It's hard to believe that we are in Term 4 already!
We would like to introduce you to some new staff members that have started this Term.
Mr Anthony Elmassih, our new Youth Worker, is joining our Student Wellbeing Team and Mrs Claire Bugeja is helping support students with their learning in class. Ms Deb Goode has also joined the team as our Finance Officer, supporting the work of the Business Manager. We welcome Anthony, Claire and Deb and thank them for the contributions they are making already to enhancing the support we can provide to our students and families.
We are excited to announce the safe arrival of Mrs Thorvaldsson's and Ms Connelly's babies. Rebecca and Luke had a little boy named Levi on 2nd October and Georgia and Sam welcomed their little girl naming her Lola also on the 2nd October. We are thrilled for both familes and wish them all the joy in the world as they bond, care and nurture themselves and their little bundles of joy.
To date, we have 51 new Reception students enrolled to join us in 2024. In the coming weeks, these new students will begin their transition to ‘big’ school, and we are excited to be welcoming them to the Catherine McAuley School community.
As we prepare to welcome new Receptions to our community, we are also guiding and supporting our Year 6 students as they prepare for their transition to high school. This is a time filled with excitement and nerves, but we are here to help.
A reminder of the high school transition dates:
| School | Transition Date |
|---|---|
| St Columba College | Monday 27th November 2023 |
| Thomas More College | Friday 1st December 2023 |
| Craigmore High | Thursday 7th December 2023 |
| Xavier College | Monday 11th December 2023 |
In the hope of alleviating some issues that have arisen lately, we would like to take this opportunity to remind families that students should not be bringing personal toys, including trading and Pokémon cards, to school.
We are happy to be sharing with you that the fees for 2024 remain unchanged from 2023.
We understand that at times, some families may struggle to make regular payments on time and in these cases, the school is happy to discuss how we can best help. Families who are having financial difficulty in paying the school fees are asked to contact the School Business Manager, Mrs Anne Richards, to discuss their situation.
Dear Catherine McAuley Families,
Our long-awaited Catherine McAuley Feast Day’s ‘Charities Stalls Day’ is back! After a long absence from our school calendar, due to Covid-19, it is now back!
Our Charities Stall Day is an event that raises money for Catholic Charities and is created and led by all students. Each class devises a stall to sell goods or provide a game activity experience and all proceeds is split between the following Catholic Charities: • Hutt St Centre • Aboriginal Catholic Ministry • Our Lady of La Vang & St Patrick’s Special Schools and • Centacare Catholic Family Services. Catholic Charities represents a unique and vital part of a person’s / family support system, and the funds enable each to operate successfully. More information about these services can be found on the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide website: https://adelaide.catholic.org.au/charity-and-giving/catholic-charities/who-we-help.
On Friday 10th November between 1.30-2.30 our school will be a hive of activity with an array of delights to try and buy. All families are welcome. If you are a registered volunteer and would like to assist in your child’s class charity stall, please speak with your child’s teacher. Thank you.
Of course, our Charities Stalls Day cannot happen without the assistance of all our families. Your child’s teacher will inform you, via a SeeSaw message, of the donations their stall requires. If you can donate, we would be extremely grateful. Watch out for the message!
In the past, many families have asked about the recommended amount of money their child should be given to spend. Everything is priced accordingly, therefore, $5 would be more than enough to spend on the day.
If you have any questions, please contact your child’s class teacher, or come in and speak with me.
Yours in Faith, Growth and Unity
Mrs. Caldinez
APRIM
Our 2023 Concert: ‘You Can’t Stop the Music’, is approaching very quickly! Students are excited to present their performances to you on Wednesday 15th November.
Rehearsals at the Theatre:
There will be 2 rehearsal days leading up to the performance: Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th November. Students will attend Starplex Theatre on one or both of these days. Please see the timetable below:
Tuesday 14th November: All Year 6 students, concert singers (3-6) and concert dancers (1-6). Your class teacher will have advised if your child/children are involved in an extra performance as either a singer or dancer.
Please complete the permission below:
Concert Rehearsal - Starplex Theatre - Tuesday 14th November 2023
Wednesday 15th November: All students R-5 and selected Year 6 students as advised by class teacher as well as concert lead performers.
