RSL for the positive way the students undertook this service.  

Pope Francis 

My thanks to Carla Thomas for leading us in acknowledging the inspirational life of Pope Francis last week.  

Saint Catherine of Siena  

This week, we gathered for a whole school liturgy to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena on 29th April. St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was an Italian laywoman and Dominican tertiary who became one of the most influential figures of the 14th century. Her story is one of faith, perseverance, and dedication to service, particularly during a tumultuous period in the history of the Catholic Church. I encourage you to ask your children what they have learnt about St. Catherine. Special thanks to the Bleby/Henry family for their generous donation of the picture depicting St Catherine that now sits on the wall at the entrance to the school.  

Term 2 Calendar and Curriculum Overviews 

Last week, the Term 2 calendar of events was sent to families (via Audiri). If you have not received a copy of the calendar, please contact Cathy Fischle (cfischle@stcaths.catholic.edu.au). Our classroom teaching staff have also sent an overview of the teaching and learning for their class for this term via email. Please make contact with your child's teacher if you have not received this. 

Teaching and Learning 

Teaching and learning remains our core work and we regularly review our classroom practice to ensure the best approaches for student learning. Our teaching is informed by research and we respond to the evidence of student academic performance to craft an approach tailored to the needs of our students. These approaches are then adopted in a coherent way to ensure we have shared beliefs and shared practices in our classrooms.   

I am particularly impressed by the recent TEACHWELL PD I attended with Narelle Brine. As Leader of Learning, Narelle has been attending the TEACHWELL Masterclasses offered to leadership staff thorough CESA. The focus of these sessions are based on the Science of Learning and Cognitive Science theory, and developed to improve educational outcomes for students through Explicit Teaching. Staff have been implementing Daily Reviews at the beginning of literacy and numeracy lessons which involves students spending 10 mins answering or recalling information using whiteboards, flashcards and other digital tools. This approach serves as formative assessment tool, enabling teachers to identify and address learning gaps promptly and provide revision of concepts which had been taught previously. Research in Cognitive Science indicates that this consistent practice and reinforcement are crucial for skill retention and mastery. 

Staff are consistently reviewing these practices and monitoring student engagement to ensure that all students are participating in Daily Reviews. 

Staffing News 

Rebekah Sweet who has worked with us 2 days a week as an ESO (Education Support Officer) since the beginning of the year has accepted a permanent teaching position at St Joseph's Murray Bridge. I thank Rebekah for her care and support over the past term or so and wish her all the best as she returns to a teaching role.  

Learning Conversations (Parent Teacher interviews) 

Thank you to the parents and carers who attended and thanks to staff for providing these. Two ways to consider supporting your child following these conversations is firstly to affirm a success and to encourage them in working towards an improvement goal.  

Term 2 Opportunities 

• Tuesday: Debating
• Wednesday: Sewing Club
• Thursday: Chess Club

I am pleased to see the students involved in the various extra-curricular activities. 

Parents and Friends 

Our P&F dedicate considerable time and love towards supporting the school and helping nurture our school community. (see the recent Open Garden FB post here) In addition, they raise funds to support the purchase and replacement of resources and play equipment. Thanks to the P&F who paid for the purchase of a set of new soccer goals. Soccer is a popular activity for students at recess and lunch and the additional set of goals will allow us to run two games simultaneously thereby giving more students the opportunity to play. 

Grounds 

Several works around the grounds took place in the holidays clearing excess foliage around the cricket nets, replenishing the sandpit and adding mulch. The oval, in particular, is benefiting from the attention it received earlier in the year, which is important for students given how frequently it is used. 

Enrolments for 2026 and 2027 

We are currently accepting enrolments for 2026 and 2027. If you have a child that is due to start school next year or the year after and are yet to enroll them, please contact Cathy Fischle (cfischle@stcaths.catholic.edu.au) as soon as possible.

Mother's Day 

It was great to have a Mother's Day stall take place today. The students loved being able to choose something special that has been sourced by our P&F. A huge thank you to our parent volunteers who organised and ran the Mother's Day stall: Janelle, Lucia, Lyndall and Anna.  

