In a wonderful example of community spirit and togetherness, students from four Blue Mountains primary schools came together recently for a special Mountains Encounter retreat focusing on what they’ve done and can do to help ensure everyone in society has equal rights, opportunities and is treated fairly.
Students from the Faith In Action (FIAT) teams at St Finbar's Primary Glenbrook, St Thomas Aquinas Primary Springwood, St Canice's Primary Katoomba, and Our Lady of the Nativity Primary Lawson gathered at St Finbar's for the afternoon retreat which, over the past few years, has brought considerable benefits to both students, their schools and the wider community.
Students reflected on what they’d learnt throughout the year and their involvement in social justice initiatives such as Project Compassion, food drives and volunteering for Vinnies and Jesuit Refugee Services.
Mountains Encounter, overseen by Lauren Maund, Director of Catholic Identity and Mission, aims to strengthen bonds among students while offering them opportunities to explore their faith through various enriching activities. Students took part in team-building exercises, faith formation workshops, and reflections centered on the Advent season. The main message was to encourage students to embrace their roles in carrying forward Christ’s mission of service and unity.
One of the highlights of the event was the traditional sausage sizzle dinner where students got to share a meal while learning about each other and their different communities in the Blue Mountains.
The retreat was more than just a gathering, it was a demonstration of how schools in the Blue Mountains are living out their faith through action. Their dedication to social justice and building community proves that living your faith can make a real difference in our world.
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Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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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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19 Aug 2026
From Facebook
📚🎶 BOOK WEEK PARADE – WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST! 🎶📚 Book Week runs from Saturday 22 to Friday 28 August, and we are so excited to celebrate with our annual Book Week Parade next Wednesday, 26 August, from 8:45–9:15am in the Hall! 🌟 This year’s theme is ✨ Symphony of Stories ✨. Click here to find out more about the theme: https://youtu.be/wz-psnQnUmQ We encourage our students to come dressed as a character from a favourite book. If they have a copy of the book their character has stepped out of, they are welcome to bring it along too! 📖 Some children love to connect with the theme, some choose to represent age-old favourites, and others like to keep us guessing! As the video suggests, our Book Week Parade is sure to be a wonderful symphony of characters! 🎭🎵 Parents, carers and families are very welcome to come along and enjoy the parade with us. Younger siblings are also very welcome! 💕 The Book Week Parade will coincide with Little Lyrebirds, and we look forward to welcoming our Little Lyrebird visitors and their families to this special morning. We hope you can join us for this super-popular annual event as we celebrate the joy, imagination and magic of books! 📚💫 #BookWeek #SymphonyOfStories #BookWeekParade #StCanices #LoveOfReading #LittleLyrebirds
13 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🍳🥐 Breakfast at St Canice’s! 🥐🍎 All St Canice’s students are invited to join us in the Hall on Thursday 20 August, from 8:20am–8:40am, for breakfast together! We’re also looking for parent volunteers to help out on the morning. If you’re available to assist, please complete the Google Form sent to you via your Compass Parent Portal. We look forward to sharing breakfast, good food and a great start to the day together! 💙 #StCanices #BreakfastTogether #SchoolCommunity #ParentVolunteers
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19 Aug 2026
From Facebook
📚🎶 BOOK WEEK PARADE – WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST! 🎶📚 Book Week runs from Saturday 22 to Friday 28 August, and we are so excited to celebrate with our annual Book Week Parade next Wednesday, 26 August, from 8:45–9:15am in the Hall! 🌟 This year’s theme is ✨ Symphony of Stories ✨. Click here to find out more about the theme: https://youtu.be/wz-psnQnUmQ We encourage our students to come dressed as a character from a favourite book. If they have a copy of the book their character has stepped out of, they are welcome to bring it along too! 📖 Some children love to connect with the theme, some choose to represent age-old favourites, and others like to keep us guessing! As the video suggests, our Book Week Parade is sure to be a wonderful symphony of characters! 🎭🎵 Parents, carers and families are very welcome to come along and enjoy the parade with us. Younger siblings are also very welcome! 💕 The Book Week Parade will coincide with Little Lyrebirds, and we look forward to welcoming our Little Lyrebird visitors and their families to this special morning. We hope you can join us for this super-popular annual event as we celebrate the joy, imagination and magic of books! 📚💫 #BookWeek #SymphonyOfStories #BookWeekParade #StCanices #LoveOfReading #LittleLyrebirds
