Issue 14, 23 August 2024

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From the Principal, Mr Damian Smith
Social Justice Sunday
Book Week
Year 11 Leadership Day
Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations
School Photos
Year 9 Camp - Ikara National Park
Flinders University Assessment Centre
Year 10-11 Subject Counselling
From the Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission, Chloe Shanahan
Sacrament of Confirmation
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Season of Creation
Years 7-9 All Saints Church Visits
Out and About

From the Principal, Mr Damian Smith

Social Justice Sunday

This weekend we celebrate Social Justice Sunday. This event is held every year on the final Sunday of August. Each year the Australian Catholic Bishop’s release a statement about an issue relating to social justice. This statement provides formation in Catholic Social Teaching and seeks to raise awareness and bring about change for that particular issue. This year the statement is 'Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World'. It emphasizes the Christian commitment to promoting peace and truth in a world marked by violence and misinformation. It calls dialogue, compassion, and understanding to foster a culture of peace, grounded in the teachings of Jesus.

At Caritas College, we support students to becoming more aware of social justice issues and their role in ‘doing good’ for others. Social justice initiatives empower young people to be part of a solution. This is evident in many of the endeavours our students engage in throughout the year such as Project Compassion, Caritas K’s and St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, just to name a few.

Book Week

The Reception to Year 6 students have been celebrating Book Week this week. The theme for Book Week this year is 'Reading is Magic'. This week aims to inspire and support all our students to develop a love of reading through a number of activities. Teachers have brought Book Week to life through their own class-based activities. On Thursday students (and staff!) enjoyed dressing up as their favourite book character and engaged in a shared reading experience together in the Tappeiner Room. The week concluded with a Book Swap today, giving students the opportunity to pass on a pre-loved book or pick up an exciting new read. Thanks to the teachers and ESOs for adding a little bit of ‘magic’ to this week and to the parents/caregivers for the extra effort to celebrate Book Week in a special way.

Year 11 Leadership Day

Last week our Year 11 students participated in a Leadership Day at West Augusta Football Club. Each year we provide this experience for our Year 11’s as they consider how they can serve the school community in their senior year. There is a strong focus on the day to explore and develop the three C’s – courage, compassion and community. The day allows them to explore their personal strengths and examine their thinking to help them to discern if they would like to nominate for Student Leadership. This day is an important part of our work in forming thriving people, capable learners and leaders for the world God desires.

Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations

Teachers are busy planning and preparing to meet parents/caregivers next week for Learning Conversations. These meetings provide a good opportunity for the school to share student growth and achievement. Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations will be guided by the below 5 questions, which reflect our school’s vision for learning and support our pedagogical principles:

What is the student learning?
How are they going with their learning?
How do you know?
How can they improve?
What support are they getting?

We look forward to working in collaboration with parents/caregiver to support the learning and wellbeing needs of all of our students.

School Photos

School photos are scheduled to occur on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th August (Week 6). Our photography company, MSP Photography, have advised that we are now able to offer online ordering for families. Families were emailed on 14th August with instructions on the ordering process. If you do not have access to a computer, or would prefer to pay cash, please drop into our front office and pick up an order envelope. Online ordering closes Tuesday 27 August. Please click here to access information re photo day and the ordering instructions.

Please be aware of below uniform requirements for school photos:

If hair is longer than collar length it must be tidily pulled back (regardless of gender). Hair accessory colours include Navy Blue, Yellow and White only.
Extreme hairstyles are not permitted to be worn at school, and hair colours must be in line with the range of natural colours.
Students are to be clean shaven.
Make-up, including nail polish, is not to be worn.
The only jewellery permitted to be worn includes one plain stud or sleeper per ear. No other piercings permitted,
College socks must be Navy.
The approved College shoe is a black leather school shoe with no discernible logos or imagery (canvas shoes are not permitted).
Students will have their photos taken without jumpers/jackets (except Year 12 class)

Year 9 Camp - Ikara National Park

This week our Year 9 students travelled to Ikara National Park to take part in their Rite Journey camp. The girls travelled to Ikara National Park on Wednesday and returned on Thursday, while the boys headed up for their overnight camp on Thursday and returned today.

