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Dear Colleagues,
St Aloysius Feast Day – 10th Anniversary Celebrations, Friday 20 June 2025
Festivities were held today, celebrating the Feast Day of St Aloysius and the 10th anniversary of the school's opening, a special day of faith, community, and gratitude.
World Refugee Day
The celebration of World Refugee Day is an international day observed annually on June 20 by the United Nations.
It is designed to celebrate and honour refugees from around the world.
Lord, Give me eyes that see
the needs of those around me.
Give me ears that hear
the meaning behind the words.
Give me hands that reach out
to make a difference.
We pray for those who need to flee to escape from danger and for those who carry the scars from the trauma of fleeing their homeland.
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
In the Holy Year of Hope, 2025, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, will be celebrated on Sunday, June 22.
Congratulations - Sienna Compton from St Aloysius Catholic Primary School, Chisholm
Sienna Compton from St Aloysius Chisholm has deservingly been awarded a Community Recognition Notice from Ms Jenny Aitchison, the Maitland Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport in recognition for her outstanding results in 2 recent swim meets.
Sienna competed at the NSWPSSA Championships in Sydney where she shattered 4 multiclass records claiming 5 gold medals –
- 1st Place - Open Age 100m Freestyle Multi-Class
- 1st Place - Senior Girls 50m Freestyle Multi-Class
- 1st Place - Senior Girls 50m Butterfly Multi-Class
- 1st Place - Senior Girls 50m Backstroke Multi-Class
- 1st Place - Senior Girls 50m Breaststroke Multi-Class
She was honoured as multiclass swimmer of the meet & presented with the Gregson Shield. Sienna was also the Flag Bearer for the Polding team at the Opening Ceremony.
Straight off the plane from Sydney to Brisbane, Sienna then produced a personal best in the 200m IM securing a spot in the finals where she proudly brought home bronze. Sienna ranked 3rd nationally in her age and classification at the Swimming Australia Age and Multiclass Australia Age Championships.
Sienna’s resilience, focus and sheer talent are an inspiration. We eagerly anticipate watching Sienna at the School Sport Australia Nationals in Victoria this October.
Polding X Country
Our Maitland-Newcastle Catholic School students had some phenomenal results at the NSW CCC & CPS Cross-Country Championships last week.
6x local primary students won their age division
Cruz Mansley - St Benedict’s, Edgeworth
Miller Austin - St Columba’s, Adamstown
Lucas Hyslop - St Aloysius, Chisholm
Maeva Clifford - St Paul’s, Gateshead
Sienna Compton - St Aloysius, Chisholm
Sebastian Stace - St Joseph’s, East Maitland
In addition, our Maitland-Newcastle 10 year girls and 12/13 year girls won gold in the team event being the fastest overall for their age group and the Maitland-Newcastle 11 year boys won silver.
In the secondary section Caleb Hyslop from St Bede’s Chisholm won an individual gold medal in the 12-14 years Multiclass, whilst the Maitland-Newcastle 16 year boys won gold.
This is a wonderful success story, given the impact of the numerous cancellations of the Diocesan events due to wet weather and the time invested in finding the best solution to select a team for Polding. Credit to the sports team, on the thoroughness and commitment to find the best solution, and importantly the consultation with the schools.
To see all the top 10 finishes and more photos click here
Annual School Visits – St Joseph’s Primary School, East Maitland
I want to express my sincere gratitude to Marie Butel Simoes and her staff for their dedication to our students and the East Maitland school community. Your efforts, enthusiasm, and compassion not only influence the minds of our learners but also create their character and future.
The school visit was an inspiring experience, showcasing exceptional pedagogical practices that were consistently implemented across all classrooms. Educators demonstrated a commitment to fostering deep learning through innovative and engaging methods, ensuring that every student had the opportunity to reach their full potential. Student agency was clearly at the heart of the learning environment, with students' voices actively shaping discussions, decisions, and projects, empowering them to take ownership of their education. This strong sense of participation was beautifully intertwined with the Mercy values, which were evident in the nurturing, respectful, and inclusive atmosphere that prevailed. The school’s dedication to compassion, justice, and service was not just a philosophy—it was a lived experience, guiding interactions and shaping young minds to become thoughtful, engaged citizens. It was truly a privilege to witness such a dynamic and values-driven school in action.
All Saints’ College Update
I write to share some important updates regarding All Saints’ College education model and campus precincts. I am sharing this with you to ensure there is consistent awareness across the Diocesan school system.