13 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🍳🥐 Breakfast at St Canice’s! 🥐🍎 All St Canice’s students are invited to join us in the Hall on Thursday 20 August, from 8:20am–8:40am, for breakfast together! We’re also looking for parent volunteers to help out on the morning. If you’re available to assist, please complete the Google Form sent to you via your Compass Parent Portal. We look forward to sharing breakfast, good food and a great start to the day together! 💙 #StCanices #BreakfastTogether #SchoolCommunity #ParentVolunteers
12 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🌟 WHAT AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY OPEN DAY! 🌟 What a wonderful morning we had at St Canice’s! 💙 The weather was kind to us as we welcomed our beautiful school community, along with many new families who came along to discover all that St Canice’s has to offer. From enjoying a delicious BBQ breakfast together with our students and families, to exploring our open classrooms, meeting our wonderful staff, visiting Little Lyrebirds Playgroup, and taking a tour of our school — it was fantastic to see our community come together! 🏫✨ A very special THANK YOU to our generous parent and carer volunteers who gave their time to help make the morning such a success. Your support, enthusiasm and community spirit mean so much to us. 💙 We loved welcoming everyone through our doors and sharing what makes St Canice’s such a special place to learn, grow and belong. Thank you to everyone who joined us — we hope you enjoyed the morning as much as we did! 🌿😊 St Canice’s — where our community grows together. 💙
11 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🎉 COMMUNITY OPEN DAY — TOMORROW! 🎉 We can’t wait to welcome families to St Canice’s Primary School Katoomba tomorrow, Wednesday 12 August, from 9:30am–11:00am! 💙 Come along and experience what makes our school such a special place to learn, grow and belong. ✨ Meet our dedicated and passionate staff 🏫 Explore our vibrant learning spaces 📚 Visit our classrooms and see learning in action 🌟 Discover the opportunities available at St Canice’s 🤝 Connect with our welcoming school community 🌭 Enjoy a relaxed sausage sizzle with our school community If you know a family who is considering a school for their child, please invite them along! It’s a wonderful opportunity to see our school, meet our staff and experience the St Canice’s difference. 📅 Wednesday 12 August ⏰ 9:30am–11:00am 📍 St Canice’s Primary School, Katoomba 👉 Register today: https://info.parra.catholic.edu.au/open-day/stcaniceskatoomba We can’t wait to see you tomorrow! 💙💛
10 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Congratulations to our Lyrebird Award recipients! 🌟 At St Canice’s, our Positive Behaviour Support for Learning (PBS4L) program is an integral part of who we are as a school community. Our students strive to Love Selflessly, Live Responsibly, and Learn Purposefully, and these values are nurtured and encouraged every day by our dedicated staff and students. At our recent whole school assembly, we celebrated a group of students who have consistently demonstrated these qualities and were recognised with a Lyrebird Award. 🎉👏 Well done to all the recipients—we are so proud of you! #StCanices #LyrebirdAward #LoveLiveLearn
07 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Stage 1 went down to Katoomba Falls today to explore that the natural and built features of a water environment. We enjoyed the lovely sunshine, the glorious view of the falls and each others company. What a beautiful place we live in!
07 Aug 2026
From Facebook
St Canice's proudly celebrate Australian Primary Principals Day and recognise the outstanding leadership of our wonderful Principals. A heartfelt thank you to Ms Miriam Meaney and Mrs Cherie Baddock for your dedication, care and commitment to our students, staff and families. Your leadership inspires our school community every day, creating a place where everyone is encouraged to learn, grow and thrive. Thank you for all that you do to make St Canice's such a welcoming and supportive community. Happy Australian Primary Principals Day! 💙 #PrimaryPrincipalsDay #ThankYouPrincipals #StCanicesPrimary #CatholicEducation #BlueMountains
07 Aug 2026
From Facebook
A Wonderful Cultural Exchange at St Canice's! 🌏 Today, our Stage 2 and Stage 3 students had the pleasure of welcoming Japanese exchange students to St Canice's. Together, we journeyed around Australia with Grandma Poss and Hush through the beloved story Possum Magic. Along the way, everyone enjoyed sampling some iconic Australian treats, including lamingtons, Tim Tams, Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova and Minties. Every food was a hit—even the Vegemite! 😄 The Minties, however, brought plenty of laughter, with lots of surprised (and slightly sour!) faces as everyone discovered just how chewy they really are. It was a wonderful afternoon of sharing Australian culture, learning from one another, and building new friendships. Experiences like these remind us of the joy that comes from connecting with others and celebrating different cultures. Thank you to our visitors for spending the afternoon with us—we hope you enjoyed your time at St Canice's! 💙
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
