Principal's Report

Dear families,

This week we commemorated Remembrance Day with an assembly and a minutes silence at 11.00am. In my recent Long Service Leave, I visited the Burma Railway in Thailand and ANZAC Cove in Turkia. I shared with the students a few photos I had taken of Hell Fire Pass (Thailand) and ANZAC Cove. What impressed me the most was the way that the cemeteries for our thousands of fallen service men and women were maintained in pristine condition, largely by the locals in these countries. I explained to our students that this demonstrates the values of Respect and Hospitality, that we promote at St Brigid's.

Congratulations to our Year 7 boys volleyball team who placed third in the Victorian State Finals on Tuesday. This is a fantastic effort, again showing that our sports program, supplemented by access to the WestVic Sports Academy, enables our students to compete at the highest level state wide.

In my role as Principal of a school, I strive to remain "apolitical" (neutral) when it comes to politics and elections. In the coming state election, an issue has arisen that has the potential to impact the funding that the State Government will give Catholic Schools after the election. The bulk of our funding comes from the Commonwealth Government; however, currently state legislation guarantees Catholic Schools receive 25% of the funding that a government school receives per student. This money is vital for the operation of our schools and helps keep down the fees we charge families. The Coalition (Libs/Nats) have agreed to maintain this funding post-election. The ALP have not provided this guarantee and have budgeted to provide less funding to Catholic Schools after the election. I ask that you consider this information when discussing the upcoming election and to agitate for fair funding for Catholic Schools.

Stay safe,

Gerard Raven

Principal