A Message from the 

Principal

Dear Parents,

Blessings and Gratitude

To be truly happy is not to have everything you want, but to be grateful for what you have. My mother always encouraged us to count our blessings and working at St Martha's gives me many opportunities to do just that. It has been another wonderful week of learning and extra special activities at St Martha's. On Monday I had the great privelge of attending the Year 3 excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park. We were blessed with much better weather in Helensburg than the weather at Strathfield that day. The children were very interested to learn about and interact with a range of mammals and reptiles. We were grateful for the support of parents and staff as the students spent time on a guided tour of the park. Although a little wet underfoot, the students thoroughly enjoyed the day and the outdoor, interactive learning. How blessed, to have such a beautiful facility within an hour of the school.

We are grateful for the fabulous celebration of 100 Days of Kindergarten. Our current Kinders clocked up their 100th day around the time we were celebrating our Feast day and 100 Years of St Martha's.  To make sure this significant occasion was celebrated in a special way, we delayed the festivities. Although the weather has not been as kind, the Kindergarten students are enjoying a day full of fun 100 activities and the undercroft is decorated with beautiful images created using 100.  What a blessing to have the children share their talents and celebrate their learning. The children are wearing their hand decorated 100 days T-shirts today and looking wonderful! We are grateful for the dedication of our Kindergarten teaching team.

Since the last newsletter we have celebrated our 100 Years with a Gala Dinner. It was a fabulous night with Bishop Terence Brady, Fr Liem, Sr Judith, Sr Pam and Sr Julianna from the Dominican Sisters, Jayson Yat-Sen Li MP, Councillor Esther Kim, many staff, former staff, former students and families of past and present students in attendance. A wonderful evening was had by all, despite some very stormy weather. We are grateful for all those who shared memories and stories. We received a beautiful message from former student and famous author Thomas Keneally who was unable to attend due to ill health. We are grateful to everyone who helped to pull the event together and all those who came along to make the night such a testimony to the wonderful community at St Martha's.

I am so grateful for all the wonderful experiences we share at St Martha's. I feel blessed to be part of such a thriving Catholic community.

Staffing News

Last week we farewelled Mrs Lambropoulos as she started her leave. We wish her all the best for the arrival of her baby. Ms Emma Fitzpatrick will be teaching Year 4 Blue for the rest of the year. Ms Fitzpatrick brings a great deal of experience and expertise to the role. We welcome her to the St Martha's community. We are grateful for the work of both teachers in providing a smooth transition for our students.

Peace and best wishes,

Carolyn Parsell