Principal's Message

Principal's Message

As Term 2 concludes it is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of our students and staff this term.  

Covid-19 certainly wreaked havoc in the term, particularly at the commencement.  

We had many families and staff impacted by Covid-19.  Despite this fact, we ran a successful school camp for our senior students.  As a staff, we are indebted to our Deputy Principal, Mrs Lauren Hall, for her exceptional organisation and leadership during this period. Keeping a teacher on a class and maintaining adequate staff ratios is challenging in the current environment.

As the term has progressed, the attitudes and approaches to Covid-19 have changed.  

As a community, we have entered a stage of living with the virus.  This has meant high case numbers but has also allowed a degree of normality that we have not seen in the school environment in recent years.  We want to particularly welcome families back to the community as one unfortunate outcome of the pandemic (among many), was reduced physical face-to-face communication and presence.  Next term we will be having several events to celebrate.  Keep an eye out for more information from our new Parents & Friends group for ways to engage with the school.

I would like to congratulate our Cross-Country team who participated in the Inter-school Carnival Monday 4 July.  They trained for two weeks prior to their event and represented the school with vigour and respect.  

I also congratulate those many students who pushed themselves in the Premier’s Reading Challenge.  Awards will be presented next term during Book Week.  Well done also to all those students who received mid-term awards at our final gathering.

Reading about the many achievements of our students in the recently released mid-year reports filled my heart with great joy.  The teachers produced detailed reports that encompassed many aspects of school life.  For me, it was a reminder that schools can and should make a positive contribution to every individual student’s progress.  It also gave me an appreciation of our teaching and ancillary staff, who fulfil the mission of the school every day. 

As a school community, we send our condolences to the family of Joy Matar.  Joy was an educator who worked in Catholic Education for over thirty years, including a short stint at John Paul II.  

As you may have seen in the news, teaching is increasingly complex in nature. 

Term 2 comes with a considerable workload for our staff, so I wish them and our wonderful students a restful break.  

“Rest is so necessary for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult to achieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is also essential for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God’s voice and understand what he asks of us.” Pope Francis, Manila, 2015

Enjoy this fortnight's newsletter.

Brendan Gill | Principal