Term 2, Week 9, Issue #33 2025

Dear Families and Friends of CMS,

As we write our final newsletter entry for the term, it's hard to believe we are already halfway through the year. This term our classrooms have been alive with curiosity and creativity - from engaging literacy and numeracy units to hands-on projects in Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Technology. We have participated in sporting clinics, carnivals, and Run Club. We've immersed ourselves in rich cultural traditions through dance and music, and deeply reflected on the meaning of reconciliation. Students have enthusiastically  taken up a range of enriching student leadership opportunities, Digital Technologies, and podcasting. Our faith and spiritual awareness has been nurtured through prayerful moments both in and out of the classroom, through stewardship, and in our parish visits. Our students have grown in more ways than one - and we are so proud of their growth. We have also concluded our first School Ready Program and Small Mercies Transition, looking forward to formally welcoming them as Mid-Year Receptions next term. 

Term 2 concludes on Friday 4th July, 12:30pm. A reminder that Student Academic Semester Reports will be uploaded to the Community Portal by 1pm on this day. Please refer to the invitations sent by our finance team for guidance. Should you require assistance with signing up or logging in to the Community Portal, please reach out to our finance team who would be happy to help. We encourage you to celebrate your child/ren's growth and accomplishments this semester. These reports offer a valuable opportunity to reflect and set meaningful goals for the term ahead.

It's been especially heartwarming to witness our students embrace challenges and celebrate their achievements, both big and small since the beginning of the year. A big thank you to our dedicated teaching and co-educator staff who go above and beyond each day. To our parents and caregivers, thank you for your ongoing partnership and support this term. The connection between home and school remains a powerful foundation for student success.

We wish everyone a safe and restful break. Enjoy the school holidays - we look forward to welcoming everyone back on the 21st July for another vibrant and inspiring term of learning in Term 3. 

Yours in Faith, Growth & Unity

The Leadership Team
Marc, Krystina, Maria, Rebecca and Lisa-Marie

Blessings All, 

As Term 2 draws to a close, we take a moment to pause, reflect, and give thanks for the many blessings this term has brought to Catherine McAuley School.

This term has been filled with learning, laughter, challenges, and triumphs. In classrooms, on playgrounds, and through service and worship, we’ve seen our students grow not only in knowledge but in compassion, faith and responsibilities.

Some of the highlights this term were the Class Masses to St Ann’s Church, Centacare donations, and the weekly continuation of the MECA Squad, where students truly embodied our values of faith, kindness, humility, and stewardship. These moments remind us that education is not just about books and grades, but about nurturing the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.

As we head into the school holidays, we pray that each of you enjoys a time of rest, renewal, and joyful connection with loved ones. May God’s peace be with you during this break and may Term 3 bring new opportunities to learn and grow—together.

Class mass continuation in Term 3 and 4
Please come and join us at St Ann Parish Church, on Fridays when our children host and partake in a Parish Mass Service. We would love you to attend if you are able too. For reference to the remaining visits, please see below the day your child/children will be attending.

Mass schedule Term 3
1st of August 5R and 1C 
8th   of August 4M and RR
29th of August 2M
12th of September 3R and 2E

Mass schedule Term 4
17th of October 4E and RC
24th of October 3C
7th of November 2R

The Sacramental Program
As we continue with our Sacramental Program at the Parish, please remember if you are thinking about enrolling your child in the 2026 Sacramental Program, please contact me for further information. Children who wish to partake in the sacraments need to be Baptised in the Catholic/Christian church and are in year 4 or higher.  If your child is not Baptised, and you wish for them to be Baptised, please contact me and able to refer you to Fr Santosh. 

I would like to conclude with a prayer to keep you all safe in the holidays.

