From The Principal

Dear parents, students, families and friends,

Last Thursday we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. This solemnity holds a significant place in our Catholic faith, and it offers us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the virtues and example of Our Lady.

The Feast of the Assumption commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. This feast is a celebration of Mary’s unique role in salvation history and her ultimate reward for her faithfulness to God.

The Assumption is a reminder of the hope we have in Christ. Just as Mary was assumed into heaven, we are called to aspire towards the same eternal destiny with God. Mary’s assumption is a sign of the resurrection we hope for and a call to live our lives with faith and devotion.

MACS - Flourishing Learners -Vision for Instruction

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has a startegic plan called MACS 2030: Forming Lives to Enrich the World (MACS 2030) to be achieved by 2030. It calls all MACS schools to come together in common purpose and vision to make the most of what a Catholic education has to offer, so we can have the greatest and most distinctive impact in our classrooms, staffrooms and school communities.

The aim will be for each school to provide an outstanding education, focused on formation of the whole person, that has intellectual, practical and moral excellence of learners at its heart. Schools will aim to deliver the best educational outcome for every student. Please read the Catholic Principles for Education attached below. In the next newsletter I will continue to talk in more detail about the Vision for Instruction.

Trivia Night

On the night of Saturday the 3rd of August the Parent Committee held a Trivia Night. It was very well attended and a great time was had by all. Two of our parents, Kathryn and Ed hosted the evening, doing a fantastic job. I did hear that the winners were a little dodgey. About $5000 was raised, which is an amzing effort. This will go towards our major fund raising effort which is the installation of new adventure playgrounds on the junior and senior yards.

Parent Committee

Our Parent Committee works very hard and does an amazing job in organising social and fundraising events for our school community. We would love to see as many parents become involved with helping out with the many events and initiatives throughout the year. As the saying goes; 'many hands make light work!' Meetings are held once a month at 6.00pm online and usually last for about an hour.

Book Week

Book Week was celebrated this week. The theme for this year was 'Reading is Magic'. Throughout the week there was Storytime with Mrs Ady in the Library. Our big celebration was yesterday. It started with the Book Week Character Parade at the morning assembly. It was fantastic to see that every single student dressed up as a book character, with most of them bringing the book as well. For the rest of the morning each class did activities focused on the award winning books of Book Week.

School Concert

Below you will see a flier for the 2024 School Concert. Preparations and rehearsals have now begun. It promises to be a wonderful event. There are two performances across Wednesday and Thursday. We haven't set a limit to the number of tickets that can be purchased per family, so we encourage as many family members to attend as possible to experience this wonderful show. I encourage all family members to get into the spirit of the evening and dress in their best formal evening attire. Dress to impress at this black tie event! The ticket price will cover the cost of hiring a stage, sound system and lighting.

Fathers' Day Breakfast

Next Friday we will hold our annual Fathers' Day Breakfast, 7.30am to 8.40am. Orders have now closed. However, if you have missed out or forgotten to order, please see Cath in the office by Monday afternoon.

St. Augustine's Feast Day

All families are invited attend our school mass to celebrate the Feast of St. Augustine on Thursday 29th August at 9.15am.

Student Mobile Phones and Smart Watches

A reminder that all mobile phones and communication devices need to be checked in at the office apon arrival at school. This also includes smart watches. Any device which has the capability of making calls or sending messages or connecting with social media platforms need to be stored in the office. Any students wanting to track their activity during the day can wear a Fitbit or similar device as long as it does not have communication capabilities.

Adventure Playground Renewal

A little while ago it was voted that the major fundraising goal would be the installation of new adventure playgrounds on the junior and senior yards. This will be a goal that will take a few years to achieve. I have gotten some basic concept designs from a playground company and discussed these with our school and class captains. The students also gave me suggestions about what elements that liked on our existing playgrounds and what new elements and features they would like to see.

COMING VERY SOON IN TERM 3

WHOLE SCHOOL BLACK TIE EVENT!!

St. Augustine's School Concert

https://www.trybooking.com/CUSCI

All invited guests are to dress up for the event in their best evening wear.

Dress To Impress!!

Attached below are the minutes from our latest School Advisory Council Meeting

Possible Council Initiative - Parent Feedback

Council proposes to offer families the opportunity to access a subsidised e-cargo bike through Lug+Carrie and we’re garnering community interest in the program to determine if we proceed with the proposal.

The eight week 50% subsidy will enable families to experience travelling more actively and ditch the daily struggle of traffic and parking. The bike will be brought to the subscribers house and picked up free of charge after the end of the trial. If the subscriber would like to continue renting the bike after the 8-week period, Lug+Carrie can organise a subscription service suitable for their needs.

If you have any feedback or questions, please email me and I will pass these onto council.

Last round of the 2024 AFL season. Good luck for your teams. I hope yoy can celebrate with a win, unless of course you support St. Kilda, I need the Blue Baggers to win!!

Kind regards,

Matthew Stead