Issue 10, 14 June 2024

On Saturday and Sunday a number of our students in Year 4 will celebrate their First Holy Communion. This special sacrament will provide these young people with the experience of Jesus Christ through the Eucharist. In our Catholic faith we believe that the bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which is the source and the summit of our Catholic faith. May our prayers be with these students and their families for this special step in their sacramental journey.  

Last week our Year 10 Outdoor Education students stepped beyond the bounds of our school to participate in the pinnacle of their Outdoor Education program. They travelled to Warren Gorge, just North of Quorn, to brave the elements and explore the beautiful Flinders Ranges for 3 days and 2 nights. Students had the opportunity to put into practice all the things that they have learnt over the past term and a half in relation to planning, risk management, ecologically sustainable practices, navigation and indigenous perspectives of the local area. Well done to the students and staff who took part in Trek.  

Our Year 11 students are busy preparing to engage in work experience in Week 10 of this term. This is a helpful opportunity for them to explore possible future pathways and acquire hands-on experience in a particular workplace or industry. Teachers are providing lots of guidance and support to the students to ensure that this is a positive and meaningful experience. Thank you to the many local businesses who will support our students to gain these valuable opportunities to learn and grow as they prepare to enter the workforce in the coming years.

The Year 6 students were excited to participate in a town-wide viewing of 'Inside Out 2' at the Port Augusta Cinema yesterday. While it was a fun excursion, we also used it as an opportunity to complement the learning we do at school around emotional literacy. We work to support all our students to understand their emotions, develop compassion and empathy, and build self-regulation and social skills. It was a great excursion that added value to helping our students develop their wellbeing and learning

On Wednesday we held a VET Information Evening for our Year 10 students and their families in preparation for next year. Mrs Susy Rogers supported our students and families to learn and understand more about potential VET pathways. This was an important part of the process for supporting students with their learning and interests as they explore possible learning and career pathways for the coming years. Our school boasts a proud record of students accessing VET as part of their schooling journey. Last year, over 40% of our Year 12 students successfully completed their SACE taking advantage of a vocational educational training (VET) pathway. 

It is important for students and families to be aware of the expectations for safe and responsible behaviours on the buses before and after school. While the bus is not operated by the school, we expect our students, who represent our College by virtue of wearing the school uniform, to uphold the same positive behaviours as they do at school. To support the safe and comfortable transit to and from school, students who utilise the bus service will be meeting with school leadership to re-establish expectations and procedures around bus use. Further information will be communicated directly to those families whose children access this service. 

• Students and younger children need to be directly supervised by a parent/caregiver on the playground after school.
• The Nature Play Area is out-of-bounds after school. 
• The Crossing Monitors generally finish their duty at approx. 3:10pm. We kindly ask families to be off school premises by this time, so they can cross the road safely while the Crossing Monitors are still on duty. 

On Tuesday 30th July we will host our 'Curious About Caritas' Information Session to give new families an opportunity to discover more about the College and what it has to offer for students enrolling in Years 7-9. It is a great opportunity for us to share who we are and what we do with families. If you or anyone you know would like to find out more about how our College supports the learning and wellbeing of students in Years 7–9, keep an eye out on our Facebook page for more information. 

Congratulations to all the children from our parish and school communities who will celebrate their First Holy Communion this coming weekend and a number in the weeks to come. It has been a privilege to watch these children and their families grow in their faith. We look forward to seeing these children continue their full and active participation in the Church.

We thank Fr Jim for his leadership throughout this program, supported by the All Saints Catholic Parish, for his support of the program and working with our children. We deeply appreciate the time you have dedicated in preparing our children and for the support you have given the parents as the first educators, in faith, of their children.

We congratulate the following students as they continue their final preparations to receive the real presence of Christ our Saviour, as Bread of Life, in their first Holy Communion:

• Samara Devaasirwatham
• Cianna George
• Purity Gitonga
• Cooper Kemp
• Brodie Maloney
• Liam Murphy
• Brennan Roeby
• Jontae Treloar

Families with children receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation are reminded that enrolment masses will be held on Saturday 22 June at 6:30pm and Sunday 23 June at 10:30am. Dates for preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation are:

This sacrament has a wonderful connection with Pentecost, the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, giving them the courage to spread God’s word to everyone.

Supported by the RDWA, Old Scholar and 5th year Medical student, Amelia Etchells, visited as part of the Road2Rural programme to talk about pathways into medicine. Students in Year 10-12 who are considering a medical or health pathway learnt about Amelia's journey and how RDWA can help them create their own. 

The State Theatre Company and Country Arts South Australia recently visited Port Augusta to perform their critically acclaimed production ‘Symphonie of the Bicycle’. This was a unique opportunity for the Year 12 students who attended as they were provided with an insight to performance and stage writing.  The performance was followed by a brief Q&A session with the actor, which further enhanced the students’ understanding of stage craft and how an actor prepares for the theatre.  A very enjoyable and worthwhile experience