Term 3, Issue #8, 2023

As we start Term 3, we welcome 19 new Receptions to the Catherine McAuley School family! Each of our new Receptions have started with great enthusiasm and excitement for the wonderful world of learning. We also welcome their new teacher Ms Tracey King, who has joined us after teaching in China and many other places around the world. It is clear that our newest students have enjoyed their first 3 weeks of school and have settled in well to being a ‘big school’ kid!

Our Term 1 Receptions have also recently celebrated their first 100 days of school…what a milestone! This is quite extraordinary when you stop to think about what this means. The average Reception student has been alive for just 1825 days, and the last 100 days of that has been at school!

Living, Learning, Leading

Families should have received an invitation to participate in the annual “Living, Learning, Leading” survey (via SZapp), which is conducted in every Catholic school. The aim of the survey is to support and help drive excellence in Catholic Schools, and give life to the vision, values and mission of Catholic Education South Australia as expressed in the Living, Learning, Leading Framework. It captures the essence of a Catholic education and highlights what we truly mean when we say that a Catholic education integrates faith, life, learning and culture. We thank you in advance for taking the time to contribute towards this survey and in helping shape the vision and direction of Catherine McAuley School.

Development Update

We are sure that you have noticed a new building on the school grounds. This marks the beginning of our preparation for the Stage 1 building works scheduled to commence in 2024. The new transportable building, known as T8, is our new, but temporary, home of the Expressive Arts classes. In the coming months, Stage 1 building designs will be finalised and share with the community.

Earlier in the year we notified you of the new playgrounds we have planned to be installed this year. At this stage, this is scheduled to occur in November. Below are images of playgrounds that are going to be installed:

Yours in Faith, Growth and Unity
The Leadership Team
Marc, Eleni, and Linda 

Journeying Together and Mission - invitation to be an instrument of HOPE and MERCY 

St Vinnies 

We received a heartfelt message from Sean Yates – Elizabeth North Conference President for St Vincent de Paul Society: 

Dear students, families, and staff, 
I wish to say a very big thank you for your very generous donations to the St Vincent de Paul Society from your school community. The variety and quality of food given, with the rising cost of groceries, is so much appreciated! Our storeroom has had a real winter boost, when stocks were getting very low. We have been steadily helping families over the school holidays and the donated food from Catherine McAuley School will help those in need, throughout winter and beyond. 
On behalf of our volunteers and the people we ‘walk alongside’ a very big thank you for helping us help so many people. 
Blessings to you all. Sean Yates. 

We also had a visit from Umes, Community Coordinator with St Vincent de Paul Society’s head office. Mr. Forster presented Umes with a cheque for $1315.00. This money was raised during 2022 through the number of different fundraising events we held at CMS. Umes was absolutely beyond words but did speak with our students about the impact of such generosity calling each of them ‘little leaders.’ He explained this term further: You are in the position to influence, motivate and guide others - providing direction and vision in helping to create an environment conducive to success. 

Know your kind donations are very well received and greatly appreciated in the broader community. 

In Term 3, we will engage in fundraising for Catholic Mission, an annual focus at CMS. Tony Johnston, from Catholic Mission, has been talking with our Mercy Leaders about Catholic Mission and Socktober and the focus for 2023 – Timor-Leste. Our Mercy Leaders are in the middle of preparing material to present to the whole school explaining the purpose of Catholic Mission and the Socktober event. More information will follow.  

Mass at St Ann’s Church, Midway Road – ALL WELCOME 

This Term, we started our church visits to St Ann’s Church on Midway Road to attend Mass with Fr. Santosh and the Elizabeth congregation. For the remainder of the school year, Years 3-6 will engage in Mass on a fortnightly basis taking place on a Friday at 9am. Participating classes and their families are informed via a school letter and, of course, all families are welcome to attend. 

Mass is very much part of our Catholic tradition, ethos, and charism at CMS. It is an enriching experience for all, all cultures. In reflecting about the many cultures, we have at CMS, although the language and rituals of a Catholic Mass may be unfamiliar, the gestures and movement of both priest and people nonetheless seem familiar enough for all to feel welcome and at home.  

From a learning stance, Mass is part of our Religious Education curriculum, attending a Catholic Mass, or even simply the building, is a unique opportunity to learn and/or embrace our (your school’s) tradition and culture. Therefore, as we are intentional in sharing our faith with you, we encourage you to learn alongside us. 

Sacramental Program 

As we are nearing the end of this year’s Sacramental Program, please keep our students and their families in your prayers. They will be celebrating their Sacrament of Confirmation on Tuesday 12th September and the Sacrament of Eucharist during the weekend of 16th and 17th September.  

If you would like your children to be part of the 2024 Sacramental Program, please contact Edna Dumbrell at St Thomas More Parish Office 19 Laverstock Road Elizabeth North SA 5113 or call (08) 8255 1191 for more information. To be able to take part in the Sacramental Program, your child must be in Year 3 or above in 2024.  

