15 August 2025

Principal’s Report

100 Days of Kindergarten

A very special day was held on Wednesday July 30, marking Kindergarten’s 100 Days of learning, growing and making new friends. While the weather was not kind, the students lit up their rooms with their beautiful smiles, energy and enthusiasm as they engaged in a wide variety of activities celebrating this special achievement. Thank-you to our wonderful teachers, support staff and parents and carers who have worked together to make the 100 days such a special time for these wonderful children.

High Performing Program

On Wednesday 23^ July three of our students were recognised as a part of the High Performing Students Program at the University of Newcastle. This program gives outstanding high school students a chance to try university-level courses while still in school.

For over ten years, the program has helped students in the region get a head start on university, building critical thinking and independent learning skills to support their future goals.

The program aims to keep our top talents in the area and grow local opportunities.

Congratulations to Callan Hannigan, Tobias Galloway (both Year 11) and Mia Millgate (Yr 10) who successfully completed the Discrete Mathematics (MATH1510) course. An outstanding achievement!

Write a Book in a Day

On Friday 11 August, five St Catherine’s teams from Year 5 to Year 9 competed in the Write a Book in a Day challenge, raising money for the Kids’ Caner Project. This challenge creates reading material for children who need to spend extended periods of time in hospital. Between 8am and 8pm, all teams successfully wrote their books, demonstrating great teamwork, perseverance and skill. Thank-you to Ms Alana Partridge, Mr Nigel Richardson and the many other staff who supported students in this great journey.

Our LOWE Team – more support, more often

To further support students in their secondary journey, we have made some changes to our Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement (LOWE) team during Term 2 to provide great access and support for students and families.

Importantly, our House model remains the centre piece of our overall wellbeing and engagement support, with each house receiving an additional LOWE to work with Chisholm, McAuley and Xavier students. Each LOWE is also responsible for the day-to-day support and administration of a Year Group. The table below outlines the responsibilities and points of contact for the remainder of 2025.

Catholic Schools Funding Model

Recently there has been much public discussion around the Australian Government's model of funding schools. Catholic Schools NSW have put together some data to explain how government funding for non-government schools—such as Catholic and Independent schools— supports your right to choose the best educational environment for your child while also reducing costs for Australian taxpayers.

Using the most recent data, the report outlines how funding these schools through a mixed education model reduces pressure on public education resources, with savings of up to $6.88 billion annually. The report highlights how school choice benefits families and the broader community alike.

To read more, find the report here: Money invested, Money Saved - July 2025 - Adobe cloud storage.

Take care,

David Crawford
Principal

Student Spotlight

Alex Lalewicz

Year 7 student Alex proudly represented the Australian Futsal Association at the 2025 Jiangmen Futsal Festival, where his team secured an impressive second place overall, in the U13 competition. In the second week, the tour continued in the Nashua and Foshan Districts, where the team competed in four more matches across two days—finishing the tour undefeated.

Over the two-week campaign, Alex and his team played a total of eight matches, recording seven wins, one draw, and no losses—a fantastic achievement. Congratulations, Alex!

Wyatt Gall

Year 9 student Wyatt has continued his success in Team Roping. Over the weekend of 2 and 3 August, Wyatt won the #5s Team Roping Heading Champion and Heeling Champion for NSW, in the Australian Team Roping Association. Congratulations on this fabulous result!

• 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 gina.kellner@mn.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

Primary News

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

This week, the teachers commenced the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check with the Year 1 students. The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a short, teacher-administered assessment designed to gauge a student’s progress in phonics, a crucial skill for reading. The check involves students reading a mix of real and nonsense words, and the results provide valuable information for planning targeted teaching. All checks should be completed in the coming week.

BOOK WEEK

Next week, our school celebrates Book Week. A great deal of time and planning has gone into the celebrations and activities that will take place during the week. Thank you to the library staff and teachers for the wonderful opportunities that will be provided to the students. It is exciting to have an esteemed illustrator and ex-student of St Catherine’s, Jade Goodwin, provide workshops for the Primary students. The library will also hold a Book Fair and the week concludes with a Book Week Parade, next Friday. All students are encouraged to dress up as a character from a favourite book for the Book Week Parade.

