Principal's Message

Dear St Philomena’s Community,

What a wonderful blessing it has been to receive such generous rain across our region this week. Seeing the surrounding landscape refreshed reminds us of God's abundant care for our environment and community.

Today marked a vibrant conclusion to our Book Week celebrations with our annual Book Character Day. It was fantastic to see such creativity, passion, and enthusiasm across all year levels, from Kindergarten right through to Year 10. I commend all of our students for the energy they brought to the day.

A particular highlight today was our Book Buddies activity. As the principal of a K–10 school, it is a genuine privilege to watch our secondary students step up as leaders. Seeing them guide and read to groups of primary learners showcased the true spirit of mentorship and community that defines St Philomena's.

Next week, our focus turns to Indigenous Literacy Day on Wednesday, 2 September. We have a range of engaging activities planned to celebrate different forms of literacy, offering students the chance to read, write, and present speeches. All families are warmly invited to join us for a special assembly at 10:00 am, followed by a BYO morning tea with our students.

Looking further into the week, we will celebrate our Father’s Day Liturgy next Friday. This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the fathers, grandfathers, and significant male role models who enrich our students' lives.

Preparations are well underway for our upcoming Spring Fair on Sunday, 20 September. Our Parents and Friends (P&F) Association has been working tirelessly to organise this major event, but its success relies on the support of our broader school community.

We are asking parents and carers to consider volunteering for a 90-minute shift. 

Help is needed across various stalls, as well as with food preparation and sales in our Spring Fair Canteen.

The P&F Association provides vital support to every student in our school. This year alone, their fundraising efforts have funded the installation of three chilled and filtered water coolers for student use, as well as subsidising all student excursions by 20%. For events like the Spring Fair to continue—and to keep our P&F strong—we truly need your help. Please consider giving 90 minutes of your time on the day.

An annual satisfaction survey of parents, students, and staff is currently being conducted on behalf of all Catholic schools in the Diocese. This feedback is essential for informing our ongoing school improvement initiatives. All responses are completely confidential, and individual participants cannot be identified.

The surveys were launched via email on Monday, 24 August 2026. If you did not receive an email containing your unique link, you can access and complete the survey here:

https://www.research.net/r/StPhilomenaPARENT2026 

Please note that the survey will close on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. We greatly appreciate your time and input.

A Prayer of Gratitude and Community

Heavenly Father,

We give You thanks for the many blessings You bestow upon our school community.

We thank You for the rain that has nourished our earth this week, refreshing our fields and lifting our spirits.

We pray for our students, that they may continue to grow in wisdom, leadership, and kindness.

Bless our families, our dedicated P&F Association, and the male role models we celebrate this coming week.

Guide our hearts to serve one another with generosity and joy, as we work together to nurture a learning community rooted in faith and love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Have a wonderful weekend.

God Bless

Alistair Stewart

Principal