From The Principal

Dear parents, families and friends,

We have come to the end of the year, and therefore we have come to the last newsletter of the year.

This weekend we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. The candle, the decorations and the priests vestments will be a rose colour. The focus of this week is joy. We pause in our preparations for Christmas and focus on the joy of the expectant birth of the baby Jesus. We reflect that the time of waiting is nearly over and our sense of excitement and joy increases.

A very, very, very big thank you to all of our families for the generosity shown during the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper Appeal. Quite literally when all of the goods were gathered together, they took up half of the staffroom. These have been collected and will go to many families and individuals who need them at this time. The impact of these hampers cannot be measured. You will not know who receives them. You will not see the expressions of happiness on their faces. You will not hear the words of thanks and gratitude. You will not see the tears of joy. However, just know that your efforts and generosity will have an impact by bringing joy to thers. Just know that you have thought of the other at this time, acting like Christ in our world.

I encourage all families, especially our Catholic families to attend one of the masses over Christmas. I especially draw your attention to the 5.00pm Mass at St Augustine’s. It is a family mass and Fr Werner is inviting all children to come dressed as Shepherds and Angels.

Staffing Update

Miss Isabelle Maher has accepted a position at Sacred Heart, Newport. This is a career move for Isabelle as she wants to experience different schools and opportunities. We thank Isabelle for her time with us from her final teaching placement as a Preservice Teacher until now, especially her time this year as our P.E Specialist Teacher. Isabelle will be missed. Her calm, gentle and friendly nature as well as her hard work ethic will be a great addition to her new school. We wish her all the very best in her teaching career for the years to come. To adjust to this change, Miss Natalie Librizzi will now move to Year 3/4 and Miss Olivia Jones will increase her time to four days in Year 5/6. Mr Peter Shorthouse will teach two days in Year 3/4 to allow Miss Librizzi to fulfill the tasks and duties of her Literacy Leader role and one day in Year 5/6 to complement Miss Jones' four days.

Christmas Carols by Daylight

This year our Christmas Carols will be held during the day on Tuesday 17th December from 1.30pm until about 3.00pm. This will be a lower key event due to the effort and time that went into our school concert earlier this year. All families are warmly welcomed and encouraged to attend.

To celebrate the last day of the term along with our Christmas Carols, all students can wear casual clothes with a Christmas theme - red, gold, green and white. Tinsel, santa hats, reindeer headbands and stars are also highly encourage, as well as Christmas tops.

We also have our end of year mass at 9.15am. All families are welcome to celebrate the end of the year with us as we give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received during the year.

End of Term 4

The last day of term is Tuesday 17th December with dismissal  at the normal time of 3.15pm. Following the Christmas Carols, all students, staff and families will line up to form a guard of honour for our Graduating Class of Year 6 Students of 2024. The guard of honour will extend from the hall doors and across the senior yard to the gate at Birmingham Street.

Year 3/4 Camp

Last week I attended the Year 3/4 Camp at Portsea on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We had 3 full on, busy and exhausting days participating in a number of activities such as the Giant Swing, High Ropes and Raft Building. The giant slide was also a big hit. For most of the students, I think the highlight was the opportunity to swim and play in the waves. A big thank you to Mrs Witchell, Miss Maher for all the preparation and organisation that went into ensuring that the camp ran smoothly and safely. It is no easy task to organise 47 students, including morning, day time and night time medications as well as dietary needs. Thank you also to Miss Jess and Mr Pearce for all their assistance on camp as well. In all, a very successful and fantastic camp.

Confirmation

On Saturday 23rd November many of our Year 6 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Martin Ashe confirmed the students in a beautiful, reverenent and spirit filled liturgical celebration. We witnessed their commitment to the Catholic Faith and their anointing by the Holy Spirit. Their Confirmation completes the initiation of these candidates into the Catholic Faith. They are now full members of the Catholic Church. We now pray that the gift of the Holy Spirit bestowed on these young people on Saturday will grow and develop in them as they continue to walk in the footsteps and light of Christ, becoming witnesses to the Gospel in today’s world.

Each candidate took the name of a saint as their confirmation name. This name is not recorded on any official documents besides their confirmation card and the register here in the parish. By taking the name of a saint who inspires them the candidates will try to live their lives following the example and footsteps of these saints who themselves stood as witness to the Gospel of Christ. It also means that they have a special friend in heaven that will guide them and pray for them the rest of their lives. Thank you to the Year 5/6 teachers; Miss Marissa, Miss Jones and Ms Danni for their work in preparing the students. Thank you also to Mrs Witchell for the preparation work needed for the successful celebration of this Sacrament. This was her last major official duty as Religious Education Leader of St. Augustine's.

Year 5/6 Camp

From the 4th to the 6th December I attended camp with the Year 5/6 students and teachers at Phillip Island. We were very lucky with perfect weather. The students participated in a number of camp activities, one of the favourites being the pedal cars(well at least it is my favourite camp activity). We also had two afternoon sessions in the amazing pool before dinner and a couple of hours at the beach. The highlight would have to be the Penguin Parade on Thursday night. What a way to end the year for our Year 5/6 students.

Year 6 Big Day Out

On Wednesday of this week I attended the Year 6 Big Day Out at Funfields to celebrate the Year 6s, their final year and their 7 years or so here at St. Augustine's. The students had a ball going on the rides, water slides, toboggan and in the wave pool. It was great being able to provide them with this experience to end their Year 6 year.

Step Up Day

On Wednesday the students participated in their orientation for next year. The Preps completed their fourth and final orientation session and also met their Year 6 Buddy. We also welcomed a number of new students from across Year 1 to Year 6. I know that they all felt very welcomed to our school community.

End of Year School Picnic

It was great being able to celebrate the end of the year with a school picnic. A very big thank you to Miss P and the Year 6 students who prepared the activities, including the setting and packing up. Miss P was in her element, leading the dancing on centre stage. Thank you to all the parent volunteers, especially those cooking the sausage sizzle. The smell of the sausage sizzle could be smelt all along Somerville Road.

Cleaning Chairs and Tubs Working Bee

On Monday we will have a small working bee to clean the tubs and chairs. Thank you to those parents who have volunteered to help with this task.

Parish Secretary Position

The Parish is looking for a suitably skilled and enthusiastic person to take on the role of Parish Secretary in the Parish of Yarraville and Kingsville. Please see the Catholic Archdiocesan website for job description and application details. www.cam.org.au follow the link to Job Vacancies. The position offers flexible work ours around school drop off and pick up.

Upcoming Events:

Monday 16th December, 6pm: Year 6 2024 Graduation Ceremony and Dinner

Tuesday 17th December, 9.30am: Whole School End of Year Mass

Tuesday 17th December, 1.30pm: Christmas Carols by Daylight

Tuesday 17th December, 3.15pm: End of School Year Dismissal

Farewell to our Year 6 students of 2024. We will miss you. Good luck as you begin the next step in your journey in High School.

I wish all our families a happy and holy Christmas. May the day be filled with joy and cheer as you spend it with family and friends. I hope that you all have a safe and restful holiday, whether at home, by the beach,in the country, interstate or overseas. Students, enjoy your holidays. I look forward to your distant return in 2025.

Kindest regards,

Matt