As we come to the end of another year, it is time to reflect on the year that was! It was a year that no-one could have predicted and as we returned to school in January we did so with a great sense of excitement and hope for what 2022 could and would be after a disrupted two years. We were certainly under a false sense of hope and as the flood developed in February we were thrown into a year like none before. And so began the roller coaster ride that was to be 2022! We were all thrown back into chaos, both personally and professionally, as we navigated our way through a year of heartache and despair. Our thoughts and prayers still remain with our families and wider community who are still affected by this natural disaster.

So we look forward to next year with hope of a much more settled year. I thank each and everyone for your ongoing support, patience and understanding throughout the year. It has been a privilege to be involved in the education of your children. I pray that the peace of Jesus be with you and your families this Christmas and New Year. I encourage all families to celebrate with their Church family. Christmas without Christ just doesn’t make sense. I trust the holidays will give you time to relax and rejuvenate yourselves for the coming year. May God bless all families with peace and good health.

I recently read this reflection on the Christmas story put into today’s context and it got me thinking about the way that we are so quick to judge others. During this Christmas season I hope that we all take the time to look at others ‘through the eyes of a child’ so that we can see things more openly and empathetically.

The first Christmas that little Linda learned to read, she was allowed to distribute the family gifts on Christmas day. According to family custom, the one who distributed the gifts could open the first package. After all the gifts were distributed with loving care, Linda kept looking around the tree and among the branches. Finally her dad asked, ‘What are you looking for, dear?’ To which Linda replied, ‘I thought Christmas was Jesus’ birthday and I was just wondering where his present is. I guess everyone forgot him.’

That is the challenge which faces us all this Christmas - to put the Christ back into our family Christmas. This is an ideal time for families to focus on the important things that affect their family life - the time they spend together, the quality of relationships within the immediate and extended family group, the willingness to put others first and to forgive one another. Please remember to include Jesus on your family gift list - make the religious significance of Christmas visible in your home and join with your Church family for this special feast.

And so to another Christmas! The little baby born in Bethlehem, serves to remind us of the truth that our God is a God who loves us, even to the point of becoming one of us. In becoming human, God has given each of us dignity and importance, and the opportunity to transcend the worries of this world and focus on our eternal destiny.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Concert

What a great celebration we had on Monday evening at our Christmas Concert. It was great to see our school families come together to celebrate this joyous time of the year.

Our students were magnificent and we thank Mrs Craig, Mrs Allen, Mrs Farmer and Miss Overell for their wonderful planning and practice for our concert.

Please see some photos below;

Year Six Graduation Dinner and Awards                                                            Congratulations to our Year Six students on completing their Primary education. We wish them all the very best as they begin high school. We thank you for the great contributions each of them has made to our school community.

Please see photos below of their dinner and awards ceremony.

THANK YOU

As this is our last newsletter for the year there are so many people to thank:

• To Fr Bing, who has supported our students, staff and families in his role as School Chaplain and provided faith leadership and guidance to our school community in so many different ways.
• To our Leadership Team, Co-ordinators, Additional Needs Teachers, Counsellor and our various teams and committees, thank you for your continued support in all areas of school life.
• To the Teachers and Teachers Assistants, I would like to express my sincere thanks for everything you do to ensure that quality teaching and learning continues to occur.
• To our secretaries, support staff, canteen supervisor and volunteers and cleaners who work tirelessly to assist the students, teachers, parents and visitors to our school. So much of what they do goes unnoticed!
• To you, the parents and families of our students, who continue to support and assist us each and every day.
• And finally to our students, who make us proud to be their teachers by what they do and say, not only when they are ‘on show’ but each and every day they are at school. I believe that we are truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderfully supportive school community.

Farewell to Families

We would like to wish all families who are leaving St Carthage’s all the very best for the future, wherever life may take you. Thank you for the contribution which each family has made to our school. Our best wishes and prayers go with you.

Farewell to Staff

We would like to take this opportunity to farewell some of our staff members who will not be returning in 2023. We would like to thank them for the great contributions which they have made to St Carthage’s school community. We trust that their new endeavours will be rewarding and successful and we wish them all the very best for the future. Goodbye and good luck to Mrs Innes, Mr Bailey, Mr Stormon, Mrs Marshall and Miss Pezzutti.

School Leaders 2023

We congratulations to our Year Six leaders for 2023.

School Captains:   Quinn Begley and Darcy de Weerdt

Vice Captains:   Ella Collings and Hugh Jeffery

Colour House Captains

Carthage: Gabby Krieg and Cooper Green

D'Arcy:  Kieran Nolan and Aramaya Priestley

Doyle:  Autumn Taylor and Tyler McLennan

Jerome:  Mya Weekes and Dylan O'Brien

Nagle: Chelsea Gosling and Jimi Bradfield

Thomas:  Caitlyn Marsters and Haydem Ellem

Classroom Teachers for 2023

Kindergarten:           

K Gold             Mrs Loretta Farmer

K Blue             Mr Benjamin Evans

K Red              Mrs Megan Yates

Year 1                        

1 Gold             Mrs Janelle Connelly & Mrs  Jenny Allen

1 Red              Mrs Tina Shea & Mrs Wendy Dardengo

1 Blue             Mrs Cathryn Bailey

Year 2                        

2 Gold             Miss Annabel Overell

2 Blue             Mrs Haley Rogusz

2 Red              Mrs Mia van der Walt

Year 3                        

3 Red              Mrs Winkler-Dunn & Mrs Bethany McDermott

3 Blue             Mrs Kerri-Anne Kane & Mrs Nicole Jones

3 Gold             Mr Mark Taylor & Mr David Morrissey

Year 4                        

4 Red              Mrs Louise Mayes

4 Blue             Mrs Donna Atlee

4 Gold             Mr Jason Dimmick

4 White           Mr Andrew Camilleri

Year 5                                    

5 Blue            Mrs Michelle Sudiro

5 Red             Mrs Toni McRae

5 Gold            Mrs Kristine Mumford

Year 6                                    

6 Blue            Mr Brendan Matthews

6 Red             Mrs Janette McFadden

6 Gold            Mr Brendan Tickle

6 White          Mrs Toni Lynch   

Intervention:

Mrs Tracey Llewellyn,   Mrs Christine Biersteker and Mrs Kathy Taylor