Executive Director's welcome Term 4

As we hurtle towards the end of another busy year, Term 4 looms large with the plethoria of events which take place at this time of the year. As spring is being very hesitant about it's arrival, school sports days and camps are taking place at many schools, (in between the rain) and we are enjoying seeing all the photos across your school FB pages.

As with many in the education space, we are busy in the office finishing off some of the projects which need to be completed by the end of the year, while at the same starting to prepare for the beginning of 2022 - talk about wishing your life away!

Term 3 was jam-packed with lots of events and we were fortunate to have been invited to functions such at the 'Spirit of the Arts' concert held at the RAC Arena and which showcased the many talented children and young people who attend our schools, at the culmination of the Catholic Arts Festival. We were also delighted to be invited to the CEWA Staff Breakfast which not only pays tribute to the commitment that many staff make to Catholic schools over many years, but also acknowledges the fantastic initiatives happening in Catholic schools through the Quality Catholic Education Awards. As one of the judges for these awards I was totally blown away by the calibre of the nominations and it was a truly difficult job to decide on the winners. You will find more about the awards further down in the newsletter, and we congratulate not just the winners but all those who submitted entries.

Catholic School Parents WA has already flagged with some schools that there will be updates to the resources we provide for P&Fs in the new year including a new draft  'Terms of Reference' for P&F's, which will eventually take the place of constitutions which are currently used. The importance of good governance cannot be overstated and good guidelines not only protect those volunteers who put their hands up to take on leadership positions within P&Fs but also clarify for all what the aims and objectives of the P&F are. For many schools the changes will be minimal and for others a little more so. We hope to be able to provide more information about the proposed updates at the CSPWA Induction Evening which is scheduled for Thursday 17th February 2022. You will receive information about this through your school in the next couple of weeks and we urge you to nominate a parent or two from your school to attend. This evening is particularly useful for those of you who are stepping up into leadership roles in your P&F and who may be a little unsure of what this entails. Although there is no cost to attend, we do need you to register to assist with the catering for the event. For more information, please contact Rose Fogarty - Liaison Officer at rose@csp.wa.edu.au 

As always at this time of year, our thoughts turn to transition. Whether you have a child commencing school next year, one moving from Primary to Secondary or moving from school to the next phase of life, the transition process is an important one to recognise and will be a lot smoother when parents and schools work together. Most schools put significant time and effort into transition so it is important that as parents, we are aware of what is happening. Working through it together with your child or young person will help to manage any anxiety that they may be feeling and will help to make the process an exciting and hopeful one. Catholic School Parents Australia the national parent body with whom Catholic School Parents WA are affiliated have developed a fantastic suite of resources for both parents and schools to use in managing transition- you will find it here -

Finally the State Government has today announced a Mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy for workforces. Please take the time to read this inportant information which you will find further down in this newsletter.

I hope that you enjoy the rest of Term 4 and that by the time we get to our last newsletter for the year that Spring will have finally arrived!

Till then - God Bless!