💯✨ 100 Days Brighter! ✨💯 Today, our Kindergarten students celebrated a very special milestone – 100 Days of School! 🎉 Over the past 100 days, they have grown in confidence, made new friends, learnt so many new skills, and become valued members of our St Canice's community. To mark the occasion, our Kindergarten class enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities centred around the number 100, with plenty of smiles, laughter and creativity along the way. Congratulations to our wonderful Kindergarten students on reaching 100 days brighter! We can't wait to see all the amazing things you'll continue to achieve throughout the rest of the year. 🌟💙 #100DaysBrighter #100DaysOfSchool #StCanicesPrimary #KindergartenMilestone
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
🖤💛❤️ Message Stick – Celebrating 50 Years of NAIDOC ❤️💛🖤 St Canice's was honoured to be selected to create a Message Stick as part of the "50 Years of Deadly" NAIDOC Week celebrations, an initiative inspired by the Jarara Team at Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. Led by Taleishah, students worked alongside Ms Rose and Ms Dani in a creative workshop where they explored ideas, shared stories and designed a Message Stick that reflects the place we are proud to call home. Drawing inspiration from the breathtaking beauty of the Blue Mountains, our students chose symbols that represent the Katoomba region and the deep connection to Country. The Message Stick features the Three Sisters, waterfalls, waterholes, bushland, kangaroo tracks, people and meeting places—all significant symbols that tell the story of our local environment and community. Using vibrant colours and meaningful Aboriginal symbols, our students created a Message Stick that honours the sacred land on which we learn, play and grow. It acknowledges the footprints of the First Nations Peoples who have cared for this Country for countless generations and reflects our commitment to walking together in respect, reconciliation and care for our shared environment. We are incredibly proud of the creativity, thoughtfulness and respect our students brought to this special project. 🖤💛❤️ #NAIDOC2026 #50YearsOfDeadly #StCanicesPrimary #BlueMountains #WalkingTogether #RespectCountry #CatholicSchoolsParramattaDiocese
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Today, our Stage 3 students captivated an audience of Stage 2 students and staff as they delivered their Voice of Youth speeches. Our Year 6 students presented their speeches for the opportunity to progress to the next stage of the Voice of Youth competition across the Parramatta Diocese, while our Year 5 students embraced the chance to build their confidence and develop their public speaking skills in preparation for next year. The variety of topics was inspiring. We laughed, reflected, and at times were deeply moved by the powerful stories, thoughtful perspectives, and creative ideas our students shared. We are incredibly proud of every student who stepped up to the challenge. A special congratulations to our Year 6 candidates and to Mr McCarthy for supporting and inspiring our young speakers throughout the process. Well done, Stage 3! Your courage, preparation and passion were on full display today. 👏🎤✨
01 Aug 2026
From Facebook
📚 Is your child starting school next year? Or perhaps you're still deciding? Now is the perfect time to begin the conversation and start the enrolment process. We are currently finalising our enrolments for next year and would love to hear from you. Whether you're ready to enrol or simply have questions, our friendly team is here to help. 📅 Register for our Community Open Day Wednesday, 12 August | 9:30 am – 11:00 am Or contact us today to arrange a personalised school tour, learn more about what St Canice's has to offer, or discuss your child's enrolment. We can't wait to welcome your family to the St Canice's community! 💙
31 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Check Out What’s Happening at St Canice’s Next Week! 🌟 There’s always something exciting happening across our school community! 📚✨ Here’s a snapshot of Week 3: And don’t forget… 📢 Community Open Day is coming up! We can’t wait to welcome new and existing families on Wednesday 12 August, 9:30am–11:00am to explore our school, meet our staff and discover what makes St Canice’s such a special place to learn and belong. 💙 We’re looking forward to another wonderful week of learning, connection and celebration at St Canice’s! 🌈📚
29 Jul 2026
From Facebook
❄️ Vinnies Winter Appeal Food Drive 💙 As part of our commitment to supporting our community and living out our Catholic faith, St Canice’s is participating in the Vinnies Winter Appeal Food Drive. Each week, we will be collecting essential items to help support families in need. Students can place their donations in the collection baskets located at the front of each classroom. Members of our Faith in Action Team (FIAT) will visit classrooms each week to remind students of the upcoming collection item. 🛒 Weekly Collection Schedule: 🥛 Week 3: Long-life full cream dairy milk 🐟 Week 4: Small tins of tuna 🥣 Week 5: Soup 🥫 Week 6: Baked beans or spaghetti 🍅 Week 7: Tinned vegetables (especially tomatoes) 🍘 Week 8: Savoury biscuits 🍪 Week 9: Sweet biscuits 🥣 Week 10: Breakfast cereal Thank you to our wonderful St Canice’s community for your generosity and support. Together, we can make a difference and help those in need this winter. 💙 #VinniesWinterAppeal #FaithInAction #StCanicesCommunity