Dear parents,

At Tuesday’s Community Council meeting, members examined the response from Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate in relation to the traffic flow concerns at Mother Teresa School.   The meeting, held last term, discussed our concerns regarding traffic flow and safety especially when cars are forced to queue along Wimmera St and Mapleton Avenue, particularly of an afternoon. While several ideas were shared at the meeting, no action has been agreed to.  To improve traffic flow for cars turning left when leaving the school of an afternoon, “no queuing stripes” may be painted on the road to allow cars turning right into Collaroy Street easier access.

They did re-emphasise strategies to reduce the volume of traffic.  These include:

• Riding or walking to school,
• Using the bus service,
• Arriving well before the start of school and coming later to pick children up from the drop off/pick up zone, keeping in mind that supervision of this area finishes at 3.30pm.

The Community Council would like to put a small committee of interested parents together to write to, and lobby, local ministers and candidates in the run up to the next ACT election.  I know many parents are frustrated with the current situation.  If you would like to be on the committee I ask you contact the office and advise them of your interest.

The Community Council has also approved a proposal that we pump water out of the local settlement pond to irrigate our grassed areas during the warmer weather. Currently, we use potable water for this purpose which is very expensive.  Potable water costs $2.46 per kilolitre while water from the settlement pond will cost approximately 29c per kilolitre.  We have been given permission to extract 1.5 million litres annually but the more difficult task will be planning, constructing and completing the project which will require further government approval.

Below I have reproduced a note on the ACT election written by Mr David Austin, Principal at Good Shepherd School, Amaroo.  While talking to the candidates about funding you could also raise our traffic flow issues.

ACT Election-Saturday 17 October

There are 8 weeks until the ACT Election and am sure you are seeing candidates from all parties at shopping centres (or even receiving phone calls from them). I encourage you to approach candidates at the shopping centres and mention or discuss the value of ACT Catholic Schools and quiz them on their party’s support for ACT Catholic Schools. 

In the ACT, there are 29 systemic Catholic Schools who educate 15,000 students.  In Canberra, Catholic schools are very similar to public schools, with our schools having almost exactly the same average ICSEA score (1077-1076). Our schools are inclusive, support families from all backgrounds, and operate on a modest budget.

Did you know that when you compare the total funding that Catholic schools in each state/territory receive, the ACT are the second lowest funded Catholic schools in the country?  This is particularly impacted by the ACT Government’s low funding of Catholic schools.

Have a chat to the candidates and mention that you are a parent in an ACT Catholic School and funding of Catholic Schools is an important issue for you.

Maths Problem

Congratulations to Brad McCluskey who was the first correct answer drawn out this week. Willem van Galen and Brody Press also received a prize for telling me the problem came from Dr Seuss’ book ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish’.  This week’s problem is below.