Term 4, Week 9, Issue #26 2024

Dear Families and Friends of Catherine McAuley School

As the year draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible journey we have shared together in 2024.

It has been a year filled with growth, learning, and countless moments of joy that have brought our school community closer. Together, we’ve celebrated successes, navigated challenges, and witnessed the unique gifts and talents of each student shine brightly.

The heart of our school is not just the bricks and mortar but the vibrant community that fills it with love, laughter, and learning. From our dedicated teachers and staff who go above and beyond every day, to our supportive parents and guardians who partner with us in so many ways, and of course, our amazing students who inspire us with their curiosity and kindness—each of you is a vital part of what makes Catherine McAuley School so special.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank and farewell staff that are moving on to other opportunities next year. Ms Tabet, Miss Holland, Mrs Pollard, Mrs Connelly, Mrs Mules, and Mrs Caldinez. In your own unique ways, each of you have shared with us your gifts and talents, making lasting impacts on our community. We are grateful for the contributions you have made and for the support you have provided members of our community over the years.

As we prepare to pause for the Christmas break, we encourage you to take this time to reconnect with loved ones and reflect on the blessings of the season. Christmas is a time of joy, peace, and hope—a chance to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and His message of love and compassion. Let us embrace the spirit of giving, not only in material ways, but also in acts of kindness, understanding, and generosity of heart.

To our students, I hope this break brings you time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the magic of the season with your families. You have worked so hard this year, and we are proud of all that you have accomplished.

On behalf of everyone here at Catherine McAuley School, we wish you and your families a joyful and holy Christmas and a New Year filled with health, happiness, and hope. May the light of Christ guide and bless you in all that you do.

Thank you for being a cherished part of our school family. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the New Year, ready to embrace all the possibilities that 2025 holds.

Christmas blessings,

Yours in Faith, Growth & Unity

The Leadership Team
Marc, Krystina, Maria and Rebecca

Blessings All

The 2024 School Year is quickly coming to an end. So much has happened with the children, they have learnt new skills and information in the different learning areas, made new friends, grown that little bit taller and wiser as they soaked in all the skills, content and experiences of 2024.

Advent
As we entered the Christmas Season last week with the beginning of Advent, this is a time of preparation for the coming of our Saviour. Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or "arrival." Advent is a four-week season dedicated to reflective preparation for the arrival, "advent", of the baby Jesus. Each week of Advent, a new candle is lit, and each candle has its own meaning and symbolism bringing us closer to the birth of Jesus.

The Advent wreath symbolizes everlasting life and unending love and each candle has a different focus, and a new candle is lit every Sunday before Christmas.

The first purple candle is the Candle of Hope, also known as the Prophet's Candle. This candle marks the beginning of the Advent season and sets the tone for the spiritual journey towards Christmas. As the flickering flame illuminates the darkness, it symbolizes the hope that permeates the hearts of believers, reminding them of the promise of salvation and the anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also known as the Prophet's Candle because, we wait in hope for the arrival of the Prophet, Jesus our saviour.   

The second purple candle is the Candle of Peace, also known as the Bethlehem Candle. The candle of Peace extends beyond the absence of conflict and turmoil. It encompasses a profound state of spiritual well-being, fostering a sense of harmony and unity within oneself and with the world at large. The flickering flame serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards reconciliation and forgiveness. Also known as the Bethlehem Candle,” signifies Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is the Candle of Joy, and it is represented by the colour pink. It marks a pivotal moment in the spiritual journey towards Christmas. As the radiant flame of the third candle is kindled, it ignites a profound sense of jubilation and Joy in the anticipation of the arrival of the baby Jesus. It is also known as the Shepherd's Candle, as it represents the joy that filled the hearts of the shepherds who received the news of Jesus' birth from the angels. 

The fourth purple candle is the Candle of Love, also known as the Angels candle. The lighting of this candle represents the Love received in the world with the coming of the baby Jesus. It is also known as the Angels Candle as it reminds us of the angels' message: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men and Women”

The final candle is a white candle and is lit on Christmas day representing the arrival of Jesus our saviour.