As part of Book Week, we welcome the 2026 Kindergarten students to our school. The students and their family will spend Wednesday morning reading books and enjoying a picnic with the Year 5 buddy students. We look forward to spending time with the new students and their family, and welcoming them to our college community.

150 YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Information has been distributed, via Compass, regarding the week of celebrations for our college’s 150 Year Celebrations. One activity during the week has students dressing up from a past decade. Please ensure that you read the information relevant to your child, in preparation for the dress-up day. If you are unsure of any details, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.

STEM

A small group of students attended the UH STEM Challenge Day, organised by our STEM teachers, Mrs Ferguson-Smith and Mrs Harrod. Congratulations to the teams on their academic rigour, teamwork, and sportsmanship shown throughout the day. We had wins in several categories, which is an outstanding achievement.

Congratulations to Mrs Ferguson-Smith, who has won a number of prizes for the college. We are the proud recipients of a 3D Printer, teaching resources and teacher professional development. We were excited to receive the prizes earlier this term and look forward to utilising them in the Primary classes.

Dr Justin Coulson Webinar

Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry

It's heartbreaking to see our kids struggling with anxiety. The statistics paint a stark picture: anxiety disorders are on the rise, affecting approximately one in seven primary school children and one in four adolescents. We see our kids burdened by fears and worries, their confidence fading, and sometimes even experiencing panic attacks. As parents, we desperately want to help but often feel lost or unsure of what to do.

Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry offers a lifeline. In this presentation, Dr Justin Coulson will unpack what anxiety looks like in children and provide you with simple, practical strategies that are both clinically proven and easy to implement at home.

Empower yourself with the knowledge and tools to support your child's emotional wellbeing and help them build resilience in the face of anxiety.

To join the webinar please register via the following link:

https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/answers-with-dr-justin-anxious-register-happy-families-schools

Felicity Pearce

Assistant Principal - Primary

College Musical - Aladdin Jr.

Rehearsals are in full swing for our upcoming College Musical, Aladdin Jr. Tickets for this wonderful production are available now!

Write a Book in a Day

Can you write a book in a day? We did! 35 students in 5 teams accepted the challenge on Friday August 8 from 8am to 8pm. Students from Year 5 to Year 9 were involved.

Write a Book in a Day is a fun and creative team writing competition for students in years 5 - 12 with some very unique aspects: It involves a collaborative team effort (5 – 10 per team) where students plan, write and illustrate a book. Every story grows from a unique set of parameters given to each writing team, the book must be completed within 12 hours. Completed books are shared digitally with children in hospitals across Australia. In 2024, 523 schools and writing groups from across Australia participated

This wonderful project covers advanced curriculum outcomes, provides a hands-on learning experience, engages High Potential and Gifted students in teamwork, inclusiveness and collaboration, provides an opportunity to teach empathy and engages the wider community.

The result is hours of entertaining and inspirational reading for sick kids in hospital. Plus, all sponsorship funds raised go toward scientific research to discover better treatments and ultimately a cure for children with cancer.

The Kids’ Cancer Project is an independent national charity supporting childhood cancer research. Since 1993, thanks to strong community support, the charity has contributed tens of millions of dollars to research projects to help children with many types of cancer.

We are so proud of our students’ efforts on the day.

Alana Partridge (Pedagogical Mentor) & Nigel Richardson (Gifted Education Mentor Project Officer)

Twisties Cup

Round 1 of the highly anticipated Twisties Cup kicked off Wednesday week 3 at lunchtime, and what a way to start the competition! With three matches running simultaneously across the fields, students brought the energy, teamwork, and competitive spirit from the first whistle to the final siren.

We saw some fast footwork, quick passes, and impressive tries across the board. The crowd on the sidelines cheered enthusiastically as each team gave it their all. It’s clear that this year’s competition is going to be one to remember!

Congratulations to our MVPs of the round:
🏅 Faith – for her relentless defence and strong leadership
🏅 Brax – for his game-changing try and great teamwork
🏅 Lochie – for consistent effort and sportsmanship throughout the match

These players stood out not only for their skills, but also for their positive attitude and fair play—exactly what the Twisties Cup is all about.

