Newsletter 28th August 2025
Principal's Report
📚 Book Week at St Cuthbert’s
Last week, we celebrated Book Week — a joyful reminder of the power of stories to open hearts, minds, and imaginations. At St Cuthbert’s, we believe literacy is more than a skill — it’s a gift that fosters knowledge, empathy, and faith. Thank you to our families for nurturing a love of reading at home. Together, we are helping our children grow into compassionate, wise, and curious learners. Thank you to everyone for helping us celebrate “Book Week” in style!
Canberra 2025
Next week 25 of our Grade 6 students head to Canberra for their major excursion of the year. Being a veteran of several Canberra trips I know that our students will have an outstanding week, visiting the nation’s capital and consolidating and building upon months of learning in the class. They will visit the National Gallery, Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and Australian Institute of Sport to name just a few of the highlights on their itinerary.
The Canberra trip is also a time of great personal growth for our students. For some students it’s the first time that they have spent a substantial time away from home or flown interstate without their parents. We wish them all the very best and pray that they take advantage of every opportunity presented to them during their time away.
Building Update
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about upcoming developments at our school!
New Grade 1/2 Learning Unit
Construction of our brand new Grade 1/2 Unit is expected to begin early in Term 4. This is a significant step forward in supporting our growing student community. The new building will be located on the site currently occupied by Presentation House.
We’re also delighted to be working once again with award-winning architects Morrison and Breytenbach, the talented team behind our much-loved Early Years Centre. Their expertise and vision will ensure another exceptional learning space for our students.
Playground Development
In more good news, I will be attending a meeting next week to review tenders for our long-awaited playground upgrade. This project is a key priority and will provide our students with a safe, engaging, and inclusive outdoor space to enjoy.
We look forward to keeping you updated as both projects progress!
Religious Education
This week’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus often turned people’s expectations upside down. He challenged the idea of who is welcome in God’s Kingdom. It is not about how we look, how important we seem, or the outward signs of success. What matters most to Jesus is how we live our lives—showing genuine compassion, working for justice, and helping those in need.
As a school community, we are called to follow this example: to look beyond appearances and notice the needs of those around us. When we act with kindness, fairness, and love, we make God’s Kingdom visible here and now.
Faith at Home
This week’s Gospel reminds us that what matters most to Jesus is compassion, justice, and helping those in need. As a family you might like to:
- Talk Together: Share about a time when someone looked past appearances and showed you kindness. How did it feel?
- Pray Together: “Jesus, help us to see with your eyes and welcome everyone with love.”
Do Together: Choose one simple family action of kindness this week—such as baking for a neighbour, donating food to a charity, or inviting someone new to play.
Reflect Together: At bedtime, ask: “Where did we see God’s love today?”
Father’s Day and Whole School Lantern Award
Our students have been working really hard at school, and we have already filled our Lantern! We will be celebrating our great work with a whole school lantern reward at Simmons Park on Friday 5th September.
With Father’s Day approaching, what better way to celebrate our dads and male role models than by combining the two events!
Fathers and male role models are warmly invited to join us for a kick of the footy, parachute games, and more as we celebrate all things great about our dads and male role models. The afternoon will finish with a delicious sausage sizzle.
We look forward to sharing a memorable afternoon together with our school community! Please see details below.
Learning & Teaching
Lisa Ford - Navigating Friendships and Mean Behaviour
On Monday 18th August and Tuesday 19th August, Clinical Psychologist Lisa Ford worked with students from Grades 3–6 on the topic "Navigating Friendships and Mean Behaviour."
These sessions were incredibly valuable, providing students with practical strategies to use in their everyday lives.
On Tuesday evening, Lisa also presented to parents at a well-attended seminar. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the event.
We extend our sincere thanks to Lisa and the team at The Resilience Co. for their meaningful work with our school community.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank our Parents and Friends Council and the Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Committee (TCSPC) for their support. It was through the 2025 TCSPC Parent Engagement Grant that the school was able to access funding to make this opportunity possible for our community.
Book Week 2025
Book Week was a huge success, filled with colour, creativity, and a shared love of reading across our school community.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Angela Briant and David O’Byrne for their support. Through their Book Week Costume Library, students were able to borrow costumes and fully participate in the fun.
It’s a wonderful initiative that helped make Book Week more inclusive and accessible for all. We are so grateful for their generosity and community spirit!
Prep's to Marine Discovery Centre
Recently our Prep students had an exciting day exploring the wonders of marine life at the Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre.
Throughout the day, students rotated through a range of hands-on activities, including:
- Exploring the aquarium gallery
- Feeding sea creatures and investigating the touch tanks
- Creating their own mini aquariums
- Sorting sea creatures based on their external features
- Comparing sharks and dolphins using Venn diagrams
- Investigating which sea creatures are the fastest and slowest
A highlight of the day was deploying a baited underwater camera and later viewing the fascinating footage as a whole group. The students were captivated by the marine animals they discovered beneath the surface including a draughtboard shark.
A huge thank you to Andrew for guiding our curious learners through such a rich and engaging experience.
Grade 3/4 Excursion to Molesworth
The Grade 3/4 classes recently went on excursion to the Environment Education Centre at Molesworth to coincide with the classes Science unit - Biological Sciences (Living Things).
Medication Update
The importance of adhering to school's regulations when providing student medication to be administered by our staff members is extremely important. The utmost priority must always be given to safety. Please take a moment to carefully read the following procedures and guidelines. Your cooperation in this matter is essential to maintaining a secure and healthy environment for all students. Thank you.
