PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Week 5's Newsletter!

Today marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week with its theme - 'Pilgrims of Hope'.

Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate and reflect on the value and contributions of Catholic education. It is an opportunity for us to reflect upon our positive impact as educators on the lives of the young people in our care. This year, the theme, Pilgrims of Hope, calls us to gather as pilgrims – not on a journey to a faraway land, but on a journey of faith, a pilgrimage of hope. As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we eagerly anticipate the Jubilee Year 2025, a special time of grace and renewal for Catholics worldwide. The Jubilee is a year when we focus on God's mercy, forgiveness, and the call to reconcile with one another, drawing closer to Christ. Our students and staff will embark on a pilgrimage to St Mary and St Joseph's Cathedral in Armidale this Wednesday to celebrate Mass with our new Bishop, Bishop Murphy, and representatives from our 24 schools across the Diocese. 

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Association of Catholic School Principals Conference in the Hunter Valley with our Armidale Catholic School system leaders and the 23 other school Principals from across our Diocese. The conference, with its theme 'Living Waters - Leading with Hope, Inspiring Faith Communities', provided a valuable platform for us to enhance our leadership skills and an opportunity to strengthen our network connections with other Principals from across NSW. 

I was selected to be on a panel with three other Principals from the Armidale diocese to ask questions of the keynote speaker, Dr Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. His keynote session was centred on educational transformation in the age of AI.

I was fortunate to attend a number of sessions with Keynote Speakers and Master Class Sessions covering topics such as rethinking staff wellbeing in schools, leading in a time of change, the recharging power of Micro Moments and how strategic subtraction can unlock hope and collective progress. These sessions provided an excellent opportunity for deep thinking and learning for me as a leader in a Catholic School.

Wishing everyone a productive and rewarding Week 5!

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Warm regards,

Claire Ryan

Principal