After 33 years of Principal leadership, 29 of those in the Diocese of Parramatta, St Canice's Principal Mr Mark Geerligs has made the decision to retire at the end of the 2019 school year. The School would like to acknowledge the outstanding contribution Mark has made as a Catholic educator and leader.
Beginning his teaching career in 1981, Mark became a Principal in only his seventh year as a teacher when he accepted the role of Principal of St John’s Catholic Primary School Trangie in 1987. In 1991, Mark was appointed Principal of Our Lady of the Nativity Primary Lawson. In 1996, he was appointed Principal of St Finbar’s Primary, Glenbrook and Our Lady of the Rosary, St Mary’s in 2003. Mark has been the Principal of St Canice’s since 2014.
Mark is a caring, supportive and faith-filled leader. In each of his leadership roles, Mark has built strong and enduring connections with the school community. He is a passionate educator who has always sought out opportunities to enrich the students’ learning, whether that has been within the school or in the broader community.
Mark has championed the role of the creative and performing arts in enhancing students’ learning. He is widely recognised for the many exceptional projects he has led in the school and the Blue Mountains community. The creative and performing arts could have no stronger advocate.
Mark has made a significant difference to the lives of young people in the schools he has led and served. He is a relational and inclusive leader who sets high expectations of students and encourages them to be the best they can be.
The St Canice's school community is keen to acknowledge Mark’s work and achievements in months ahead. The process of recruitment for a new Principal of St Canice’s will commence shortly.
Finally, we wish to express our appreciation to Mr Geerligs for the support provided for Catholic schooling as, together, we give witness to the Gospel that enriches the lives of our children and the communities in which we live.
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22 Jul 2026
Little Learners - School Readiness Program
Little Learners is St Canice’s School’s fun, free, play-based school readiness program designed for children aged 3.5–5 years who will be starting school in the next 1–2 years.07 Aug 2025
St Canice's Brekky Club
All students are invited to join the St Canice's Brekky Club. Brekky Club will now run on Thursdays – 7th, 21st, and 28th August.
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05 Nov 2026
From Facebook
So much excitement in Stage 1! Today we welcomed not one, not two, but three lovely ducklings! Meet Pikachu, Macaroni and Speedy. Speedy had wobbly legs but by this afternoon he had found his strength and was up walking around the box and pecking like the boss! We measured the ducklings and found Pikachu and Macaroni are 17 cm and Speedy is 10cm. We are sure he will catch up soon. We are all just a bit in love 😍 We are also very excited at just how much our chicks are growing and changing. They had to move into a bigger cage so they could practice their running and flying....and snoozing. Check out those new wing feathers! And finally, please read the amazing writing from Stage 1 superstars as we record like biologists the growth and change in our feathered friends each day. What a wonderful way to learn!05 Nov 2026
From Facebook
💙🍎 Celebrating our wonderful teachers! 🍎💙 Today we celebrated World Teachers’ Day at St Canice’s, taking the time to recognise and thank the amazing teachers who make such a difference in the lives of our students every single day. Our teachers do so much more than teach. They inspire curiosity, nurture confidence, encourage creativity, celebrate achievements and create a place where every child feels known, valued and supported. From the big milestones to the little everyday moments, their dedication, kindness and passion help our students learn, grow and shine. ✨ A heartfelt thank you to our incredible teaching team for all that you do. We are so lucky to have you as part of our St Canice’s family! 💙🐦 Happy World Teachers’ Day! You are all gems! 💎 #WorldTeachersDay #StCanicesKatoomba #ThankATeacher #OurTeachersAreGems
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05 Nov 2026
From Facebook
So much excitement in Stage 1! Today we welcomed not one, not two, but three lovely ducklings! Meet Pikachu, Macaroni and Speedy. Speedy had wobbly legs but by this afternoon he had found his strength and was up walking around the box and pecking like the boss! We measured the ducklings and found Pikachu and Macaroni are 17 cm and Speedy is 10cm. We are sure he will catch up soon. We are all just a bit in love 😍 We are also very excited at just how much our chicks are growing and changing. They had to move into a bigger cage so they could practice their running and flying....and snoozing. Check out those new wing feathers! And finally, please read the amazing writing from Stage 1 superstars as we record like biologists the growth and change in our feathered friends each day. What a wonderful way to learn!