Saint Mary of the Cross, MacKillop  

On the 8th of August, we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross, MacKillop, our first Australian Saint. Throughout the school, students embarked on different activities to learn about Mary MacKillop and her passion for helping the disadvantaged, not too dissimilar to Catherine McAuley. Mary MacKillop merely accepted her place in God’s plan and allowed God to work through her, hence one of her phrases, ‘Never see a need without doing something about it.’ Trust in God, amazing things can happen. Luke 1: 38 – ‘I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ 

Lastly, 

Sunday 6th August the Church celebrated Vocation Day. We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate all the wonderful staff in our school for fulfilling Christ’s mission. By using the word vocation in the field of education, we mean that teachers and staff have a calling – a strong urge to do what they do. Staff at CMS have a love and a passion for their work - an innate desire to share their love of learning and teaching and of the subjects they teach.  

Dear Staff, a huge heartfelt thank you goes to you all. Thank you for being the amazing people you are, for what you do for all students and what you bring to our school community. Know you matter and matter much. Thank you. 

May God bless you and be gracious to you all.  

Mrs Caldinez
APRIM 

Click here to view the Southern Cross Online

In Year 1, students began the term by having their art work displayed for the First Nations Families' BBQ. Students have been learning the names of animal and body parts in Kaurna language. Students practiced the song ‘ Mukarta, Kataka, Mampa, Tidna’ (Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes) to help learn the body parts in Kaurna. In Math’s students have been working hard on part, part, whole diagrams, addition sentences and rainbow facts. This forms part of their daily review along with using hands on manipulatives to engage and further students’ understanding. 

The school's Reconciliation Action Plan Barbeque Launch and Whole School Showcase of Learning proved to be a truly wonderful night filled with celebration, connection, and reflection. We were privileged to have the evening commence with a Welcome to Country from Uncle Frank Wangutya Wanganeen.

This event marked an important milestone in the school's journey towards reconciliation, providing an opportunity to recognise the work our school community has achieved as part of the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). A heartfelt thank you goes out to Lesley, Tanya, Chrystal, and Donna, whose continuous dedication, knowledge sharing, and support have been instrumental in the successful publication of the RAP.

A highlight of the evening was the Whole School Showcase of Learning. Each class put in tremendous effort to create displays that celebrated their term-long learning about First Nations cultures, histories, and perspectives. The variety of projects showcased the diverse range of topics explored by students of all ages. From learning about the Kaurna language to celebrating the achievements of First Nations peoples, from exploring Kaurna Country on enriching excursions to connecting with other First Nations communities associated with the school.

A very big thank you to Bindee for her time and support in planning for the night and to all the staff members who supported the showcase, particularly Mr Fittes, Lucas and Mitchell. Special thanks go to Mr. Chevalier and Miss Komljenovic, who braved the chilly weather to ensure that everyone was well-fed. Finally, we must express our appreciation to Mrs Colonico for creating a beautiful and inviting space that allowed everyone to connect and celebrate together.

To align with students learning about internet safety, Catherine McAuley School are hosting two presentations hosted by the Carly Ryan Foundation to share vital information to students and families addressing the current risks posed to children online, and how to manage these. On Tuesday the 19th of September, students in Years 4-6 will attend the student presentation at 9:45am. We wish to extend an invitation to parents and carers of Reception to Year 6 students to attend a parent/ carer session at 5:30pm. The Carly Ryan Foundation, a certified eSafety Education Provider, has developed an hour-long program designed to provide parents with the most essential and up to date information needed to keep their children safe online.   

The presentation is free and will be held at Catherine McAuley School in the JHPAC on the 19th September at 5:30pm. This session is designed specifically for parents/ carers and is not child appropriate. Please keep an eye out on SZAPP for an expression of interest later this term.  

Join us in celebrating the transformative power of reading during “Book Week”  (19th-25th August / Week 5)  

Book Week gives us an excuse to celebrate reading, Australian literature, school libraries and the people who bring books to children – from booksellers to school library staff, parents, teachers and beyond. The idea of “Book Week” is to explore other worlds, walk in characters footsteps, share and create stories, and grow a greater sense of belonging in communities as readers. 

The Children’s Book Council of Australia promotes “Book Week” through annual book awards to children's books of high literary and artistic quality. They also select a theme each year & this year’s theme is “Read, Grow, Inspire”-grow with ideas, grow as readers & grow as people. Reading expands our knowledge, provides new perspectives, gives us insights and fuels our creativity. 

Your child will be sharing & discussing the shortlisted books during visits to the Resource Centre. The children are enjoying the shortlist of books nominated for Early Childhood and Picture Book of the Year awards. You can see the lists of books at the Children’s Book Council of Australia website https://cbca.org.au/shortlist-2023 and there will be lots of story related activities for the classes. 

 A DRESS UP DAY is planned for the morning of WEDNESDAY 23rd AUGUST. Students are encouraged to dress up as a character from a book of their choice. 

If you are looking for some costume inspiration or stress-less simple but effective ideas, take a look at this advice for parents on Children’s books daily website at  https://childrensbooksdaily.com/category/book-week/

A reminder to all parents please label your child's clothing so it can be returned if brought to the office. 

If you are missing Lunch boxes or tupperware please check the basket near the office.