Dear Parents and Carers, 

Thank you to everyone who attended the P & F Return to School BBQ last Wednesday. It was a beautiful afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and connecting with the Nazareth families. A special thank you must go to the P & F executive for organising and running this wonderful, community building event. 

As we continue the season of Lent, we are invited to consider the ways in which we prepare for the greatest time of the Church year - Easter. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and for doing so with quiet humility. It is a time for us to practice good habits and to become more Christ-like in our interactions with others and with our world. All students at Nazareth are learning about Lent in their Religious Education lessons. I invite you to engage in conversations with your child/ren so that they can share their knowledge with you, and to share time in prayer with your child during Lent, perhaps via attendance at one of the weekend masses.

We are currently accepting applications for Kindergarten 2025. If you know of a family with a prospective Kindergarten enrolment, please encourage them to enrol now via the link below. School tours for prospective new families will be held next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The school tours are targeted towards those interested in enrolling their child in Kindergarten 2025. For more information, please view the flyer attached below.

This week’s historical focus is on the naming of the Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 building as the Mary Ward Building. Mary Ward was born in 1585, enlightenment came to her in 1611 and she heard the words: ‘Take the same of the Society’, by which she understood the ‘Society of Jesus’ founded by St Ignatius of Loyola. The rest of her life was spent in developing a congregation of religious women on the Ignatian model. For many years Mary worked in disguise to preserve the Catholic Faith in England before founding a community of active sisters in France. She and her companions educated young women, helped persecuted and imprisoned Catholics, and spread the word of God in places priests could not go. At Nazareth we also embrace the spiritual tradition of St Ignatius.

During Week 10 and 11, Tuesday 2 April to Friday 12 April, Learning Conversations (previously known as parent teacher interviews) will take place for all students in Years 1 to 6. Both parents and teachers play an essential role in educating a child. When teachers and parents work together, students are more likely to succeed and have a positive school experience. Children in Years 3 to 6 are strongly encouraged to attend the Learning Conversation and be active participants in sharing their learning goals and achievements. Bookings for Learning Conversations will be made available to parents at the beginning of Week 8. 

I wish you all a wonderful week. 

Mr Matt Downes 

(Acting Principal)