From the Senior Leadership

Welcome to Term 3 to all staff and students. A special welcome to our new students joining Caroline Chisholm community this term. 

We have returned back to Term 3 after a wonderful winter holiday break. I hope that you were able to have some time to relax, rejuvenate and refresh after the demands of Term 2. Thank you to our students for returning back to the college with such energy and positivity ready to engage in deeper learning.

At the end of term 2, we concluded with Parent Teacher Interviews Year 7-10 and our Staff Spirituality Day at the St Benedict XVI Retreat Centre at Grose Wold. This was an opportunity for us to continue to work on our college Faith and Mission goal in strengthening our catholic identity and prayer life as a college community. It was a very well planned day led by Mrs Jeanette Cocks, Leader of Faith and Mission, where staff had time to identify and affirm the practices in our college that continue to build our spirituality, as well as engage in a range of prayer experiences. It was also wonderful to have the time to conclude the day with gratitude in a staff liturgy in the St Benedict chapel. It is experiences such as this that lead to a shared understanding of Catholic church teachings and how we as the staff can ensure that all opportunities will enable students to have meaningful experiences with staff and students as an encounter with Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your engagement and participation in the Year 7-10 Parent Teacher interviews following the Semester 1 reports. I appreciate your support in joining the Zoom interviews and hope this was an opportunity to find out more about your daughter’s learning achievement and how she can continue to grow and be empowered in semester 2 2024. I hope that you are able to complete the survey released via COMPASS yesterday regarding reports and parent teacher interviews to assist us in improving our systems in the future.  

Term 3 is the start of our Year 12 students final 10 weeks of formal education and I ask that you remember them in your prayers as they prepare for the Trial HSC exams beginning on Monday, 5th August 2024. Some students' practical subjects have their Trial HSC exam practical component before this date. I acknowledge and thank the teachers who hosted seminars and workshops during the school break. 

A huge thank you to our Year 12 HSC Peer Tutors who are coming in to provide HSC coaching to our current Year 12 students prior to the HSC trials commencing in 2 weeks time (Weeks 3 & 4). The year 12 students are engaged in study hall where they can do private study, peer tutoring where they can discuss their coaching needs with one of our HSC Peer tutors or they may complete their major works or performances in this allocated study time. I would like to encourage all year 12 girls to continue to work with commitment, dedication and passion to achieve your goals. You are all performing very well and this final term allows for your targeted revision of course content and HSC Practice questions to consolidate your learning in preparation for the HSC examinations.

I attended the Catholic Secondary School Principals conference in Perth during the holidays. The theme of the conference was ‘Dreaming the future of Catholic Education’ where we engaged in worthwhile presentations from keynote speakers such as Br. David Hall, Dr Laura Allison and Brendan Spillane, as well as attend mass at St Mary’s Cathedral and visit a number of Catholic schools in the Perth region. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage in such a spiritually fulfilling professional learning experience which I will be sharing in my role here as Principal.

May God continue to bless you and your family and keep you safe in his care

Mrs Tania Cairns

Principal Leader

Uniform reminder 

A reminder that during Term 3, all students are to wear the college winter uniform. Blazers are to be worn to and from school each day, except on Thursdays when students are permitted to wear their sport uniform. Skirts are to be worn at knee length or longer, so it may be timely to check if your daughter has grown and her skirt length needs altering.  

NAPLAN

Year 7 & 9 NAPLAN results were distributed today to your daughter. If your daughter was absent today she can collect her results from student services upon her return to school. If you do not receive your daughter's results please check with your daughter in the first instance and then contact the College.

Busways

The following information has been provided from Busways in relation to adjustments to bus services commencing Monday 5th August 2024, Transport is making changes to some bus services to support the launch of Sydney Metro, Chatswood to Sydenham.

Please see use the link below to check our schools new timetable to bus service that will directly impact students, this information will be distributed to students on the affected service also.

Your Schools new timetable is available to view now at: https://www.busways.com.au/nsw/school-services/school-timetables and select the link adjacent to your schools name; “New timetable | 05 Aug 2024”. Alternatively, Transport for NSW Trip Planner will be updated with the new information before the changes take effect. 

Students are reminded to tap on and off on all trips.

eSafety Webinars 

During Term 3 there are a number of eSafety Webinars for Parents/Carers to attend. At Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) we see parents and carers as partners in your child's learning journey. In partnership with the eSafety Commissioner, CSPD would like to invite you to join the following free webinars for parents and carers:

1. Understanding how to support your child with online gaming 
2. Consent and online boundaries: How to support your primary-aged child    
3. An introduction to online safety and emerging technologies 

If you have any further enquiries please email safeguarding@parra.catholic.edu.au.

Ms Debbie White & Mrs Julie Petrovski

Assistant Principals