Newsletter No.4 - Term 2, Week 3
Principal & Deputy Principal's Message
Dear Families,
On Sunday, the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the Church year that concludes the Easter season and celebrates the birth of the Church. Pentecost provides us with an opportunity to be more aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and inspires us to use the gifts of wisdom, courage and hope and to connect spiritually with the natural world with a sense of peace and serenity. This year it also marks the beginning of Laudato Si’ Week which celebrates the anniversary of Pope Francis’s letter on Care for our Common Home. The theme for this year is Seeds of Hope and it encourages everyone to be seeds of hope in our lives and our world, founded in faith and love. Throughout the term our students have been making good use of their various talents and gifts through participating in a wide range of learning activities.
In week 1 our Sports Captains spent a day with student leaders from other Catholic schools to develop leadership tools and strategies as they participated in activities from a variety or presenters and educators. Year 2SP continued our strong connections with Thomas More College by working with a Year 10 Child Studies class to learn about basic kitchen skills and healthy cooking. On Sunday May 5 we celebrated a beautiful multicultural mass as a combined school and parish community and afterwards shared in some delicious food in the Family Centre.
This week we have celebrated Catholic Education Week with a focus on why we love our catholic school and you can see some of these wonderful reasons on our Facebook page. Children in Year 4-6 participated in the Northern Cluster soccer and netball carnival with great success, with the year 6 boys winning all of their games.
Earlier in the week information was sent out regarding SA Water works on Carey St which will begin on May 24. Please allow extra time before and after school and be patient with each other and the contractors. A reminder also about parking only in allocated spaces in the Church carpark so that the flow of traffic can be maintained.
As teachers continue to provide learning opportunities and assessment tasks, they will start to focus on writing Semester 1 reports. These will be finalised by the end of this term and an important letter regarding the format of these will be sent out later next week.
Dan Cowan, Principal & Michelle Thomas, Deputy Principal
Catholic Identity Updates
Pentecost Sunday
The Catholic Church celebrates its ‘birthday’ on Pentecost Sunday, the 19 May. It is a very special celebration to recall the coming down of the Holy Spirit on the followers of Jesus. On that day, the disciples had a renewed understanding and zeal for Jesus’ work and were committed to spreading his teachings. Two thousand years later, this work is still entrusted to people!
Confirmation
The children of St Augustine’s Parish School will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on Wednesday 5 June and Thursday 6 June. Archbishop Pat O’Reagan will be the celebrant on both nights, starting at 7.00pm in the St Augustine Church. Please keep the children in your prayers, as they too receive the Holy Spirit, just like the disciples of long ago.
Holy Communion
These same children will also receive Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion on either Saturday 8 June or Sunday 9 June. To receive Jesus for the first time is a special celebration that is remembered for a lifetime. Please keep these children in your prayers once more.
The Sacramental Program 2024-25
There have been many inquiries about our wonderful Sacramental Program that is led by Louise Svensdotter and supported by St Augustine’s and Holy Family’s APRIMS. If you have been thinking about enrolling your child in this wonderful program, it is not too late! The program starts again with an inquiry/enrolment meeting on one of the following dates in the Parish Family Centre on:
- Saturday 22 June at 4.00pm OR
- Sunday 23 June at 10.00am
Please email me at: rtullio@saps.catholic.edu.au if you would like me to send you an ‘Expression of interest’ form.
Parish Masses
Each Newsletter will have the dates of our Parish Mass times and year levels. Mass starts at 9.30am each Friday in the St Augustine Church. The following dates are for your information and you are warmly welcomed to attend:
- Friday 24 May: Year 6
- Friday 31 May: Year 5
- Friday 7 June: Year 4
- Friday 14 June: Year 3
- Friday 21 June: Years 6 and 5
- Friday 28 June: Years 4 and 3
- Liturgy dates with children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be sent in the next Newsletter.
THOUGHTS: No relationship is all sunshine, but two people or more can share the same umbrella and survive the storm together.
PRAYER: Lord, you know the storms of life very well. You experienced betrayal and heartache from those you loved. Help us to remember that sunshine, rain and storms are part of our growth. These too will pass. But in the meantime, give us the strength to keep going. May the Holy Spirit fill us with hope during testing times. Amen.
Dr Rachele Tullio,
Assistant Principal Religous Identity and Mission
SACPSSA Swimming Carnival
On Thursday 4 April a group of Year 4, 5 & 6 students represented our school at the SACPSSA Swimming Carnival.
