Principals Report
Dear Families, Caregivers and Students,
Welcome to term 4. In term 1 it felt like time stood still. Suddenly it is moving really fast and we find ourselves in the last term of the 2020 school year already. Over the holidays I was able to spend quality time with my family and finalise my Masters studies. The break also provided me time to reflect on the year so far. Within the hustle and bustle of daily life it is not always easy to recognise the transformation students undergo as they grow; the new skills they learn and the abilities they keep developing. It is only through stopping and reflecting that it becomes obvious. As I reflect I can clearly identify many moments of growth for each individual student in the school.
Over the holidays I also had the opportunity to share a cup of coffee with Nathan Hayes, the newly appointed first principal of St Francis of Assisi College. Nathan clearly expressed his excitement for leading this Catholic secondary pathway for all communities in the Riverland. On behalf of the Our Lady of the River school community I welcome Nathan and his family to the Riverland. I am sure there will be many opportunities for everyone to get to know Nathan in the near future.
This week I travelled to Port Pirie where together with the other principals, I celebrated Bishop Gregory O’Kelly’s time of service to the diocese. Each school within the diocese was asked to bring a local gift. I express my sincere gratitude to the Burnett, Centofanti and Howie families for their generous contributions to the Bishop’s gift from the Our Lady of the River school community.
In a couple of weeks Mrs Perre and I, together with the school captains, will travel to Port Pirie again, this time to participate in Bishop Karol’s installation and to bear witness to the start of a new era in our diocese.
Through the making Catholic Education more affordable initiative our school has been able to reduce school fees significantly for 2021. Breaking down our fee structure to a daily amount clearly shows how affordable our school is. Did you know that to send a child to our school it costs only $6 per day over the year, or $3.60 per day if you are a low income family? What can you buy these days for $6? I know my daily coffee from the Berri bake house already costs $5.90.
This term will move quickly and will be filled with many activities and events. Next week we will celebrate book week. The much anticipated day to dress up as a book character will be on Wednesday 21st October. I have my outfit ready! For more information on all the wonderful activities this book week please refer to a section in this newsletter. Sports Day will be on Friday 30th October. More information on this event will go out to families soon.
On odd occasions I hear assumptions or rumours about our school circulating in the community that are untrue. Although I can’t control what individuals say, I can control how I respond to it. I hope that I have taught you this year that my door is always open and that if you have questions or hear something in the community that concerns you, you are able to contact me. I am always very happy to clarify any questions you may have. Fortunately the flip side is that there are also many wonderful stories about our school floating in the community that I also hear about. These great stories make the incorrect rumours lose their power quickly.
All going well, I will provide an update on the structure of the school for 2021 soon.
Nanda de Winter