As detailed in the Blue Ribbon in recent weeks, Term 2 has provided an excellent opportunity for our community to enjoy and celebrate the success of students performing in the Music and Performing Arts Programs at St Catherine’s School. This includes the Years 5 and 6 Musical – Seussical JR., Senior School Jazz Night, the Senior Play, Children of the Black Skirt and occurring last week, the Years 7 and 8 Music Concert. 

This Term, we have also celebrated many individual and team sporting successes; and most notably, the opportunity to train and compete in our recently refurbished Sports Centre. Earlier this Term, St Catherine’s Old Girl and Australian Olympian, Lauren Hewitt (’96) together with Ms Debra Thompson, Lauren’s former Physical Education teacher, were invited to ‘cut the ribbon’ and lead students through a celebratory arch of balloons and into the Sports Centre for our first Assembly within the refurbished facilities. 

As a Triple Olympian and dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Lauren Hewitt (’96) is one of Australia’s most recognisable female 100m and 200m sprinters. Lauren was the youngest member of the 1996 Australian Olympic Track and Field Team. She competed as a 17-year-old St Catherine’s School girl and had the entire School supporting her. 

Lauren went on to represent Australia at three Olympic Games, six World Championships and three Commonwealth Games over a 12-year professional Athletics career. She amassed two gold, one silver and three bronze medals and 12 Australian titles. 

In her Address to our students, Lauren openly shared how she relished every opportunity to play sport during her time at St Catherine’s School. Whilst she is recognised for competing in Athletics, Lauren was also a highly competent netballer at School. Lauren spoke of her Year 12 journey as an Olympian, sharing with the audience her enthusiasm to be accommodated in the Olympic Village with fellow relay team member Cathy Freeman.  

Whilst Cathy Freeman was notably a signature athlete on the Australian Team, it was Lauren Hewitt who received the most ‘Good Luck’ faxes during the Games, with so many St Catherine’s students and staff sending faxes through the PE Office fax machine. This is a story of St Catherine’s School’s enduring blue-ribbon spirit, with every member of the School community supporting Lauren from afar.  

Along with enjoying every sporting opportunity available at St Catherine’s, Lauren also balanced her VCE workload with her athletics career. Lauren when on to study a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Science from Monash University and is a Registered Nutritionist with the Nutrition Society of Australia. 

Following on from the festivities of opening the Sports Centre, our Senior School students have cherished the opportunity to play their Term 2 GSV Netball fixtures on the new court, commenting on how much they love the new court surface. Our pre-season fitness training for our Rowing and Snowsports participants has also been reinvigorated with access to the Strength and Conditioning Studio.  

Our 25 elite athletes, selected for St Catherine’s Athlete Development Academy (working across a wide variety of sports) are appreciating the new facilities for their tailored strength programs. Of course, the new Tumbling Studio, for our youngest children on campus from the ELC, delight in their new training venue as well. 

The staged redevelopment of the Dorothy Pizzey Centre, inclusive of The Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre, and the now refurbished Sports Centre capturing three new teaching spaces have been wonderful projects to undertake. The redevelopment has so admirably been supported by our community through our annual Giving Days.  

As previously noted in the Blue Ribbon, further works on our campus will include the additional rectification of water proofing along the external side of the northern wall the Sports Centre which has resulted in the need to decommission St Catherine’s House. The demolition of this building will occur during the mid-year break.  

Whilst St Catherine’s House was not in the best of condition, it was a home for many Music staff, and provided a good mixture of different sized spaces for teaching, and it was nicely located at the front of the School. The connections with the House are significant for our long-term staff and was previously home to Miss Pizzey during her tenure as Principal. The House holds many fond memories, entertained many hilarious and engaging discussions for our Music staff and was a place of such fine teaching and commitment to student learning. 

I take this opportunity to share my appreciation for our Head of Music, Mr Nick Grunden, who has worked to ensure all individual Music lessons, normally scheduled in this building, have a new home in 15A, Heyington Place, albeit temporarily. The exciting part of this campus news is the opportunity a cleared parcel of land provides for a new Music School. 

Staff News 

With only one week of Term 2 remaining, I wish to advise parents of the forthcoming Long Service Leave of our Head of Performing Arts, Mr James Brown, across Term 3. James has worked extensively on several Performing Arts events in recent weeks, and we wish him the best for a well-deserved holiday travelling abroad.  

In addition to this, our much-loved ELC Teacher, Miss Kristina Schrader, is also looking forward to travelling next term whilst on LSL. Our dedicated Head of Maintenance, Mr Peter White, will also be enjoying some rest and relaxation during Term 3 on LSL. 

In Term 3, our Head of Rowing, Miss Brigette Carlile is looking forward to her scheduled and well-deserved Long Service Leave with her plans to travel to the United States to attend a family wedding. Following this period of Long Service Leave in Term 3, Brigette will undertake an additional year of leave from St Catherine’s School to join her husband, Nick, currently living in South Australia. I take this opportunity to share my appreciation for Brigette’s dedication to the Rowing Program at St Catherine’s, particularly as she was married last year and has lived apart from Nick for this past season. We wish Brigette the very best for the year ahead.  

At the conclusion of Term 2, we also farewell Miss Jenny Molloy as a teacher from St Catherine’s School. Jenny has been a pillar of support to her students and colleagues, developing excellent and trusting relationships with students and families, most notably continually going the extra mile to stay in contact with students and their families struggling during the Melbourne lockdown periods.  

Jenny is renowned for her unique capacity to be personable and strong in maintaining and supporting the Values of the School community. Jenny knows the students well and they know her, she has that unique ability to be firm but softens this with a disarming smile or joke. Jenny has worked in the Humanities Faculty for 17 years and cherished the role as Head of Year. She was awarded the St Catherine’s School Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award in 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the School. 

We wish Miss Molloy the very best with her future endeavours.