Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we come to the end of another amazing term of learning, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our entire school community. The commitment, support, and partnership you continue to show makes such a difference in the lives of our students, and it has been wonderful to witness their growth, learning, and achievements throughout the term.

I wish you all a safe, restful, and joy-filled holiday break. May it be a time to recharge, connect with loved ones, and prepare for the exciting opportunities that Term 4 will bring.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back, ready for the final chapter of the 2025 school year.

 

Important Update: New Social Media Legislation

From 10 December 2025, new legislation will come into effect that raises the minimum age for social media use to 16 years. This marks a significant change in how young people access and engage with digital platforms.

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 requires social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts.

This is a legislative requirement, not guidance, and it will have direct implications for both families and schools. To support the transition, the eSafety Commissioner has released regulatory guidance, with additional resources available on the eSafety website.

We encourage families to familiarise themselves with these changes and to begin conversations at home about responsible and safe online use.

Regulatory Guidance

eSafety

After School Soccer

A huge congratulations to our Year 5 and Year 6 soccer teams! Both recently competed in their cup finals and were crowned the “best in the west”.

Our Year 5 team went on to win their final against the Eastern zone champions, an incredible achievement!

Our Year 6 team also put up a fantastic fight, showing great determination and teamwork throughout their final.

Well, done to all players, coaches, and supporters, we are very proud of you!

 Literacy Tutoring

We are pleased to share that our school is providing the opportunity for families to access a Structured Literacy Program on site. This is a private, one-on-one tutoring service designed to support students with dyslexia or literacy difficulties.

The program is delivered using the Playberry Multisensory Literacy Program, recommended by the British and International Dyslexia Associations. This phonics-based, structured, and interactive approach uses multisensory activities and games to build confidence in reading, spelling, and writing.

Families interested in accessing this private tutoring service are invited to see the flyer below for further details. 

Yours faithfully,   

Catia Frasca

 

 

Last Wednesday, we were honoured to welcome a gentleman named Andrew to our school and church for a very special and unexpected visit. Andrew was visiting Adelaide from Melbourne and hoped to find his father's artwork.  Hans Knorr, was a gifted classical sculptor whose beautiful wood carvings grace the interior of our church. While many of us have admired the bronze sculpture on the church tower, Andrew shared that he had never seen the wooden sculptures inside until this visit.

Andrew wrote to us afterwards, saying:

“Thank you so much for Wednesday and our visit. I was amazed to see all my father's beautiful wood sculptures in your church. I was always aware of the bronze on the church tower but hadn't known what was inside. It is a real tribute to him and to his classical sculpturing skills.”

Andrew’s heartfelt words and the photos he took have been shared with his sister, and both were deeply moved by the tribute to their father’s legacy. He also mentioned that he plans to send us more background information about the sculptures once he returns from his travels. Andrew is currently visiting Wilpena and Uluru, where he has a personal connection—thirty years ago, he cut all the radial timber for the Uluru Visitor Centre and attended its opening.

We are grateful for Andrew’s visit and the opportunity to learn more about the history and artistry within our church. His reflections remind us of the deep stories behind the spaces we gather in and the people who helped shape them.

Spotlight on Sculptor Hans Knorr

• Hans Knorr (1915–1988) was a German-born Australian sculptor known for his classical style and spiritual themes.
• He trained as a cabinet maker in Germany and migrated to Australia, where he remained after WWII.
• His work includes wood, bronze, aluminium, steel, and glass sculptures, many of which are displayed in churches and public spaces.
• Knorr’s sculptures are featured in our church, including beautiful wood carvings that were recently rediscovered by his son Andrew during a visit.
• One of his notable works is “Education and Achievement”, created for Sacred Heart College in 1968.
• His legacy continues through exhibitions, public art, and the memories shared by his family.

After six wonderful and faith-filled terms leading our school community in Religious Identity and Mission, it’s time for me to step back from this role — but not from the school I love! 

It’s been an incredible journey filled with prayer, reflection, celebration, and connection. There have been so many memorable moments, but what I hold most dear is the deep sense of family and belonging that flows through every part of our community — from our children and staff to our families and parishioners.

On a lighter note, just as I’ve finally figured out which cars belong to which children at after-school kiss and drop (a true spiritual gift!), it’s time to hand the APRIM baton back to someone very familiar.

We’re delighted to welcome Josh Page back to his APRIM role next term. Josh brings great knowledge and heart to this ministry and he’ll continue to nurture the spirit of our school beautifully.

Although I’m stepping away from this particular role, I’ll still be around in other ways to support Whitefriars Catholic School.  Thank you for your trust, your kindness, and for being part of this journey with me.

