Principal's Report

Dear Families,

I had the privilege of attending the Year 3 camp at The Briars in Mt Martha, and it was wonderful to spend time with the students away from the school environment. For many, this was their first experience of camp and a valuable opportunity to develop a little bit of independence.

The students were really encouraged to step outside their comfort zones, especially during the giant swing and the "Leap of Faith" activities.

Camps are often a highlight of a student’s time at St Finbar’s, and they serve as a great reminder that just as much learning can happen beyond the classroom as it does within four walls.

Some of the Year 3 students have shared their personal highlights below.

Anna: On camp I really enjoyed kayaking and the giant swing. I also really liked the food and the cabins. For dinner we had lasagna with chocolate cake and ice cream.

Marco: My favourite part about camp was the giant swing because we got dropped down really fast. 

Angelea: My favourite part about camp was when we did the giant swing, being in a cabin with  my friends and the night walk. On the night walk we saw bunnies and bats.

Arabella: On camp, I really enjoyed the leap of faith because we had to climb up super high and jump off different platforms.

Wedding Congratulations

We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that our Deputy Principal, Mr Callum Mills, and our Occupational Therapist, Ms Andrea La Fontaine, were married over the holidays!

On behalf of the entire school community, we extend our congratulations and best wishes to Callum and Andrea as they begin this exciting new chapter together. From all reports, the wedding was a beautiful celebration of love, and the day was filled with fun and laughter. 

Uniform

As we are in Term 4, children should now be back to wearing our full summer uniform. We generally allow a two-week grace period when transitioning between Summer and Winter uniform, but all students need to be in summer uniform by Monday, October 20th. 

Some general reminders about the summer uniform include:

• socks need to be navy
• shoes need to be completely black, and preferably polishable. 
• hair accessories need to be navy 

Whilst on the topic of uniform, the Lost Property rack is overflowing once again. We will be clearing that and donating items without a name very soon, so if your child has misplaced an item of clothing (especially jumpers or jackets) it is probably worth checking the Lost Property rack down near 1L. 

Hats 

All students are now expected to wear their school hats out on the playground.  Please check that your hats are clearly named, as names can fade over time. Hats are easily misplaced, but we will always get them back to their owners if we can read the name. Hats can be purchased from the Uniform Shop for $15.  Any student without a school hat will need to remain in the shaded area on the grassy steps or at the tables in the outdoor classroom.  This aligns with our sun-smart school policy, 'No Hat - No Play.'

Prep Orientation

It is hard to believe that it is this time again already but we are looking forward to welcoming our 2026 Preps to school for their first orientation session over the next few weeks.  We have a large number of siblings starting next year, so no doubt the children are excited to finally have the chance to follow their big brothers and sisters to "big school". 

I am pleased to announce that the Prep teachers for 2026 will be Mrs Louise Pickering and Miss Bianca Antonio, who will lead the orientation sessions over the coming weeks. Staffing for other year levels is still being finalised and will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Christmas Carols

It's still a while away, but Christmas will be here before we know it. Our annual Christmas Carols will be held on Wednesday 10th December from 5pm. 

We're changing up the format for this year's carols and hope to have more of a christmas fair feel to the evening. Most of the festivities will be on the Thomas Sherry playground so we

just need to hope the weather cooperates. More information will follow shortly. 

Take care and God Bless, 

Michelle Hill 

Principal