Best wishes to all mothers for a wonderful day on Sunday. I'm feeling grateful as I look forward to spending the day with my mother this Sunday. 

Prayer for Mothers 

Dear Lord, we thank You for the gift of motherhood. We are grateful for mothers for nurturing and loving us with tender care. We thank You for the sacrifices they've made, the unwavering love they've shown, and the guidance they've provided throughout our lives. 

We especially thank You for Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus, who embraced her calling with humility and faith. May her example inspire all mothers to live with courage, compassion, and unwavering trust in You. May her prayers strengthen and protect mothers everywhere. 

May all mothers be blessed with health, joy, and the continued strength to love and nurture their children. Grant them Your peace and comfort, especially during difficult times. May we, in turn, strive to honor and cherish the mothers in our lives, reflecting the love and compassion You have shown us through them. 

Amen. 

Upcoming Events 

• Friday 16th May - Walk Safely to School Day 
• Tuesday 20th May - Hills SAPSASA Cross Country Carnival 
• Friday 6th June - Pupil Free Day  

Warm regards, 

Mark 

Easter Mass and Community Prayer remembering Pope Francis 

In week 1 our community gathered to celebrate the Easter season and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Led by our Year 5 students and Mrs Williams, our celebration was a profound reminder of new life, love and the call to continue living the message of Easter all the year. 

Amid the joy of Easter, we also paused in remembrance to honour the life and legacy of Pope Francis. His leadership inspired millions across the world with his message of love, care for creation, to live simply and show compassion for all. Pope Francis dedicated his life to walking with the poor, building bridges across divides, and calling us to care for our common home. 

Our School Captains and Year 6 leaders led a reverent Community Prayer service, offering prayers of gratitude for Pope Francis’ faithful witness and renewing our commitment to continue his call to care for our world and all of humanity.  

Students have been reflecting on the legacy Pope Francis has left us, and learning about the process of the Conclave in electing the next Pope. We eagerly wait in anticipation of who our new Pope will be. 

Feast Day of St Catherine of Siena  

This week, we celebrated the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, a woman of deep faith, wisdom and service.  Born in 1347 in Siena, Italy, Catherine devoted herself to prayer and the care of the sick and poor despite many challenges.  Her influence reached beyond her community, as she worked tirelessly to bring peace and unity to the Church and society. 

St. Catherine’s life teaches us the power of faith, resilience and compassion.  She reminds us that even in times of difficulty, we can be a source of hope and light through acts of kindness, courage and service.  At our school, we strive to embody her legacy by fostering a community grounded in prayer, social justice and a commitment to making a difference in the simple ways. 

Young Environmental Champions making a difference 

We are incredibly proud of a group of Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 students who have been quietly making a big difference in our school community. During several recess and lunch breaks, these students have taken it upon themselves to care for our environment by collecting rubbish from around the school and thoughtfully disposing of it in the correct bins. 

Their initiative, responsibility, and care for creation are truly inspiring. These young environmental champions remind us that we all have a part to play in keeping our school grounds beautiful and respecting the world around us. 

Thank you to Olivia, Siena, Anna, Harriet, Peta, Millie, Annie, Georgia B, Beatrice, Georgia K, Amelia and Sylvia for leading by example and showing us what it means to be stewards of God’s creation. Your actions are a gift to our community! 

Thank You for Supporting Project Compassion 

A heartfelt thank you to our school community for your generous support of Project Compassion throughout the Lenten season. Together, we have raised over $1,000 which will go directly towards supporting communities in need around the world. 

Your kind donations have helped us to 'unite against poverty' by bringing hope, resources, and opportunities to those living in poverty, creating lasting change in their lives. Thank you for helping us live out the call to compassion and justice this Lent. 

Parent Prayer Mornings – All Are Welcome 

A reminder that Parent Prayer Mornings will recommence in Week 3, held each Wednesday at drop off from 8:30–8:45am in the school prayer room.  

These reflective sessions are led by Paris Hoffman from St Matthew’s Parish and offer a peaceful way to begin the day in prayer and connection. 

