Principal's Message
As we near the end of Term 3 with only 4 weeks until school holidays we certainly do reflect on an action packed term. We congratulate our Year 6 students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation at Good Shepherd Church on Wednesday 19 August. It was a beautiful celebration and an honour to have Fr Andrew leading us as the Episcopal Vicar for the Southern Region. I would like to thank our families for being so reverent and to our choir for singing so beautifully.
The school is full of energy and excitement today as we begin celebrating Book Week. A big thank you to Kellie Cumming, Mimi Chavarria and the team for all their work in creating a wonderful event for our students. The costumes today were absolutely amazing. It has also been wonderful to see so many entries in the 3D Creative Minds Competition.
I encourage our parents to take the time to complete the MACSSIS annual survey which goes live on Monday. There is more information further in the newsletter. I will speak to our Year 4, 5 and 6 students this week about the survey as they participate in the student surveys next week. The voice of all in the school community is very important to us.
Planning and Budgets for 2027
Currently, all Catholic schools are working through planning and budgeting activities for 2027 to ensure we are well placed to support our staff, students and school communities in the coming year.
This includes looking at how we can accommodate the changes likely to flow from a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with school staff.
We recognise the significant financial pressures many households are facing and we are making a conscious effort to consider what schools can adjust to support the annual increase that is required each year in relation to fees and levies. An example of this in our context is reviewing both our Camp and swimming programs.
We will continue to keep our parent community informed throughout this process. As always, our focus remains on maintaining strong school communities and continuing to deliver a high-quality Catholic education for every student.
Staffing update
I will be on leave for the last 2 weeks of this term and Ferial Davis will be Acting Principal during this time.
Term 3 PSG Reminder
Term 3 Parent Support Group (PSG) meeting bookings are now open. Parents are encouraged to check your email accounts for the PSG invitation and booking link. These meetings provide an opportunity to work collaboratively with your child’s classroom teacher to discuss your child’s progress, learning needs and ongoing support. We look forward to meeting with you during Term 3.
Supporting Anthony’s 10 km Bridge to Brisbane Challenge
We are very proud to share that one of our students, Anthony Bartholomeusz, will be taking part in the 10 km Bridge to Brisbane run on Sunday, 13 September 2026, to raise funds for Childhood Cancer Support.
This is a wonderful initiative and an incredible challenge for Anthony, who is putting his efforts towards supporting children and families affected by cancer.
We encourage our school community to get behind Anthony and support his fundraising efforts. If you would like to make a donation, you can visit Anthony’s fundraising page here:
https://bridgetobrisbane26.grassrootz.com/childhood-cancer-support/anthony-bartholomeusz
We wish Anthony all the very best with his training and look forward to cheering him on as he takes on this 10 km challenge!
Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition
Congratulations to the 33, Year 5 and Year 6 students who participated in the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition earlier this year. The CAT Competition challenges students to apply logical reasoning, problem-solving skills and algorithmic thinking to solve complex and engaging tasks.
We commend all participants for embracing this demanding competition and demonstrating perseverance, critical thinking and a willingness to challenge themselves beyond the classroom.
A special congratulations to the 10 students who achieved a Credit Award for their outstanding performance. They are Lincoln and Heather (5MS), Jeremiah, Philip and Nevon (5LC), Megan and Anya (5SZ), Luke and Sean (6EL) and Oliver (6MP). These students will be presented with their certificates at our Week 10 Assembly on Monday 14th September.
Coming up
We have a lot happening for the rest of the term so please ensure you take the time to read the calendar at the end of the newsletter and also the upcoming events tab.
We look forward to seeing our Grandparents and Special Friends at our Mass and morning activity on Wednesday. On Friday night we have our annual major fundraiser being hosted by our Parents and Friends. The Bingo night will be a lot of fun and we have been very fortunate to have some of our Catholic feeder secondary schools offer prizes towards school fees and uniforms. If you haven’t booked a ticket please get in quick.
Our students have had so many rich experiences recently and you will see many of them shared in today’s newsletter.
Have a wonderful week.
Jacqui Marshall
Principal
jmarshall@gswheelershill.catholic.edu.au