Why choose our school?
Under the leadership of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School is a dynamic Catholic community that aims to be a place of encounter with Jesus Christ. A Catholic worldview animates the school culture and unifies the curriculum.
We seek to foster the sense of wonder, the search for wisdom, and the appreciation that our lives and our world are gifts from God. In collaboration with the local parish, families, and community, St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School strives to develop virtuous citizens of this world and the next.
Principal’s Message
Welcome to our school! God, in His infinite love for each one of us, desires our happiness. He desires that we live life to the full (John 10:10), that we flourish and become the person that we were created to be from all eternity. Thus, the formation of each child is our priority: intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally, and physically. This goal informs all our programs, lessons, play, and prayer throughout the day. In this balanced approach, children, aided by grace, come to discover the One who loves them. Living in this Truth and Love, they are set free from what holds them back from discovering the happiness and holiness for which they were created. Further, our staff are united in this goal as they seek to be witnesses of an integrated life of faith and learning. From this united vision and mission, we offer an approach to Catholic education that provides support and formation for the whole family.
St Catherine of Siena, a great Dominican saint, once remarked, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” An authentic Catholic education at St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School has the power to set the world on fire. We pray that the children, staff, and parents of our school, through their constant contact with Jesus, the Word made Flesh, be inspired as missionary disciples of His Kingdom.
I invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we move toward our centenary anniversary in 2025. St Mary of the Cross, pray for us!
Sister Cecilia Joseph, OP
Principal
History
St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School Regents Park was established by the Sisters of St Joseph in 1925 with an enrolment of 64 students. In 1989, the Josephite Sisters ended their leadership of the school and the Catholic Education Office appointed the first lay principal. In 1989, the school became co-educational from Kindergarten to Year 6. Today, we are a vibrant and multicultural school with a student population of about 380 students.
Charism
Our school is inspired by two saints, St Peter Chanel and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The charisms of these saints enrich the daily life of our school community, inspire our journey of holiness, and impel us to make a difference in the lives of others.
Mission
Through our holistic and rigorous academic program that nurtures and inspires the individual child, we educate students to know and love all that is true, good, and beautiful. Through the Catholic life and culture of our school and parish, we foster in students, staff, and families a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. By forming the whole child, we inspire students to joyfully embrace a life of virtue and excellence.
Vision
Through partnership with our families and our parish, we seek to form the whole child so that they can use their gifts for the glory of God and the good of others. Thus having encountered the risen Christ, students, staff, and families are sent into the world as witnesses of the truth and love of Christ as they journey toward eternal life in heaven.
Values
Wonder. Wisdom. Witness.
Educating for Eternity
Wonder
Wonder is a desire for knowledge that goes deeper than curiosity; it is a seeking for reality and a plunging into the depths of its mysteries. Wonder asks questions around the meaning and purpose of existence. It evokes a sense of awe that involves the whole person, engaging the mind, heart, body, and spirit. Wonder is a stimulus for growth marked by an openness to the unknown, a joyful spontaneity, and creative questioning. When wonder is cultivated it becomes a force that changes the way one lives and stirs up within one’s heart gratitude, joy, and praise.
Wisdom
Wisdom is to see things the way God sees them. Someone who is wise is grounded in reality, knowing what is true about themselves, creation, and others. Knowledge when united with faith becomes wisdom. In this light, education is not just about attaining knowledge, but also about being formed in what is true, good, and beautiful, so that students are able to think and evaluate facts in light of this Truth. Wisdom forms one to take on responsibility and exercise active citizenship.
Witness
Having encountered the Risen Jesus, and experienced how He helps us become free, wise and happy, we desire to share this good news with others. To be a witness is to answer Christ’s call to live out one’s faith through words and actions. The Christian witness is called to give testimony not to facts but to the Truth and Love that has been encountered in the search for wisdom, held in wonder and praise, and manifested in a virtuous life. By one’s witness others are invited to deepen their understanding of the world and enter into a personal and powerful relationship with Christ.
We value and nurture a close relationship with the parish community and continuously seek opportunities to celebrate and support the parish of St Peter Chanel and St Joseph.
Parish Priest
Fr John Miechels
Mass Times
Tuesday – Friday: 6.45am
Saturday: 8.00am and 5.00pm (Sunday Vigil)
Sunday: 8.00am and 10.00am
Eucharistic Adoration: Tuesday – Saturday after the morning Mass
Sacrament of Reconciliation: Tuesday – Saturday after the morning Mass
Contact Details
St Peter Chanel and St Joseph Church
66 Kingsland Road, Berala
(02) 9644 7787
info@stpeter-stjoseph.org.au
www.stpeter-stjoseph.org.au
