SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The first ever St Louis de Montfort's Swimming Carnival was held last Tuesday at the Mentone Aquatic Centre. It was a miserable day outside but inside it was warm, steamy, very, very LOUD with a packed grandstand. Every event was cheered on from our Superfish to our Eric the Eels. Everyone finished every race. We ran individual freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly events as well as relays. Congratulations to MacKillop for their overall win. Their name will be etched on top of the new trophy forever with many more names to to be added in the years to come.

Our great teachers ensured a smooth running to proceedings and that enable a few novelty events at the end with maximum participation. The post carnival vox pop suggested the novelty events we ran at the end after the relays were the favourite so we will be tweaking next year's program to include more.

Thank you to the Year 6 Spirit captains for organising the relay teams. Thank you to the Toby Haenen Swim Centre for allowing us to use their pool on Wednesday mornings as well as providing the amazing Sinead Goodfellow as coach. Thank you to Principal Carmel Stutterd for being the driver of this event. She is passionate about swimming and, after the success of this carnival, Mrs Stutterd will ensure this will be ongoing fixture.

PARENT HELPERS

Our girl's footy team organised a signed framed photo for Matt Marshall as a thank you gift for coaching the girl's footy team in the successful Little Saints Cup. It allowed me to reflect on the many wonderful contributions the parents and families have made to the 2022 sport's program.

Thank you to anyone who has driven their child to and from any of the events, who has stood in the weather and cheered a team on, has put on a bandaid or helped carry a child from the field, has been a role model for sportsmanship, has networked with others to ensure no kids missed out, has answered their operoo promptly, has ensured their child was organised for the day with backpacks of snacks and changes of clothes, for coaching teams, for helping us organise playing fields, for understanding our organising or selection dilemmas and for encouraging them to try their best, and have a go, when they are competing. Thank you for just simply backing us in.

Thank you Mr. Laughlin for the after school training and coaching that enabled our Bad News Bears to get to the Girl's T-ball State finals. From the smallest act to the biggest - THANK YOU!

Have a great Xmas everyone and keep keeping those kids active.

Yours in Sport

Dean Andrew

Parish Blessing Magazine