Jordie Sutherland

Book Week at St Catherine's

The Theme for Book Week is: Book an Adventure. The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is celebrating 80 years of bringing Australian authors and children together.

We are celebrating with several events.

Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 August- Jade Goodwin, Illustrator Visit

Jade Goodwin is a former student from St. Catherine's who has built a career as a successful illustrator. Jade has illustrated books from the Little Ash series, Yarn Quest, and many other titles. Jade will be running workshops with all students from K-6 and talking about her work as an illustrator and helping students create their own pieces of art.

Wednesday 20 August - Tuesday 26 August

The Scholsatic book fair will be held in the Primary Library form 8:30-3:30.

Various Books are available for students and parents to purchase.

There will be an EFTPOS machine available for purchases, and we can also accept cash. Alternatively, you can go to https://scholastic.com.au/payment and make a payment online.

Thursday 21 August - Livestream event with Perform Education

TREASURE HUNT is an action-packed interactive adventure, written by Craig Christie, and featuring a selection of the 2025 CBCA Short Listed books. The musical will send students of all ages on a treasure hunt exploring themes of sustainability and our relationship with the natural environment, as well as celebrating how books and reading create understanding and bring people of different backgrounds together.

Friday 22 August - Book Parade on College Green 9.15am

To finalise our Book Week activities, Students are asked to dress as a character from a story or even dress as part of the theme.

Each class will have a turn at parading their costume for parents. Please be mindful of taking photos of other students.

We appreciate your support throughout Book Week!

Primary Library Staff

Careers News

Updates from the University of Newcastle

Explore the University of Newcastle at Open Day! 

 Are you or someone you know interested in studying at the University of Newcastle? Come along to our upcoming Open Days! 

• Newcastle Open Day (Callaghan and City campuses) – Saturday 16 August  
• Central Coast Open Day (Ourimbah and Gosford campuses) – Saturday 30 August 

Discover our state-of-the-art facilities, attend degree presentations and have all your questions answered by our friendly staff and students. This is your chance to see where you’ll study and experience campus life, plus there are free shuttlebuses between the two campuses.  

Ma & Morley Scholarship Program Information Sessions 

Calling all prospective 2026 Ma & Morley Scholars! 

Join the Ma & Morley Program team for our information sessions, where we'll provide an overview of the Scholarship Program and guide you through the application process. You'll have an opportunity to ask any burning questions! 

We are hosting two face-to-face sessions (Callaghan and Ourimbah) and one online session via Zoom. 

Applications are now open and close midnight, Sunday 14 September - don't miss the chance to apply for this life-changing Scholarship! 

OURIMBAH 

WHEN: Tuesday 19 August 12:00pm-1:00pm 
WHERE: IT106, Ourimbah Campus 

CALLAGHAN 

WHEN: Wednesday 20 August 12:00pm-1:00pm 
WHERE: VG10, Callaghan Campus 

ONLINE 

WHEN: Thursday 28 August 4:30pm-5:30pm 

Zoom links will be sent via email 

The Ma & Morley Scholarship Program offers commencing and continuing students at the University of Newcastle the opportunity to join a cohort of likeminded individuals in a values-based leadership program.   

With just one application, you could earn yourself up to $75,000 of financial assistance and access to a program that aims to inspire, educate and cultivate the next generation of globally aware and socially conscious Australian leaders.  

To find out more about the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program and the application process, please visit the website.     

If you have any questions, you can contact the team at mamorley@newcastle.edu.au  

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence in Year 12 

 Your invitation to nominate your Year 12 will be sent via email on 08 August. Each school can nominate one Year 12 student for the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence in Year 12. Recipients will receive a $2,000 scholarship if they enrol with University of Newcastle next year. 

Key details: 

• Nominations close 21 November. 
• Selection is at your school’s discretion. If needed, consider university preferences and/or financial need where students are closely ranked. 
• Certificates will be mailed in time for presentation assemblies if nominations are received at least four weeks in advance. 
• A university representative may be able to attend your assembly—just follow the instructions on the nomination form. 
• Scholarship payments will be made after the semester 1 census date to students who enrol with us in 2026. 
• The scholarship can be deferred for up to one year if the student is planning a gap year their offer. 
• Awardees can still hold other university scholarships, so should check the website and apply! 

