Staff Farewells

The following staff will be farewelled at our end of year Barbreck Assembly on the final day of school, Wednesday 12 December.

Ms Sue Cooke
After 38 years of dedicated service to St Catherine’s School, Ms Sue Cooke has advised that she plans to retire in December 2018. Ms Cooke is well known to a vast number of students and their families and recollections about her, so frequently refer to her dedication, enthusiasm, creativity, generosity and empathy. So many remember “the time when Ms Cooke…”

Ms Cooke’s mother and she herself, were students at St Catherine’s and the connections are strong and many. The School will always be held closely in Ms Cooke’s heart and her work warmly applauded. Her work in so many different ways at St Catherine’s has seen Ms Cooke contribute in numerous areas and activities.

Mrs Glenda Lingard
Mrs Glenda Lingard commenced in 2007 and has led the very busy Learning Plus Program (formerly Educational Support Department), with professional rigour and energy from the moment she arrived.

Mrs Lingard, a very highly respected educator, will be long remembered by many students and their families for the wisdom, experience and knowledge she generously affords to all in her care. Her advocacy for the needs of so many learners has been a hallmark of her career. She will leave at the end of 2018 in the knowledge that her work, personal professionalism and dedication is and has been always highly respected.

Mrs Mary Karvounaris
Arriving at St Catherine’s in 2008, Mrs Mary Karvounaris commenced her work as an upper primary teacher with the same diligence and pursuit of student care and excellence as she leaves at the end of 2018.

With high expectations of herself and her students, Mrs Karvounaris will leave with so many stories from students who reflect upon their school year with Mrs Karvounaris as “the time I had to do my best and the year that I learnt so much and improved in my school work so much!”

Mrs Karvounaris is especially known for her own love of mathematics and emphatically for her utmost persistence and patience when she teaches students ways in which to acquire skills, understand concepts and also, for most of them, “to learn to enjoy mathematics as well!”

We thank Ms Cooke, Mrs Lingard and Mrs Karvounaris for their varying teaching tasks and many contributions at St Catherine’s and also their similar highly professional approach towards ensuring excellent pastoral and academic care for each student in their charge.

Their loyalty and role modelling of all that is St Catherine’s School, past and present, is sincerely appreciated. We wish them all well in the future.

Barbreck Staff 2019

2018 and the School Year

The 2018 school year in Campbell House and Barbreck, filled with special learning events, tasks, projects, adventures and the building of academic and social skills, has passed by with speed!

It seems so recently that the excitement of fresh beginnings and the words “Hello” and “Welcome” resounded in both areas. We now find ourselves in the next few days, surrounded by the excitement of Christmas. Holidays and new adventures in education to look forward to in 2019, and the words “Good Luck” and “Farewell” echo around us.

In Barbreck, the Year 6 students will soon celebrate the completion of primary school and movement to the next stage of the journey into Year 7. Excitement and anticipation are highly apparent, but also a sense of “farewell” to a completed chapter. This can come with both applause and a touch of sadness.

Thank you to the Year 6 students of 2018. Their contributions through diligent attention to all requests, tasks and activities and as pleasing role models for the rest of the Junior School, has been well appreciated. Again, the year level have set very high standards and we trust that the current Year 5 students will step well into their footsteps in 2019.

We also farewell a small number of students who are relocating in 2018 and resultantly need to change schools. We wish them well.

Sincere Thank You to all Staff
From the office to classrooms to the specialist areas, staff work with determination and professionalism to realise the most effective learning and pastoral care environment for the Barbreck learners. Sincere thank you to all of them.

Families are Warmly Thanked
Our families support the staff in so many ways, whether it be through events, excursions, assistance when requested, by bringing ideas and thoughts to us which assist us to often contemplate, devise action plans and initiate improvements when practical or required.

Working together, school and home is the best combination of support, endorsement of student effort and effectively communicating to students, the high importance of education and the need to always put effort into learning and achieving. Thank you to our families.

First Day of School 2019

Years 1 to 6: Wednesday 30 January 2019
Prep: Thursday 31 January 2019

“My Christmas Wish” Christmas Card Competition: 12 Days of Christmas

For several years, The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, Federal Member for Higgins, has run a Christmas Card Competition, open to school children in her electorate. Each year St Catherine’s girls have submitted entries with a lucky few selected to attend a special morning tea, to hear the winners announced and receive their certificates.

Congratulations to the following students who will be presented with certificates at a special awards morning tea at the Metro Gallery in Armadale today:

• Giselle Mangano
• Portia Gowrie
• Audrey Doan
• Milla Cohen

Parents were invited to attend. Mrs Virginia Guest also attended the special event.

Salvation Army Christmas Appeal

We invite all families to join with the Barbreck community in donating to the 2018 Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. Donations can be brought to Barbreck from Monday 3 December. Types of donations include:

• Unwrapped toys/gifts for boys/girls (new items only)
• Tins of perishable food
• Gift cards
• No soft toys by request please.

A number of parents have offered to transport all gifts and donations to a Salvation Army collection point and we appreciate this offer indeed.

We thank families in advance for assisting in this needy cause.