We are revisiting our education model in Maitland to ensure we can continue to meet the educational needs and serve the growing Maitland community. We have listened to feedback from the All-Saints’ school community and have implemented over 90% of the recommendations from the 2021 review, conducted by external consultants.
The Trustees of the Diocese have made the decision to maintain the operation of All Saints’ College as one school across the two campus precincts for the immediate future.
Demand for enrolments means we can maintain both the St Peter’s campus and St Mary’s campus. All current Catholic pathway primary schools that feed into All Saints’ will continue to feed into the secondary school.
At the current time, St Mary’s campus will continue to be utilised as a senior campus, something we know the local community has been passionate about.
This decision does impact our need for some of the major planned works and therefore, any major capital works will be paused for the foreseeable future. However, investments will be made through maintenance upgrades at the St Mary’s campus, as well as our regular maintenance and facilities program at our St Peter’s campus.
We’re responding to the growing demand for Catholic education in Maitland and are pleased to be able to increase the number of places we offer in years 7, 9 and 11 for 2026. We are proud to support the needs of the community and maximise our current campus infrastructure.
The Trustees have asked leaders of the Diocese to renew a focus on growth and enrolments in Maitland while we maximise our school precincts, building on our proud history and continuing the provision of excellent Catholic education for current and future students.
We commit to continuing to connect with our community – our staff, parents, students - and sharing updates as the vision for our Maitland schools progresses.
With my best wishes,
Jacqui
Diocesan Young Adult Retreat – Final Days to Register
27– 29 June
Calling all young adults in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. You are invited to come away on retreat together, stepping into a weekend of community, praise, Adoration, inputs by expert speakers, and an opportunity to encounter Christ's personal love for you.
For more information and to register - Young Adult Retreat 2025 - Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
Human Library
Friday 27 June 2025 – 10am – Diocesan Resource Centre
We invite you to join us for our June 2025 Human Library. Our Human Book – Fr Daryl Mackie, will be discussing Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week and his own personal journey of discovery.
Registration essential Human Library - A Personal Experience of Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week - Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, or phone 0409033449.
Australian Catholic Youth Festival, Melbourne
29 November – 3 December
Expressions of interest have opened for 100 young people across the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle to join Bishop Michael for ACYF25 - a national gathering of Catholic youth, from Grade 10 through to 25 years old. The experience provides young people an opportunity to come together and connect whilst deepening their faith and relationship with Jesus. It’s not a conference; it’s a Catholic festival. For more information and to register visit - Australian Catholic Youth Festival - Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
NAIDOC Week Prayer Service
Sunday 6 July – 1:30 for 2pm
Sacred Heart Cathedral will host the NAIDOC Week Prayer Service celebrating the theme “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”. This is the 50th year of NAIDOC Week and will feature the burial of a time capsule, a symbolic gesture preserving this legacy for generations to come. For more information and to register visit - 2025 NAIDOC Week Prayer Service - Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
SRE Reflection Day with Bishop Michael
Thursday 10 July
Are you a teacher of Special Religious Education or someone eager to explore this vital ministry? Come and be inspired at Bishop Michael's Reflection Day—a special gathering to reflect, learn, and connect. Join us 9:30am – 12:30pm at St Stephens, Tea Gardens. Deepen your understanding, share experiences, and be encouraged in your role. For more information and to register - SRE Reflection Day with Bishop Michael Kennedy - Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
Read LessAs Week 8 draws to a close, teachers are now finalising school reports and preparing for the end of Term activities, often Parent Teacher Student Conferences / interviews and some professional development.
Whenever the end of Term 2 approaches, we are in the heart of cold weather, dark mornings and shorter days. It is the season of sniffles and coughs, days of marking and reporting begin drawing to a close, and the thought of two weeks of a break is beckoning.
The challenge of this time is to continue to keep students engaged, particularly at the end of a learning cycle.
Submit your ideas!
This week, I'd like our teachers to submit their best advice or lesson ideas to liz.stokes@mn.catholic.edu.au. The ideas will be shared in Connect in preparation for the final week of term.
NESA Reminder: Schools are encouraged to ensure student photos are uploaded to NESA for HSC students. This can be done as a bulk import. It is an essential identification element for Presiding Officers.
Sincerely,
Liz Stokes
System Lead – Curriculum and Pedagogy Secondary