Dear Parents and Carers,

Firstly, thank you for your support and understanding with the adjustments and changes over the last few weeks to dismissal times due to the weather conditions and tree damage onsite. I’m sure it is reassuring for you to see the staff work together so capably and willingly to ensure everyone is safe. I thank the staff for the care and commitment they show towards the students every day, especially lately in this wild, wet weather. Thank you for acknowledging and appreciating us in the work we do. Please be reassured that the existing trees on Burns Paddock have been inspected by an expert and have been reported as safe. Let's hope that the the sun is here to stay and the rain has exhausted itself!

Open Day School Tours

Belonging to a Catholic community means we work together to ensure we impart christian beliefs, values, practices and traditions to our children and that these values and beliefs permeate school life. Our school motto, “To love and serve under your protection”, certainly captures the essence and spirit at Our Lady of Fatima. In partnership with you we aim to:

foster the dignity, self-esteem and integrity of each person
collaborate with others for the good of all
inspire hope and a positive vision for the future and
continue to instill the rich tradition of Catholic education.

The everyday actions and kindness that I see with your generosity, greetings, on the playground and in the classrooms, show that we are all living out our school motto by treating each other with kindness, dignity, respect, compassion and acceptance. When we do these things we reflect the face of God.

This week we have opened up our school to potential new families and offered school tours led by our enthusiastic Year 6 students as guides. Not only were they great ambassadors for the school but future parents commented on their genuine love of the Our Lady of Fatima community and all the wonderful opportunities they are given. They were able to articulate with pride so many positive aspects of our school and how it impacts them in many ways- academically, socially, emotionally and creatively. “They left no stone unturned!” Parents can be justifiably proud of their children as they grow in confidence and develop strong leadership with each new opportunity. Congratulations to all our Year 6 student leaders.

Young Leaders Day with Year 6

On Tuesday Mrs Ross and myself had the privilege of attending The Halogen Young Leaders Day at the Convention Centre in Darling Harbour with a group of our Year 6 leaders.

Four inspiring speakers told their unique stories of overcoming hardships, handling difficulties, sticking to their goals and being successful. They had wonderful messages for the over 4000 students from all over NSW who enjoyed an interactive and exciting day. Our students represented our school proudly and enjoyed the many opportunities the day presented! The messages the presenters shared with us were powerful and meaningful.

Lachie Smart- the youngest person to fly solo around the world- talked about how “being you is so important” and that failures can turn into successes if you want them to.

Anthony “Harries” Carroll from Bondi Rescue felt passionate about the importance of harnessing your energy and that finding what centres us to be your best self. His energy and enthusiasm was certainly contagious!

Brooke Campbell- Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer- told us to follow our dreams and that she greets everything she does with a smile.

Josh Pyke- Musician and Author- was convincing in his message of being kind, put your best foot forward and to lead by example. These messages resonated strongly with all ages. Despite the wet weather we thoroughly enjoyed the day and took away some inspiring messages.

Leadership Prayer

How does a leader pray ?

The leader's heart is revealed, not when he is praying in public,

but when he is praying in secret. The contents and direction of his prayer indicate what is truly important to him. His values are shown by what he does and as he prays to the Lord in secret.

We pray for all our leaders,

young and old,

that they develop a healthy prayer life

that focuses more on what is truly important.

May the Lord bless them with

courage, strength and wisdom

to make the right decisions

in their work and play every day.

Amen

Parent Representative Group

We look forward to getting back some of our extra-curricular activities, fund raising initiatives and parent involvement in the school as well as continuing the excellent teaching and learning at Our Lady of Fatima. If you are interested in nominating yourself to be part of our Parent Representative Group to contribute to parent engagement please complete an expression of interest linked on the form below. Our first meeting for the Parent Representative Group will be held before the end of the term. Stay tuned!

Parent Class Representative - click on this link for further details and information about the process and roles. Please read the document carefully when nominating for a position, to ensure you are able to meet the needs of the role.

Nomination Form for Parent Representative Group- click on this link for the nomination form. You may choose to nominate yourself for a position as the Head Parent Representative or a Class Representative (Note: you may wish to nominate for different grades if you have more than one child at the school).

As we enter the season of Lent let us live out the words of Catherine MacAuley where she asks us to be “ shining lamps giving light to those around us”.

Come Holy Spirit, come,

open our minds to your wisdom and guidance,

and fill our hearts with the energy of your love.

Inspire all in our school community to find joy in God’s people.

Amen

Mrs Suzanne Clay | Principal

News from our Secondary Pathway schools

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