As always our school has been full of colour and movement with girls keenly taking on the opportunities and challenges that they are presented with. There are many events and activities that I have enjoyed recently such as: attending the church service yesterday at St Andrew’s Cathedral to celebrate Anglican education at which Mrs Stone was acknowledged for her outstanding leadership as Headmistress at St Catherine’s; participating with some Year 9 students in the Waverley College Social Justice workshop on ‘Blood diamonds’; speaking at Friday Friends about Science and the link to character strengths; attending the Literary Luncheon; meeting with Years 4 & 5 parents and providing them with a window into the Senior School; co-leading our wonderful Cath’s Connections group with Mrs Johnstone; attending the Think Tank Enrichment group led by Alicia Miers, our Enrichment Prefect, and leading a Senior School student mentoring group utilising a coaching model.

I have particularly relished the opportunity to meet with Mr Adam Ordish from the Mitrataa Foundation and Mr Keith Hartman and student representatives Emily Lipschitz and Meydene Ong to draft ideas for our proposed Service Learning Tour. In 2010 we are aiming to take a group of Years 9, 10 and 11 girls to Nepal to undertake a Service Learning project that will enable us to make a significant impact to current activities in the Dream Centres, developed by the Mitrataa Foundation. The St Catherine’s girls will tutor the Nepalese girls and work alongside them to help broaden their learning skills and goals for the future. At this stage all interested girls from the current Years 8, 9 and 10 have had an opportunity to attend a meeting about the plans and submit an application form that will lead into interviews early next term. These steps are designed to enable girls to think deeply about the trip and what they aim to give and gain from it.