Principal’s Message
Dear Parents and Friends,
Welcome to St Therese Catholic Primary School Padstow’s website. Our welcoming, friendly and small community fosters learning enriched by the collaboration of loving and supportive parents, dedicated and professional staff, and a parish that is actively involved in the life of the school.
We are proud of our school and the values of Catholic faith, excellence, collaboration, justice, responsibility, community and truth that our school community upholds. These values are built upon those taught by Jesus in the Gospels and are guided by our school motto, ‘Veritas’ (Truth).
We invite you to explore this website to see how our school actively seeks to achieve our mission to enliven faith, inspire learning and nurture community.
Mr Hugh Casey
Principal
History
We are a single-stream co-educational school from Kindergarten to Year 6. Our students come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
We encourage and value parent involvement in all aspects of school life and promote partnership between home and school to ensure that students feel safe, supported and secure in their school setting.
St Therese School was opened in 1962 under the guidance of the Sisters of St Joseph. Sr Vianney Gannoni, the first school Principal, led the school during the early years which saw the school population grow rapidly during the 1960s. In 1978, the Sisters of St Joseph withdrew from the school, with the first lay Principal appointed in 1979. The school has gone from strength to strength to firmly establish itself as a school that the community at Padstow is truly proud of.
The current school building and amenities provide staff and students with a functional contemporary teaching/learning environment. The completion of a building project in 2007 provided the school with three new classrooms, a new library, new canteen, new Administration offices, improved playground areas, and four renovated classrooms. The school grounds have also undergone development with the installation of a rubber soft-fall area, playground equipment, new seating, shade sails and landscaping.
Mission
At St Therese Catholic Primary School Padstow, we commit ourselves to our students through our Mission:
- fostering active faith development centred on the spirit of Christ
- nurturing the dignity, self esteem and wellbeing of all
- fostering the partnership between the school, parents and the parish
- promoting excellence in teaching
- providing quality student learning
- providing a safe, functional and stimulating environment
The school staff participates regularly in staff prayer and spirituality development. Students participate in a class Mass once a term and the whole school celebrates Mass twice a term. The students in Years 3–6 are invited to attend the 8.30am parish Mass fortnightly. Students are provided with the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation once a term and all classes take on the responsibility to lead the whole school in prayer at weekly assembly.
Parents are warmly invited and encouraged to participate in the prayer and Liturgical life of the school.
St Therese Catholic Primary School enjoys a close partnership with the St Therese Parish. The school is located on the same site as the church and the church can be accessed from the school playground.
Mass Times
- Weekday Masses: Tuesday and Thursday 8:30am, Friday 9am, Wednesday 7:30pm
(During school holidays Tuesday and Thursday morning Masses 9am) - Sunday Vigil Mass: Saturday 6:30pm
- Sunday Mass: 8.00am, 9:30am
- Reconciliation: Saturday 5:30–6:15pm
Fr Stephen De Bono has been Parish Priest since 1995. He is extremely supportive of the students and the school and works collaboratively with the School Leadership Team to implement the parish/school Sacramental Programs that prepare the children for Reconciliation in Year 2, Eucharist in Year 3 and Confirmation in Year 6.
The school is committed to supporting the Sacramental Programs, working in close partnership with the Parish Sacramental Team.