Term 2 Issue #2

Dear Families,

WOW! What a busy and enjoyable close out to Term 2. Well done to all our staff here at SFX and families for making it a memorable term.

We look forward to the exciting events planned for Term 3, but for now, please enjoy this edition of our eNews.

NAIDOC WEEK 2023

"For Our Elders" is the powerful theme of this year's NAIDOC week which was celebrated here at SFX and around the country. 

It's an important reminder of the role Aboriginal Elders have played guiding, teaching, and influencing all generations of Australians. We pay our respects to the leaders of Kaurna who are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, and advocates - their tenacity and strength has carried the survival of our First Nations People. 

Throughout this week, SFX classes have been involved in activities recognising the contribution of First Nations people. 

INTERCULTURAL WEEK 2023

What a colourful week we had had celebrating all the cultures that make up our community here at SFX. Throughout this week we have had parents, staff and other visitors come in to share with us activities and stories of their cultures. Intercultural Week is about celebrating our diversity and the unique cultures that make up Australian society.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Roma Chiera-Garnelli and our amazing Intercultural Week Commitee and thank everyone who has joined us throughout the week to share in the celebrations.

Please see a snapshot below of some moments Intercultural Week has brought.

YOUNG PERFORMERS

Last week I was fortunate enough to watch our Instrumental students perform in concert at SFX.

62 students bravely took the stage. Proud friends and family of SFX soaked in the talent and supported the students who enrich our school's community. 

Thank you to our Instrumental Staff who dedicate their support to SFX musicians. Special thanks to the amazing tutors for sharing their expertise and time.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Independence Day will remain on a Wednesday during Term 3 as this ties in nicely with Breakfast Club. Please remember Independence Day is only in the morning. Parents/Caregivers of our Term 3 Reception students can come in every day in weeks 1 - 5. 

ATHLETES FOOT REMINDER

Just a reminder that if you need to purchase white sneakers for our school uniform, you can go to Athlete's Foot at Tea Tree Plaza. If you mention SFX, they will donate 5% back to our school. Last year Athletes Foot donated $1100 and this money went towards creating the Resilience walk in the Kaurna Garden. 

40th CELEBRATION SCHOOL CONCERT

Students have commenced their training with Ground Force Studios and the concert promises to be an incredible event to commemorate our 40th Anniversary. The concert theme is 'Together we Grow Through the Decades' Each year level will present a different decade from the 1980's through to the present day.

Tickets can be purchased from today (Friday 7th July) via QKR. Book now to avoid disappointment. Ticket sales close on 28th August at 4pm.

Please note there is a maximum of 8 tickets per family. Children performing in the concert do not need a ticket.

KEY DATES FOR TERM 3

Below is a summary of next term's key dates. The full Calender is attached to the e-News today.

 24 July:                       Pupil Free Day

 25 July:                       First day Term 3

28 July:                        Showdown dress up and Donut day

4 August:                     9:00 am Community Prayer Room 1

9 August:                     9:15 am Whole School Mass - Hosted by Year 4

14 August:                   2:15 pm Assembly - Hosted by Year 1

18 August:                   9:00 am Community Prayer Room 2

20 August:                   10:00 am Family Mass Holy Trinity Church - Para Hills

25 August:                   9:00 am Book Week Dress up and Parade

30 August:                   Fathers Day Stall

31 August :                  Year 3 Camp

1 September :              8:30 am Father's Day breakfast and 9:00 am Liturgy

7 September:               6:30 pm SFX School Concert

8 September:               Pupil Free Day

21 September:             School Disco (R-2: 5:00 pm 6:00 pm) and (Yr 3-6:  6:15 pm - 7:30 pm)

22 September:             SAPSASA Netball and 9:00 am Community Prayer Room 3

29 September:             Last day of term 3:05 pm dismissal

Sacramental Programme

Congratulations to the following students on receiving their Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion on June 10^th at St David’s Church.

Annabelle Ainslie                       Charlie Ferguson                       Elliana Waite

Isabella Aloisi                             Isabel Gentile                            Mason Power

Alyssa Angelaras                       Annabella Gerbino                     Zali Marusic

Soraya Boffa                              Tristian Hirons                           Max Nash

Lucas Canova                            Jacob Igbokwe                          Tully Ciano     

Orlando Caruso                         Olivia Dicker  

This celebration is a significant moment for each of these students and their families. We wish them many blessings on their Sacramental journey.

