As the new school year commences I wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone. In particular I welcome our new students and their families. Even though we have all been surrounded by disruption and uncertainty, the school year has started very smoothly. Children are happy to be at school and from my observations, they are already engaged with their learning and enjoying each day. The Nazareth staff have planned extensively during January which has ensured the delivery of quality learning and teaching from day 1.

During recent class visits I have spoken with all children about the importance of being respectful and the importance of focusing on learning. From these two focal points everything else flows. Respect for oneself and respect of others is central to our Catholic faith and aligns closely with our Gospel values. These values underpin our daily actions and interactions with others. As Principal of Nazareth I have very high expectations for every child at the school in relation to being respectful at all times. As I have explained to the children, if you are respectful then you will also be responsible and will be well placed to focus on learning.

The first event of the year, the school’s Swimming Carnival is scheduled to take place next Thursday Feb 17 at Warilla Pool. The event is for competitors only and due to our current COVID smart/safe guidelines unfortunately no spectators. Please refer to other details associated with the carnival within this newsletter.

The first of the school’s Parents and Friends Association Meetings will be held on Monday Feb 28 at 6pm. This meeting will be the AGM and I extend an invitation to all parents/carers to attend. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom and a link will be forwarded to all parents/carers closer to the date.

Please be assured that all COVID smart/safe measures will continue to be implemented across the school so as to lower risk for all members of the school community. I acknowledge and thank all parents/carers for your cooperation in keeping children at home if they are unwell. A second allocation of Rapid Antigen Test kits is now available and they can be picked up from the school office. Additional information from NSW Health which may be of help to families is included with this newsletter.

I look forward to supporting all families across the school throughout the year. In particular, I will be very interested to track and monitor the learning progress of each child.

Take care
Peter Dempsey
Principal