Term 2, Week 3, Issue #31 2025

Dear Families and friends of CMS, 

We’ve had a fantastic start to Term 2, with so many exciting opportunities already underway across the school. From the Soccer Carnival and class excursions to our Year 4–6 students diving into the Living Laudato Si student agency initiative, it’s been wonderful to see our students engaged, active and curious.

Our Sports Leaders also took part in a special workshop, and the whole school got a first look at the plans for our new building – a sneak peek that has sparked plenty of excitement about what’s to come!

A big congratulations to our recent Key Capabilities Award winners who were recognised at this week’s assembly. It’s always a joy to celebrate the growth and success of our students.

Looking ahead, the term continues to be full of great opportunities. We have Careers Dress-Up Day, our free dental service, National Reconciliation Week, and a reminder that next Monday is a pupil-free day.

We hope all the amazing mums, grandmothers, and special women in our community had a wonderful Mother’s Day – we loved seeing so many of you at our breakfast and liturgy last week. Thank you also to our team, Mercy Leaders and P&F members for putting together such a thoughtful and well-run Mother’s Day Stall.

Yours in Faith, Growth & Unity

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

Blessings All, 

I hope you all had a Blessed Easter and were able to enjoy time with your family and friends. Easter is an important celebration in the Catholic Church and for Catholic Schools, it is a time to recognize and acknowledge the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for humanity. He died to allow forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and a future of hope for all.

This year, with the celebration of Easter, we had the sadden death of our beloved Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church. An enormous loss, Pope Francis was known for his commitment to helping the poor and disadvantaged, he treated all people the same, with love and respect. A true leader advocating for justice and all humanity. Let us pause as we remember Pope Francis.U

                                              Eternal rest grant unto Pope Francis, O Lord,
                                                 and let perpetual light shine upon him.
                                                                 May he rest in peace.

                                                                               Amen.   

While we reflected on the loss of Pope Francis, we can also hold hope for what the new Pope, Pope Leo the XIV brings to the world. When Pope Leo first met the world, his first sentence was “Peace be with you all!”  Pope Leo speaks of Peace to enter our hearts, to reach all families and people.  He further spoke about striving for a Church on the move, a Church that always strives for peace, that always strives for charity, that always strives to be close, especially to those who suffer. We have a lot to look forward too with our new Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo the XIV.

Fundraising

I would like to sincerely thank all the families of Catherine McAuley Community for your generous contribution to the Project Compassion fund. All the money donated will go to the many families in need of assistance located abroad and in our community. Thank you!

Term 2 and 3, Catherine McAuley School has directed the fundraising to Centacare. Centacare, Catholic Family Services supports over 20,000 South Australians every year through client-centred community services. Each class is rostered to donate to nonperishable food items, toiletries, toys, clothes, ETC. Your child’s class teacher will inform families when donations are due. Thank you to the classes who have already donated.      

Mother’s Day Liturgy

Friday the 9^th of May, Catherine McAuley School celebrated Mother’s Day with a delicious breakfast for our mothers, grandmothers and special women in our lives. Followed by a sacred Mother’s Day Liturgy hosted by the children in 3E and Ms Heinjus and Ms Turner. The children prepared lovely prayers and reflections honouring and thanking their mothers and special women in their lives.

Morally, Ecological, Compassionate Awareness Squad, (MECA)

I am pleased to announce the relaunch of the MECA squad. This year we asked children in year 2 to 4 to complete a written application and sit through an interview if they wished to be part of an exciting group of students living the Laudato Si’, Care for our common home. Laudato Si’, was launched in May 2015 by our beloved Pope Francis. Pope Francis wrote a paper, addressing needs for the Environment and Humanity. The Cry for Help was the main reason establishing this movement, which still is important today. The MECA squad will be involved in several projects focused on sustainability and care for the local environment. Watch this space for further updates on the MECA squad.

Class mass continuation

On Friday, the 23^rd of May we continue our Class Visits to St Ann Parish Church. Each class will travel to St Ann’s Church 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 2 
23rd May 6E and 1E
6^th of June 3E
13^th of June 2E
20^th of June 5E and RE

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

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

The Sacramental Program commenced this year with our Commissioning Masses held on the 3^rd and 4^th of May at St Thomas More Church. Beautiful celebrations as we welcomed our young children into the Catholic Community.  Across the two terms, children and their families from the surrounding Schools in the Elizabeth Parish, including Catherine McAuley School, come together on some Saturday mornings to deepen their understanding of the Sacraments, preparing them to continue their journey in the Catholic Church and Community. Each workshop is aimed at preparing the children for their sacrament of Healing, Reconciliation and Sacraments of Initiation of Confirmation and First Eucharist.

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 celebrating all the special women in our lives in honour of Mother’s Day

Loving God,

We thank you for the love of the special women in our lives,

Whose love is so precious that it can never be measured,

whose patience seems to have no end.

May we see your loving hand behind them and guiding them.

