Category: Schools

As indicated in our newsletter of 12.09.2010, the new fence is now being installed.  The gates will be open from 8.30am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 3.30pm.  All entry is through the school office for the safety of our children and the security of our property.  The entry for morning Mass will be the gate in front of the Presbytery.

We come today with grateful hearts to farewell Lucy for being our principal for these last eight years.  Hers has been an enormous contribution to St Anne’s School and to our parish in general.  Her commitment to our children and parishioners has been outstanding.  She has been present at every important parish event during her time here.
The internal improvements of our school, the learning and teaching and the development of staff has been revealed by the external reviewer of the school, by parents and by teachers.
The external improvements are obvious to all:  refurbished junior school, the oval, the new car park and the latest buildings opened this month.
Lucy’s contribution to Catholic education in the broader arena is shown by her twelve years of service on the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria whose members include the Victorian bishops and directors of Catholic Education offices.
We wish her a well-earned rest after thirty years of principalship, a most demanding vocation.Lucy, may your future be blessed in many ways especially with good health, love and peace.

Fr Kevin

Painting has been completed on the top storey of the new building and light fittings will be installed this week.

On 24 February 2009, Lucy Jackanic and I decided to accept a $3 million grant which the Federal Government under Kevin Rudd offered to all Australian primary schools. This was a marvellous opportunity for us as being in Sunbury where the Socio-Economic Status (S.E.S.) is 104.5, we never receive government grants for school buildings—only areas of less than 96 S.E.S. receive grants. On 26 March we had our first meeting with the architect Gerard Smith, who had done much work earlier at St Anne’s.
On 8 September, formal site meetings began and were conducted every fortnight including school holidays until 31 August 2010 often lasting 90 minutes. Shane Crawford, Deputy Principal, also kept a keen eye on this project and attended the site meetings and numerous spontaneous meetings with the workers.
Occasionally, as in all building projects, there were some thorny issues. While we were negotiating with one of Australia’s largest building companies, Lucy and I had between us fifty-five years of experience in building schools. The outcome was the project came in on 99.9% on budget.
Last Tuesday the opening was a joyous event as guests and parents were amazed at the extent and quality of the classrooms, computer rooms, shared spaces, student wellbeing rooms, and the multi-purpose facility.
This Building the Education Revolution (B.E.R.) project is Lucy’s fifth and largest project during her eight years with us—previous projects are Junior School refurbishment, twin classroom project, a new all-weather oval and the sealed carpark. Next Monday construction begins on a new netball court.

Fr Kevin

Progress has been very steady as work continues six days a week. Carpet will be laid in the new classrooms this week.

The Blessing and Opening of the new classrooms will take place on 9 November at 10.00am. Fr Kevin will bless the new facilities and Maria Vamvakinou M.H.R. for Calwell will open the building.

During this term the children will be focusing on the 150th anniversary of our school and how school and lifestyles have changed. There are some parents and grandparents in the parish who are past pupils or teachers so I was wondering if any of you could share some old photos, memorabilia, be a guest speaker, be interviewed, or write some memories of what school was like when you were here, to share with the children. Please let me know if you can help. You can contact me at wallace@olmcsunbury.catholic.edu au or 9740 7344 at school.

…Christine Wallace, Learning & Teaching Coordinator, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School.

The Board has been re-constituted with the two School Advisory Committees. Parents have elected representatives on these committees. The inaugural meeting will commence on 19 October with Mass of the Holy Spirit at O.L.M.C. Church at 7.00pm followed by the meeting in the Parish Centre.

The Oswald Centre will be blessed by the Salesian Provincial, Fr. Moloney next Sunday at 3.00pm.

At O.L.M.C. School, the external cladding is finished and the ground floor rooms have been plastered. The top floor will be plastered this week. Last week 25 workers were on site some days.

Next Friday, a new and larger supply of electricity will be cabled under Macedon Street to provide for the increasing needs of our school which will pay $20,000 for this work, as this cost is outside the B.E.R. Federal Grant.
Meanwhile the windows have been installed, brickwork is nearly finished and plastering will commence this week.

Last week our children moved into the six new classrooms, common areas, computer laboratories. Staff are using the new facilities for planning and student wellbeing. The grant given was $3,000,000. The cost of the building was $3,001,780. Hence the project came in at 99.9% on budget thanks to the close supervision of our Principal Lucy Jackanic and Deputy Principal Shane Crawford who, with myself, attended site meetings every fortnight since 8 September 2009 including school holidays plus numerous discussions with the builders, architects and computer contractors.
Further improvements will continue, but these will be funded by parents through school fees. A netball court and improved fencing around the school site are under discussion.

…………………………………………….…..Fr Kevin

Last Monday, the entire lift was craned over the new building at O.L.M.C. School. The bricklaying continues according to the weather, and the roofing is nearly complete. The new fencing will be installed during the school holidays.

Last week also saw the new school tables for the children finally arrive at St Anne’s School. The old portable classrooms have been sold and will be removed soon.

From February 2011, Ms Noelene Hussey will be our Principal.
Currently, she is Principal of Catherine of Siena School, Melton and is regarded as a leader in learning and teaching.