For nominations or more information, email: staff-scholarships@newcastle.edu.au

Job Jump

Mandy Pursell
Leader of Learning – Careers & VET

FACE News

Family and Community Engagement (FACE) is our new model for strengthening ties and communication between the school, families and the wider community. It involves many ways for all stakeholders in our community to engage in information sharing (face-to-face and online), consultation, celebration and community events.

Save the Date – FACE Forum Tuesday 9 September 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Our next FACE Forum will be in Week 8  - Tuesday 9 September at 5:30pm – 6:30pm. The focus of this meeting will be seeking feedback from the community to help us develop our Strategic Plan for 2026. St Catherine’s is committed to continuous improvement. To drive this, we establish priorities (otherwise commonly referred to as overarching goals or focus areas) that guide our school's planning, decision-making, and resource allocation over a set period. These priorities are typically designed to improve student outcomes, strengthen teaching and learning, and enhance the overall school environment.

To help this discussion, below is a link to a survey for parents to provide any ideas they would like tabled for this meeting.

https://forms.office.com/r/CwDSZyLK2y

Parent and teacher resources: Brain Development in pre-teens and teenagers

An interesting article exploring the brain development of children aged 9-15.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/development/understanding-your-teenager/brain-development-teens

Upcoming information sessions and webinars for parents and carers

Parents and carers are the most important educators in their child’s life. To assist you in this important role, a list of upcoming webinars provided by reputable providers, free of charge, has been compiled and is available on the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Catholic Schools webpage.

A snapshot of Term 3 webinars is included below. More information about these webinars, including links to register, can be found on the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Catholic Schools webpage www.mn.catholic.edu.au/our-community/supporting-parents-and-carers/upcoming-parent-and-carer-information-sessions/ Please note, the webpage will be updated regularly with news of additional webinars and you can visit the site at any time.  

NATSICC Assembly – POKOLBIN

29 September – 3 October 2025

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is incredibly proud to host the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council Assembly. Themed ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ it will welcome hundreds of delegates and bishops from across Australia alongside a keynote presentation from Stan Grant. This will be a powerful moment in our diocesan journey towards reconciliation – not to be missed. Full week and day registrations available. For more information and to register visit - 2025 Assembly

Canteen

NEW ITEM

We have a new High Protein milk available on Qkr and at the counter for High School Students only - $4.50.

HIGH SCHOOL LUNCH ORDERS- Save the queue! Avoid missing out on that Chicken Burger!

We encourage High School students to order their lunches through Qkr, as they are given priority at the window to collect and will be able to choose from the full menu online. 😊

Our service lines in the breaks are quite lengthy for those wishing to use their cards.

BIRTHDAY BUCKETS

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 ice blocks (no slushies), mousse or jelly for the class. Payment is to be made at the time of ordering.

VOLUNTEERING

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

Please consider volunteering in the canteen, it’s a great way to meet other parents 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

Please find below the link for the online registration and induction:

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

Canteen Roster

Thank you for your continued support. 😊

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. 

Due to the construction works taking place at the moment,  access to the uniform shop is via the front office until further notice.  

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

150^th Anniversary Mass

St Patrick’s Parish and Fr Greg Barker are looking forward to celebrating the 150^th Anniversary of St Catherine’s Catholic College at Mass on Sunday 31^st August. We hope to see everyone there to commemorate this very special occasion.

Sacramental Program

Please ensure you keep the children of our Sacramental Program in your prayers as they finalise their formation in anticipation of their very special Mass on Sunday 21 September at 4pm in St Patrick’s Church. All members of the parish community are invited to attend this Mass with Bishop Michael Kennedy to support these children in their faith journey.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available at the following times each week:

Branxton: from 5.30pm on Saturday evenings and after Mass on Thursdays

Greta: after Mass on Tuesdays

Singleton: after Mass on Saturday mornings

In an emergency, Reconciliation is available by appointment by contacting the Parish Office or Fr Thomas.

All Parish news and events can be found on the website:

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:

Fr Thomas Chirackal
Parish Priest

Community Notices