The Principal's Desk

Dear parents, families and friends,

Welcome back!!

Not even a full week of Term 3 and we were forced into another lockdown. At this point we have not had a full, uninterrupted term of school since Term 4 2019!! This is the current situation we have to live, however it is very frustrating not knowing when another lockdown will be called resulting in the interruption to normality. One of the hardest things to deal with is the uncertainty of planned events. Postponing or cancelling events such as excursions, camps, sacraments etc is very disappointing and upsetting for the students as they look forward to these highlights throughout the year.

Teachers and students have transitioned smoothly and quickly into Remote Learning. At the time of writing this the lockdown has already been extended another 7 days. I am hoping that by the next newsletter we are back to onsite learning at school.

A main focus for this year has been developing and maintaining respectful relationships. Respect is shown in the way we treat others by how we speak and act towards them. Everyone is different.It is good to be different. There are similarities and differences between every single person here at St. Augustine's. This is the way God made us and intends us and the world to be. Similarities and differences make the world interesting. Here at St. Augustine's it is not acceptable to tease and make fun of others for the way that they dress, talk, or move. It is not okay to tease and make fun of others for what they like or are interested in. It is not acceptable to make fun of or tease others for having a go, not knowing an answer or making mistakes.

Here at St. Augustine's we support and encourage each other. We praise attempts and efforts just as we praise achievements and successes. We are all learners. We all make mistakes just as we all have successes. We all learn in different ways, at different stages and at different rates, but we are all still learning. Nobody is perfect. Nobody knows it all. If this was the case then we wouldn't have or need schools or universities.

As we begin Term 3, all students should have goals for this semester. We are all on the learning journey together. We can all help each other to achieve our goals. So, coming back to respect. We show respect to each other by acknowledging and accepting our differences. We show respect by supporting and encouraging others to do their best and to have a go. We show respect by helping others to learn and understand new things. Sometimes this can be forgotten in all the business of school and life, however this is what makes St. Augustine's a lovely school environment, where everyone is, feels and knows they are respected for who they are.

Three Parish Schools Personal Faith and Spiritual Development Retreat

On Monday 12th July the three schools in the parish come to together to spend a day focused on personal faith and spiritual development. The day was facilitated by Dr Margaret Carswell, educator, lecturer and author in the area of Scripture Studies. The theme for the day was 'I Have Called You By Name, You Are Mine!' Engaging with scripture accounts of the creation story we explored the following big questions: Who Is God? Who am I? Who am I called to be? For staff in Catholic schools it is very important that we have the opportunity to reflect on and engage with our faith on a personal level. For all three schools this day was the start of a journey of exploring scripture, in particular deepening these experiences with the students in our schools.We all finished the day feeling enriched, motivated, challenged and deeply satisfied from a rewarding experience. 

The school concert is Coming!!!!

Quotes of the Week:

 "Be who you are because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind!" - Dr Seuss

"Pray as if everything depended on God. Work as if everything depended on you!" - St. Augustine

Kind regards,

Matthew Stead

Principal