I am honoured to step into the role of Acting Principal for the remainder of Term 2 as our Principal, Mrs Laurinda Nelson, embarks on a pilgrimage in Ireland. In her absence, I am committed to ensuring that our school continues to thrive, upholding the high standards and strong sense of community that have been so carefully nurtured. Please keep both Mrs Nelson, and Fr Michael in your thoughts and prayers during their time of spiritual renewal, enrichment, and reflection. 

As I begin this role, I am reminded of the words of the late Pope Francis:

“Education is an act of love; it is like giving life.”

This quote beautifully captures the spirit of what I have witnessed in our classrooms this week. I have seen dedicated teachers fostering relationships grounded in trust, encouragement, and high expectations — and students who are engaged, curious, and striving to be their best.

Some highlights from my classroom visits this week include:

• Kindergarten students are completely immersed and engaged in daily explicit phonics lessons, confidently using mini-whiteboards to show their understanding and to practice writing letters and simple words.
• Year 1 students are learning how to use noun groups to describe book characters in greater detail. By adding adjectives and specific information to their nouns, students are beginning to create richer, more vivid descriptions in their writing.
• Year 2 students are learning about split digraphs and vowel digraphs in spelling lessons. They are working together to conduct word sorts and make useful visual charts for the classroom. 
• Stage Two students have been collaborating to explore natural processes and human activities that lead to soil erosion by asking questions, testing ideas, and applying their learning in meaningful ways.
• Year 5 students are creating mindmaps with adjectives and adjectival clauses to help build a greater understanding of the characters in the book ‘Crow Country’ by Kate Constable
• Year 6 students have been thoughtfully reflecting on their writing through the lens of success criteria and feedback, and setting clear, purposeful goals to improve their craft.

These classroom snapshots reflect a strong culture of learning — one that values resilience, celebrates effort and helps each child to see themselves as capable, valued, and full of potential. Truly life-giving. 

Last week, our community came together to mark National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June). A beautiful Liturgy, led by Year 4, explored this year’s theme, “Bridging Now to Next,” which speaks to the ongoing connection between Australia’s past, present, and future. It reminds us that truth-telling, listening, and walking together bring healing and hope. As Reconciliation Week concludes, may we carry its spirit forward in our relationships and actions.

A reminder that students should now be wearing their full winter uniform, including the appropriate sports uniform on designated days. You can view our full uniform policy on our website here:
Uniform Policy.

If you require support with accessing any items, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.

Finally, a reminder that tomorrow, Friday 6 June, is a Pupil Free Day. Staff will be engaging in Professional Learning focused on ‘embedding high-impact strategies to support student growth in reading’.

Wishing all families a safe and restful long weekend. We look forward to welcoming our students back on Tuesday 10 June.

Yours in partnership,

Mrs Julie Valentini
Acting Principal