Dear Parents and Friends,

We have come to our final newsletter for 2024!

As we draw closer to Advent, we are reminded of the joy, hope, faith and love that was evident in the community when Jesus was born. We are invited to renew our faith as we prepare for this very special time of the year.

Pope Francis has called a Jubilee Year in 2025, a special year for prayer and reflection. All Catholic people are called to reconciliation, prayer and liturgy as part of strengthening their spirituality throughout 2025. As part of this holy year, all children in the Melbourne Archdiocese have been invited to celebrate Confirmation at St Patrick’s Cathedral. We are excited to share that St Gabriel’s Year 6 children will be celebrating their Confirmation on Sunday 10th May, 2pm at St Patrick’s Cathedral. We are so blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to sharing more details with you early next year.

Sacramental Dates for 2025

First Reconciliation - Friday 16th May at St Gabriel’s Church, 9.30am

First Holy Communion - Saturday 21st June at 6:30pm at St Raphael Church, Preston West.

Confirmation - Saturday 10th May at St Patrick Cathedral, 2.00pm

As the Partnered Parishes St Gabriel & St Stephen of Hungary Reservoir—Reservoir East St Raphael Preston West, St Joseph the Worker Reservoir North, in 2025 our Sacraments- First Holy Communion and Confirmation will be celebrated with the children from these Parishes. We are thrilled to have this opportunity, and look forward to these very special occasions in your child’s Sacramental journey.

We acknowledge the dedication and passion of all of our staff and educators at this time of the year. They continue to learn and grow and seek ways to improve their practice to maximise their impact with all children in our school.

A huge thank you to our School Advisory Council (SAC). We are so grateful for your commitment to our school and for the opportunity to work with you to strengthen our school community. A special mention to Beth Coleman as she has come to the end of her second 2 year tenure on the School Advisory Council. We are grateful to Beth for her kind and considered contribution to the SAC.

We are proud of the achievements of our Year 6 children and know that we send them on to their new high schools having had some wonderful, memorable learning experiences, with strong friendships and a wellbeing toolkit for when things might get challenging.

Thank you to all parents who place their children in our care each day. We value our positive relationships with and look forward to working in partnership to ensure the best outcomes for your child/ren into the future.

2024 has seen your children grow in so many ways. Through their targeted teaching, their skills and strategies have expanded their social, emotional and academic capacities. We look forward to the fun and joyful learning experiences that 2025 will bring.

We wish all families a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the time with your family and friends and rest well. Have a happy and safe holiday period.

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