With gratitude and blessings,

Josie Minorchio

Water Safety Sessions

For the past 2 weeks our Reception to Year 4 students participated in a series of engaging and informative water safety lessons. Led by certified instructors, these lessons aimed to instil essential water safety skills and knowledge in our young learners, setting a foundation for safe and enjoyable water experiences. These lessons have been an integral part of our commitment to providing comprehensive education and ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and catered for all swimming abilities.

The sessions were a huge success with students, parents and teachers all having positive feedback. No matter the prior experience of the student, they all deepened their knowledge of water safety. The instructors quickly ascertained the swimming ability of each child and placed them in the appropriate group. Our inexperienced swimmers focussed on survival strokes, safe entries into water and different floating techniques. Our more experienced swimmers were able to practice rescues, swim fully clothed simulating a fall into water wearing clothes and refine their survival strokes with their head above the water.

We are incredibly proud of our students for their enthusiasm and engagement during the water safety lessons. By equipping them with essential water safety skills and knowledge at an early age, we are empowering them to make safe and responsible choices in and around water throughout their lives.

Basketball State Championships

On Wednesday in week 6, Whitefriars entered a boys and girls team into the State Basketball Carnival at St Clair Recreation Centre. Both teams were comprised of some of our school Basketballers who attended trials in the lead up to the event. All day the teams supported each other and tried their best against some very strong teams. The star-studded boys team finished 2nd in their group and played in the cross-over final – unfortunately coming up against a very strong team and losing their last game. The uber-talented girls finished 3rd in their group – playing some great games along the way. Well done to all the students who represented Whitefriars so well on the day. Thanks to Coach Anthony Coggins and Adam Kilvert for their tremendous mentoring of the boys team throughout the day and to the parents and grandparents who came to support during the day. Congratulations to our SAPSASA Basketball teams!

Soccer Season Recap

The Saturday Soccer games finished up recently with a carnival style of day with rides, food trucks and 2 games of soccer. The season was 16 games long, starting way back in May. This year we had 141 players, including 18 female players, 16 teams and over 40 volunteers which is again a big increase on last years numbers. This increase is only happening because we have such incredible volunteer parents. The teams and players would not be able to play if we didn’t have the support of these volunteers who give up their time to coach and manage each Saturday. Congratulations to all our players this year – we hope to see you again donning the Whitefriars colours.

All age group games are played as a friendly with no points or no ladder positions however when players reach Under 11’s and Seniors they play in a cup knockout competition with our Seniors also playing for points every game in a league style competition. This year one of our Year 5 teams and our senior team won their respective cup competitions with the final being played under lights. Both teams then went on to play in an interzone final with our Year 5’s coming away with the win and our Year 6 team playing well but losing to a stronger side. For the first time in a long time our Senior team won the League/Cup double which is incredibly exciting for them. Well done to all players and volunteers involved with those 2 teams. 

As we approach the end of Term 3, we would like to share some of the fun times we have had during the year so far. We began first term with Carnevale, creating amazing masks during our Italian lessons. In Term 2 we showcased our talented dance moves during the school concert where we recreated dance moves from the 90's era. This was followed by our creative costumes to celebrate Book Week. What a talented, creative group of students the Year 5 Rositano class are. We can't wait for the Term 4 STEM Expo!

This term we have continued a section in our newsletter called ‘Parent Corner’ dedicated to providing valuable information and parenting advice.

In Parent Corner, you can expect to find tips and insights on various parenting topics, including child development, health and wellness, education, and more. We believe that sharing knowledge and experiences can help us all become better parents and create a nurturing environment for our children to thrive.

During Term 3 we have published the following Insight’s articles in our fortnightly newsletter to support parents in the areas of:

·         Week 2:  Parenting Through the Pushback

·         Week 4: Bullying – A Guide for Parents

·         Week 6:  You Find What You’re Looking For – Changing the Way We See Our Kids

·         Week 8:  Little Niggles Big Dramas

In case you missed them, we have attached all articles below.  See links below.

This week’s Insight’s article is about ‘Time is Love’. In the whirlwind of school runs, work meetings, laundry piles, and life’s endless to-do lists, it’s easy for family time to fall to the bottom of our priorities. We’re “there” with our children, but are we truly with them? Justin talks about the importance of making T-I-M-E for our children.

I hope you enjoy reading this week’s Insight’s article attached below.

 ‘Time is Love’.

I look forward to sharing more parenting advice through Parent Corner in Term 4.

For more parenting information, visit the Happy Families website: https://happyfamilies.com.au./

Thank you.

