From the Principal's Desk

Christ Centred - Child Centred

Dear parents, families and friends,

We are now into the second half of the term already! Things are very busy here at St. Augustine's. This Sunday we celebrate the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. The students in Year 3/4 preparing to receive the sacrament are very excited, but also a little nervous. The Sacrament of First Holy Communion is a beautiful and very special sacrament. The children will get to receive Jesus for the very first time, truly becoming part of the Body of Christ. Through the Eucharist we come into contact with God. No other religion has such an intimate connection to God as this. Jesus has given us such a precious gift, the gift of Himself. Jesus loves us so much that he gave us a way that he can be with us always, not just spiritually, but also physically. When we go to mass, Jesus is there with us. He is there in the people gathered, as He said Himself, 'wherever two or more people gather in my name, I will be there with them'(Matthew 18:20). He is present in the person of the priest who is ordained to act as Christ's representative, speaking and acting in the name of Christ. Jesus is present in the gospel. We hear His very words as He speaks to us today as He did to his audience 2000 years ago. Finally and ultimately, Jesus is present in the Eucharist in a physical form; body and blood. Through the power and work of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. Physically the bread still looks, feels, tastes and smells like bread. Physically the wine still looks, feels, tastes and smells like wine. However, through the mystery and power of the Holy Spirit have become the Body and Blood of Christ. Spiritual food for our spirits. We know this is true because Jesus said it is so. He gave us a way to be with us always in a very real and tangible way, taking common, everyday food that was and is accessible by all people and turning it into something extraordinary and sacred.

This is also the only other sacrament with a first in its name. This is because we receive eucharist over and over again. It is a sacrament we should be receiving weekly, but can receive daily if we so choose. We need the Eucharist in our lives to give our spirits strength and nourishment to endure the challenges of life, to live faithful lives.

My prayer for those children receiving First Holy Communion on Sunday is that they value and cherish this precious gift that have been given and return to the Eucharist over and over again. It is one thing that we can never have too much of.

The school concert is now drawing near. The teachers and students are all very busy preparing their items. Mrs Ady is extremely busy preparing stage, sound, lighting and props. There is a real buzz building about the place!! Miss P has been very busy auditioning students for what will be a nostelgia item for many parents and grandparents. The school concert is an opportunity for the arts to be showcased and for those students with artistic talents to shine. Already some hidden and unexpected stars and talents are beginning to emerge! It promises to be a memorable few days and nights. Mrs Ady has also arrange for some food and beverage vans to be available on the nights to provide an option for those who need something to eat or drink when dropping of children early and waiting for the performances to begin!!

You will have noticed the school grounds looking cleaner and tidier. One day per week we have a caretaker, Frank, coming to maintain the school yards, playgrounds and perimeters. For the short term, the sandpit has been closed. It was very wet, but also sand was all over the yard, in particular blocking drains and causing those floods in the yard between the church and around the sandpit area. I will be speaking with the children about keeping the sand in the sandpit and not spreading it from one end of the yard to another. I will continue to encourage the children to put their rubbish in the bins, however I have noticed that with the extra eating time allowed in the classrooms there is less rubbish in the yards at the end of lunch and recess. There are also less lunch-boxes and containers being left on the yard as well.

Coding classes have begun. We have about 15 students so far. No one has hacked into the Pentagon yet, but  in two weeks we have  increased from 17 to 25 participants. The students have really enjoyed their first two sessions and are looking forward to more.

A reminder to parents that if there are ever any issues at school between students, please allow the school to deal with these. If it is an issue that we are not aware of, please bring it to our attention and allow us to take the necessary steps to investigate and solve any issues. Please do not take it upon yourselves to approach other students and deal with situations. This is against school policy. All matters are to be brought to the attention of classroom teachers or school leaders, who then have the skills, training, experience and legal qualifications to deal with these matters. I thank you for your continued support and understanding in this as we all strive to maintain a happy, safe, welcoming and learning environment here at St. Augustine's.

To finish, I leave you with a quote from St. Augustine. I feel that this quote is very appropriate as we end Book Week. It is also appropriate to our context of education. The more we do, the more we see, the more we experience, the more we learn and understand about ourselves, the world and our place in it.

'The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.'

Kind regards,

Matthew Stead

Principal