Our Year 6 students returned last week from their Canberra trip tired, but full of wonderful stories and experiences. This trip is a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of Australia’s government, history, and democratic processes through engaging, hands-on activities. It also encourages independence, collaboration, and leadership as students step outside their comfort zones. With this focus on leadership, we hope to see future political leaders emerge from this group of students, leaders who embody the strong ethical values we nurture at St Catherine’s.

A big thank you to Camp Coordinator, Ilse Johansen, for her outstanding organisation, as well as to the dedicated staff who accompanied the students including Jodie Bacon, Fiona Wardlaw, Tim Tainsh, Taleah Pecchiar and Kate Banks.

Preparations are also well underway for Science Week (11–15 August) and Book Week (19–23 August). Mr Lewis (Science Week) and Ms Caluzzi (Book Week) are planning an exciting range of activities to inspire a love of science and books. One of the highlights will be the Book Week Parade on Thursday 22 August, where students will dress up to this year’s theme of Fairytales. The countdown is on!

A reminder to book your Parent–Teacher Interview for Thursday 14 August. This is an important opportunity to learn how your daughter is progressing both academically and socially, and to ask any questions you may have. It’s also a chance to connect with specialist teachers. Please refer to the email sent on Thursday, 24 of July for specialist teacher contact details and booking instructions. Bookings close on Monday 11 August. Please note that classes will finish at 12.30pm on Thursday 14 August to accommodate the interviews.

This week, our Year 6 students proudly represented the school in both a Hockey Tournament and the School Netball Championship. We’re thrilled to announce that our hockey team won and will now progress to regionals! At the time of writing, the netball tournament is still to come. We look forward to sharing those results with the community soon.