To Our School Community,

The last two weeks, I was on long service leave and was fortunate to attend an international conference focused on special education. It provided a valuable opportunity to explore how special schools around the world are supporting students with diverse learning needs. I came away with new ideas and deeper insights. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Cathy Sires for her leadership as Principal in my absence.

It is also my pleasure to warmly welcome Rebecca Churchman Hope to Catholic Special Schools in the role of Assistant Principal – Religious Identity and Mission. Rebecca has begun working across both campuses and will lead our Catholic Identity initiatives, including the Sacramental Program, school masses and liturgies, and staff formation in Religious Education and prayer. We are excited to have Rebecca join our leadership team and look forward to the contribution she will make to our faith-filled community.

We are also delighted to welcome Amber Lloyde to our St Patrick’s School community. Amber joins us as an Occupational Therapist and brings with her a genuine passion for supporting students with diverse needs. Her warmth, dedication, and enthusiasm have already been evident as she settles into the school, and we are confident she will make a positive and lasting contribution to our community. Please join us in making Amber feel welcome as she begins this new chapter with us at St Patrick’s.

We are delighted to share that we have been successful in obtaining a Parents in Education (PIE) Grant to support our PATH program, to support parents understanding of the transition from school to future pathways for their child. The PIE Grant program is supported by the Office of the Minister for Education, Training, and Skills, Government of South Australia. Catholic School Parents South Australia is responsible for administering the grants for Catholic Schools in South Australia. We look forward to using this grant to strengthen family engagement and enhance the educational journey of our students.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. I look forward to reconnecting with you and the students over the coming weeks.

Warm regards,

Shannon Correll

Principal – Catholic Special Schools

NCCD