Dear Parents and Carers,

A warm welcome back to the final term of 2025. I hope you all had an opportunity to enjoy quality time with family and friends during the holiday break. Conversations with our students over the past week suggest the holidays were a wonderful balance of rest, family time, and reconnecting with friends. Our students have settled back into school routines with enthusiasm, and this term we look forward to continuing their learning journey as they strive for growth and improvement across all areas.

Our annual improvement plan goal for this year is “Through quality differentiation and feedback, students will be actively engaged and challenged, experiencing growth in learning”. To support this goal, this term teachers are participating in lesson studies, a collaborative professional learning process where teachers plan, observe, and reflect on lessons together. Lesson studies allow teachers to closely examine how students learn and respond during a lesson. By observing and reflecting as a team, teachers gain deeper insights into effective teaching strategies, student engagement, and ways to refine their practice. Ultimately, this leads to improved learning outcomes for all students. Teacher lesson observations and learning walks are a common practice at Nazareth and as teachers seek feedback on ways to improve their practice.  

Last Sunday was World Mission Sunday. World Mission Sunday is a day set aside for the Catholic Church throughout the world to publicly renew its commitment to the missionary movements. This World Mission Month, Pope Francis called us to be “missionaries of hope among all peoples”, and Pope Leo XIV echoes this call, inviting us to step out in faith, to walk with those on the margins and share the hope of Christ through acts of love. World Mission Month this year focuses on helping mothers in Zambia feed their children and build a brighter future. On Friday 31 October, we will host our annual Socktober fundraiser. Each class will make a sockball from recycled materials and a representative from each class will test it out against the goalie skills of Mr Edwards. Students are encouraged to come in casual clothes (mufti) on the day for a monetary donation. All funds raised will go towards helping mothers in Zambia.  

I’m pleased to share that the Mary Ward Building (Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2), along with the Under-croft (located beside the basketball court), received a much-needed refresh during the school holidays with a new coat of paint. This improvement was made possible through a successful application to the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong Maintenance Fund. 

We were also delighted to receive the new P&F funded picnic tables, which are a wonderful addition to our passive play area. These contributions greatly enhance our learning and play spaces and would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our P&F Committee.

The P & F Colour Run is scheduled for Friday 7 November. The Colour Run is a fun twist on the traditional fun run, where children are encouraged to wear a white T-shirt, old pants and old closed-in shoes, which will be covered in non-toxic colour powder by the time they reach the finish line. All students are encouraged to bring a towel and a change of clothes, particularly for those who need to catch a bus home afterward. The first Colour Run will begin at 1:00pm with Year 3. Further details will be shared via Compass early next week. The P & F are also seeking parent helpers to assist with the distribution of the colour powder. If you are available to help, please complete the following Google form: Nazareth P & F Colour Run - Parent Helpers.

Next Friday 31 October marks World Teachers Day, a special occasion to recognise the invaluable contributions teachers make to our students’ lives. We are incredibly fortunate at Nazareth to have such dedicated and passionate educators, to acknowledge and thank our teachers on this special day morning tea will be provided.

The process for student class placements for 2026 has commenced. At Nazareth, we consider a range of factors to create balanced classes, including the spiritual, academic, and emotional well-being of each child, as well as their social interactions. If you have any special considerations or concerns that the school should take into account, please submit them in writing via email to downesm01@dow.catholic.edu.au no later than Friday, November 14. Please note that this is not an opportunity to request specific teachers or friendship groups for your child. While all requests will be reviewed and discussed, final decisions on placements will be made after careful consultation with teachers. Requests submitted after November 14 will not be considered.

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation.

Mr Matt Downes 

(Principal)