This camp aims to support students to gain knowledge of Indigenous perspectives and the connection between culture, respect, and peace for the environment. It also seeks to add value to the learning around self-development and life skills that they have been doing as part of Rite Journey curriculum. Incorporated into the camp was a ‘solo’ experience, which provided the students with personal reflection time. This is something that can be hard for young people to prioritise in the busyness of modern-day life which can be full of distractions. It was great experience and I’m sure the students will have plenty of stores to share about their time away.

Flinders University Assessment Centre

On Friday a number of our Year 11 students travelled to Whyalla to participate in the Flinders University Assessment Centre. In the past, this initiative has proven to be beneficial for a good number of our students in securing a post school tertiary pathway.

Year 10-11 Subject Counselling

In Week 7 students in Years 10 and 11 will engage in subject counselling sessions with their families in preparation for next year. This is an important process that supports consideration of post-school pathways. I encourage families to engage fully in this process which helps students make important decisions about their learning at school. This process plays an essential role in upholding our ongoing success to ensure that every 12 student completes and achieves their SACE which gives them agency in choosing the best post-school pathway.

From the Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission, Chloe Shanahan

Sacrament of Confirmation

Congratulations to all of the students from our parish and school community who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation last weekend. It was wonderful to have Bishop Karol join us in celebrating the full initiation of our young people as members of the Church. I would like to thank the families for their commitment to the program throughout the preparation period – we look forward to seeing these young people continue their full and active participation in the life of the Church. A special thank you to Fr Jim Monaghan for his support of these young people and their families in preparing and working with them on this section of their continued faith journey.

Confirmation activates the gifts of the Holy Spirit that were given to us at baptism – Knowledge, Understanding, Wisdom, Counsel, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and Piety. These gifts help us to be able to give them away and make a difference in the lives of others. When we have given these gifts away, God fills them back up again, as we continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit, encouraging and strengthening us, leading to our mission of helping and guiding others.

Our students will conclude their preparation program this coming weekend, Saturday 24 August at 6:30pm or Sunday 25 August at 10:30am.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Families with children receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation are advised that enrolment masses will be held on Saturday 14 September at 6:30pm and Sunday 15 September at 10:30am. Information from Fr Jim with details about the program and supports that are available will be sent in the coming weeks.

Season of Creation

The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through repenting, repairing, and rejoicing together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.

This year, amid the continued crises that has shaken our world over the last few years, we are awakened to the urgent need to heal our relationships with creation and each other. During the Season of Creation this year, we enter a time of restoration and hope for our earth, that requires new ways of living and caring for creation. The theme for 2024 is “to hope and act with Creation”, which has its origins in the writings of St Paul to the Romans (8:19-25). Amid the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, many are beginning to despair and suffer from eco-anxiety. As people of faith we are called to lift the hope inspired by our faith, the hope of the resurrection. This is not a hope without action but one embodied in concrete actions of prayer and preaching, service and solidarity.

The Season of Creation unites the world’s 2.2 billion Christians around one shared purpose. With so much injustice all around us, now is the time for Christians everywhere to come together and show the world how to love each other and creation.

Throughout this season, our students in Years
7-12 will celebrate a special mass at All Saints Church. Our Year 7-9 students will attend mass on Thursday 12 September and our Year 10-12 students will attend mass on Thursday 19 September.

Years 7-9 All Saints Church Visits

In preparation for the Season of Creation mass, our Year 7-9 students will be attending All Saints Church for the 9:00am parish mass and to tour the Church. Our Year 7 students attended this week, with Fr Ranjith from the Riverland joining us to celebrate the Eucharist. Students then toured the Church, learning about the importance of the tabernacle, the Stations of the Cross and the Reconciliation room.

Year 8 students will attend mass on Thursday 29 August and our Year 9 students will attend mass on Thursday 5 September.