05 Nov 2026
From Facebook
💙🍎 Celebrating our wonderful teachers! 🍎💙 Today we celebrated World Teachers’ Day at St Canice’s, taking the time to recognise and thank the amazing teachers who make such a difference in the lives of our students every single day. Our teachers do so much more than teach. They inspire curiosity, nurture confidence, encourage creativity, celebrate achievements and create a place where every child feels known, valued and supported. From the big milestones to the little everyday moments, their dedication, kindness and passion help our students learn, grow and shine. ✨ A heartfelt thank you to our incredible teaching team for all that you do. We are so lucky to have you as part of our St Canice’s family! 💙🐦 Happy World Teachers’ Day! You are all gems! 💎 #WorldTeachersDay #StCanicesKatoomba #ThankATeacher #OurTeachersAreGems
04 Nov 2026
From Facebook
💙 A place to belong, learn and thrive! 💙 At St Canice’s Primary School, we are more than just a school – we are a welcoming community where every child is known, valued and encouraged to grow. We nurture a love of learning and support every student to achieve their personal best through engaging, contemporary teaching practices in a caring and supportive environment. ✨ From the classroom to the playground, there are so many opportunities for students to discover their interests, explore their talents and shine! 🎵 Music 🎨 Creative Arts 💻 Technology ⚽ Sport 📚 Engaging learning experiences There is something for everyone at St Canice’s! Come and see what makes our little school so special. We would love to welcome you and your family for a school tour and introduce you to our wonderful community. 💙 St Canice’s Primary School – a little school with a big heart! 🐦
29 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Stage 1 are loving being proud chick parents! Today we watched the chicks have a little run and start to flap and try a little fly. Two clever stage 1 people made a chicken maze and we gave them a go at trying to get to the end of the maze to find the chick food. No chicks managed it but we know in stage 1 that sometimes learning takes time and perseverence so we will try again tomorrow!
28 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Could school get any more exciting? Stage 1 welcomed 5 new chicks this morning. Meet Oreo, Steve, Lightening, Darth Vader and Bluey! We have started being biologists and tracking Cookie Pie's growth with a line graph. We will add to it each day. Cookie Pie was looking very proud of him or herself as she stood on the scales today having gained 16 grams! We were also most impressed by Lucky's feathery legs. What great legs for Katoomba weather! The highlight is definitely getting to hold or gently stroke a chick. The children have been so gentle and respectful of our delicate feathered friends.
27 Oct 2026
From Facebook
🐣 EGG-CITING NEWS IN STAGE 1! 🐣 We’re absolutely eggs-static to announce the safe and healthy arrival of SIX adorable little chicks this morning! 🐥💛 A huge congratulations to Ms Clarke and the Stage 1 team on welcoming these fluffy little bundles of joy into the world. We think there may have been a few extra peeps of excitement today! 😂🐣 Our Stage 1 students are learning all about living things and how to care for them. What better way to bring their learning to life than with some very cute, very fluffy and very pecky new arrivals? 🥰 We’re sure there will be plenty of chick chat over the coming days as our students watch these little ones grow! Welcome to the world, little chicks! We can’t wait to watch you grow! 🐥🌱💛 #StCanices #Stage1 #EggcitingNews
22 Oct 2026
From Facebook
💧 Water Safety at St Canice’s! 💦 Today, our students enjoyed a water safety presentation delivered by Becca, a representative from Blue Mountains City Council. With the warmer weather approaching and more opportunities to enjoy our beautiful local waterways, it was perfect timing to learn about the importance of staying safe in and around water. 🌊☀️ A big thank you to Becca and Blue Mountains City Council for sharing these important safety messages with our students! Stay safe, stay water wise! 💙 #StCanicesKatoomba #WaterSafety #BlueMountainsCityCouncil #StudentWellbeing #StayWaterWise
22 Oct 2026
From Facebook
🍳🥣 BREKKY CLUB IS BACK! 🥛🍎 Join us at St Canice’s Brekky Club on Thursday, 29 October! 💙💛 📅 Thursday, 29 October 2026 ⏰ 8:20 am – 8:40 am 📍 In the School Hall All St Canice’s students are welcome to come along, enjoy a yummy breakfast and start their school day feeling happy and ready to learn! 🥰 We look forward to seeing you there! 🐦💙
22 Oct 2026
From Facebook
📣 REMINDER: WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY TOMORROW! 💙 Dear St Canice’s Families, A friendly reminder that we will be holding our Whole School Assembly tomorrow morning at 8:50 am. We look forward to coming together as a school community to celebrate our students and their achievements! 🌟 We hope to see you there!
