From the Principal
A warm welcome back to another school year. We have many new students who have begun this year and I ask you to please make these families welcome. Feel free to introduce yourself to them and answer questions they have about the school. Our enrolments now are 311 students with office staff still fielding calls about enrolment enquiries for the current year!
P&F FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE
The P&F fundraising committee met last Thursday. Only a small group of parents were present however I encourage all families to reach out with offers to help organise and run the numerous fundraisers that the P&F committee organise each term. Last year the P&F helped to raise funds that fixed the fence on Princes Ave, bought a new BBQ and provided new laptops for the classrooms. With help & accumulated savings from the School Community Council we installed new softfall under the junior equipment (which cost nearly $60,000). We are looking forward to a great 2024 & raising funds to help improve our school. P&F meetings are open to ANY AND ALL parents, and meetings are held once per term, usually in the first two or three weeks. You are welcome to simply 'show up', or alternatively register your interest by emailing office.sppg@cg.catholic.edu.au.
Often people ask why, when we pay school fees, are we still raising money for the school. School fees make up for a shortfall of funding; we only receive funding for about 75-80% of what it costs to run a school. Your family fees make up the shortfall which keeps us running on a day to day basis. Fundraising helps us buy some extra resources for our students and helps at times with areas of maintenance we need. I am very grateful for the enthusiasm and hard work of parents who give lots of time and energy to support our school. Your work also demonstrates to your children the high priority you place on their schooling.
DISCO & WORKING BEE
Our first P&F fundraiser will be an ever-popular school disco on Friday 8 March. Doors for the disco will open at 5pm & music will begin at 5.30. The theme is BEACH PARTY!
The working bee will also happen on this day and will begin from 5.30pm. Jobs to tackle will be:
- cleaning the fence line around the school
- cleaning out gutters
- cleaning up the car park area
- putting fresh sand in sand pit
- cutting back the shrubs outside the library
- cutting back the hedge behind 5/6 classrooms
- tidying up the garden outside the music room and chapel
If you are able to help it would be greatly appreciated! Please bring any tools or equipment you are willing to use (such as rakes, hedge trimmers, whipper-snippers, even trailers and ladders). If you cannot make it to the working bee but are happy to come on your own or in group to do an item another day please let me know.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR
As advised in our previous newsletter, our school counsellor from last year Maddi had her baby boy on Christmas Eve and as such she is currently on maternity leave. We are waiting on her replacement and will advise families when someone is appointed. In the meantime if your child requires counselling services please complete the online referral form so that your needs are registered.
CURRICULUM HAPPENINGS
We will use the newsletter over the next few editions to tell people a little more about the curriculum your child studies at school. The K- 6 Curriculum is set by NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) and to be registered as a school we are bound to follow this curriculum.
Kathy Neely (Principal)