Principals Report

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St Brendan’s,

Mother’s Day

I hope that all the beautiful mums, grandmothers and mother figures in our community enjoyed a lovely day on Sunday. I hope you felt appreciated by your children and that you enjoyed the little gifts, cards and treats they had prepared for you. In amongst the ‘crumbs and the chaos’, I hope you truly sensed just how precious you are.

Mother’s Day Breakfast

I certainly felt the presence of love in our school community on Thursday when so many of you braved the terrible weather to attend our Mother’s Day breakfast and Mass. The breakfast was prepared by St Brendan’s staff and I thank them all, most sincerely, for the part they played in preparing the breakfast for so many in our community. It was lovely to see our growing community enjoying each other’s company.

Mother’s Day Mass

My special thanks go to our wonderful Foundation Team who prepared such a special Mother’s Day Mass. The Foundation children shone as they took a lead role in such a special Mass. Thanks also to Father Shymon for the special, gentle care he took in making the homily and the celebration meaningful for even our youngest learners.

Mother’s Day Stall

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the parents and grandparents who assisted with the Mother’s Day stall. The children were delighted with their gifts. Thank you for your patience and kindness to all our shoppers. It was particularly wonderful to see so many new faces working at the stall. Thank you again.

Padua Visit

Last Friday, our Year 5 students were visited by Mrs Christine Ward and 5 ex-St Brendan’s students: Ella B, Alexis B, Emi H, Archer Y and Jett L The ex-students came to tell our Year 5s all about life in Year 7 at Padua Tyabb. It was lovely to see our students reconnect with each other and for our Year 5s to hear first hand about the first year of secondary school. The relationship between Padua and the three Westport Catholic primary schools is strong and supportive and we are extremely grateful for this partnership.

St Brendan’s Feast Day

The feast day of our school patron; St Brendan falls on Saturday 16th May. As a school, we will remember and celebrate St Brendan at a Feast Day liturgy on Friday 15th May at 2.30pm. This prayer service has been prepared and will be presented by Year5/6. Parents are most welcome to attend.

What do we know about St Brendan?

He was incredibly brave: Brendan and his friends sailed across the stormy Atlantic Ocean in a tiny boat called a currach, which was made of wood and covered in animal skins. He teaches us that with courage and faith, we can face big challenges. 

He was a Great Explorer: Long before most people knew what was out there, Brendan’s stories described amazing things like "crystal pillars" (which were likely icebergs) and "mountains of fire" (which may have been volcanoes in Iceland). 

He Trusted his Friends and God: When his crew got lost in thick fog, Brendan told them to let go of their oars and trust that they would be guided safely. He shows us that the journey is just as important as the destination. 

He Helped People: When he wasn't sailing, Brendan built many monasteries (like schools for monks) across Ireland and Europe where people could learn and pray.

I hope that you all have a wonderful week.

Sue Carr

Photos from our Mothers Day Breakfast.