From the Principal

Dear St Therese's Families,

It is hard to believe that we have reached Week 10 of Term 3. If I had been told at the beginning of the year that Term 3 would have been spent in lockdown and remote learning again I would never have believed it! Yet, here we are once more and without knowing exactly what Term 4 will look like we can only pray and hope that this lockdown will end soon so that we can be together once more as a school community.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks for the way you have partnered with the school throughout Term 3. 

Under difficult circumstances, your children have continued to learn and grow under the guidance of their teachers with you beside them. You have reminded your children to do their attendance, attend the Google Meets and complete set learning tasks. You have been part of the learning journey and for that I thank you.

I thank the students for their good humor, their resilience, and how they are learning to be independent learners. I hope that one day you will be able to look back on this year and be proud of yourselves. For the students in Year Six, it is my greatest hope that they will return to school in Term 4 to be with friends and teachers as they make the important transition to secondary school. 

I commend the teachers and support staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the term. They have diligently created learning tasks that have been targeted and provided feedback on their learning on a regular basis. I know, like me, they have had many sleepless nights worried about the wellbeing of our students.

I once again sincerely thank the Leadership and Admin Teams who have supported me in the decisions that have been made as we move in and out of lockdowns. In addition to the lockdowns we have worked on the building project that has caused further challenges during this lockdown period.

Like Term 3 last year, families have had to endure many significant events in isolation. My thoughts and prayers have been with families who have lost loved ones, who have been through illnesses, and who have welcomed new babies into the world. 

As soon as I have information about the return of face-to-face learning in Term 4 I will share it with you via email.

These last few months have been challenging for us all, personally and professionally. I hope that you are able to take time to rest over the school holidays. 

The Building Project Update

The building project is coming along really well. Demolition of the classrooms in Stage 1 has commenced. Because of this, we have now moved the senior classes to the Hall and the Foundation classes join with the Year 1s in the library while the renovation of these classrooms takes place. It is anticipated that the classrooms will be completed by February 2022.

The admin stage (stage 1a) is almost finished, please enjoy these photos.

The new Junior Learning Neighbourhood will begin to take shape soon! In 2022, these new classrooms will house the Foundation, Year 1s, and Year 2s forming the 'Junior Learning Neighbourhood'. Enjoy the photos of the demolition that is happening right now.

In very exciting news, we have the go-ahead to begin Stage 2. Stage 2 includes building a second Learning Neighbourhood. It will go where the current Year 2 classrooms are and 2 new classrooms, along with a project space, will be built onto the 2 existing classrooms.

This means that we will move the Year 2 classes from their current location to the Parents Room and Chapel area during Term 4. This will ensure that the children will not be disrupted by the noise of the demolition and building works while trying to learn. 

May you all stay safe and well as we look forward to brighter days ahead!

Michelle Bruitzman

Principal