Dear Parents and Friends
This week’s newsletter marks the end of Week 6 and we find ourselves well and truly over the half way mark of term. The early mornings have a crispness about them, indicating that winter has certainly arrived. In the midst of the chilly mornings, school life continues to be exciting and full of fun experiences. Over the last few weeks several classes have ventured out of the school on excursions to the Dream Big Festival, the Botanic Gardens, the Farm Barn and others have ventured on camp to Glenhaven. Our older students have been involved in various SAPSASA sports events and carnivals and our Cross Country runners spent a successful day at Oakbank running through fields and creek beds Thank you to the many parents who help out so generously with supervision on excursions and help provide transport when groups are too small for buses.
National Reconciliation Week
AFL Football has certainly helped to raise the awareness of our responsibility towards healing and reconciliation with what has become known as the Indigenous Round. The various guernsey designs of the AFL teams including our own Crows and Power jumpers helps to raise awareness and curiosity with regard to National Reconciliation Week. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is celebrated across Australia each year between 27 May and 3 June. The dates commemorate two significant milestones in Australia's reconciliation journey - the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. This past week has been a time for all Australians to reflect on our past and to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort. As a school community, we have recognised and have celebrated NRW Week in our classrooms and in class prayers. At the Year 3 assembly the children used the Welcome to Country. This week the Marine Discovery Centre was visited by three APY Land elders who have never seen the ocean and walked on a beach. It was quite moving to see their delight over something we take for granted. I am sure there were numerous other activities happening in classes throughout the school this week, all of which helped us to be aware of this significant occasion.
School Closure Day
A reminder that this Friday 7th June will be a school closure day. All staff will be attending an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Professional Development day here at school. The day will focus on indigenous culture and spirituality and provide staff with a better understanding of Aboriginal Australia from an Aboriginal perspective. The day aims to raise awareness and begin the process of designing a curriculum for our children that is culturally sensitive.
The OSHC service will be available at school on Friday but will be dependent on numbers. Please contact Laura Artis.
Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass
Parents and friends are welcome to join us for our whole school Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday 28th June at 9.15am. Whole school Masses are always a beautiful celebrations and very uplifting. The Feast of the Sacred Heart is very a special occasion as we join Fr John and Fr Krish in celebrating what is a most special of days for the Missionaries of the Scared Heart priests. The Star Outreach group will serve tea/ coffee and biscuits in the hall after Mass. Please join us.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart will also be an SRC Fundraiser for the MSC Missions. We invite the children to come dressed as their favourite super hero. A gold coin donation will be collected by the SRC.
Sick Children
With the colder weather upon us the coughs and colds are also about. I ask parents to be considerate of other children and staff before sending children to school unwell. It doesn't take much for germs to spread in classrooms at the best of times. If your child is presenting with a sore throat, temperature and is sneezing and coughing then it would be best to keep them home until the symptoms subside. The Office Staff do a great job but even they have a limit to the miracles they can perform.
School Disco
Next Friday 21st June is the annual School Disco for Reception to Year 5 students. This year the Disco will be held over two sessions, Reception - Year 2 (5pm to 6.30pm) and Year 3 - Year 5 (7pm to 8.30pm). The theme is Crazy Hair Disco and promises to be loads of fun. Further details regarding drop off and pick up etc will be sent to parents via Skoolbag.
I get to relax this weekend as my beloved Port Power has a bye. Enjoy the long weekend ahead.
Joe De Tullio