Catholic Education Tasmania
Art News
What a busy time we have had in the Art room. Our 3/4 classes have been learning some Macrame skills and created these amazing Mobile’s from recycled wool and newspaper.
3/4 Art
Our Prep classes created amazing Textile Wooly Sheep which have certainly brightened up the Art room and I will be sorry to see them go.
Prep Art
P&F News
The P&F hope everyone had a blast — and a boogie — at the Silent Disco! A huge thank you to the wonderful Jayne for coordinating the event, to all our volunteers for donating their time, to the teachers and staff for their support, the OSHC leaders for clearing the room for us, and to our nearby residents for their patience with the extra traffic and parking.
If you missed our Facebook post, QKR! is now open for Father’s Day gifts at a cost of $7. We are honoured to help make this day special for the important people in our children's lives. If you’d like to lend a hand at the stall on Wednesday 3rd September, please reach out to any of the P&F team through the office or online, WWVP card required.
Planning is already underway for our Footy Grand Final Day Breakfast on Friday, 26th September. If you’d like to volunteer, keep an eye on the family page for the call-out. We are also on the lookout for someone to take over coordinating this much-loved annual event — please reach out if you’re interested or have any questions. WWVP required for this event also.
Finally, we don’t have a date locked in for our next meeting just yet, so stay tuned — we will share details soon!
Sporting News
Schools Triathlon Challenge
On Friday 28th of November the Primary School Triathlon is taking place at Bellerive beach. This event is open to students from Grade 3 - Grade 6. This is an optional activity for students to participate in. Students can chose to participate as an individual and/or part of a team. Information regarding the Triathlon is available on the Compass App under resources. An entry form needs to be completed if entering (sent out via Compass). The entry fee is $25 per student.
Finance News
Dear Parents & Guardians
Please find the 2025 Schedule of Fees attached, along with a Payment Arrangement Form, Direct Debit and a Credit Card Authority Form.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any queries.
2025_Payment_Arrangements_Form_2_.pdf
2025_CDF_Direct_Debit_Request_Form_1_.pdf
COMPASSPAY
It is possible to view your account balance as well as pay your school fees and some Compass Events, via the Compass Parent App.
Please see the infographics attached which show how to navigate to School Fee payments in your Compass App.
MONTHLY STATEMENTS
Accounts with a balance, or with any movement since the last statement was sent, will receive a statement via email the first week of each month, to the email address registered in Compass for each parent/guardian on the school fee account.
FEE ASSISTANCE
Please remember we have fee assistance and concession card discounts available to anyone in our school community who may need to make use of these. While it may be a difficult conversation, we are here to help. Forms can be sent home on request or contact me for a confidential discussion.
QKR
The QKR App will continue to be an option for payments for Camps, Special Events and P&F Fundraising.
Please get in touch if you have any queries.
Kind regards
Karen Sawyer
Business Manager
Uniform Shop
Uniform Shop Hours - During term time
Tuesday 11am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8am to 1pm
Thursday 12noon - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 12noon
Permapleat Hobart Retail Outlet
43 Currajong St, Mornington, TAS 7018
Phone: (03) 6240 4420
Email: Hobart.Retail@Permapleat.com.au
2025 School Calendar
Business Directory
We would like to continue to offer school families the opportunity to publicise their business in the 'St Cuthbert's Community Business Directory'.
Our goal is to promote and support members of our school community, with the hope that St Cuthbert's School families may choose to support other St Cuthbert's School families when doing business.
If you would like to add your business to our directory, or update details previously provided, please contact the school office.
_St_Cuthbert_s_Business_Community_Directory_Responses_Form_responses_1_3_.pdf
Parish News
Please see the link below to keep up to date on the latest Parish information.
Community News
STATSI 2026 Teacher Cadet Expressions of Interest Now Open We’re excited to announce that, the highly regarded STATSI Teacher Cadet program is now accepting Expressions of Interest for the 2026 intake. Developed through the partnership between Catholic Education Tasmania (CET) and the St Thomas Aquinas Teaching Schools Institute (STATSI), the cadetship program offers a rich, immersive pathway into the teaching profession tailored for those who are passionate about Catholic education and committed to making a difference in students’ lives. This competitive program supports undergraduate and postgraduate students studying a Bachelor of Education or Master of Teaching. Successful applicants benefit from a structured and supported entry into teaching, blending formal study with practical, in-school experience. Cadets receive: Paid classroom placements with experienced teacher mentors Weekly tuition and ongoing faith formation A $2,500 annual scholarship A laptop and essential teaching resources Flexibility to study online while gaining hands-on experience The potential for continued employment as a teacher after graduation STATSI is more than just a cadetship; it’s a launching pad for the next generation of Catholic educators in Tasmania. By integrating academic study with real-world learning, the program helps develop well-rounded, confident, and mission-aligned teachers. Opportunities are limited and entry is competitive. If you know someone who might be a good fit, we encourage you to share this opportunity with them. 👉 Expressions of Interest are open now via the CET website: https://catholic.tas.edu.au/teaching-schools Let’s continue to support and grow our future teachers - rooted in faith, and ready to inspire.
Dear Nature Lovers, Join us this Spring for our Nature Holiday Program, trusted by Hobart families since 2018! Children will have the chance to connect with nature, learn fire-by-friction skills, and explore the outdoors in a fun and hands-on way. It’s a great opportunity for them to build confidence, creativity, and resilience while making new friends. Please see the flyer below with all the details.
Revolving Doors Performance
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