Welcome back for Term 4, I hope you all have managed to have a wonderful break with your children and have come back refreshed and ready for another busy term to finish off the 2023 school year.
Community Prayer in Term 4
Community Prayer will continue to be held on Monday mornings in the Mary Mackillop Hall. The roster for Term 4 is as follows:
Week 3 – 30th October – led by Year 4 Unit
Week 4 – 6th November – led by Year 6 Unit
Week 5 – 13th November – led by Reception Unit
Week 6 – 20th November – led by Year 2 Unit
Week 7 – 27th November – led by the Leadership team
Week 8 – 4th December – led by Year 1 Unit
Week 9 – 11th December – led by Year 5 Unit
All parents and caregivers are invited to join and be present for Community Prayer
End of Year Thanksgiving Mass / Year 6 Graduation
Plans are underway for our two major end of term celebrations – the End of Year Thanksgiving Mass and the Year 6 Graduation ceremony. Both events will be held on Tuesday the 12th of December (Week 9) in the Mary MacKillop Hall.
The End of Year Thanksgiving Mass will likely be held during the day (time of Mass to be advised) with all students attending, and parents will be invited to attend.
The Year 6 Graduation celebration will be held at night (time TBC) – with families of the graduating students invited to attend.
Further information regarding both of these important community events will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.
2024 Sacramental Program
Enrolments for the 2024 Sacramental Program will open later this term, and will close by the end of the 2023 school year. The program is open to any child who is baptised Catholic and is 8 years or older (generally in Year 3 or older from 2023). Children are able to participate in all three sacraments – Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Further information will be made available in a later newsletter, and enrolment forms (when available) will be handed out to students in Year 2 – 5 who are on our record as being Catholic, and haven’t completed the sacraments as part of this year’s program.
Please do not hesitate to come and see with me, or contact me via email jpage@whitefriars.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions
Journey to Emmaus – Year 6 Leadership Program
This Friday our Year 6 students completed the second day of the Year 6 Leadership program called Journey to Emmaus.
This day involves the students actively participating in service leadership activities to support those communities less fortunate. This year the students have created sockballs using odd socks, plastic bags and string which will be used as part of a fundraising day for Catholic Mission later this term. Our Year 6 students will coordinate this day and more information will be forthcoming about the date and the activity next week.
Social Justice activities this term – St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal / Christmas Giving Tree
Later this term we will be completing our annual social justice activities to support the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal.
Traditionally we ask for donation of food items to create Christmas Hampers for those in need, however in the past we have occasionally changed this fundraiser to purchasing food vouchers instead.
I am currently working with our local Chapter of St. Vincent de Paul to determine what will meet their needs this year.
We will also hold our usual Christmas Giving Tree social justice activity as well – a tree will be setup hopefully in the new library window, and families who are able to donate a present will be asked to place this gift under the tree.
These presents are then donated to charity to be given to children in need this Christmas.
Both activities will occur later this term – likely between weeks 6 and 8. Further information will be made available through future newsletters, Audiri and Seesaw. I thank you in advance for your support of these activities.
Josh Page
APRIM