Dear Parents and Carers,

How lovely to be back at St Bede's although for my last term! What a lovely warm welcome back I received from staff, parents and the beautiful children! This term promises to be a busy one but all the school events are in the newsletter for your convenience. The children have settled back into their learning and are excited to enjoy their final term in their current classes. We are in the process of finalising classes and teachers for 2026. We will return to seven single stream classes next year.

During our recent pupil-free day, staff participated in a spirituality day on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” We embarked on a pilgrimage through Braidwood and are deeply grateful to Mrs Mandy O’Brien for generously sharing her time and wisdom about her family’s local connections. It was also a lovely opportunity for me to share reflections from my own recent pilgrimage along the Camino Francés and visits to holy sites in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. It was truly a beautiful day of prayer and reflection. A heartfelt thank you to Bridget Bradley, Shaye Cooper, and Hayley Millsom for the many hours of preparation that made the day such a success.

So much has happened at St Bede’s during my leave last term. The children have made tremendous progress in their learning and have grown so much! The sensory garden looks fantastic and is already being enjoyed by many, and the new play equipment has been installed — it looks amazing! There’s still a little work to be completed before it’s ready for use, but all going to plan it should be ready for use during week 4. We extend our sincere thanks to Kristi and Tim Morrison for the countless hours they have devoted, especially during the holidays and last weekend, to bring this project to life.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Amy Doszpot for her outstanding leadership of St Bede’s in my absence, and to congratulate her on her appointment as Principal from next year. Exciting times lie ahead for our community — and how fortunate we are that everyone already knows Amy so well!

A special thank you also goes to Shaye Cooper for Acting as Assistant Principal, and to Bridget Bradley and Hayley Millsom for sharing the REC role. They each did an incredible job supporting Amy and the school during this time.

Best of luck to all our students participating in the Boorowa Carnival on Friday! Thank you to Mrs Tooth for her organisation and supervision on the day, with the support of Ms Laurel Clark. We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful day of sport and community spirit.

Finally, a reminder that our last Community Council meeting for the year will be held on Thursday, November 13. Before the formal meeting at 6:30pm, we invite all parents to join us in the sensory garden at 5:30pm for an Open Community Council session. This is a great opportunity to chat with Council members about their roles and responsibilities. Light refreshments will be provided. We also have a few positions available for next year and warmly welcome new members to get involved.