A Day in the Life 

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up, I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat 

The Beatles

It’s always the same every year. The closer we get to the end of term – the last few days are the busiest. There just doesn’t seem to be the time to get everything done before everybody goes off for a well-earned rest.  

Schools are busy places and St Catherine’s I suspect, is busier than many. As Interim Principal I am privileged to be part of the many things that happen every day here at St Catherine’s. A week is a long time in the life of our School and the following is a snapshot of some of the wonderful programs, people and initiatives occurring just this week as part of life at St Catherine’s School. 

Over the weekend our rowers competed at the National Rowing Championships in Sydney. Watching our competitors, alongside their passionate and dedicated parents, on the banks of the Sydney International Regatta Centre, highlighted to me the gruelling nature of the sport of Rowing, but also the level of teamwork required. For a boat to be successful all rowers must row as one, and it was a wonderful example of the grit and spirit of St Catherine’s School. Well done to all our rowers who competed and thank you to the many parents who travelled with the girls. It was a delight talking with you about your daughters and school life in general.  

One of my daily highlights at St Catherine’s are the mornings. Standing at our beautiful Heyington Gates as the autumn sunshine speckles through the trees along Heyington Place, I enjoy greeting our students and parents as they make their way into School each day. 

Working as Interim Principal this year has also meant I meet with staff across all areas of our School, from our Head of Early Learning, Ms Sarah Bethune to Head of Barbreck , Ms Karen McArdle, our hard-working Admissions and Advancement Teams, and our dedicated teachers across Early Learning, Junior School, and Senior School. This week I also met with several new staff members to support them during their first term at St Catherine’s School. 

A bonus to many of my staff meetings was seeing the many smiling and happy faces of our youngest learners in the ELC and my (strategic) arrival for meetings just as morning tea was being served. I may need to start scheduling visits to our Strength and Conditioning Studio as part of my daily ritual as Interim Principal! 

However, this past Monday the pièce de résistance of my day was attending our 2024 Concerto Concert in The Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre. The Concert was a sheer delight to attend. The talent of our musicians was on full display.  

Each performance was sublime and exquisite. While every student was a pleasure to listen to, the big moment of joy for me was watching Year 9 student Rosemary Hill play the recorder accompanied by the Jorgensen Strings. Rosemary has been on exchange this last term and is from St Catherine’s, Bramley in the UK. The sheer joy she had on her face as she prepared to play and when she finished was an absolute treat. To see a young person play at such a high level and enjoy it reminds me of the rewards of being a teacher. 

Each day this week, as has been the case every week this term in the role of Interim Principal, I have had the opportunity to meet with many people, from staff, students, and parents to the School Council and auxiliary members, and Old Girls. I leave all of these conversations and meetings with the same feeling – connection, which has been an ongoing theme within my Blue Ribbon articles in Term 1. The connection we all have to each other with the shared goal of supporting, raising, nurturing, and empowering the young children in our ELC and young women in our Junior and Senior Schools creates an atmosphere of care, acceptance, and positivity. Our School is a wonderful environment for our students. 

This week we also farewelled our Director of Community Engagement, Ms Kerrie Mussert. Over the past eight years, Kerrie has been instrumental in brainstorming, planning, and managing activities to assist our School to achieve its public relations goals and execute events/programs closely. Kerrie is a warm, generous, and kind-hearted person and has made a great contribution during her time at St Catherine’s. Kerrie leaves a wonderful legacy at the School, and we will miss her cheerfulness, thoroughly professional approach to her work, and the positive impact she has created. Her contribution to the School Leadership Team cannot be underestimated and we are grateful for her dedicated and enthusiastic service to the School.  

It is such a privilege to be the Interim Principal at St Catherine’s and every day brings something special to be a part of. Have a safe and relaxing school holidays.