Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students,

As we draw towards the end of the term and reflect on the year so far, a range of emotions will be brought to the surface. The first half of the year has presented us all with some challenging times. As a community we have faced both extreme weather conditions as well as the complexity of illness. This has certainly tested our resilience. 

In the midst of these continuous challenging moments, the strength and the resolve of the whole community continued to shine through. My personal feelings flow from a sense of gratitude and appreciation. I am deeply grateful to belong to the community of St Anthony’s. We are constantly reminded that, as Catholic Parish School, we are so blessed to be in partnership. The partnership between parish, home and school is an integral part of who we are and how we strive to be better. This positive partnership has never been more evident than over the past few months.

A wonderful example of this partnership has been our half yearly Parent/Teacher Interviews that have occurred in the last week of this term. Interviews have provided clarity to the progress of your child in the first half of the year with a view to setting areas for growth in the latter half of this year. It was so good to see and hear parents engaging in positive conversations with teachers. This sense of partnership was reinforced from an article I was reading entitled “Connecting Home and School - Children benefit tremendously when you help them bridge their two most important worlds.” It stated:

When parents and teachers work well together, everyone benefits. Parents and teachers can provide each other with unique insight and different perspectives about the same child, culminating in a more complete understanding of that child, her abilities, strengths, and challenges. The teacher will know much more about the curriculum and the school culture, while you know more about your child's personality, tendencies, and family life. A successful parent-teacher partnership also shows a child that an entire team of adults is on their side. 

I pray that the holiday break provides us with the opportunity to spend time as a family and enjoy the time to rest. Can I take this opportunity to humbly say thank you to the dedicated staff who give so much of their time in providing a learning environment centred on the needs of each and every individual student.

Take Care

Mr Justin Devlin

Principal