Dear Parents and Caregivers

We are now in Holy Week, which for Christians is the most important week of the liturgical year. We will be holding a special reflection based on the Stations of the Cross this Thursday 28 March from 8.45am in the Church. You are most welcome to join us in prayer and reflection. In 2019, I was very fortunate to spend three weeks in Jerusalem and one special highlight was being able to retrace the footsteps of Jesus as he made his way to the cross. This walk goes along the Via Dolorosa and we paused at specific places to remember the events that took place. We walked along it on Good Friday and it was very sombre and somewhat confronting as we were watched closely by heavily armed soldiers. We ended up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (also known as the Church of the Resurrection) which is believed to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. At dawn on Easter Sunday, we celebrated Mass in this incredible Church and our Irish priest, Fr Paddy O’Rourke, delivered a very short but powerful Easter homily. All he said was, “Tell everyone that I’m alive!” For us today, that is our simple message. Jesus is alive and because of his resurrection, we too will also experience it when our time comes.

Please note that Term 1 concludes at 3pm on Holy Thursday which is 28 March and then we resume on Monday 15 April for students and staff. I wish you a safe and holy Easter, spending time with your loved ones and I look forward to seeing you next term. Please note that Mr Maxwell will be taking some Long Service Leave for the first two weeks of the term and Mrs Liebregts will also be on Long Service Leave for the first four weeks of the term. Also, please note that Fr John is organising a bush dance in the Hall on Friday 19 April from 6pm. Please contact the parish to let them know if you will be coming.

Empathy Reflection Empathy, humanity and support for each other is more important than revenue and economic growth.

Staffing Update You may already have heard that Mrs Jan Nottle decided to retire earlier this term after a long and successful career spanning over 30 years. We wish Jan every blessing in retirement as she spends more time with her family and also jet setting around the world. We were very lucky to find a wonderful replacement with Miss Eimear Millane who has already made a very positive impact with the students. Also, Mrs Kristy Mouchemore has decided to finish up at the end of this term. Kristy has done a great job with the Music programme and she will be sadly missed. Fortunately, we have found a replacement and Ms Talicia Fazio will join our team as the Music teacher from the start of next term. I take this opportunity to wish Jan and Kristy all the very best for the future, as well as welcoming Eimear and Talicia into our beautiful community.

Kindergarten 2025 I have made an early start this year and have already conducted some enrolment interviews. Places are filling fast, and if you have a younger child who is due to commence next year, please let the front office staff know as a high priority as we don’t want anyone to miss out.

Code of Conduct Reminder All parents are reminded that everyone in our community is required to follow the CEWA Code of Conduct which is in place to protect us and make our school a safe and welcoming place for all. Unfortunately, when this code is not adhered to, conflicts can arise, leading to people feeling uncomfortable and unsafe. Please remember to always treat everyone with courtesy and respect at all times. The Code of Conduct is on the school’s website for you to read in full at any time. I will place segments of it in the newsletter each fortnight as a reminder. It is in everyone’s best interests that the Code is always adhered to.

Conduct Statement 6:  You treat personal information about members of the school community as private and confidential.

Yours sincerely

Laurie Bechelli