Welcome to St Philomena’s

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

On behalf of our school community, welcome to the St. Philomena's Primary School website. As you explore our website, we hope you get a sense of a warm and welcoming family atmosphere and the exceptional learning community that St Philomena's Catholic Primary School, Bathurst offers.

We are blessed with a compassionate staff, who are united in their dedication to deliver excellence in learning and teaching. Our school motto - `Live justly faithfully and lovingly in Christ' expresses the centrality of Christ to all that we are and do. St Philomena's Catholic Primary School has a strong faith tradition and a deep attachment to the Mercy tradition and the Sisters of Mercy who founded our school in 1901. The harmonious co-existence of this tradition with contemporary pedagogy, dedicated and professional staff and flexible learning spaces, engender a community where each student has the opportunity to pursue their talents and interests in a caring and supportive environment.

As an educational leader, I believe the purpose of education is supporting our students to 'become better at learning and better at life' and we must do it, in partnership with parents. I believe we do this well at St Philomena's. We know that a highly effective academic education assists our students to be better at life, and we will use every resource at our disposal to support that academic growth of our individual students…because it helps them become good at life. Jesus came “so that we may live life and live to its fullest". Why would we not want that for our children? Students then become lifelong learners. Similarly, our Religious Education component, along with the values and culture of our Catholic school community and co-curricular offerings, absolutely support our students to be better at learning and to be better at life.

At St Philomena's we inspire a love of learning as we educate the heart as well as the academic mind of each child. Educating the heart means pursuing passion, living a life that doesn't seem like work. It means interacting and working in groups, solving problems together and knowing what we stand for…and what we won't stand for. An educated heart can bring joy to others, an educated heart gives meaning to the soul and joy to the world. Our students will not leave St Philomena's without knowing what they are good at and what they are passionate about. For this to happen, we provide opportunities for creativity, opportunities to experience and explore the things that excite them.

I hope you enjoy exploring our website and that you gain an understanding of the happy, exciting and energising place that is St Philomena's Catholic Primary School, Bathurst. As you explore the site you will be introduced to the school's history, our approach to learning and how this all works together so that our students are engaged, successful learners who are faith-filled and positively contribute to the world.

Ms Rosie Harrison

Principal