All parents and caregivers are warmly invited to attend. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Mass and Liturgy Outline for Term 2 

This term, we look forward to coming together as a school community to celebrate a number of Masses and liturgies that mark important moments in the liturgical year or reflect the learning as part of Religious Education lessons. We warmly invite families to join us for these special celebrations on Tuesday morning at 9am in Siena Hall, led by classes as follows: 

• Week 3 - 1/2NB Liturgy 
• Week 5 - 6CT Mass 
• Week 6 - RecJB Liturgy 
• Week 7 - 3/4JC Mass 
• Week 8 - RecJS Liturgy 
• Week 9 - 3/4SB Mass 
• Week 10 - 1/2BB Liturgy and  
• Week 10 Friday - Community Prayer led by students from 6CT 

YELP Excursion at Belair National Park 

The YELP team took part in their first formal workshop of the year at Belair National Park. Facilitated by Green Adelaide, the students engaged in a number of different sessions that provided opportunity to work alongside others on environmental learning activities. We were blessed with beautiful weather as we explored native bird habitats, nature journaling, sensory walks and working with team from Belair National Park. We look forward to using the learning from this day towards our composting project at school.  

Kitchen Garden is Growing Again! 

We’re excited to share that the Kitchen Garden program is up and running again this term with Mr Butler’s Year 3/4 and Ms Silver’s Reception classes. The students have begun with an orientation of the garden space, planting potatoes, weeding, and learning about the regular jobs needed to care for the garden beds and help our produce thrive. They've also started planning what’s to come this term—there’s lots to look forward to! 

We’re eagerly awaiting the harvest of broad beans, brussels sprouts, beetroot, broccoli and cauliflower that were all planted last term by Mrs Williams’ Year 5 and Ms Bennet/Tsouvallas’ Year 1/2 classes. We can't wait to cook with them during our kitchen sessions! 

Another exciting addition this term will be the arrival of our new chickens! In Week 4, we will be welcoming three 16-week-old Isa Brown pullets into our garden community. Students have already started suggesting names for our new feathered friends. If you have a great idea, drop it into the suggestion box on Ms Cook’s desk at the front office.  

Carla Thomas
Acting APRIM

This term, Class 1/2BB have been diving into some exciting learning across all subjects! In writing, students have been exploring the wonderful world of poetry — playing with rhythm, rhyme, and creative language to express their thoughts and feelings. The classroom has been filled with laughter and imagination as students shared their own poetic creations.

In maths, the focus has been on patterns. The students have been developing their understanding of how patterns work and where we see them in everyday life. They’ve loved spotting patterns around the classroom and creating their own!

Reflections on Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations 

This week, we had the privilege of engaging in meaningful  Learning Conversations with families.  These conversations are one of the ways teachers share the progress and growth your child is making in their learning journey.  They also provide valuable opportunities to reflect on individual achievements, challenges, and the collaborative efforts that help each student thrive. 

Your ongoing support plays a crucial role in nurturing your child's development, and we are grateful for the partnership we share in their education. Together, we can continue to foster an environment where students feel encouraged, supported and motivated to reach their full potential. 

Thank you for your commitment to being an active participant in your child's learning.  We look forward to continuing this journey together. 

International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) Coming soon! 

ICAS is an online academic competition for students in years 2-6 that gives students 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: icasassessments.com/products-icas/  

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:   

• Read about ICAS subjects and prices here: https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas/   
• Read the Privacy Collection Statement attached. 
• Read the terms and conditions attached.  
• Go to the Parent Portal to sign up to chosen subject areas here: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps  
• Enter our school’s access code – JFZ647 
• Enter your child’s details, select the subject areas your child would like to participate in, then proceed to payment. 

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.   
Registrations for must be completed by 28th July 2025. 

For more information, please contact Carla Thomas cthomas@stcaths.catholic.edu.au   

Children's University 

This year's Children's University has officially kicked off with 15 students registered to participate. Last week, Emma Scott from Adelaide University demonstrated the student portal and shared some of the exciting possibilities students can engage with both on and offline that will count towards their total hours for graduation. Students are already very excited about the learning that can be undertaken and acknowledged through Children's University.  

