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 Caniceโs Schoolโs fun, free, play-based school readiness program designed for children aged 3.5โ5 years who will be starting school in the next 1โ2 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 โ 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 ๐ 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
๐๐ Celebrating our wonderful teachers! ๐๐ Today we celebrated World Teachersโ Day at St Caniceโs, 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. โจ 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 Caniceโs family! ๐๐ฆ Happy World Teachersโ Day! You are all gems! ๐ #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 ๐ 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
๐๐ Celebrating our wonderful teachers! ๐๐ Today we celebrated World Teachersโ Day at St Caniceโs, 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. โจ 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 Caniceโs family! ๐๐ฆ Happy World Teachersโ Day! You are all gems! ๐ #WorldTeachersDay #StCanicesKatoomba #ThankATeacher #OurTeachersAreGems
04 Nov 2026
From Facebook
๐ A place to belong, learn and thrive! ๐ At St Caniceโs Primary School, we are more than just a school โ 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. โจ From the classroom to the playground, there are so many opportunities for students to discover their interests, explore their talents and shine! ๐ต Music ๐จ Creative Arts ๐ป Technology โฝ Sport ๐ Engaging learning experiences There is something for everyone at St Caniceโs! 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. ๐ St Caniceโs Primary School โ a little school with a big heart! ๐ฆ
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
๐ฃ EGG-CITING NEWS IN STAGE 1! ๐ฃ Weโre absolutely eggs-static to announce the safe and healthy arrival of SIX adorable little chicks this morning! ๐ฅ๐ 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! ๐๐ฃ 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? ๐ฅฐ Weโre 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 canโt wait to watch you grow! ๐ฅ๐ฑ๐ #StCanices #Stage1 #EggcitingNews
22 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ง Water Safety at St Caniceโs! ๐ฆ 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. ๐โ๏ธ 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! ๐ #StCanicesKatoomba #WaterSafety #BlueMountainsCityCouncil #StudentWellbeing #StayWaterWise
22 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ณ๐ฅฃ BREKKY CLUB IS BACK! ๐ฅ๐ Join us at St Caniceโs Brekky Club on Thursday, 29 October! ๐๐ ๐ Thursday, 29 October 2026 โฐ 8:20 am โ 8:40 am ๐ In the School Hall All St Caniceโs students are welcome to come along, enjoy a yummy breakfast and start their school day feeling happy and ready to learn! ๐ฅฐ We look forward to seeing you there! ๐ฆ๐
22 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ฃ REMINDER: WHOLE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY TOMORROW! ๐ Dear St Caniceโs 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! ๐ 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 weโd 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 classroomโand some top-notch data collection skills! What superpower would your child choose? Let us know in the comments! ๐๐
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐จ๐ Creative Little Artists at St Caniceโs! ๐๐จ Our Kindergarten students have been exploring the wonderful world of watercolour painting with our specialist art teacher, Ms Dani! ๐๏ธ๐ Itโs been lovely to see our Kinders experimenting with colours, expressing their creativity and bringing their imaginations to life through art. Every masterpiece is unique! ๐ผ๏ธโจ We love seeing our students learn, create and grow through these wonderful artistic experiences. Well done, Kindergarten artists! ๐จ๐ #StCanicesKatoomba #Kindergarten #CreativeLearning #WatercolourArt #LittleLyrebirds #ArtAtStCanices
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ AFL Clinic at St Caniceโs! ๐โค๏ธ What a fantastic day at St Caniceโs! 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! ๐โโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ 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 todayโs clinic possible! ๐ #StCanicesKatoomba #AFL #ActiveKids #Teamwork
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ฆ๐ Little Lyrebirds Free Playgroup is on tomorrow! ๐๐จ Looking for a fun morning for your little one? Come along to our FREE Little Lyrebirds Playgroup tomorrow, Wednesday, from 9:00amโ10:30am at St Caniceโs Primary School, Katoomba! Our playgroup is a wonderful opportunity for children aged 0โ6 years to play, explore, create and connect with other families in a welcoming school environment. ๐ โจ Enjoy: ๐จ Arts, crafts and creative activities ๐ Stories and songs ๐ถ Music and games ๐งธ Playtime and new friendships โ๏ธ A relaxed morning with other local families Whether youโre a regular visitor or joining us for the first time, weโd love to see you there! ๐ St Caniceโs Primary School, 158 Katoomba Street, Katoomba โฐ Tomorrow, 9:00amโ10:30am ๐ FREE โ everyone is welcome! Bring the little ones and come along for a lovely morning of fun, friendship and learning! ๐ฆ #LittleLyrebirds #StCanicesKatoomba #FreePlaygroup #BlueMountainsFamilies #PlayLearnGrow
20 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ญ Drama at St Caniceโs! ๐ญ Lights, camera, action! ๐ 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! ๐ฌโจ At St Caniceโs, every child has the opportunity to discover their talents and let their creativity shine! ๐ #StCanicesKatoomba #CreativeLearning #Drama #ConfidentLearners #LittleLyrebirds
14 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ 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. ๐๐