Please complete the permission below:
Concert Rehearsal - Starplex Theatre - Wednesday 15th November 2023
Our Concert will take place on Wednesday, 15th November at 6:30pm at Starplex Theatre, Gawler. Tickets are on sale via the QKR app.
We would like to introduce to you a couple of special characters that you will meet at our concert.
Abbey plays the character of Toni Deaf. Abbey would describe her character in one word LOUD. She enjoys playing the character as she gets to scream and scare people. She finds it challenging on stage as she is not able to laugh or smile. She is finding the experience really fun and loves being able to express herself.
Matilda plays the character of Miss Carrie-Oakie. Matilda would describe her character in one word as QUIRKY. She enjoys playing the character as she is a fun colourful and quirky and always gets her own way. The main challenge on stage is having to pretend to slap another character. Matilda is finding the experience really worth it and loves all the hard work Mrs Pollard puts in.
Hoping everyone had a great holiday and are ready to start a busy term 4.
I came across this article and I thought it maybe a helpful tool to use with your children at home.
It is a My Daily Routine which supports children to be organised for different parts of their day; morning, after school, and before bed.
Each classroom in our school has what is called a visual timetable, this provides predictability for a student’s school day, this is used in a similar way to the My Daily Routines (attached).
Using visual timetables/schedules/routines provides children the opportunity to build on their independence. It can also help provide a necessary structure for some children to reduce stress and allows these children to better prepare and cope with transitions.
The attached can be used in many ways.
Click HERE to download
You can use the suggested templates attached or cut and order the way it suits your family
You can make your own to suit your family
You can use it as a check list
The blank routines could be laminated and you could use a whiteboard marker to write your routines on it. Hoping you find this helpful, and if you have questions please do not hesitate to pop in and ask.
Lee-anne Vandenberg
Student Wellbeing Counsellor
Remembrance Day Assembly
On Friday 10th November Week 4, our campus will pause for Remembrance Day.
At 11:00am on the 11th of November 1918 a peace agreement was signed between Germany and the Allies, ending World War One.
Now that date every year is called Remembrance Day.
Remembrance Day is a day where we remember those that sacrificed their life so we could have peace, and remember those that have served and are still serving.
A Minute of Silence
Every year at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, nations around the globe fall silent for one minute to remember those who have served their country.
Red Poppies
The Flanders Poppy was one of the first plants to grow on the battlefields of France and Belgium. After WWI, silk poppies were sold on Armistice Day with proceeds going to a charity for the Returned Soldiers League (RSL).
2023 Catherine McAuley Cup Run / Sports Expo
Last term, we all enjoyed the annual Catherine McAuley Cup Run and Sports Expo. Blessed with fantastic weather, students participated in a morning full of activities and fun. It was great to see families join us for the morning and cheer on our Cup Runners and applaud students showcasing their skills during the Sports Expo. The Sports Expo was a wonderful display of students’ physical abilities and talents. We are impressed more and more each year with the number of children participating in this part of the program.
The much-anticipated Catherine McAuley Cup Run was again a highlight with the Reception to Year 3 students cheering on the Years 4 to 6 runners as they finished the race. Congratulations to Max Johnson (Year 6 – John Coolock) and Indiahna Coplestone (Year 5 – Harley House) who were the first boy and girl runners to cross the finish line.
Below are the place winners for each House.
The overall team placings for the day were:
1st – John Coolock, 2nd - Harley, 3rd – John Smith, 4th – Mercy
Thank you to everyone involved for their support in providing a fun morning focussed on health, wellbeing and being active.
Great work everyone!
COME AND HAVE YOUR SAY!
The Assistant Minister for Autism, Emily Bourke and Lee Odenwalder will be hosting an Autistic and Autism community forum at the Playford Civic Centre at 6pm on Wednesday the 8th of November.
The forum will provide an opportunity to share knowledge and supports for your local community, as well as help the Malinauskas Labor Government continue to be a world leader in autism inclusion.
Reserve your place here:
The Carly Ryan Foundation have kindly shared some information sheets about applications frequently used by the children in our school community. Please take time to read over the fact files that relate to your child to understand why the application is used, how to increase your child's safety while using the application and what to do should your child experience any bullying or harassment.
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