On Monday we held our annual Staff Retreat. It is mandatory for all schools in the Bathurst Diocese to facilitate a retreat day for staff each year. This is to ensure that we regularly take time to reflect on the meaning, purpose and importance of the work we do as Catholic educators. This year our retreat was beautifully led by Fr Paul Devitt who will be our new Parish Priest from July onwards. It was a wonderful opportunity for all our staff to connect with Fr Paul and for him to get to know a little more about our community.

As a Catholic School, we are tasked with teaching the message of love proclaimed by Jesus Christ and with striving to build a community that makes the world a better place for all. It is my sense that this mission is more important than ever. 

As we have been mentioning throughout the year, Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a Jubilee Year of Hope. With the prevailing sense of hopelessness that exists among so many, the world desperately needs people who are striving every day to restore hope. In our work with young people, we have such a crucial role to play in being living examples of what it looks like to be people of hope. This challenge was the focus of reflection throughout our staff retreat this week. 

Whilst learning and teaching are at the core of everything we do, our staff are also called to develop the qualities of hope, compassion, kindness and joy in our students. If we are to have any capacity to take on this important work, it is essential that our staff have time and space to consider their own vocation in Catholic education and how it can impact on the lives of the young people in our care. Therefore, I say thankyou - we are always grateful to you as families for supporting our staff to access this important formation opportunity each year. I am confident that it helps all of us to be reminded of what is at the heart of the work we do.

God bless

Angela Myles | Executive Principal