Dear Parents and Carers

On Tuesday, we celebrated the Solemnity of Australia's beloved first saint, St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Mary MacKillop was born in 1842 in Melbourne, she dedicated her life to education and caring for the poor and underprivileged. She faced numerous challenges in her pursuit of providing quality education to children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.  

Mary MacKillop's legacy continues to inspire people around the world to follow her example of compassion, dedication, and service to others, making a lasting impact on education and social welfare in Australia and beyond. As we reflect on her journey from humble beginnings to becoming Australia's first saint, let us be inspired by her unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the world. May her teachings continue to guide us in our mission to create a more compassionate and just society.

As Principal of St Francis of Assisi Warrawong, I continue to be proud of our school as a welcoming community that strives to empower all learners to reach their full potential. This does not occur in isolation. Our role is to work in partnership with parents to provide an environment that encourages students to connect with each other and their community so that they can succeed and thrive. Parents, teachers and the community all play a role in fostering this environment.

"When parents and schools work together to build a culture of shared leadership and responsibility for student learning and well-being, children do better, and schools get better."

Cyclic Inquiry
Over the past two weeks, the school has been involved in a School Cyclic Inquiry. A School Cyclic Inquiry is a highly collaborative, school-led inquiry and review process that occurs every four years. The purpose of the inquiry was to celebrate and reflect on the past four years and to identify and plan strategically for improvement over the next four years. Thank you to our leadership team, staff, Father Damien, Sr Anna, students and parents for contributing to this inquiry through your conversations and surveys. We look forward to developing our School Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which will be shared with our school community in the coming months. 

Year 5 and 6 Overnight Excursion to Taronga Zoo
I had the pleasure of joining our Year 5 and 6 students last Thursday night at their overnight excursion to Taronga Zoo. To our students, thank you for your enthusiasm, positive attitude, and willingness to embrace every aspect of the excursion. We also extend our appreciation to the parents and carers for your support and collaboration in the lead-up to the excursion. The partnership between school and home is an essential component of our educational approach, and we were grateful to experience that during the excursion. Lastly, a special thanks to our teachers. As we have mentioned before, these events don't just happen; there is a great deal of planning and preparation that goes into these days. Thank you for your commitment and for giving up your family time to be with our students. You all created a safe, engaging, and enjoyable experience that created memories that will last a lifetime. 

Mrs Vicky Davidson
PRINCIPAL