24 October 2025

Principal’s Report

Welcome Back to Term 4!

As we step into Term 4, we extend a warm welcome back to all students, staff, and families. This final term of the year brings with it a sense of purpose and anticipation, as we work together to finish the year strong and celebrate the many achievements across our school community.

Best Wishes to Our HSC Students

To our Year 12 students currently undertaking their HSC examinations, we send our very best wishes. Your dedication, resilience, and hard work have brought you to this moment, and we are proud of each of you. Remember, your teachers and school community are behind you every step of the way.

Staff Development Day – Striving for Excellence

This term began with a Staff Development Day focused on our shared commitment to excellence in education. Staff engaged in professional learning that explored how we can strive to build a culture of excellence, increasing student engagement and ways to continue fostering a culture of high expectations and support. It was a valuable opportunity to reflect, collaborate, and plan for continued growth.

Congratulations to Our New School Leaders

We are delighted to announce our newly appointed school leaders for the upcoming year: Fintan Trickey, Madeline Turnbull, Nate Jansen, and Hannah Dewar. These students have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities and a strong commitment to our school values. We look forward to the positive impact they will make in their new roles.

David Crawford
Principal

Student Spotlight

Isla and Jake Straw

During the recent school holidays, Isla and Jake Straw travelled to Brisbane to proudly represent the Newcastle team for Northern NSW Futsal at the National Schools Tournament in their respective age groups.

Both Isla and Jake’s teams performed exceptionally well, progressing through the pool rounds and securing a place in the semi-finals, where they were narrowly defeated in closely contested matches.

In recognition of their outstanding efforts and skill, both Isla and Jake received invitations to join the Australian Futsal Team for international tours to New Zealand and Malaysia in 2026. Congratulations, Isla and Jake, on this remarkable achievement!

• Is your child excelling in an activity outside of school? We would love to hear about it and share it with our College Community. To be featured in ‘Student Spotlight’ please send an email with the details including a photo to admin@singleton.catholic.edu.au
  

Upcoming Events

• Please note that these dates and times are subject to change and that all efforts will be made to communicate this through the College communication platforms.

Term 1

Awards

Primary

Primary students are acknowledged for both academic achievement and effort, and for positive contributions to the life of the College. Teachers individually award Encouragement Awards (white awards) to students throughout the term. Students accumulate these awards to achieve higher levels of recognition. If your child receives the following number of awards, please send them in to Student Services for recognition of the next level of awards. 

4 Encouragement Awards          =        Merit Certificate
4 Merit Certificates                     =        Certificate of Excellence
3 Certificates of Excellence         =        Certificate of Distinction

Students also earn ‘Gotchas’ for exhibiting Positive Behaviours for Learning.

Distinction

Excellence

Merit

Kinder

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 2 STEM

In STEM lessons, Year 2 students have been investigating whether it’s possible to make water flow up a pipe! Through this hands-on experiment, they explored how water moves through pipes and how this connects to the way domestic water tanks collect and store rainwater.

Students worked collaboratively to test different pipe designs and discovered how gravity, angles, and pressure all play a part in moving water. This engaging lesson helped them better understand how water conservation systems work and why they’re so important for the environment.

Kate Ferguson-Smith
STEM Teacher

Country Fair

Year 12

Higher School Certificate

We extend our warmest wishes to our Year 12 students as they begin their HSC examinations. Your commitment, perseverance, and dedication have prepared you well for this important chapter - trust in your abilities and the hard work that has brought you here. Take pride in all you have achieved and know the entire St Catherine’s community is cheering you on and wishing you every success for the weeks ahead. May the words of St Catherine of Siena inspire you to always walk with faith and shine with purpose!

 “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” - St Catherine of Siena

Telaine Reakes
Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement – Chisolm/Year 12

Careers

Mandy Pursell,
Leader of Learning VET/Careers Advisor/PDHPE Teacher

Canteen

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT

We have a great range of ice blocks ready for the hot weather

Paddlepops $3                Lifesavers $3                   Icy Poles $2                      Icy Twists $2

Calyppos $2                     Frozen pineapple $1     Quelch sticks $1

BIRTHDAY BUCKETS

These are becoming very popular as the weather warms up, so be sure to organise them early and book in your childs day.

Remember if your child has a birthday that they would like to celebrate with their class, please call us a few days in advance and we can organise the above ice blocks (no slushies), mousse or jelly for the class. Payment is to be made at the time of ordering.

VOLUNTEERING- It’s for everyone

Come and enjoy lunch on us and some conversation and chatter!!!

Parents, Carers, Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles, Friends- you’re all welcome.

Please consider volunteering in the canteen, it’s a great way to meet other members of our community and see your children’s smiling faces in their educational environment. We understand the busy schedules of our parents and carers and appreciate even just a couple of hours of your time. We can work around shift patterns and rosters.

Please find below the link for the online registration and induction

Alternatively, if you have any questions regarding volunteering, please contact Kellie or Sarah on kellie.holz@mn.catholic.edu.au  sarah.dunn@mn.catholic.edu.au 

Thankyou for your continued support. 😊

Sarah, Kate, Kellie, Shelly, Laine
Canteen Staff

Canteen Roster

Canteen Staff

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop will continue to operate using appointments and a drop-in system. The appointments are for uniform fittings for families who need to try on uniforms and drop-ins are for families who know what they need to purchase or are picking up orders. 

For your convenience, the uniform shop is located on site with access via the administration building. 

Opening hours throughout the school term are as follows:

Tuesdays
08:30am - 11:30am By Appointment
01:30pm - 03:30pm Drop In

Thursdays
08:30am - 11:30am Drop In

Fourth Saturday of the month
09:30am - 11:30am Drop in
11:30am - 01:30pm By Appointment
(during school term only)

Alternatively, uniforms can also be ordered online and delivered to your child’s classroom (primary) or student services for secondary. 

For appointment bookings and online orders please visit:

Carley Vaughan
Uniform Shop Supervisor

Parish

Prayer for HSC Students

For the students sitting their HSC exams, St Patrick’s Parish prays that God will grant them a calm heart and a quiet confidence in the knowledge they have gained.

Mission Appeal Sunday – 19 October 2025

Our parishes held our Mission Appeal during 11/12 October 2025, ahead of the World Mission Sunday on 19 October 2025. 

You can watch Pope Leo XIV’s message reflecting on his own missionary journey and the transformative power of faith and generosity HERE

And you can donate to this year's Mission Appeal via the Catholic Mission website HERE.

November – Month of Holy Souls

In November we are encouraged to pray for those who have gone before us, family, and friends. However, it does not end there for we are asked also to pray for those who may have no one to pray for them. During November, Mass will be offered for those whose names have been written on the special “November Mass Envelopes”. Please write the names of your deceased family members and friends clearly and place them in either collection basket during Mass. November Mass Offering Envelopes are available at the back of all churches.

Singleton and Branxton Parish news and events can be found on the website:

https://singletoncatholicparish.org.au/

Keep up to date with events and faith formation opportunities within the Diocese:

https://mn.catholic.org.au/cdmn-news/events/

As always, we welcome you to Mass in St Patrick’s Church, Singleton, St Brigid’s Church, Branxton, St Catherine’s Church, Greta and St Paul’s Church, Glendonbrook. For Mass times, please click on the link below to take you to the Parish Calendar:

https://singletoncatholicparish.org.au/calendar/

Fr Thomas Chirackal
Parish Priest

Community Notices