Resilience Project  

To best support families and build the connections between school and home, we encourage families to click on the link below to learn more about Emotional Literacy and how important being emotionally literate is for adults as well as children. 

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Project-PARENTS-CARERS-Gratitude.pdf

Pyjackie Day-Vinnies Winter Appeal

Pyjackie Day was an opportunity to collect donations for Vinnies Winter Appeal and to think of the vulnerable and marginalised in our community.

Thank you for your support and generosity towards the Vinnies Winter Appeal. Michael Bone, Modbury Vinnies President, was very appreciative and grateful for your compassion and the kindness displayed from our community.

 A display of our school logo was created with our non-perishable donations outside of the OHSC building. See images below.

Be a gift of love and compassion for one another.

 ~ Mary MacKillop.

Breakfast Club

What a successful start with our weekly Breakfast Club! Breakfast Club enables all students at SFX to enjoy a nutritious breakfast allowing students to engage and participate fully in all the educational and social opportunities that school offers.

This term, the students have enjoyed a warm cup of milo and a piece of toast. The Breakfast Club will not offer Milo during Term 3 and Term 4. The Milo has been purchased with the Drakes Community dollars voucher that our community has earned by shopping locally at Drakes Surrey Downs (Community Dollar tags are in the front office).

Thank you to Foodbank who source and deliver bread, milk, and condiments to our school. Donations for the Breakfast Club such as Nuttelex, Gluten-free bread or lactose free milk are greatly appreciated.

Thank you to our staff volunteers and parent volunteers. We have a minimum of 8 volunteers each week and their support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to volunteer for the Breakfast Club from 8:30am, please contact me, rsamarzia@sfx.catholic.edu.au

Family Mass

Thank you to all families and staff who attended our Family Mass on 25^th June at Holy Trinity Church. A special thank you is also extended to our student readers, Darcy, Chloe, Nicole, and Caterina. The parishioners and Father Kym were very impressed. Thank you to Father Kym and the Parish for making us feel so welcome. We look forward to celebrating Mass as a community again next term, on Sunday 20^th August at 10:00 am at Holy Trinity Church.

Whole School Mass

During Week 8, we gathered as a whole school to celebrate the gift of creation. The Year 5 students who hosted the Mass and our Parish Priest, Father Kym, encouraged us to recognise our spirit in all things and to take action to respect and care for all of creation.

Thank you to our wonderful choir for the beautiful music and to our liturgical dancers for their breath-taking reflective dance.

A special thank you to all families who joined us for Mass to celebrate our common home, Earth. 

Sacraments of Initiation

The Church Year is settling into Ordinary Time, very much a formation time for all in the Church. This is an opportunity to let you know that the Para Hills Modbury Catholic Parish will offer family faith formation to support families to bring their children to the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation of Confirmation and Eucharist. The Sacrament of Penance [Reconciliation] will also be celebrated. The parish is delighted to work with St Francis Xavier’s Regional Catholic School in providing this formation and arranging the celebrations. The process of formation will begin during Term 3 2023 in anticipation of First Reconciliation being celebrated before Christmas and Confirmation and First Holy Communion being celebrated in May – June 2024, hopefully around Pentecost Sunday. More information will be available early in Term 3.

Therese Meyers

Coordinator of Sacramental Programme

Para Hills Modbury Catholic Parish

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia’s major faith communities. The dates of National Reconciliation Week commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

During National Reconciliation Week, SFX students participated in a wide range of learning experiences including an incursion to explore Aboriginal artefacts (‘Interrogating the Artefacts’); playing Aboriginal games such as Koolchee (from Diyari Country) and Parndo (from Kaurna Country); attending the 2023 Aboriginal Veterans' Commemorative Service; necklace-making; exploring Aboriginal art; and creating the national five-petal Native Hibiscus, the official national symbol of the Stolen Generations (this activity occurred on National Sorry Day, in the week preceding National Reconciliation Week). Please take a moment to enjoy the photos of our students celebrating our shared histories, cultures and achievements.

For the work of generations past, and the benefit of generations future, all SFX staff and students commit to acting today for a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all.

Well done and thank you to everyone who contributed to such a wonderful Term 2.

Happy holidays!