Principal's Message

World Teachers' Day

On Friday, 31 October, we joined together to celebrate World Teachers’ Day. This special day is dedicated to showing our heartfelt appreciation for the incredible work our teachers do every day. This year’s theme, “Hats off to teachers,” perfectly captures the spirit of gratitude and recognition we feel for their dedication and hard work.

Curriculum and School Community Activities in Term 4 – what’s coming up!

As we look forward into this term, there are a range of important and enjoyable learning opportunities and school community events coming up.

In Week 7 of Term 4 will be providing a 4 day Swimming Program for all students in Year K to Year 4 at the University of NSW Pool (either “learn to swim” or “stroke improvement” groups). The swimming carnival will take place at Des Renford on Monday 1 December. 

Years 5 & 6 will be participating in "Let's go Surfing" at Bondi Beach. The program will cover surf education and safety procedures. Lessons cover warmup, paddling and catching waves. Beach games, body surfing sand sculpture, building model rips and surf safety rules on rips, tides, sandbars and waves.  

Later in the term we will be farewelling our Year 6 students as they complete their Primary School Education at St Anthony's and we wish them all the best as they progress to their secondary education pathways.

We are excited to invite you to our final assembly of the year, taking place on Thursday 11 December at 9am. It will be a wonderful celebration of student achievements and creativity. We will be presenting the SPBL Award. Our talented dance troupes will perform pieces they’ve been working on with Miss Jade and Mrs McInness. There will also be a vibrant Spanish performance, under the guidance of Miss Andrea.

🎄 St Anthony’s Christmas Celebration 🎄

We’re excited to invite all families to our Whole School Christmas Celebration on Monday 15 December at 9:00am, held at the Possum Playground.

Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will come together to present “Let’s Celebrate Christmas”, a joyful performance filled with song, dance, and drama. This special event showcases the creativity and spirit of our students as they share the meaning of Christmas through the performing arts.

🎶 Preparation is already underway during weekly Performing Arts lessons with Mrs McInness and Miss Jade, supported by our dedicated choir, drama, and dance groups. 👗 Costume details for each class will be sent home in the coming weeks—stay tuned!

Get ready for the new social media minimum age

The Australian Government is taking world-leading action to reduce online harms experienced by young Australians by introducing a minimum age to access social media.

From 10 December 2025, a new law will require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having a social media account, and deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.

Delaying access to social media accounts until the age of 16 will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them 3 more years to build real world connections and online resilience.

This change will reduce access for young people to some of the harmful aspects of social media, such as algorithms that recommend content, infinite scrolling, and other features designed to keep users continuously engaged. The law is intended to capture social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Facebook and YouTube. 

But it won’t stop young people from staying in touch with friends online, playing games, learning new things and being entertained. In fact, they will still be able to access messaging apps, online gaming, professional networking and development services, and services that are primarily for the purposes of education and health support.  

This delay to social media will give young Australians more time to develop real world connections and digital literacy skills before they join global platforms.

For more information, and tips for helping under 16s prepare for the change, visit the eSafety website. 

Upcoming Online Parent Webinar: The Changing Face of Cyberbullying - Help Protect Your Child Online

Kindergarten Orientation Update

Last week, we held our first Kindergarten Orientation session, marking an exciting step in our students’ transition to school. It was a joyful morning filled with smiles and new connections as our Year 5 buddies met their Kindergarten partners for the first time. Together, they enjoyed a fun activity that helped break the ice and begin building those special buddy relationships.

It was a wonderful opportunity for our newest students to get to know the school environment and feel welcomed into our community. We’re already looking forward to our next session tomorrow. 

A Special Visit from Mr Mitchell 

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell and their beautiful baby, Milou, to our school. It was a heartwarming visit that brought smiles to many faces. The children were absolutely delighted to meet baby Milou and thoroughly enjoyed the special moment. We are so grateful to Adam and Alice for taking the time to visit and share this joy with our school community.

Swimming Carnival

Please take a moment to read through all the information regarding our upcoming Swimming Carnival. It contains important details about the schedule, what students need to bring, and how the day will run. Your support in reviewing this ensures a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. We’re looking forward to a fantastic day of fun, teamwork, and school spirit!

Playground Update 

Week 2 & 3 Assembly - Congratulations to the award recipients!

Yours in Partnership

Anna Novak

Principal