Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of St Catherine’s,
Our Stage 2 building project is approaching a very exciting time as we prepare to submit our building design for tender. Over the past 6 months we have been working closely with architects from SwanburyPenglase to achieve a design that meets all our requirements for the next stage of our building works. These include:
- Improved safety for students
- Welcoming Reception Office area with line of sights enhanced
- Improved Finance Officer and Leadership accommodation
- Opportunity to showcase the heritage old house building
- Providing breakout spaces from current classrooms along hallway to support small group teaching and learning
- Enhance the street presence of the entrance to the school and provide a gathering space for the community
- Create dedicated prayer space
- Create additional meeting room opportunities
- Refurbished OSHC space
The photos included with this newsletter give an indication of how these new spaces will look. The current schedule is for work to begin in the last week of Term 4 this year and it is anticipated that disruption to the school environment (in terms of allocated classroom space and temporary administration accommodation) will be kept to a 6 month timeframe.
Further details about classroom and administration access will be provided prior to the end of the year once a builder has been appointed.
It was great to see many of our families join the Family Mass held at St Matthew's Church last weekend. The children who volunteered to help out in the Mass did a fantastic job and I thank the Parish for their support and hospitality. The sausage sizzle following Mass was very much appreciated.
Congratulations to the 23 students who participated in their first Tournament of Minds challenge recently. Thank you to Mrs Lewis and Mrs Brine who supported these students to prepare and engage with this challenge which required effective critical and creative thinking skills.
Our Year 5 and 6 choir students truly shone at the Catholic Schools Music Festival held this week. They joined nearly 350 other students on stage at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre to perform what was an absolute showcase of talented young people across many of our Catholic Schools in South Australia. Congratulations to Olive and Scarlett in Year 6 who were both selected from our school to sing with a small group or solo as part of the evening. A huge thank you to Kathryn Thompson for training and preparing the students to be able to perform to the best of their ability. I know this is an experience that the students will cherish for years to come.
We finished the term with a Disco run by Footsteps. Students had a fantastic time and it was a great way to celebrate the end of term. Thank you to our parents who supported on the night.
Next term, Katie Ashmead will be on long service leave and we welcome Andrea Williams who will be teaching ROA on Thursday and Fridays. Krystina Dawe will also be enjoying some long service leave for the first two weeks of next term and Andrea and Kate (2 of our regular relief teachers) will replace Krystina's classroom time in 1JD for these weeks.
Our Term 4 Calendar of events was sent via Skoolbag to families earlier today. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that all our events are included in this calendar, inevitably there are changes from time to time. I know we are all accustomed to ongoing COVID restriction changes and hope that the various events and activities can proceed as planned. We will keep families informed of any changes via Skoolbag.
I wish all our families, staff and students a well-deserved and restful break. Enjoy the time together with your family and we look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday 11th October.
I offer this prayer as we conclude Term 3.
We thank you Lord, for this term.
For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt.
Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends.
Give us strength and courage to do what is right: to be witnesses of our faith.
Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays, to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others.
To be peacemakers in our family. Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun.
Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term.
We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents and a community that cares for us.
May we always be conscious of you in our lives.
Amen
Warm regards,
John Low
Principal
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