On the day, each participant showed commendable effort, and we are thrilled to announce despite only taking a small group of students, we finished 3rd overall in the standings. Together, every student returned with ribbons, showcasing their fantastic achievements throughout the day! We want to extend our congratulations to the following swimmers for their outstanding performances:
- Alisha (4DM)
- Lachlan (4CE)
- Mason (5EB) Year 5 Age Champion
- Emily (6ML)
- Shiv (6ML)
- Zoey (6ZB)
- Jayden (6AM)
A special thank you to our parents and parent volunteers for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout the carnival!
Bo Roper & Dylan Baker,
Health & PE Teachers
2SP Cooking Class at Thomas More College
On Friday Week 1, 2SP were invited by Mrs Forbes’ Year 10 Child Studies class to participate in a Disney themed cooking lesson at Thomas More College. Working with their Year 10 buddy, the Year 2’s learnt about kitchen safety, hand hygiene and how to safely use kitchen utensils. The student’s worked together to prepare and cook ‘Krabby Pattie’ burgers, fruit skewers and a smoothie. The Year 2’s had a great time seeing the TMC kitchens, learning new skills and of course eating their final dishes!
They enjoyed bringing back their leftovers in their very own snack boxes.
A big thank you to Mrs Chau, Kim (Samuel’s mum), Sarah (Jordan’s mum) and Huyen (An-Nhi’s mum) for supporting us on the Excursion.
We look forward to welcoming the Year 10’s to SAPS in week 5 to participate in some PE activities.
Sarah Pope,
Year 2 Teacher
2024 Sports Captain Leadership Workshop
On Thursday 2 May our 2024 Sport Captains - Cahlia, Sarah, Xian, Austin, Naomi, Joel, Lydia and Chanel travelled to St. Francis Xavier School for the SACPSSA/ACHPER SA student leadership workshop. The workshop offered our students a great opportunity to develop their leadership skills. They participated in various stations of PE activities with experienced PE teachers. They will bring valuable skills and tips/tricks back to our school and implement them in our PE program as well as activities across the school.
Bo Roper & Dylan Baker,
Health & PE Teachers
Northern Cluster Soccer/Netball Carnival
On Thursday 16 May, over 140 of our enthusiastic Year 4, 5 & 6 students attended the Northern Cluster Soccer/Netball Carnival held in Argana Park.
We are thrilled to report the incredible success we had at this carnival! Throughout the day, our students played multiple games of Soccer/Netball and showcased their skills in a day of friendly competition. They all displayed exceptional sportsmanship, teamwork, and determination and we are very proud of their efforts!
The carnival was not just about winning or losing, but about fostering a love for sports, building friendships, and participation. It was fantastic to see students of all skill levels participating with enthusiasm and pride, supporting one another, and celebrating each other's successes.
A huge thank you goes out to our dedicated staff, who played a crucial role in making this day a success. Their support and encouragement on the sidelines, along with their efforts in organising and coordinating the event, were invaluable.
We look forward to future opportunities to celebrate the talents and efforts of our students.
Thank you once again to everyone who made the day unforgettable!
Bo Roper & Dylan Baker,
Health & PE Teachers
Thank you
St Augustine's Parish School would like to express our gratitude and thanks to Vanessa and Woolworths Hollywood Plaza for their kind donation of hot cross buns, chocolate eggs and juice for our Breakfast Club.
'Wear it Yellow' for National Reconciliation Week
On Friday 31 May (Week 5) we are going to be participating in “Wear it Yellow”. The children can wear some yellow clothing in any way shape or form and are encouraged to bring in a gold coin donation to go towards this great cause. Taking part in Wear it Yellow is an opportunity to celebrate First Nations culture and strength while learning about our shared histories. All funds raised will go directly towards supporting Children’s Ground and delivering self-determination, education, health and employment opportunities for First Nations people.
You might be thinking WHY YELLOW?
Yellow is one of the vibrant colours of the land – the sacred ochre that First Nations people have used for generations. It is about deep connection to Country and the earth. Yellow is the centre of the Aboriginal Flag, which also represents the sun as the giver of life. And it is the colour of Children’s Ground!
Jayme-Lee Sonneman,
Year 2 Teacher / Aboriginal Education Focus Teacher