The final week of Term 3 has arrived. The term seems to have flown by and we have only three months until Christmas. Term 4 is sometimes seen as a wasted term but for Year 11 it most certainly is not, as they commence their Year 12 HSC studies. HSC examinations are held and for the other years, it is a drawing together of all that has been learnt and some final new topics to cover in preparation for the move up a grade the following year.

There has been much in the news lately about wage and salary rises and the education profession is not immune from this. Public service teachers are in for a big raise and this always flows on to those in the Catholic and Independent sector. While we do not currently match the public service exactly, we recognise the need to pay staff fairly and to take account of the recent surge in inflation which has impacted us all.

The increases for our staff who are paid under the Christian Schools Australia award are not yet finalised and this makes budgeting for 2024 difficult. We will be raising fees more than we have done for some years now but are working hard to keep it at a minimum. Sadly, Government funding of independent schools seldom keeps pace with inflationary rises. Most of our funding comes from the Federal Government with State Governments responsible for funding public schools. Take with a grain of salt much of what you read or hear in the media about independent schools getting so much more money than public schools. Few State Governments keep their commitment to the level of funding they say they will for public schools. Your fees fill the gap we have between what we get from the Governments and what it costs to run a school. Early next term we will inform you of the fees for 2024.

Thanks again to the twenty parents who submitted expressions of interest for a place on the Principal Advisory Group. I have selected this inaugural group with the help of our Deputy Principal, Mrs Jane McLarty and the Heads of School, Mrs Nicole Smith (Primary)and Mr Steve Lobsey (Secondary). The successful applicants are:

Diane Cannone, Sarah El-Moselhi, Shaun Gibb, Kelly Gillen, Andy Macken, Jennifer Rangiawha, Ben Ricardo, Marie-Jean Richmond, Phil Thaux, Simon Thomas, Irene Wardle, Kirsty Young.

To those who missed out this time, do not despair as we will seek to bring new people in each year. The first meeting is being planned for early Term 4 and a record of each meeting will be made available to all parents.

I trust you get an opportunity to have a few days with your children this term break and look forward to communicating with you all again in October.

Phillip Nash