To help students start building their hours, our teachers are running various onsite clubs during lunch time, including Gardening, YELP, Sewing and Debating. Later this term, Emma will be returning to run a lunch time IndyCar Robot session which our Children's University students can attend. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.  

Students in Partnership 

This year we are excited to again be partnering with Alice Dunlop from Catholic Education South Australia as part of the Student Partnership Initiative.  This initiative emphasises the importance of student voice, partnership, and agency in shaping the learning environment and outcomes.  

Our Year 5 students took part in their first workshop session where they engaged in planning a student-led research initiative to help improve practices around our school.   Students were also engaged in meaningful dialogue that helped them to name a variety of situations where they have agency, but also discuss the ways in which choice, voice, responsibly and power all help form a sense of agency.  We are so proud by the ability of students to engage in this meaningful dialogue and consider themselves as being agents of meaningful change. We look forward to sharing the students initiative as it unfolds. 

Daily Reviews 

At St Catherine's, our teaching staff are committed to implementing evidence-based strategies to enhance student learning. One such strategy is the practice of Daily Reviews, which has been shown to significantly improve retention and understanding of concepts previously taught in class. 

Staff have been implementing Daily Reviews at the beginning of literacy and numeracy lessons which involves students spending 10 mins answering or recalling information using whiteboards, flashcards and other digital tools.  

This practice is grounded in cognitive science and is a key component of Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction. By engaging in Daily Reviews, students activate prior knowledge, which reduces cognitive load and prepares them for new learning. 

Here are some photos of students using whiteboards to share their responses with their teacher.  

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

PBIS Focus 'Soccer' 

This month our PBIS (Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support) focus is all about positive play, and we're highlighting soccer as a great way to practice safe, respectful, and responsible behaviour during recess and lunch. 

Soccer is more than just a game—it's an opportunity for students to demonstrate what it means to be a positive member of our school community. Whether it’s taking turns, encouraging teammates, or handling wins and losses with grace, soccer provides daily chances for students to show the core PBIS expectations in action. 

Here’s how our PBIS expectations show up on the soccer field: 

• Be Safe: Use kind feet, follow game rules, and stay aware of your surroundings. 
• Be Kind: Share the ball, include others, and show good sportsmanship. 
• Be Sustainable: Take care of equipment. 

Staff members are keeping an eye out for students showing great behaviour during soccer games. We want to celebrate students who are making positive choices while having fun! 

Parents, you can support this focus by talking with your child about how they can be a good teammate and leader during games. Let’s continue to encourage respectful play and build a positive school culture—one goal at a time! 

Madhavi Nawana Parker Parent Session 'Anxiety and Social Media' 

Madhavi Nawana Parker's parent session on 'Anxiety and Social Media' is nearly here!  

Spots are filling fast, so if you haven't yet registered please do so Here on the St Catherine's website. You won't want to miss out! 

We have been fortunate to secure Madhavi Nawana Parker to present an amazing parent session for our school community on the important topic of Anxiety and Social Media. This engaging presentation will be held in the Sienna Hall on Tuesday 13th May 2025 from 6:30pm-8pm. 

Madhavi Nawana Parker is one of Australia’s leading experts on Mental Health and Wellbeing. Her evidence-based programs are implemented throughout Australia and overseas, providing over two decades of contribution to her field, positively impacting thousands of young people. 

At this session, Madhavi will be discussing issues many families are currently facing in a contemporary, compassionate and understanding way. She will provide strategies on how to manage your child’s anxiety and how to navigate the complexities of social media. 

All families are highly encouraged to attend this evening as Madhavi is so incredibly engaging, a wealth of knowledge and an expert in this field. Many of our teachers will also attend this important community event that you won't want to miss! 

This event will be open to the Adelaide Hills community, so if you have any friends or family who would be interested in learning more about 'Anxiety and Social Media', bring them along! 

Bianca Foote
Leader of Learning – Wellbeing and Inclusion