We pray for those mothers who fear,

they will run out of love or time, or patience.

We ask you to bless them with your own special love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, our saviour.

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

• Sunday: 10:00am – Mass

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

• Thursday & Friday: 9:15am – Mass

• Saturday: 6:00pm – Vigil Mass

• Sunday: 8:30am – Mass

This week has been Catholic Education Week! Throughout the week, we celebrated all the ways a Catholic Education helps to make our students and school communities SHINE. We celebrated our love for teaching and learning, the power of kindness and caring for each other and the hope that shines in every student. Our schools are places where children grow in faith, friendship, and their future aspirations. 

“How does your school help you shine?”
We asked our students, and here’s what they had to say:

✨ Noah - Year 1: "Belonging and Respect"
✨ Emily - Year 3: "The Kind Teachers"
✨ Lucy - Year 3: "The Respect in Everyone"

Every day, we see the light of hope, kindness, and learning in our students. 
Their words remind us why a Catholic education is so special! 

Finance Matters

School Fees

A reminder that it is important 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
• 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 to process
• Direct Credit payments – please download from the CMS website, on the Fees page, complete it and return to Finance to process
• Pay on the Community Portal

Community Portal

Please note that signing up for the Portal is important as we will be issuing Student’s School Reports using this method at the end of Semester 1. This will be the only way of accessing your Student Reports moving forward.

New invitations will be 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.

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.

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 - School Card

If you are eligible for School Card, you receive the Low Income Rebate of roughly 1/3 of your payable School Fees. Applications for School Card are now open.

If you feel that you might be eligible, please complete the online application as soon as possible by copying the following link and pasting it into your browser – https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-and-learning/financial-help-scholarships-and-grants/school-card-scheme. 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.

Hardship Remissions

The School has a process that 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.

On Tuesday, Mrs GC and Miss Timmins accompanied our Year 4–6 student leaders to the launch of the Student Agency: Living Laudato Si Project. Together with over 150 students from both primary and secondary schools, we explored what student agency truly means, how we can strengthen it, and how to use it to make a meaningful ecological impact within our school community.

Our School Ready Program has been making a remarkable impact on our little ones, helping them step confidently into their educational journey. Lisa and I have thoroughly enjoyed our Fridays watching them grow and learn in many ways. Whilst we are a little sad that this first cohort and program is coming to an end in three weeks, we are excited to see their learning journey blossom from here. 

Their sound recognition of m, s, t, a is coming along and they are now beginning to blend words with these sounds. Counting 1-20 and back has been an enjoyable challenge for our School Ready Students as well. Their fine motor skills in writing letters, numbers, and their own name is improving with every session. The routines and structure of unpacking their bag, listening on the carpet, participating in prayer, lining up to walk around the school, and playing safely with others have been invaluable lessons. 

This term so far our children have had the opportunity to experience their first two liturgies - which they sat beautifully and listened to the speaker. Their first PE lesson with Mr C was a blast, where they learnt some fundamental movement skills and fun games. This Friday we are excited to experience our first Expressive Arts lesson with Mrs Holland. We are looking forward to the final few weeks of the program - each session offering a new school experience for our little ones to enjoy. 

Yours in Faith, Growth & Unity,

Rebecca Philip
Assistant Principal, Teaching, Learning & Engagement

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS SOCCER CARNIVAL

On Thursday 8th of May, fifty-six years four-seven students participated in the Regional Catholic Schools Soccer Carnival at Munno Para City Soccer Club. The round-robin competition allowed students to develop their skills and knowledge of soccer and socialise with neighbouring Catholic Schools.

On a beautiful Autumn day, all students showed enthusiasm, discipline, teamwork, and a high level of skill to produce some great results.

The Soccer teams were extremely competitive in all games with all six teams showing improvement. The teams managed to move the ball quickly to create many scoring opportunities with some great goals being scored and saved. It was fantastic to see students working together to create opportunities for team members to showcase their skills in a friendly environment.

All the students involved are to be congratulated on their outstanding sportspersonship during all matches. Thank you to Adrian Zoccali, Caitlin Allen, Alicia Baxter, Paige Moore, Mitchell Wood, Rowena Gaffin, Vanessa Sheppard and the parents who cheered the teams on for their help and support during the day.

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

We’re excited to be exhibiting at the PBC Baby Expo on May 17–18 at the Adelaide Showground!

If you’re expecting a new addition to the family, or have friends and family exploring school options, we’d love for them to come and meet our team. It’s a great chance to learn more about Catherine McAuley School, pick up a goodie bag, and see what makes our community so special.

Use code 8Y2WNG for 50% off adult tickets (children enter free!)
Get tickets here: https://buff.ly/AgI3bzi
Valid until 3:00pm Sunday 18 May, unless sold out prior.

Feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested—we’d love to see them there!

Register here: https://registrationcentre.cesa.catholic.edu.au/event-6175199