Issue 4, 14 March 2025

The anticipation of Sports Day is growing as we edge closer to next Friday. We always look forward to it being a wonderful display of community, competition, camaraderie and more. Our PE staff are working hard to organise all the different aspects that need to be considered in hosting a whole-school event with so many moving parts. Important information about our Sports Day has been sent home to families. Please note the slightly earlier start time of 8:30am, which assists us in getting through all the events and activities for the day. You can access this information on our school website by clicking here. Let’s hope that the weather forecast is kind to us and brings a nice warm (but not too warm!) sunny day.

On Wednesday, we held our Annual General Meeting for the College Board. The Board is responsible for governance and setting the direction for the College, always aiming to serve the best interests of our students, staff, and families. I am grateful for the dedication of our Board members and look forward to collaborating with them this year to further enhance our College’s success and achievements.

Please see below the members of our College Board for 2025. There is a vacancy for a parent/caregiver to join the board. If you are interested in this opportunity or would like to nominate a person for the role, please contact the College.

Ex-Officio Members
Fr Jim Monaghan (President)
Damian Smith (Principal)

Nominated Members
Sr Catherine Mead (Sister of St Joseph) 
Lexie Morris (Staff Representative) 

Elected Members
Alanna Grover 
Emma Davies
Adele Broadbridge
Suzy Graham 
Kristen Scharenberg
Unfilled Vacancy

NAPLAN testing started this week for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and will continue until the end of Week 8. These tests provide useful data for individual achievement in comparison with national results and are a means of identifying particular needs at each year level. We recognise that these assessments can sometimes cause a level of concern for some students. Nonetheless, we have been very pleased to see our students demonstrate a positive mindset, self-regulation and perseverance in the way they have engaged in the NAPLAN assessments. If you have any questions about NAPLAN please don’t hesitate to contact the College.  

While technology is undoubtedly part of our everyday lives, it’s fair to say that we continue to adapt to the challenges presented by increased digital communication. As such, we need to acknowledge the importance of respecting our teachers' right to disconnect. Our staff work very hard to provide the best possible learning experiences for all of our students, both inside and outside the classroom. However, it's essential to recognise that they also need time to rest, recharge, and focus on their personal wellbeing. While we encourage open dialogue between parents and teachers, respecting our teachers' right to 'switch off' not only ensures their wellbeing but also promotes a healthy work-life balance, which ultimately benefits the entire school community.

I will be taking leave from 24 March until 27 April 2025 (Week 8, Term 1 – Week 1, Term 2). I am pleased to announce that Lexie Morris has been appointed to the position of Acting Principal and Alanah Rowe to the role of Acting Deputy Principal for this period of time. Both Lexie and Alanah are well known to the Caritas College community in their current leadership roles. I am grateful for their willingness to lead the school community while I will be away and wish them all the best. 

Throughout the six weeks of Lent, students across the College will learn about the work of Project Compassion and how it helps provide individuals and communities across the world with much needed money or equipment to access basic human resources.

This week, we introduce Lam, a young man from Vietnam who dreamed of becoming a graphic artist but struggled due to his physical disability. Through Caritas Australia’s partner program, I-SHINE, Lam completed a six-month IT training course that equipped him with professional skills and restored his confidence and social connections. 

Today, Lam runs a successful freelance graphic design business from home, serving clients locally and internationally. Lam’s story shows how vocational training can empower people with disabilities to overcome barriers and achieve their dreams, inspiring others to do the same. 

Our Year 11 students continue to reflect upon their personal experiences from their Caritas K’s walk the other week and are now seeking donations to support our Project Compassion campaign.  You can donate online through the QR code or click here 

Next Wednesday, 19 March, we will gather to celebrate the feast of St Joseph. St Joseph, the patron saint of Caritas College, was the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus. He was a carpenter, an ordinary and humble man, but he was able to see and speak with God in extraordinary ways. Not much is known about Joseph from the Gospels, but what we do know is that he encountered and listened closely to God in his dreams, protecting and caring for Mary and Jesus with deep compassion.

As this year is the Ordinary Year of Jubilee, with the theme Pilgrims of Hope, we will focus on the deep trust and hope that Joseph had in God and the journeys that Joseph made, often with Mary and Jesus, as they lived out their faith. Joseph and Mary, after travelling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, were headed home when they realised that Jesus was not with their travelling group. They headed back to Jerusalem, where they found a 12-year-old Jesus teaching in the temple. The worry and fear that they must have had would have been great, however Joseph’s calm and trusting nature, gave hope to the situation.

Let us continue to ask St Joseph to intercede for us to think about the things that we say with great love that will leave a lasting and positive impression and a sense of hope to all in our community. 

The 2025 Sacramental Preparation Program will begin in Term 2, with Year 4 students preparing to receive their first Holy Communion. Letters to students in Years 3, 4 and 7 would have received an email from Fr Jim Monaghan this week advising of a change of date for the information session, originally being held on Thursday 14 March. Please note that this will now be held next Thursday 20 March, at 7:00pm, at All Saints Catholic Church. 

If you did not receive a letter about the program, please contact the All Saints Catholic Church on 8642 2847

The All Saints Catholic Parish will be holding a Children and Young People’s Mass on Sunday 30 March at 10:30am. This will be an opportunity for children and young people of the parish to lead this mass – reading, bring forth the gifts and singing. We would love to see as many families as possible attend this mass, as we begin to celebrate these once per term with the celebration of each Sacrament. If you would like your child to be involved, please contact Mrs Chloe Shanahan at Caritas College on 8648 9700 or chloe.shanahan@cc.catholic.edu.au