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Our Stage 1 Mathematicians have been busy learning how to gather and organise data! We surveyed each other on what ultimate superpower we’d choose if we could have one, using tally marks to carefully record everyone's answers in a table. It turns out we have some pretty amazing heroes in our classroom—and some top-notch data collection skills! What superpower would your child choose? Let us know in the comments! 👇📊
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
🎨🌈 Creative Little Artists at St Canice’s! 🌈🎨 Our Kindergarten students have been exploring the wonderful world of watercolour painting with our specialist art teacher, Ms Dani! 🖌️💛 It’s been lovely to see our Kinders experimenting with colours, expressing their creativity and bringing their imaginations to life through art. Every masterpiece is unique! 🖼️✨ We love seeing our students learn, create and grow through these wonderful artistic experiences. Well done, Kindergarten artists! 🎨👏 #StCanicesKatoomba #Kindergarten #CreativeLearning #WatercolourArt #LittleLyrebirds #ArtAtStCanices
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
🏉 AFL Clinic at St Canice’s! 💙❤️ What a fantastic day at St Canice’s! Our students took part in an exciting AFL clinic today, developing their footy skills, practising teamwork and sportsmanship, and most importantly, having lots of fun! 🏃♀️🏃♂️ It was wonderful to see everyone getting involved, giving new skills a go and enjoying an active day together. A big thank you to everyone who helped make today’s clinic possible! 👏 #StCanicesKatoomba #AFL #ActiveKids #Teamwork
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
🐦💙 Little Lyrebirds Free Playgroup is on tomorrow! 💛🎨 Looking for a fun morning for your little one? Come along to our FREE Little Lyrebirds Playgroup tomorrow, Wednesday, from 9:00am–10:30am at St Canice’s Primary School, Katoomba! Our playgroup is a wonderful opportunity for children aged 0–6 years to play, explore, create and connect with other families in a welcoming school environment. 🌈 ✨ Enjoy: 🎨 Arts, crafts and creative activities 📚 Stories and songs 🎶 Music and games 🧸 Playtime and new friendships ☕️ A relaxed morning with other local families Whether you’re a regular visitor or joining us for the first time, we’d love to see you there! 📍 St Canice’s Primary School, 158 Katoomba Street, Katoomba ⏰ Tomorrow, 9:00am–10:30am 💙 FREE – everyone is welcome! Bring the little ones and come along for a lovely morning of fun, friendship and learning! 🐦 #LittleLyrebirds #StCanicesKatoomba #FreePlaygroup #BlueMountainsFamilies #PlayLearnGrow
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
🎭 Drama at St Canice’s! 🎭 Lights, camera, action! 🌟 Our students enjoy Drama with Ms Dani every week, building confidence, creativity and communication skills while exploring their imaginations, expressing themselves and having fun together. Through drama, our students develop teamwork, problem-solving skills and the confidence to shine both on and off the stage! 🎬✨ At St Canice’s, every child has the opportunity to discover their talents and let their creativity shine! 💙 #StCanicesKatoomba #CreativeLearning #Drama #ConfidentLearners #LittleLyrebirds
14 Oct 2026
From Facebook
📅 SAVE THE DATE! Our Year 6 Graduation and End-of-Year Mass will be held on Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 9:30 am. We look forward to coming together as a school community to celebrate the end of the school year and acknowledge our Year 6 graduates. More details to follow. 💙💙