Heavenly Father,
As the school term ends and the holidays begin,
we lift up our children and families into Your loving care. 
Watch over them in their rest, their play, and their travels. 
Keep them safe from harm—whether seen or unseen—and surround them with Your peace.
May this break be filled with laughter, renewal, 
and moments that strengthen the bonds of love. 
Protect their hearts and minds, 
and guide them in kindness, patience, and joy. 
For those who may feel lonely or face challenges during this time, 
be their comfort and strength.
We thank You for the gift of family and the blessing of time together. 
May Your presence go with us wherever we are.
Amen.

Blessings

Maria Girolamo-Corbo
Assistant Principal in Religious Identity and Mission

As part of the Elizabeth Catholic Parish, we invite you to join us for Mass and upcoming events in our community. Please find the Mass times and notable Lenten activities below:

Mass Times:

St Thomas More’s Church
(19 Laverstock Road, Elizabeth North)

• Monday: 9:15am – Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion
• Tuesday & Wednesday: 9:15am – Mass
• Saturday: 6:00pm – Vigil Mass
• Sunday: 10:00am – Mass

St Ann’s Church
(30 Midway Road, Elizabeth East)

• Thursday & Friday: 9:15am – Mass
• Sunday: 8:30am – Mass

The latest edition of The Southern Cross can be found here.

Finance Matters!

School Fees

Please remember to keep on top of the payments to your School Fee account. We understand the difficulties that Families are under in the present economic climate. Please be assured that we do not want to add to any stress that you may be under.

We offer numerous options for you to be able to make payments and would encourage you to make regular small payments to ensure that your account does not become out of control.

Payment options

• B-Pay – details are provided on the lower portion of your Statement / Invoice
• QKR! App
• Centrepay – fees are paid direct from your Government Centrelink payments. Please contact the Office for the School’s Customer Reference Number (CRN) to assist in setting this up.
• Direct payment – Cash or Card at the Front Office
• Direct Debit payments – please download from the CMS website, on the Fees page, complete it and return to Finance for processing
• Direct Credit payments – please download from the CMS website, on the Fees page, complete it and return to Finance for processing
• Pay direct via the Community Portal

If you have any questions about any of these payment methods, please contact us for information.

Community Portal Access

Please note that signing up to the Community Portal is important as we will be issuing Student’s School Reports using this method at the end of Semester 1 – Friday, 4 July 2025. This will be the only way of accessing your Student Reports moving forward.

If you have already registered, you will have access as normal.

New invitations have been issued this week to those families that have not registered on the Portal. As invitations are sent automatically from our Finance System, please ensure that you login to the Community Portal using the invitation sent from noreply@civicacloud.com.au.

Invitations are only valid for seven days. If your invitation expires, please contact the Finance Team at accounts@cms.catholic.edu.au to request another invitation. Further invitations will be sent out leading up to the distribution of reports at the end of Week 10.

Remember, this access also enables you to view your up-to-date Fee Account information including Invoices and Statements.

Should you need to reset your Username or Password, move to the sign-in page for the Portal. You should be able to use the "Forgot Password?" link to change your password. Once on that page, there is a "Forgot your username?" link that will enable you to reset that as well. We can also provide you with your username, contact Finance for assistance.

Please remember that we can assist you if you are having difficulties, so please consider the information below and reach out to Finance on accounts@cms.catholic.edu.au if you need assistance.

Low Income Rebate

The School offers a Low Income Rebate of roughly 1/3 of your payable School Fees.

This can automatically be accessed if your family has an Australian Government issued Healthcare or Pension Card. To access, please present your Card at the Office where we will process the relevant information into our Finance system. Once entered, the Low Income Rebate will continue to apply until the card expires. To continue after an expiry of your card, please present an updated card at the office, where new dates can be entered for on-going provision of this Rebate.

Additionally, you will receive the Low Income Rebate if you are eligible for School Card. Applications for School Card remain open.

If you believe that you might be eligible, please complete the online application as soon as possible by clicking here. Alternatively, this can be reached through the CMS website on the School Fees page under Enrolment.

The earlier you apply, the earlier the rebate can be applied for those who are eligible. Final applications are due by the end of October 2025.

There is no need to apply for School Card if you have a registered Health or Pension card recorded at the School.

