Most years NAIDOC Week tends to fall during the school holidays. At Shalom we value NAIDOC week and take the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate it together as a community during term three. This year our weeklong NAIDOC celebrations coincide with Catholic Education Week, which seems like a timely and meaningful intersection. So, we find ourselves gifted with an opportunity to reflect on the kind of community we are called to be, one grounded in Gospel values and committed to justice, reconciliation, and hope.

 

The theme for Catholic Education Week: Communities of Faith, Hope and Love, echoes the heart of Jesus’ mission to build inclusive communities where the dignity of every person is upheld. Similarly, NAIDOC Week’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy, calls us to honour the resilience and wisdom of First Nation peoples, while empowering young leaders to shape a more just and united future.

 

As Catholic educators, students, and families, we are called to walk alongside one another, especially those on the margins, to listen deeply to stories of culture, faith, and survival. We are invited to create spaces where young people are not just recipients of education, but leaders of change, bold in vision, strong in purpose, and grounded in love.

 

May this shared week inspire and challenge us all to act with integrity, to nurture courageous young leaders, and to deepen our understanding of the legacy we are leaving behind. May we be a community that walk together in a partnership of faith, hope and love, while building a future marked by justice, peace, and dignity for all.

School Fees – you would have received my letter last week outlining the fees for 2026. I hope the PDF attached with the letter explained the ‘all-inclusive fee.’ A better explanation of that might be ‘an all-inclusive educational fee’ this amount will include all fees and subject levies + whole Year level Camps + laptop + P&F Levy + one Vetis funded course + one Distance Ed subject for any subject we offer but cannot staff. It will not include the Building Levy which in 2026 will be $473 per child.

 

Building Update – I am not sure where the time has gone, but it has been one year since we started demolishing Damien block. I am pleased to report that the ‘Coolock’ build is almost finished and that we hope to take occupancy in Week 6. We look forward to the official opening and blessing of the ‘Coolock’ on 16th October.