Each week, from the first of December, during our Morning Prayer we lit a candle from the Advent Wreath, explaining the meaning behind the candles, strengthening the children’s relationship with Jesus and the Catholic faith.

Nativity
This year, our Reception Children were involved in a beautiful performance of the Nativity Story, the story of the birth of Jesus. They were so wonderful in depicting the Nativity story, we had several performances, two at school and one at the Parish at St Ann’s Church. Captivating the Parishioners and Fr Santosh. I am forever grateful to Mrs Pollard, Mrs King, Mrs Brodley and Mrs Mynhardt, the parents who volunteered to assist, and of course to the children, the stars of the performances.  

Mercy Winners
Last week we announced the Mercy Winners. To nominate a student to receive a Mercy Award, the student should display Mercy and be merciful at school and in the community. Not only while in Year 6, but over the whole period the student has been at Catherine McAuley School. The merciful qualities that we believe are vital are:

• Understanding, Tolerance and Inclusion
• Embracing Life
• Responsibility
• Stewardship
• Quality Relationships
• Spirituality and Faith
• Care and Compassion
• Dignity and Justice
• Honesty, Integrity and Trustworthiness

All these Mercy qualities fit into our school values of compassion, Justice, Respect, Hospitality, Service, and Courage.

This year we had 6 students who were nominated by their Cohort to be put forward as a Mercy Leader. The students are Mackenzie Hale, Indy Bromilow, Liam Rowen, Amelia Nuttall, Callum Hornsby and Emilio Pascual.

After counting the Year 6 Students and Staff votes, the three Mercy Winners were Indy Bromilow, Mackenzie Hale and Liam Rowen. Congratulations!

Mercy Education Award 2024 Winner
Catherine McAuley School is one of the many Mercy Schools in South Australia, Australia, and the World. As we are a representative of Mercy Education Limited, we were asked to nominate a student who has espoused the core values of Mercy Education. The student was nominated in recognition of the significant contribution to leadership in the Mercy Tradition of Education and demonstrating the Mercy Education values of Compassion, Justice, Respect, Hospitality, Courage, and Service. We are honoured to announce Indy Bromilow as the 2024 Mercy Education Award winner. Indy was presented to the Year 6 students, families and Staff on the evening of the Year 6 Graduation. Congratulations Indy.

Charity Stalls
Despite the heat, Catherine McAuly ran their annual Charity Stalls Day. Each Year level and Auslan oversaw a food stall and a game stall. The courtyard was buzzing with excitement, laughter and joy.  All the funds made on the day was for ‘Thy Faithfulness Charity Foundation’, assisting families in Africa, overall, the school donated almost $2000. Well done Catherine McAuley School.

Wishing Tree
As you walked into the front office, you would have noticed our Wishing Tree, thank you to the many families and staff for your generous donations. Your gifts will be delivered to the Elizabeth St Vincent de Paul and to Centacare, supporting the families in the community.   

As we come close to the end of the term, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the families of Catherine McAuley School, your welcoming presence has been an absolute joy to be a part of and I look forward to seeing you all in the new year. Please stay safe and have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

 Prayer

Lord, I thank You for coming to earth so You could redeem me.

When I think of the extent to which You were willing to go to save me,

 it makes me want to shout, to celebrate, and to cry with thankfulness.

You love me so much, and I am so grateful for that love.

 Without You, I would still be lost and in sin.

 But because of everything You have done for me, today I am free.

my life is blessed; Jesus is my Lord.

I will be eternally thankful to You for everything You did to save me!

Amen.

Blessings,

Maria Girolamo-Corbo
Assistant Principal in Religious Identity and Mission

As the Year 6 Cohort work towards finalising all their learning and preparing for their Graduation, so much was happening in the Year 6 Block.

We start with the Year 6 blessing liturgy, what a sacred and special celebrational ceremony shared with the school community. The Year 6s received a special blessing by the receptions and had a honourable send off by all the Staff of Catherine McAuley School. The Mercy winners were also announced, this year we had 6 students who were put forward as a Mercy Award Nominees The students are Mackenzie Hale, Indy Bromilow, Liam Rowen, Amelia Nuttall, Callum Hornsby and Emilio Pascual. After calculating all votes, the three Mercy Winners are Indy Bromilow, Mackenzie Hale and Liam Rowen. Congratulations to all nominated students!