Hardship Remissions

The School has ways that it can assist if you are experiencing difficulties in meeting your fee payment obligations. If you are experiencing Financial hardship, please reach out to us at accounts@cms.catholic.edu.au to request a meeting with the Finance Team where your situation can be discussed in a private and confidential manner.

Here we have a special photo of Mr Forster at the iconic red door of Catherine McAuley’s House in Dublin. While visiting sacred Mercy sites as part of a pilgrimage marking 180 years of Catholic Education in SA, this moment connects our school to the heart of the Mercy story.

The red door is a symbol of welcome and compassion - values that continue to guide us at Catherine McAuley School today. 

It’s been a fantastic term for sport at Catherine McAuley School, with students achieving success across a range of events and representing our school and district with pride. From team carnivals to individual state selections, our students have demonstrated excellent skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Here are just a few highlights from the past few weeks

Catholic Schools Basketball Carnival

On Friday 13th June, Catherine McAuley participated in the Catholic Schools North-Eastern Basketball Carnival at The Lights. The round-robin competition was divided up into boys and girls.

The girls' team put in an impressive performance, showing outstanding teamwork and energy throughout the day. They shared the ball effectively, ensuring everyone was involved in play. Their strong defensive efforts also contributed to a great all-round team performance. Overall, the girls team finished 7th.

The boys' team delivered an extremely competitive performance, demonstrating great teamwork and determination. They executed fantastic plays, consistently repelling opposition attacks. Their ability to quickly turn defence into offensive opportunities led to some impressive scoring moments. The boys team finished 3rd overall.

All the boys and girls enjoyed the day and are to be congratulated on their fine sportspersonship during all matches. Thank you to Mr Zoccali and MR Wood for assisting with supervision and coaching on the day.

Playford SAPSASA District Selection

Netball

Congratulations to Ella Paynter who was selected to represent the Playford SAPSASA District at the School Sport SA State Netball Championships last week. Ella played multiple games in the 3-day carnival at Netball SA Stadium against other SAPSASA Districts. Well done, Ella!

Football

Congratulations to Ryder McConnell-Cotton who represented the Playford SAPSASA District at the School Sport SA State Football Championships earlier this term. Congratulations on a fine achievement!

Advertiser Top 30 Junior Softball Stars

Congratulations to Henry Duits on being named in The Advertiser's Top 30 Junior Softball Stars list. Henry excels as both a catcher and midfield player, currently playing with the Bluejays and represented the Gawler District at the SAPSASA School Championships. His eagerness to learn and competitive spirit make him a true standout on the field.

Yours in Faith, Growth & Unity

PE Teacher/Coordinator
Fabian Chevalier

Our overarching CMS rule is that: Everyone has the right to teach, learn and be safe.

School safety is important to protect all students and school personnel from incidences that can harm their physical and mental well-being, disrupt their learning.

All students (and their teachers) have the right to be safe at school. When students feel safe, they are more likely to engage actively in their learning. Feelings of safety at school can contribute to better focus and concentration, which are critical for academic success (Kutsyuruba et al., 2015). A safe environment also promotes positive relationships among students and between students and teachers (Lenzi et al., 2017). This helps in building a supportive community where students feel valued and respected. Finally, feeling safe at school is vital for students' mental and emotional health (Graham et al., 2023).

Being safe at school stems from good listening and following instructions and school rules. Students know the importance and the expectation of having safe hands, feet and words. That we treat others as we want to be treated.

Part of PBIS Safety is STOPPING, THINKING and MAKING A-Choices, for our words and actions. Some of our mini lessons are about:

• Having control over our emotions
• Being responsible for our actions and words
• Borrowing and using others’ belongings respectfully
• Listening and following instructions
• Being patient and showing self-control
• Learning in the classroom and playing in the playground

There are often stories and videos that are part of the PBIS mini lessons.

"What If Everybody Did That?" Read Aloud

Our School expectations for Safety.

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