Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students, 

Welcome back to school. It is always such a blessing to be surrounded by such welcoming and happy, smiling faces on returning to a new year at school. We understand that for some families and staff the holiday break was not a relaxing time due the on-going challenges we face with the Covid-19 pandemic. As a school community our strong commitment is to ensure ​​the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students are paramount at all times. We will continue to work with the Diocese of Wollongong and be guided by the advice of NSW Health to implement our Covid safe measures. I would like to extend my gratitude for the support provided by our parent community in collecting the Rapid Antigen Tests. The strategies we put in place were seamless and effective in allowing for the tests to be distributed in a safe and timely manner. Whilst we acknowledge that there will be challenges in the weeks ahead, I am confident that the professionalism of our staff and the support of the wider school community will allow for us to continue to work together for the benefit of the children and young people who we are privileged to have been placed in our care.

Our focus during the first days of school has been to revisit our expectations of being Respectful … Respectful to Ourselves, Respectful to Others, Respectful to Property and Respectful to our Learning. As a school we have focused on understanding what the word respectful looks like, sounds like and feels like. Our patron saint, St Anthony of Padua wrote, “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.” For our whole school community the sense of action for the benefit of others will certainly be a whole school focus in 2022.

A very special welcome to all those who have selected St Anthony’s Catholic Parish Primary School for their child’s education commencing this year. We are glad to have you join our school and Parish family. I would like to warmly welcome the following new staff members to our school community, Mr Andrew Birkett and Mrs Lisa Molluso, who join our teaching community along with welcome back to Miss Pam Di Domizio. Please know that your presence amongst us adds to the richness of our community. 

For me St Anthony’s is about building on the sense of community. A key aspect of our school is to work in partnership to ensure that the children are at the very heart of all that we do and that they continue to learn in a safe and supportive environment. To have opportunities to explore their faith and learn about themselves while interacting positively with their peers. As we begin the new year let us pray:

Prayer For the New School Year

"God of wisdom 

Be with our children as they begin a new school year. 

Bless them and their teachers and staff. 

Give them the strength and grace as their bodies grow; 

wisdom and knowledge to their minds as they search for understanding; 

and peace in their hearts. 

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen."

Take Care

Justin Devlin

Principal