Year 6 Retreat, the Year 6 students were involved in a day of reflection and preparation for the High school years ahead. Starting the day in prayer, the students then sat through an information session on what to expect in your first year at High school, two Catherine McAuley past students, Luca Virgara and Chae Scaife, spoke about their first year at high school. They answered a lot of questions from the Year 6 students, which helped ease the many nerves experienced by the Year 6 students. A special moment when our Year 6 students were surprised from letters from home. Family members wrote letters to the students expressing how proud they are. The children then had the opportunity to write back to their family members. These letters are then presented to their families on Graduation night. We had a visit from Fr Santosh, providing a special blessing to the students and to remind them, Jesus is always with them. The students then worked through a session on moving out of your comfort zone, as all will be moving out of the comfort of Primary School. Students then designed and made a memory book, to hold Catherine McAuley Community signatures and lastly the day ended with Graduation preparations. Overall, it was a reflective and very insightful day.

Friday the 6th of December the Year 6 students attended West lakes Aquatic centre for their Aquatic Day. What a day of water safety and fun activities. The students spent the day, sailing, surfing, canoeing and kayaking. What a fantastic day, thank you Mr Chevalier for organising the day.

Graduation
The final celebration for our Year 6 Students is their Graduation. This year, the event was held at the Hewett Centre in Gawler. The evening started with a sacred Liturgy, celebrating the year and acknowledging the achievements. We heard speeches from Mr Marc Forster and Year 6 Students. Passing of the Leadership Candle occurred to the new leaders of the school, two representatives from Year 5. A special blessing from the year 6 teachers was provided as well as a blessing to our families who also leave the Catherine McAuley Community. As all the Year 6 Students were presented their aspirations and most memorable moments were told and they ended the night with a fun Disco.

The Staff of Catherine McAuley School wish you all the best and remember, follow your dreams and never forget you will always be a part of Catherine McAuley School. Best wishes Class of 2024!

Katrina Timmins, Georgia Connelly, Fabian Chevalier and Maria Girolamo-Corbo
Year 6 Teachers

Please see above a letter from the Premier and Minister about the social media legislation that passed the Federal Parliament last week.

Congratulations to Alessio Barilla, Liam Marks Sime and Peyton Rennie who represented the Playford SAPSASA District at the Cricket and Tennis State Championships earlier this term. All three students should be proud of their achievement and the determination and sporstpersonship they showed throughout the championships.

Well done!!

Yours in Faith, Growth and Unity

Fabian Chevalier
PE Teacher / Coordinator

What a year it has been for Mini Macs! We’ve had so much fun learning through play across our three sessions. Sadly, we said goodbye to Jo, who ran these sessions for many years, and to Sarah, who assisted her. In August, Emma and I took over, and though we were initially nervous, we quickly found our feet and now feel right at home. We’ve loved getting to know all the children and families, and we’re thrilled to welcome many new families into our wonderful community.

Our playgroup sessions are getting busier, and Emma and I take pride in creating a warm, fun environment full of engaging activities to explore and learn through.

This year we’ve introduced pop-up playgroups every second Thursday (stay tuned for more pop-ups next year!).

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
More playgroup sessions coming next year… watch this space!

Bop is busier than ever, with new families joining our fun music and dance program. Who knows – we might add another session, too!

In ELY, we’ve focused on number and letter recognition, primary colours (and what happens when they mix), science experiments, weather, and the days of the week. We’ve also been building fine and gross motor skills with weekly activities.

Our playgroup magpie has a name – meet Piper!
This year, we went on a school map walk, had our own mini performance, and spread Christmas cheer at Resthaven, where we made cards and sang songs for the residents.

It’s been an incredible start to my career as the Mini Macs 
Co-ordinator. I’m truly passionate about my role, and I love what I do.

Thank you all for your amazing support and patience. On behalf of Emma and myself, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We can’t wait to see you in 2025!

Lisa Toloza
Mini Macs Coordinator

We're excited to announce the arrival of Mrs King's (3M) newset addition to the family! Tiilly arrived 5 days overdue on the 19th of November. Congratulations Mrs King & Family. 

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