*New Dates

TERM 1 2023

• Tues, 4 Apr - Learning Conversations Evening
• Thurs, 6 Apr - P&F Hot Cross Buns
• Fri, 7 Apr - Good Friday
• Mon, 10 Apr - Easter Monday
• Fri, 14 Apr - P&F Gather Round Donuts/Footy Colours
• Fri, 14 Apr - Last Day of School 12:30pm dismissal

TERM 2

• Mon, 1 May - First Day of School
• Wed, 10th May - Year 6 Assembly 
• Wed, 10th May - 7pm Sacramental Parent meeting (in MMK Hall)
• Thurs, 11th May - Mother's Day Stall
• Fri, 12th May - Mother's Day Breakfast
• Wed, 17th May - Journey to Emmaus Day 1- Year 6 
• Wed, 24th May - Reception Assembly
• Sat 27/5 - 28/5 Pentecost Sunday 
• Wed, 7th Jun - Year 3 Assembly 
• Fri, 9 Jun - Pupil Free Day
• Mon, 12 Jun - King's Birthday
• Wed, 21st  Jun, Year 5 Assembly 
• Thurs, 6th Jul - School Concert
• Fri, 7 Jul - Pupil Free Day 

TERM 3

• Mon, 24 Jul - First Day of School
• Fri, 8 Sep - Pupil Free Day
• Fri, 29 Sep - Last Day of School 12:30pm dismissal

TERM 4

• Mon, 16 Oct - First Day of School
• Thurs, 14 Dec - Last Day of School 3:05pm dismissal

Dear Parents and Community Members,

Harmony Day

On the 21st of March, Australia celebrated Harmony Day, a uniquely Australian celebration which promotes harmony and unity among all cultures. Celebrations took place in communities across the state. This year’s motto is 'Everyone belongs' and it is an event that reminds us to appreciate everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. Last Thursday our school took the opportunity to celebrate Harmony Day by children and staff invited to wear the colour orange.

Australia is a country that continues to show the rest of the world that people from many countries and religious beliefs can live in peace, respect one another’s cultures and learn from one another. Our school community also reflects this respect for one another as we are blessed to have around 40 different cultures and 20 different religions, and we are all richer for it.

Swimming

Swimming Carnival: Congratulations to this year’s Swimming Carnival Team for their tremendous success last Wednesday at the Marion Swimming Centre. The team of 20 children won their division and brought back to school the shield as the winning team. It was also wonderful that each one of the 20 children won at least one ribbon.

SAPSASA Swimming: Congratulations to Henry R, Sam R and Bailey T for their recent representation at SAPSASA swimming.

2025 Reception Enrolments

Our Deputy Principal Catia Frasca and I have been busily conducting enrolment meeting for Reception 2025 cohort. These are children who are born from the 1 May 2019 to 30 April 2020. We will be finalizing these enrolment meetings in the first few weeks of Term 2 so this is really a last call for our families. If you have a child born in this time frame or know of a family who has a child in this time frame that is intending to apply, it is very important to complete an application form as soon as possible.

Newsletter

As you are aware over the last few years, we have increased our online communication through SkoolBag which this year’s also includes events. Feedback on this latest feature has been very positive. Due to increase time spent on electronic form of communication such as SkoolBag it was agreed at our last School Board, to trial a fortnightly newsletter instead of weekly until the end of the year starting from the beginning of Term 2.

Holy Week

In the Church’s calendar, Holy Week is the most important week of the year and this week we have been gathering each morning to pray as a school community and walk with Jesus through his last days before crucifixion. Each year, your child continues to gather a deeper knowledge of these events and then celebrate the joy of Jesus’s Resurrection at Easter. Easter Sunday is the commencement of 50 days of Easter joy and hope.

I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Easter and we hope you all have that extra time to celebrate spending time together as a family.

Kind Regards

Frank Congedi

Start of Season of Easter (Week 11) – Community Prayers

Tuesday – Jesus being placed in the tomb – Led by Year 4 unit

Wednesday – Jesus’ Resurrection – Led by Year 5 Unit

To complete our Holy Week and Easter celebrations our Year 4 and Year 5 units will be leading community prayers in Week 11 to acknowledge the events of the Easter – these will be completed in the courtyard on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

Father Charles - Project Compassion Fundraiser – Casual Day Wednesday 12th April

The Student Representative Council have proposed that we have a casual day to support the humanitarian efforts to support the countries of Syria and Turkey rebuild after the recent earthquakes.