Grace Loizos Wellbeing Leader gloizos@whitefriars.catholic.edu.au

In week 7 of this term the year 3 teachers and students hosted an amazing Full Moon Festival Assembly. Students learnt about the traditional story of the Full Moon Festival then acted out the story. They also learnt some traditional Asian dances.

Mrs Twigden and the Performing Arts Leaders entertained us all with a traditional lion dance and Mrs Harrald worked with some year 3 students on the coming of the moon dance. 

I'd like to thank Iris and the staff from the canteen for putting on a special lunch throughout the week and to the year teachers who are instrumental in delivering this wonderful experience to our students.

On Friday September 12, the Year 2 students we treated to an Italian style dinner in their classrooms. All students had the chance to watch the master pizza maker, Mattia, make the most amazing Italian pizzas. 

The entertainment for the night was Nick and our very own Dominic who played the traditional piano accordion. 

Once dinner was finished, students moved to the hall where they watched the Italian inspired movie Luca and had yummy gelato. 

Thank you to the Year Two teachers and all the staff who helped out.

Mrs Radetti 

Week 1	Week 2
Monday 13th October - Help Needed	Monday 20th October - Help Needed
Tuesday 14th October - Tahnee Bettess	Tuesday 21st October -Tahnee Bettess
Wednesday 15th October - No Help Needed	Wednesday 22nd October - No Help Needed
Thursday 16th October - Tina Bodjo & Helen Burns-Clarke	Thursday 23rd October - Tina Bodjo & Helen Burns-Clarke
Friday - 17th October Linda - Light	Friday 24th October - Wendy Forrest

We have a new contact email for all volunteer clearance enquiries - clearance@whitefriars.catholic.edu.au

We’d love to welcome more volunteers into our school community! Getting started is simple just head to our school website to get started:

🔗Whitefriars Catholic School | Volunteering

If you have any questions or need a hand, feel free to pop into the front office and chat with our friendly staff, or email us at clearance@whitefriars.catholic.edu.au

Thank you for supporting our school and helping make Whitefriars such a vibrant, connected community! 

Dear Families,

Term 3 statements have now been posted.

Please note: unless an alternative payment plan has been formally accepted by the school, all outstanding Annual Tuition Fees must be paid in accordance with your nominated payment plan and no later than 30th November 2025.

Additional charges for student participation in the following activities have also been invoiced. We're currently transitioning to a new billing process, and our aim is to make all additional activities available in QKR as early as possible to make payments easier for families.

We sincerely thank you for your patience during this change.

We kindly ask that the following charges be settled at your earliest convenience:

Payments can be made via QKR or at the front office. 

Year 6 Jumpers	Yr 6 Camp	Surf Education
X Country Carnival	Lacross Carnival	Basketball Carnival
Netball Carnival	After School Basketball	After School Netball
After School Soccer	SAPSASA Sports	Children's University
Year 3 Sleepover	Chess Tournament	Debating
Australian Maths Competition	ICAS Assessments	Pre-Reception Transition
Computer Charges	Lost Library

If you have any concerns or require further information, please contact the Business Manager via email – accounts@whitefriars.catholic.edu,au  or phone to arrange a suitable time to discuss.

Your prompt attention and continued support are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

TERM 4

Wednesday 15 October | 9:30am - 10:30am

Thursday 6 November | 9:30am - 10:30am

Wednesday 26 November | 9:30am - 10:30am

Dear Families,

It is important to know that Whitefriars Catholic School holds enrolment meetings approximately 2 years ahead of the child's start date. 

In Term 3 this year we will be conducting enrolment meetings for children eligible to commence Term 3 2027 (Children born 1st May 2022 to 30th October 2022)

In Term 1 2026 we will be conducting enrolment meetings for children commencing in Term 1 2028. (Children born 1st November 2022 to 30th April 2023)

PLEASE ENSURE ALL SIBLINGS ARE ENROLLED FOR ALL FUTURE YEARS.

Thank you 

Join us for a weekend of prayer, reflection, and healing with Fr Josy Sebastian MSFS.

Where: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church - 420 Seaview Road, Henley Beach

When: Saturday 4th October | 11am – 4:10pm & Sunday 5th October | 9:30am – 4pm (includes Sunday Mass)

Topics include:

• Inner Healing
• Forgiveness
• Listening
• Sacraments
• Reconciliation & Anointing

Tea/coffee provided – bring your own lunch

Cost: Cash donation📞 Book by 1st October: Pauline 0403 002 240 

All are welcome!

We acknowledge and pay our respect to the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of the land of Mikawomma on which Whitefriars Catholic School is located.  We come with open hearts and minds to listen and learn from Elders - past, present and emerging.