Exciting year ahead for Catholic schools

IT will be double the fun at Guardian Angels' Primary School, Ashmore, with four sets of twins starting Prep this year.

Twins Joseph and Brandon Nerva, Tye and Jessica Stone, Jorga and Jazmyn Giles and Nicholas and Christian D'Souza were among about 68,000 students who began or returned to Catholic schools for an exciting 2012.

First time Guardian Angels' parent, Sara Nerva, said she was in tears on orientation day.

However, she said her boys Joseph and Brandon were excited about starting school and once they got there they kept looking for “angels”. 

Brisbane Catholic Education Executive Director, David Hutton said he was excited about the year ahead, which promised to be a challenging and rewarding one with the release of the Gonski Review and a state election on the cards.

“These events could significantly change the education landscape in Queensland,” he said.

However, he said Brisbane Catholic Educations' community of schools were ready to meet the challenges ahead, including the roll out of the new Prep - Year 10 Australian Curriculum.

Mr Hutton also reminded staff and parents about the revised dates for school terms and student holidays this year, following the State Government's announcement of changed holiday arrangements.

This means term dates for Catholic schools will be:

Term 1          Tuesday 24 January - Friday 30 March

Term 2          Monday 16 April - Friday 22 June

Term 3          Monday 9 July - Friday 21 September

Term 4          Monday 8 October - Friday 7 December

The Easter school holidays for students - at the end of Term 1 - will now run for two weeks - from Monday 2 April until Friday 13 April.

The mid-year holiday will be two weeks - from Monday 25 June to Friday 6 July.

The mid-semester break at the end of Term 3 will also be two weeks - from Monday 24 September to Friday 5 October.

Mr Hutton said BCE's community of schools also looked forward to the announcement of a new Archbishop for the archdiocese and the planned opening of St Benedict's College at Mango Hill and Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School at Springfield Lakes in 2013.