From the Principal

Dear Parents,

Fr Ralph Besterwitch leaving

Our Parish Priest Fr Ralph has been informed that he will be leaving us to take up an assignment in Bangalore India.

Closer to the time of his leaving we will  provide him with an appropriate farewell.  I will let you know about his replacement once we have been informed.

Message from Fr. Ralph,

Dear Parishioners of St Christopher's, 

Greetings to you from Pune, my hometown in India. I am still on vacation and will return to Melbourne on 16th May. Just before I left for my vacation I had a call from the Pallottine Provincial in Bangalore requesting me to take up an important assignment in Bangalore.

While I had been contemplating moving back to India at some point (as I am on a work visa and not eligible for Permanent Residence), this was totally unexpected. I suggested that we meet and further discuss this matter. We did meet, and at that meeting it became clear that this was a done deal: he felt I was best suited for this job and wanted me to make arrangements so I could begin this assignment ASAP. I let him know that there were several things to be settled, including finding someone who could be a good fit for both parishes. Subsequently I contacted the Vicar General and apprised him of these developments. He will now, in consultation with Fr Dean Bradbury, find a suitable replacement for me.

While this move might come as a rude shock to many of you, the truth is I cannot stay in Australia indefinitely. But in the time I have been here, I have truly enjoyed serving at both parishes and have received much love and affection. Your openness and willingness to support various initiatives to make our communities vibrant, is truly commendable. Please let that continue. I remain grateful to many of you, especially the leadership in both parishes, for working hard to realise the vision of each parish. Thank you for all you have done to make things better for the community and for me. In time we will work together to make the transition smooth. 

God bless you always. Ralph

Friday June 6: Student Free Day

On Friday June 6, teachers will be undertaking professional development and planning sessions here at school and as such this is a student free day.  The Monday after that weekend is the King's Birthday public holiday.

Unfortunately there will be no provision of onsite OSHC from Camp Australia on this day.

Illness at school

As we come into the colder months and more sickness is around, it's important that if your child is not well or showing symptoms of being unwell, please keep them at home so that we can minimise the spread of winter viruses.

Fire Fighter Visit #2

On Wednesday 21st May, the children had their second visit from the local firefighters as part of the community outreach program. During the visit, the firefighters helped the children recap important lessons about fire safety, including understanding the difference between safe and unsafe fires, knowing to call 000 in an emergency, and remembering key safety actions like "Stop, Drop, Cover and Roll" and "Get Down Low and Go, Go, Go." They also discussed the importance of having a safe meeting place and ensuring there are working fire alarms in the home. The highlight of the visit was getting an up-close look at the fire truck — the children were thrilled to climb inside and explore the vehicle. To top it off, everyone had a turn using the water hose, making the experience both educational and exciting.