Principal's Report

Welcome to a new term!  I hope that you all managed to enjoy a bit of a break, whether that involved a holiday somewhere warm or staying closer to home.  We're very happy to welcome back Amanda Norton, who is returning to us after a period of parental leave.  Amanda will recommence her role as eLearning Leader at St Finbar's, will teach 4M on Wednesdays and work with groups of students on Thursdays.    Annalisa Gourley is back in 3G after her extended time visiting her family and friends in Ireland.  Four new students have started at St Finbar's this term: Evelyn in Prep B, Oliver in 3G, Claire in 4A and Mark in 5B...we're so pleased that you have joined us. 

Sadly, a number of our students experienced the loss of a grandparent over the holidays, we remember and pray for these families during this difficult time. 

Bishop Ireland's visit

The Year 6 students took the next step in their Confirmation preparation with a Reflection Day today, the highlight of which was a visit from Bishop Tony Ireland. Bishop Tony took the time to speak to each student about the saint that they had chosen, and then spoke to the group about the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Our students were a credit to us, confidently answering Bishop Tony's questions and proving that they are ready to take the next step in their faith journey. 

Year 5 Mayflower Project

The Year 5 students visited Mayflower Aged Care Home for the final time today to present their biographies to the residents. This has always been one of my favourite projects at St Finbar's as it is lovely to see our students build a friendship with a resident over a number of weeks. I'm honestly not sure who gets more out of the program - our students or the residents who love meeting with them. The students were pretty impressed with the afternoon tea that Mayflower provided as well. Thank you to the Year 5 students who put so much time into their biographies and to their teachers Shannon Bourke and Sigrid Happell for coordinating the project. 

Swimming Program

Our swimming program is happening this term and will run from 26th August to the 5th September. Swimming is an integral part of the Health and Physical Curriculum and will be reported on in the semester 2 reports.  We expect all children to participate fully in the program, unless there are genuine reasons preventing them from taking part.  Students who aren't swimming for whatever reason will remain at school and be supervised in other classrooms. 

Grandparents' Day

Our annual Grandparents' Day is next Friday 26th July. We always try to coincide our Grandparents' Day with the Feast of St Anne and St Joachim (Jesus' grandparents). We will gather for Mass at 12pm, and the grandparents are then invited to visit the classrooms.  A light lunch of sandwiches is being kindly provided by the P & F, and Christian will be on site with his coffee van to provide the caffeine.  The later start time means that we can open up the Thomas Sherry playground for parking this year to alleviate some of the parking pressure of previous years. 

School Advisory Council 

Thank you once again to our School Advisory Council. We met last night and it is a great opportunity to discuss issues pertaining to the school and possible improvements that we could made,  and get input from a variety of perspectives. 

Take care and God bless. 

Michelle Hill,

Principal