Catholic Identity

"Go forth and set the world on fire"

St Ignatius of Loyola

Feast of the Assumption Mass & Assembly ~ 

Over the past week, our school community has come together in prayer, Mass and our assembly liturgies to honour Mary and celebrate the Feast of the Assumption.

These special moments of prayer provided an opportunity for our students and staff to reflect on Mary as a wonderful role model for us all. Mary showed great faith, courage, compassion, humility and trust in God, saying “yes” even when she did not know exactly where the journey would lead her.

At our assembly, our Foundation students beautifully shared their learning through song, helping us celebrate Mary with such joy. Our Year 5/6 students also led us in reflection, reminding us of the many qualities Mary demonstrated throughout her life and inviting us to think about how we can learn from her example and emulate these qualities in our own lives.

Through Scripture, prayer, reflection and song, we considered how we too can follow Mary's example, showing kindness and compassion to others, having courage when things are difficult, trusting in God, serving those around us and being people of hope.

As we continue to Seek Peace and Pursue It, may Mary's gentle strength, courage and unwavering faith inspire each of us to be people of compassion, hope and peace within our school, our families and our wider community.

F.I.R.E. Carriers Workshop

As part of our ongoing commitment to embedding Aboriginal perspectives within our curriculum and school culture, Michael Chisholm and I recently had the privilege of working with our Year 5 students as they began their journey towards becoming our next cohort of F.I.R.E. Carriers.

F.I.R.E. ~ Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education,  is an initiative of Aboriginal Catholic Ministry within Catholic Education Sandhurst. Our F.I.R.E. Carriers commit to promoting reconciliation within our classrooms, our school and the broader community, while continuing to learn about and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, languages, traditions and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

During our workshop, we walked around St Mel's together, looking at our school through a different lens. We invited the students to notice where they could already see connections to Country and Aboriginal perspectives within our school environment, while also asking some important questions: What else could we do? What might be missing? How can we make a difference? What will our role be as F.I.R.E. Carriers?

Michael and I also shared our experiences from our Mungo Immersion, reflecting on our time on Country and making connections between what we experienced and learnt there and our own St Mel's community.

It was wonderful to see just how curious our Year 5 students were. They asked so many thoughtful questions and engaged deeply in conversations about Country, culture, history, reconciliation and the responsibility we all share in continuing this important work.

Our conversations weren't only about what we already do at St Mel's, but about what we can do next and how we can turn our learning into action. This is such an important part of being a F.I.R.E. Carrier, listening, learning, building understanding and helping to lead reconciliation within our school community.

Season of Creation almost here~

As we move from winter into spring, we are beginning to notice little signs of new life and new beginnings appearing all around us. Each morning as we walk into St Mel's, our beautiful magnolia tree is beginning to blossom and come alive ~ a gentle reminder that spring is in the air.

In our Catholic faith, the changing seasons invite us to slow down, notice and give thanks for the beauty of God's creation. After the stillness of winter, new growth begins to emerge, reminding us of renewal, hope and the promise of new life.

As we move towards the Season of Creation, we are also reminded of Pope Francis' message in Laudato Si’ and our shared responsibility to care for our common home. Creation is not simply something around us; it is a gift from God, inviting us to wonder, gratitude and care.

Perhaps as we pass our blossom tree each morning, we can take a moment to really notice it - the new buds, the changing colours and the signs of life returning. May it remind us to look for God's presence in the world around us and to consider the small ways we can care for creation and one another.

“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” - Genesis 1:31

As a community, may we continue to notice the beauty around us, give thanks for God's wonderful creation and play our part in caring for our common home.

Actions speak louder than words, let your words teach and your actions speak” 

Saint Anthony of  Padua 

St. Vincent dePaul Winter Appeal ~ donations needed

School families are invited to donate toiletries, blankets and sleeping bags to be distributed within our local community by the compassionate work of the St. Vincent dePaul Society. Please send any donations to school with your children and they can place them in the office bucket or drop them into the collection baskets in our school foyer. 

Thank you for your generous support of those in need in our community. 

Open our HEARTS up to the world & be COMPASSIONATE! 

Pope Francis

 

Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy the time with your families, fill your cups doing all the things that bring you the most joy,

Danae Napier

Deputy Principal / Religious Education Leader

Did you know ~