Dear Parents and Carers,

What a year we have had! I wish every family all the best for a most wonderful Christmas and 2021. Be kind to yourselves and each other and may the hardships of 2020 never be repeated.

Thank you for your partnership in this difficult year. We really hope to see all of you in the school next year. It will be an exciting time as we anticipate the opening of some of the new classrooms at the end of Term One.

Despite all the challenges, we are very proud of the results achieved by our students. There has been some exciting growth and our Kinder results in particular, are something to celebrate.

The Year 6 students have been excellent role models and reliable, responsible students. We wish them all the best for the years to come as they continue their studies and plan for the future.

Best wishes to the families leaving Gunnedah, stay safe and thank you for your support.

We look forward to 2021 with enthusiasm and excitement. Planning is already underway. We have started the job of creating the best possible learning experiences for our students for 2021. Our staff are indeed a dedicated bunch who work tirelessly for the good of all the students no matter their role. It’s a team effort and always will be.

In 2021 we will not increase school fees. This decision was made in support of all who have had to make sacrifices this year whether it be due to drought, job loss or cut backs. We appreciate the people who have had brave conversations with us about their situation. We are here to support and listen to all our families.

Kind regards,

Jen

Farewells 2020

We thank Ashley Mooney and Lucy Jaeger who have worked with us for part of this year. They both slotted in easily and have brought great joy to the Year 3 and 4 classrooms. We wish them all the best for 2021. Lucy is going back to Newcastle to teach and Ashley is going to be working at Sacred Heart Boggabri.

Kate Smallwood has been a familiar face in Year 5 for a while now and in 2021 Kate is up for a change. She will be working in a number of classrooms part time and will also be one of our regular casuals. Kate has brought so much to our school and her voice of reason and compassion for her students is something we look forward to seeing again in 2021.

Mr Seymour, Mr Sey, Scotty or Mr S, whatever you have called him I'm sure we will all agree Scott will be missed. Scott has been a part of St Xavier’s for many years and has made the decision to enjoy the benefits of retirement. Mr Seymour has taught in a number of grades but his favourite place has been in Year 3. Scott will have touched the lives of hundreds of students and will have so many memories of his time here. For many years Scott was the Sport Coordinator and worked tirelessly to provide sporting experiences for all our students. He also instigated St Xavier’s Got Talent, a regular event that brought many a shy student to the fore and provided a platform for those who love to perform to an audience. Scott has been dependable, always obliging and committed to the students of St Xavier’s. We wish him the very best as he and Karen begin the next chapter of their lives in Tamworth, a move that will take him closer to his adored grandson Oliver. Thanks Mr Sey for all you have done.

Kellie Bennett

Thank you to Kellie Bennett for her work as part of the Schools Advisory Council. Kellie has been our finance advisor for some time now and this year is her last as a St Xavier’s parent. We have really loved having Kellie as part of our Council and we appreciate her sound advice and her beautiful smile. We also appreciate the fact that once a month she leaves work and uses her lunch time to help out in the Canteen. Thank you Kellie, we will miss you.

Thank you for your support to the following families, who in 2021 will no longer have any children at St Xavier’s. We wish you all the best and appreciate your efforts during your time here;

Bennett, Bramich, Cameron, Canham, Davey, Doyle, Farquhar, Fenton, Gibson, Higgins, Hunt, Jones, Jones, Kelly, Kingdom, Mills, Morris, Osland, Paul, Renton, Smith, Swain.

Staffing for 2021

Principal-Jen Honner

Assistant Principal and Maths Specialist Teacher-Leanne Herden

Leader of Pedagogy- Leisa Shortis

Religion Coordinator- Malcolm Frend

Inclusion Support Teacher- Katrina McCumstie

Leader & Mentor of Learning K to 2-Sharon John

Kindergarten-Sarah-Jane Canham, Mal Frend, Felicity Leys

Year 1- Emily Gillham, Anna Fraser

Year 2- Bridgit Murphy, Katrina Duncan

Year 3- Brittany Reynolds, Rachel Houlahan

Year4- Rosie Clift, Rick McEvoy

Year 5- Marnie Waterford, Ange Jensen,

Year 6- Meghan Jaeger, Simon Thurbon

First Call Casuals- Karen Guy, Karen McElroy

Teacher Librarian- Mandy Swain

RFF Teachers- Heather Sloan Music, Trudy Paul PE, Jess Strohfeldt Geography

Education Assistants

Ange Thomas

Cath Smyth

Heidi Browne

Erin Walton

Raymond Field

Tiffany Guinery

AEA-Rachael Field

ATSI Focus Teacher-Sam Kennedy

Finance Officer and Principal’s PA-Jeni Muller

Office Administration- Alanna Gallagher, Caz Clift

Canteen-Sue Strachan

Groundsman- Greg Jaeger

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