Principal's Message 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 

As we journey into Holy Week, we are preparing our hearts to enter into the time of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. It was on Palm Sunday that Jesus entered into Jerusalem. He knew that soon he would be carrying his cross to Calvary, and so he was preparing his heart for what was to come. 

Taking the time to pray as a family is one of the most important ways to stay close to Jesus. It might be difficult at first, but find the time this week and stick with it. Holy Week is a great time to go deeper in your family’s prayer life. If it’s something new, don't be afraid to start small. Take a few moments to gather together and read through these short reflections. Let your children take turns leading the prayer times and see if they could add a little faith sharing on something they read or learned. 

Our Holy Week Reflections for the students were held on Monday 3 April, with each grade participating in a pilgrimage visiting reflection of Holy Week. Thank you to Mrs Langlands and the staff for putting together such a beautiful Liturgy. 

It seems hard to believe that we have come to the end of the first term of St Anthony's Catholic Primary School. And what an eventful term it has been! In speaking to children, parents and teachers, I think the two-week break will be gratefully enjoyed as a time for some rest, some recreation and a more relaxed daily schedule (or in some cases, no schedule at all!). I pray that every family gets some quality holiday family time together. We look forward to welcoming the children back to school for Term 2 on Wednesday 26 April. 

Thank you to the staff who have worked together this term to ensure the very best learning opportunities for our children within our Catholic community. 

We thank you Lord, for this term. 

For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt. 

Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. 

Give us strength and courage to do what is right: to be witnesses of our faith. 

Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays, to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others. To be peacemakers in our family. 

Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun. 

Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term. 

We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents 

And a community that cares for us. 

May we always be conscious of you in our lives. 

Amen

Happy Easter! Thank you for your continued support. It is in partnership that we can achieve great things for our children.

Inquiry & Review

I am very proud to say that through the Inquiry and Review, our school has been highly commended for the work and commitment of staff. The facilitator of the panel described our school as “a boutique school offering high quality learning and teaching”. To receive such feedback after such an extensive examination of data, including classroom programs, external and internal student assessments, school planning and professional development documentation, as well as interviews with leadership, the Parish Priest, students, parents and staff, surveys and classroom visits, is very rewarding and a testament to the hard work of all school stakeholders.

I would like to particularly acknowledge the School Leadership Team, Mrs Iorfino & Mrs Langlands, who have worked tirelessly with myself and the whole staff to meticulously prepare for our Inquiry and Review. I would also like to express a huge thank you to all our parent volunteers who have generously given their time not just to this process, but do so, day in and out in so many ways, for the benefit of our students. Your support is essential and sincerely appreciated. 

Finally, I am very proud of our students and the commitment they have to their learning. Of course, the purpose of an Inquiry and Review is to not only commend achievements but to also provide direction for the future. The school has been provided with a number of recommendations which will inform the development of our new school strategic plan which will be devised next term. Once we receive our Inquiry and Review Report, I look forward to sharing these recommendations and continuing to engage with you to ensure our school continues to move in the right direction.

Sydney Catholic Schools Principal Pilgrimage

I am very excited to announce that I will be attending the 2023 Archbishop’s Pilgrimage to Holy Land, Rome and Assisi.

The pilgrimage attended by 40 principals, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP and Sydney Catholic Schools Executive Director, Anthony Farley, will take place from Monday, 10 April till Friday, 5 May 2023. The pilgrimage will take place during the two weeks of the April school holidays and continue into the first 2 weeks of term 2. I will return on the Monday of Week 3 in Term 2. Please welcome Ms Susan Bates who will be in charge of the school during my absence.

Some of the places we will visit include; Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Ein Karem, Caesarea Maritima, Haifa, Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Cana, Jerusalem, Masada, Jericho, Rome and Assisi.

This Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Rome and Assisi will be a wonderful opportunity for my faith formation and professional development and will enable me to further enrich our school community. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you when I return.

Evacuation Drill

Today the whole school participated in our evacuation exercise. The students were required to move from different parts of the school to our evacuation assembly area on Arden Street. The staff and students were extremely efficient moving and lining up in the appropriate area. It was a successful drill. 

Winter Uniforms “Changeover” for Term 2

A reminder to all St Anthony's families that we officially change over to Winter Uniforms for the start of Term 2 in the 2023 school year.

It has been great to see the high standard of uniforms being worn at the school from the start of this year and I commend our parents and carers for assisting us to maintain this important aspect of being a student at STA. I appreciate the extra effort that is made by families to ensure that correct uniform items are worn at all times.

Please note that it is acceptable for students to wear either the summer or winter uniform for the first 2 weeks of Term 2 due to the variable temperatures and weather we often experience at this time of seasonal change. As of Monday 8 May 2023 (SCHOOL PHOTOS DAY)  we ask for Winter Uniforms to be worn, thank you.

Yours in Partnership

Anna Novak

Principal