Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It has been a fortnight since the THINK U KNOW Cybersafe Parent Night. A big thank you once again to our very own Melanie Nichols for an insightful and informative presentation, particularly from a law enforcement and protection point of view.

Parents Association activities continue to churn away in the background bringing our school community together and providing an important sense of belonging and fundraising spirit to our place. Click here to see the latest fundraiser, the famous and scrumptious SLICE DRIVE

Three-Way Conversations with Parents, Teacher and Student

Our Term continues to be a time of learning and engagement for our students. In Week 8, on Tuesday, 9th September, and Wednesday, 10th September, an important check-in between home and school will be scheduled for most classes through a three-way Parent-Teacher-Student conversation. Details for booking an appointment will be shared via Audiri.

Please note that on each of these days appointments will commence at 2:30pm. Supervision for students up until 3:15pm is available if you are unable to pick up your child\ren at 2:15pm.

Please click here for more information.

Swimming Program 2025

For the next three weeks, all students will be participating in one of two programs relating to swimming skills and safety. Please check in with Operoo for instructions and preparation information. Click here for more details. Please note the timetable is subject to change and classroom teachers will communicate with you directly if your class is affected.

Celebration of Arts 2025 - 15-19 October

SAVE THE DATE WEDNESDAY 15th OCTOBER from 5:30pm

The countdown is beginning for our incredible Celebrations of Arts 2025! Please keep the evening of Wednesday 15th free so that as many families as possible can join in the opening night festivities. More details will be shared soon, featuring a night filled with an art exhibition, live music, interactive art installations, and a fantastic Cake Stall hosted by the St Simon's Parents' Association, plus much more.

MACSSIS - School Improvement Surveys

As a school, we continually review and reflect on the effectiveness of our learning and teaching approaches, as well as our engagement with the community and students. As a catholic school, we participate in the annual feedback survey called the MACSSIS School Improvement Survey.

I would like to strongly encourage all families to participate in the surveys and to click here for more information. Please keep an eye open in your inbox for an invitation to participate.

Pilgrimage: Saints of Italy - Prayer Requests

Later this term, I will be undertaking a special pilgrimage to sacred sites in Italy as part of a two-week pilgrimage with my principal colleagues from the Outer East Region. This trip provides a profound opportunity for spiritual reflection, renewal of faith and personal growth. As part of the pilgrimage, I would like to extend an invitation to you:

If you or someone you love is in need of prayer—whether for healing, strength, guidance, or peace— I would be honoured to carry your intentions and bring your prayers to these sacred places on your behalf.

To participate, simply write your prayer or intention on a piece of paper, place it in a sealed envelope, and drop it off at either the school office or the parish office.

A dedicated box will be available shortly in both locations.

All collected prayers will be respectfully taken with us to holy sites in Italy where they will be left in churches and sacred spaces for prayer and intercession. Prayer boxes will be available from Monday, 18th August, through to the end of Friday 5th September. One prayer box will be kept in the church for our Parishioners, whilst another will be in our front office at school. They will be labelled so that you may leave your confidential prayer in the box.

As this is a Jubilee Year, it feels significant to bring our community’s prayers to these places of grace and healing. We hope this act of spiritual connection offers you a sense of calm, hope and renewed faith. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

I will be taking leave for the pilgrimage from Monday, 1st September, through til the end of Term Three. During this time, the school will be led by Monica Rayner as Acting Principal and Philomena Solari as Acting Deputy Principal.

I look forward to sharing with the St Simon's community some of the insights and reflections I have from this pilgrimage experience.

Combined Parishes Raffle 2025 - Supporting our Parish

St Simon's Parish is part of the Combined Catholic Parishes Raffle 2025 with some wonderful prizes up for grabs:

The raffle is a major fundraising event for St Simon’s Parish, and as a parish school community, we invite you to support where you can.

In the past, St Simon's school has distributed raffle books to each family to sell, but this year we are doing things a little differently, and we hope that you can get behind us to support our wonderful Parish community.

Every $2 ticket sold, $1.50 goes directly to St Simon’s Parish to support the community works of the Parish.

There are several ways to do so:

Come by the school office and purchase a raffle ticket or two - tickets are $2 each

School Fees

We thank the many families who have kept up to date with their financial obligations regarding school fees.

Families experiencing difficulty paying school fees should contact the office to make an appointment with the principal to discuss the matter.

St Simon’s Staff and Contact Details

A complete staff list, including roles and positions for 2025 is available through the newsletter each week by going to Staff Contacts and the General Information section

with Facebook and Instagram channels to see some of the latest activities within our St Simon’s community.

Parish News

St Simon the Apostle Parish

This week's Bulletin