Next week on Wednesday the 12th of April (Week 11) we will have a casual day to raise money to go towards Fr Charles, and his efforts over the past weekend to run a half marathon in support of Turkey and Syria.

We are asking for a gold coin donation to be given to the class teacher on Wednesday morning for the privilege of wearing casual clothes. The theme for the casual day is to dress in Red, White, Green and Black – the colours of the Syria and Turkey flags.

Holy Week (Week beginning Monday 3rd April)

As we enter Holy Week, we continue to reflect on the lives of people vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice and how we can respond through supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal.

Your generosity is the pebble that allows Caritas Australia to create the ripples that will improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential.

Project Compassion Boxes

As we approach the end of the Lenten season, and the start of the Season of Easter – we ask for all Project Compassion boxes to be returned to school. Please bring your small boxes where you may have been collecting loose coins at home and place them either in the large boxes in your child’s classroom, or bring the small boxes to the office.

We ask all boxes to be returned by the end of Week 1 of Term 2 – Friday the 5th of May. Thank you for your fundraising efforts during Lent, and for supporting Caritas Australia.

Recycling Easter Egg Foil – School Competition

This year we will have an Easter Egg foil challenge (see flyer in newsletter). We are asking you to to save your foil from your Easter Eggs, lay them out flat and bring them to school by the end of Week 1 of Term 2. Classes are in competition to see who can make the largest alfoil ball. We look forward to seeing the results.

If you aren’t able to bring any foil into school – please don’t throw the foil into landfill bins, as this packaging can be recycled provided you combine the foil into a ball that is the size of a small fist (or larger) and then placed in a recycling bin.

I pray that you all have a wonderful long weekend, celebrating an enriching Easter with family and friends as you share in some family time together.

Josh Page

APRIM

Term 1, 3T have been learning about Place Value in mathematics.

To help with our understanding of numbers we have been looking at different ways to rename a number.

For example, 63 could be represented as; 6 tens and 3 ones or 63ones or 60 + 3. Working in a pair, students were given a bingo sheet and had to put their new skills to the test working with numbers beyond a thousand. Together they had to problem solve how the number I called out could be represented.

The first pair with four in a row could win the game by calling out BINGO! 

At the end of the lesson, students reflected on how they enjoyed playing the game and that it helped them to gain a better understanding of place value. 

Kind Regards,  

Teresa Tedesco

Year 3 Class Teacher

Each year we have over 100 registered volunteers who help our school in so many different ways, contributing to our school and supporting children and staff.  Registered volunteers contribute to the school community in just some of the following ways:

• School Board 
• Parents & Friends events
• After School Sports (Coaches and Team Managers)
• Canteen
• Learning Assistance Program (LAP)
• Reading with children
• Assisting at excursions

All volunteers are required to obtain appropriate clearances, including a Department of Human Services (DHS) Clearance and Catholic Clearance.

Once submitted, clearances may take up to 6 weeks to process.

When you receive your clearance or card please bring this into the office for us to update to the Volunteer Register.

If you would like to volunteer, please see staff in the front office for a Volunteer Information Pack and support in registering as a volunteer.

Please see below for current volunteers wanted in our school.

Thankyou to the following volunteers assisting in Term 1, Week 10 (Mon ):

If you would like to contribute to this wonderful school community and spend some of your day making delicious food, chatting and laughing in good company, having fun and of course drinking coffee, whether you are able to assist for both recess and lunch, or just an hour, it makes a huge difference and we would love to have you join us.

• Monday - Friday
• Times: all day (9-1:30pm), recess (10:50-11:30am), lunch (12:50-1:30pm) or just an hour wherever you can!
• Tasks include: Making popcorns, jellies, sandwiches, assembling burgers, serving at the counter, packing lunches and stacking the chip rack.

Tasks are given in very easy, manageable steps so everyone can comfortably learn as you go.  No experience necessary!

If you would like to volunteer some time in the Canteen or would like to ask questions about what is involved, please contact Iris at the Canteen before school.

Iris Mori

Canteen Manager

We acknowledge and pay our respect to the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of the land of Mikawomma on which Whitefriars Catholic School is located.  We come with open hearts and minds to listen and learn from Elders - past, present and emerging.