The unfavourable weather didn’t dampen spirits yesterday when students gathered for our annual Arts Day. Students arrived dressed in House themes, ready to take part in art activities, watch the House competitions and enjoy live bands, all while indulging in a variety of food trucks that added to the vibrant atmosphere. Highlights of the day included the dance competition, costume parade and House singing. Congratulations to Padua, the overall winner of the House competition! Siena followed in second place, Clairvaux secured third place and Loyola came fourth.
Earlier this week the Victorian Government and the Australian Education Union reached a new agreement-in-principle to increase pay by at least 28.3 per cent in government schools. In our Catholic system, teachers and support staff make an extraordinary contribution to the success of our students and school communities. Negotiations are also underway for a new enterprise agreement to recognise this work through improved wages and conditions.
The Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) has been negotiating for a new cooperative agreement on behalf of 34 Catholic education employers, including our school, since early 2025. While negotiations are ongoing, Catholic schools have committed to matching the total percentage wage increases provided by the state government in government schools. While these changes will be government-funded in state schools, Catholic schools will not receive additional funding to cover the extra costs. These expenses will need to be absorbed through our standard budget and planning processes – a significant change that will take time to manage.
We are currently planning and budgeting for 2027 to ensure we remain well-placed to support our staff, students and school community. Throughout this process, our focus remains on delivering a high-quality Catholic education for every student. We are fortunate to have an outstanding team, and we deeply value the expertise, hard work and care they bring to our school every day. We will provide further updates as negotiations progress.
You will have received the Student Progress Check on Monday 17 August. This report provides a snapshot of your daughter’s progress, focusing on study habits that support effective learning. Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on Monday 24 August, between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. If a teacher has requested a meeting, I strongly encourage you to book a seven-minute appointment – either onsite or via Google Meet – using the instructions emailed to families. To prepare for these conversations, you can review work in Canvas/Assignments, our continuous reporting platform, to view assessment results, teacher feedback and final grades.
As flagged last week, please note that tomorrow, Friday 21 August, is a student-free day.
