The Seb and Benny Playground

We recently opened our new playground in Henry Street. This beautiful area was co designed with Lindsay from Palmers Landscapes and the work was carried out by the Palmers team. We are thrilled with their work.

The playground has been named in honour of Sebastion Shortis and Ben McElroy, two young men who lost their lives way too early. Seb and Ben spent their primary school years at St Xavier’s and loved being in the playground running and exploring. They were also neighbours and their love of building cubbies and using their imaginations extended into the weekends and holidays.

Karen and Mal McElroy and Dom and Leisa Shortis proudly opened the Playground by unveiling a beautiful plaque in memory of the boys.

The playground is a place to sit and play, talk to the chooks and just be. Please come and have a look when you get a minute.

Year 6 Sydney Excursion

The Sydney excursion could be summed up by an overwhelming wealth of Australian history, from First Nations people to modern times, and an opportunity to lose a few kilos through a multitude of kilometers covered.

After an exhausting bus ride down, students were keen to get out and see some sights. We realised the importance of respecting traffic in the first few minutes. The China Town Walk and The Chinese Gardens offered a different cultural experience and some stunning photo opportunities. Students also discovered the importance of bringing good footwear. Our accommodation was located in the beautiful Chowder Bay and allowed us an almost exclusive beach, which came in handy to unwind and refresh ourselves in the chilly waters.

Our Day 2 highlights began with our early morning walk over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. It offered stunning views of the very busy harbour. We then moved on to early colonial times as we enjoyed a guided tour around The Rocks and its early buildings. I think the most enjoyable visit was, however, to the famous lolly shop who made a hefty profit from our tour. The Big Dig gave us a personal history of those early days and everyone enjoyed getting our hands on some genuine artifacts from the site that was still revealing treasures.

On Day 3 we thought we’d change it up with some more walking tours. The ferry ride to Cockatoo Island was a fabulous way to see all of the bays that make up Sydney Harbour. There were again layers of history at the site as it was a central place for four different local tribes. A number of changes were made over the centuries and great physical ones during war time. We were lucky that people fought to keep our history from developers, although it would be awesome to own an apartment there.

The last full day saw us begin at the iconic Sydney Opera House. We were lucky to have some exclusive access to areas the public would not normally get to see. Everyone was amazed by the design and architecture, both inside and out. The inside of the theaters was stunning and the sheer size of the larger spaces shocking. A short distance away we visited St Mary’s Cathedral where the highlight was again exclusive access to the crypt below. It was an amazing space with intricate designs everywhere you looked. Some people even enjoyed being temporarily locked inside. The day continued to impress at the State Library where we got to see some original artworks for famous children’s books that helped us understand the process of publication. As with each day, we revitalised our tired bodies by refreshing ourselves at our temporary home beach. This was a ritual many of us could have made a regular part of our lives.

St Xavier's Chooks

Our seven chickens have been donated by the Gunnedah Poultry Club. Peter and Felicity Mammen are members of the club and have donated a chook each.

The new chicken coop is located in the Seb and Benny Playground and the chickens are already laying plenty of eggs. Mrs Strachan in the canteen is loving using the fresh eggs in her muffins!

Centacare Resources

Please have a look at the below resources from Centacare that may provide some helpful pointers for supporting children and young people through this next phase as they gradually bounce back from the flood.

Students leaving

Please contact the office as soon as possible if your child will not be returning to St Xavier's in 2023. Most years have a waiting list with families eager to join the St Xavier's community.

Canteen

Sue Strachan would like to extend her thanks to the new parents who have volunteered to help in the canteen. More helpers are still needed, so if you are interested please contact the office.

Sue would also like to thank the Year 5 students who stepped up to help in the canteen during Week 4 in the absence of Year 6 (who were on their excursion).

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