New Staff

Welcome to Holly Burke who is replacing Alana Tavcar in year 1-2AT while she is on maternity leave. Alana and Holly have been working together last week to ensure a smooth transition for students.The students have adapted well to the change and Holly has been quick to establish herself in our school community.

Alana had planned to work this week and finish up on Friday 26 July, however her doctor has instructed her to rest. All is well with her and the baby and she eagerly awaits the arrival of baby Tavcar in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted as soon as we hear any news.

Alana' s class farewell

Last Thursday the 1/2AT families organised a farewell party for Alana Tavcar as she leaves to take family leave. Thank you to the parents that organised the food, activities and beautiful gift. She will be missed by the St Catherine's community. We wish her all the best as she begins this new and exciting adventure.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS): Monday 2 September – Friday 20 September 2024

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices.

A significant and formal way in which we engage and gather data is through MACSSIS, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys.

MACSSIS is a set of surveys that have been built specifically for Catholic schools in Melbourne by the Learning Services team at MACS, in partnership with researchers at Learning First and in wide consultation with principals in our schools.

In 2024, students, families and staff are invited to participate in MACSSIS via our secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys.

The MACSSIS survey platform is operated by an independent supplier, ORIMA Research Pty Ltd. The platform meets with the high security and privacy standards for handling student and school data. Participating schools are in the process of updating their privacy policy to ensure school communities are fully informed and protected. 

Students at our school (years 4-6) will be provided with supervised sessions, where teachers are on hand to help and answer any questions. Families and staff can complete the survey anytime over the three-week window via an emailed link and password. Feedback has indicated that previous surveys were completed across a range of mobile devices and different web browsers. Schools will be providing more information about MACSSIS throughout Term 3.

Our community’s opinions are critical to understanding how our school is performing – MACSSIS is a key data source for guiding the ongoing work to improve our school.

All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support the work we are already doing to improve our school. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate, or withdraw from the survey at any point before, during or after completion of the survey. Please notify the school if your child does not wish to participate.

If you would like more information, please contact the school.

Staffing Changes for Term 3 and 4

The following information was sent home to families last Wednesday 17 July

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 I wish to inform you that l have accepted a new position at Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) as a Senior Learning partner. This new role will enable me to continue to grow my instructional leadership and work closely with regional system leaders to deliver teaching and learning services to schools. I will be sad to leave the St Catherine's school community. 

My time leading St Catherine’s school and supporting students, staff, families and parish has been both enjoyable and rewarding. It has been a privilege to watch students grow and learn, from the initial enrolment process through to their year 6 graduation. St Catherine’s is truly a community school and working closely with parents and staff to support student learning, spiritual and wellbeing development has been a highlight of my time as principal. 

My last day at St Catherines will be Friday 2nd August and l look forward to catching up with each of you before l leave. Ms Carmel Donlon has been appointed as the Acting Principal for the rest of Term 3 and Term 4. Carmel will continue to work with all staff and community members to ensure that our students receive excellent learning and wellbeing opportunities. 

Over the next 2 terms the MACS office will work with our Parish and school to organise the ongoing leadership arrangements for 2025. Updates will be provided to the community as this progresses. I am looking forward to starting a new direction in my professional career and thank students, families and staff for all their support over the years of my time as principal.

A big thank you to the many parents for your kind words and congratulations. I am currently working with MACS, Carmel Donlon and school leadership to ensure leadership arrangements are in place for the remainder of 2024.

Term 3 Curriculum Term Outlines 

Grandparents Day

We are so looking forward to Grandparents and special friends joining us at school on Wednesday 24 July. See further details in the Religious Education section of this newsletter.