Term 2, Week 9 2023

It is with great sadness that I write my final newsletter for St Mary Magdalene’s. My experience at this school has been amazing. To all of our children, staff, and families I say thank you for welcoming me and trusting me to lead St Mary Magdalene’s this term. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it, this community is amazing. I have worked in a number of schools and, through my role in the Catholic Education Office, I have seen many more. There are very few schools who have a community as strong as ours. It is something that everyone should be very proud of and work to sustain. I’m not sure where I will end up next but I will always remember St Mary Magdalene’s. I may even come back someday.

Master Plan

We had the pleasure of having our architects, Rachel and Sam, from Das Studio visit us last week. We have been speaking to them about developing a master plan for our school. They spoke to each class last week and listened to what types of spaces the children were looking for. There were many amazing ideas that were shared. From dance studios and stages, a dedicated STEM room, a big hamster wheel, and one student asked for a swimming pool (which nearly happened the next day with the amount of rain we had in the carpark!).

Rachel and Sam will be speaking with staff and there will be consultation with the community as well over the next few months. This is an exciting opportunity to have a say in how our school offers learning and gathering spaces that work for our community.

Reports

We are using a new system for reports this year. Our teachers have been learning how to enter grades, comments, and values into our new platform. This has been a steep learning curve, however, everything looks good and ready to go. Reports are scheduled to be sent home on Thursday next week.

School Photos

We had our school photos taken today. It was great to see fresh haircuts and some fancy styles around the school. Our photographers, MSP, were very professional and took excellent photos. If your child missed today’s photo day, we have a catch-up day next Tuesday.

Soccer and Netball Carnival

We also had our soccer and netball carnival today. Thank you for changing your drop off plans and getting your children to St Thomas More in the morning. We’ve heard that the day has gone well and I’m sure you children will come home with exciting stories of some epic wins, and some close losses from today’s carnival. Thank you to Mr Morgado for organising our teams, and thank you to Mrs Tullio for assisting with supervision.

Finally, I thank everyone for an amazing term. I hope Mr Mercer has had a good break and is ready to get back to work!

Liturgical Calendar Information 

Special celebrations that we focus on during classroom and whole school prayer throughout term 2 and those that come up in our liturgical calendar include: 

July 2 – 9 – NAIDOC Week  

NAIDOC Week 

‘For our Elders’ is the theme for NAIDOC Week celebrations this year. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders hold the stories that make up the oldest living culture in the world! This year's NAIDOC theme, 'For Our Elders', is an opportunity for all Australian schools to ensure our young people are learning from our Elders' knowledge and perspectives, and that these continue to be passed down through generations for millennia to come.

St Vincent de Paul 

As the weather gets colder, we invite you to think about those in our wider community who may need our help this winter. St Vincent de Paul provide clothing, shelter, and food to those who need it most. We will be supporting the work of St Vincent de Paul over the remainder of the term by collecting donations of clothing (especially any winter items you may have grown out of) and blankets. Any donations can be given to Melissa Musolino. 

Monday Morning Staff Prayer 

We gather as a staff group every Monday morning to begin our week with prayer. With our overarching theme for Religious Education this term being ‘Connection’, Mrs. Drewett invited us to consider the connections we have in our lives and to reflect on those people we feel we may need to ‘re connect’ with. This time of prayer and reflection provides a gentle start to the day.  

Whole School Mass 

We invite you to join us to celebrate our first whole school Mass in Week 10, Tuesday July 4 at 12pm in the Yarning Place. 

Elizabeth Catholic Parish Sacramental Program 

For those families whose child / ren are involved in the 2023 Sacramental Program, please be aware of the following dates for Term 2. 

Eucharist Session for Parents and Candidates 

Term 2 Week 9 Saturday July 1 9.00am – 11.00am St. Thomas More Church