29 August 2025

Principal’s Report

Proud Moments: Our Students Shining in the Community

At St Catherine’s Catholic College, we believe that true education extends beyond the classroom—it’s reflected in the way our students engage with the world around them.

Recently, we received two pieces of public feedback that beautifully highlight the character, respect, and pride our students carry with them.

The first came from the Diocesan SSSA Athletics Carnival at Hunter Sports Centre, where two of our male students volunteered their time and energy to assist with the event. This person wrote:

“I cannot speak highly enough of the way they conducted themselves throughout the day. They were incredibly respectful, enthusiastic, and consistently willing to help… Their positive attitude and maturity made a real difference to the smooth running of the event.”

These students were praised as “outstanding ambassadors” who represented our College with pride. Their initiative and respectful conduct made a lasting impression, and we are deeply proud of their contribution.

The second message came from a member of the public who encountered four of our Year 11 students at McDonald’s after school. They shared:

“They spoke very highly of the school, its teachers and the community. What impressed me the most, however, was the highly respectful way in which they spoke to each other, spoke to the staff and treated the people around them.”

This person went on to describe the students as “fine ambassadors for what you are doing at the school, and the way they have been raised by their families.”

These moments are powerful reminders of the values we nurture at St Catherine’s -harmony, faith and integrity - and pride in one’s community. We are incredibly proud of these students and grateful to the families and staff who help shape such fine young people.

Let us continue to celebrate and encourage these everyday examples of leadership and kindness. They are the quiet triumphs that speak volumes about the heart of our College.

Aladdin Performance

Another incredible example of our students shining was seen in our Aladdin performances last week. From the leads to the ensemble to backstage, our students showed incredible courage, resilience, perseverance and talent in bringing the story to life.

Our sincere thanks go to the staff and families who supported these students and made it such a wonderful production.

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. (apologies for the link not working previously).

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

Attendance

David Crawford
Principal

Primary News

Last week, our college came alive with the joy of stories as we celebrated Book Week. The week was filled with wonderful activities, culminating in a vibrant Book Week Parade that truly showcased the creativity and enthusiasm of our students and parents. The support shown for the parade, book fair, Teddy Bears’ Picnic, and our visiting illustrator was outstanding and greatly appreciated by all college staff.

But recognising the importance of books shouldn’t end with Book Week. Reading with your child is one of the most valuable ways to support their learning and development. Even just 10 minutes of shared reading each day can make a profound difference.

One key benefit is vocabulary development. Vocabulary is essential for reading comprehension and overall literacy. Did you know that children who are read to daily are exposed to at least 290,000 more words by the time they begin Kindergarten than those who aren’t read to regularly? (Sheldon Dean, H. 2025, Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child?)

So, we encourage all parents and carers to make reading part of your daily routine. Ten minutes a day is all it takes to open up a world of words, imagination, connection and opportunities.

Felicity Pearce

Primary Assistant Principal

Student Spotlight

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 tracey.hall@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.

Excellence

Merit

Kinder

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 6

150th Celebrations

Join us as we celebrate the 150^th Anniversary of St Catherine’s!

Careers News

For the latest careers news from Job Jump please refer to the documents below:

Mandy Pursell
Leader of Learning – Careers & VET

Canteen

We have introduced a few old favourites to the chip range.

Jumpy’s and JJ’s are $2 and are available for sale at the counter and on Qkr! Chocolate Paddle Pops are $3 and are available to purchase at the lunch breaks.

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

At Mass this Sunday 31 August, St Patrick’s Parish, Fr Thomas Chirackal and Fr Greg Barker are looking forward to celebrating the 150^th Anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy arriving in Australia and setting up St Catherine’s Catholic College. We hope to see everyone there to commemorate this very special occasion. Morning tea will be available after Mass in the grounds of the school. You are then invited to join the Sisters of Mercy in a remembrance service in the chapel and cemetery to honour those sisters’ who have given their lives to service in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

Sacramental Program

We are looking forward to Mass on Sunday 21 September at 4pm in St Patrick’s Church where Bishop Michael Kennedy will confer the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion. Please ensure you keep the children of our Sacramental Program in your prayers in the lead up to this special moment in their faith journey. All members of the parish and college community are invited to attend this Mass to support these children in their faith journey.

Spiritual Renewal Ministry

We are blessed to announce that Br. Savy Joseph, an international speaker, will be ministering at St Patrick’s Church, Singleton on Monday, 1 September, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The evening will begin with praise and worship, followed by a powerful talk on “Healing and Freedom in Christ.” Everyone is warmly invited to come, bring family and friends, and experience this special time of renewal and blessing.

Events in the Diocese

Keep up to date with events and faith formation opportunities within the Diocese at https://mn.catholic.org.au/cdmn-news/events/

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

https://singletoncatholicparish.org.au/

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