A group of 20 Senior School students will be journeying to China later this year where they plan to work on community projects. To fund their building work they are holding a series of fundraising activities in the School. The first of these, this year, was a Valentine's Day cake stall. Chocolate cake, pink icing and shortbread hearts raised $585. Thank you!

News: From the Head's Desk

Published: 20/11/2009

DesignTech Nominations

Congratulations to Year 12 2009 students, Aryetta Pazpinis and Elle Williams on their nominations for DesignTech, the HSC Exhibition of outstanding Major Design Projects in HSC Design and Technology. It is good to see their work and that of their teachers being recognised.

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Li e a Life That Matters -Community Support

Recently I was contacted by Legacy to advise that our girls had raised over $3000 for them this year. When I looked at the 2009 accounts for Good Causes, it is clear that our girls and their teachers do an amazing amount of work for charity and it is an important part of a St Catherine’s education. In addition to the established House charities, the girls in the Senior School choose their Tutor Group’s charity focus each year and in the Junior School a charity is chosen and targets set by the girls.

In 2010, the beneficiaries from the Senior School Tutor Groups have been diverse, including amongst others, The Cure for Life Foundation, TEAR Australia, the Smile Foundation, the Starlight Foundation, Compassion Australia, Oxfam Australia, Red Kite, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Children’s Medical Research, Jeans for Genes, Fields of Life, Youth Off the Streets, the Children’s Hospital, Bread of Life and the Forty Hour Famine. Several Tutor Groups have a long standing commitment such as the East Bali Poverty Project and at least one Tutor Group sponsors a child, as do the Boarders. However, in the Good Causes Programme there is always room for response to a crisis and this year almost $3000 was raised across the School for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Altogether, with the Junior School’s Green Gecko Project, our assistance with Legacy, the Salvation Army Door Knock Appeal, our sponsored children and staff charities, St Catherine’s had raised over $35 000 for charity by the end of September 2009. This doesn’t include direct donations such as Christmas Hampers and Junior School Thanksgiving. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved.

'You have a beautiful School..'

Last week your new Headmistress for 2010, Dr Julie Townsend, spent three days at St Catherine’s meeting students, staff and parents. It has been a pleasure to organise her transition events. Five girls from the Senior School SRC and one Junior School girl had afternoon tea with Dr Townsend on Wednesday, and she had dinner with the Prefects on Monday. Chapels, Assemblies, Peer Support training, a dinner with parents, meetings, briefings, morning tea with staff throughout the School and then a tour of the Art Show made for a very busy week. Dr Townsend sent me a text message on Friday night and I’m sure she won’t mind me sharing it with you. ‘Thank you so much for the past three days. It was a true joy meeting so many girls, parents and staff. You have a beautiful school…’

I know that she is looking forward to being at St Catherine’s in 2010, and that you will make her very welcome.

Lynne Stone

Headmistress