Thank you from Birdwood Pantry
A special thank you from our friends at Birdwood pantry for the donations and support provided during last term's Vinnie's Winter Appeal fundraiser. It is through the generosity and kindness of our families that we were able to make a meaningful contribution to those in our community who are doing it tough this winter. Your support has helped provide warm clothing, food, and comfort to those in need. Thank you for making a difference.
Thank you from Birdwood Pantry
A special thank you from our friends at Birdwood pantry for the donations and support provided during last term's Vinnie's Winter Appeal fundraiser. It is through the generosity and kindness of our families that we were able to make a meaningful contribution to those in our community who are doing it tough this winter. Your support has helped provide warm clothing, food, and comfort to those in need. Thank you for making a difference.
Celebrating Our Saints: St Dominic and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
In Week 3, we joyfully recognise two important feast days in our Catholic tradition. St Dominic, our patron saint, and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. Uniquely, both saints share the same feast day on August 8, offering us a beautiful opportunity to reflect on their lives of faith, service, and dedication to God.
We will honour St Dominic during a special Whole school Mass on Tuesday 5th August led by 6CT, where we will celebrate his legacy of truth, prayer, study and service. St Dominic reminds us of the importance of seeking knowledge and sharing the love of God with others.
Later in the week, we will also reflect on St Mary MacKillop, whose life of courage and compassion continues to inspire us. Her well-known words, “Never see a need without doing something about it,” challenges us all to respond to the needs of others with action and love.
All families are warmly invited to attend our Mass on Tuesday 5th August at 9:00am in Siena Hall.
Celebrating Grandparents and the Elderly Mass
This week, 3/4SB led our Year 3-6 community for a very special Mass honouring grandparents and the elderly. This was connected with celebrations initiated by Archbishop Patrick O’Regan across Adelaide over the weekend.
Through prayer, the students helped us to reflect on and recognise the vital role grandparents and older generations play in the lives of our children, sharing their wisdom, love and faith in countless ways. It was heartwarming to welcome so many grandparents into our school and parish community.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who joined us and made this celebration memorable.
Mass and Liturgy outline for Term 3
This term, with Fr Fred away on leave in the second half of the term, all school Masses will be held during weeks 2-5 on Tuesday at 9am.
The outline for masses and liturgies this term are as follows:
- Week 2 - 3/4SB Mass
- Week 3 - 6CT Whole School Mass
- Week 4 - 5AW Mass
- Week 5 - 3/4JC Mass
- Week 6 - 1/2BB Liturgy
- Week 7 - RecJB Liturgy
- Week 8 - 1/2NB Liturgy
- Week 9 - RecJS Liturgy
- Week 10 - Community Prayer (Friday)
Classes choose a theme based on their learning during Religious Education, current events, the mass of the day or a topic of interest. It is a wonderful way for students to engage meaningfully with the Christian faith, express their understanding, and take an active role in leading our school community in prayer and reflection. We look forward to celebrating with students, families and friends this term.
Planting for biodiversity: Watercourse Restoration Project Underway
Thanks to a generous grant from Catholic Education South Australia (CESA), students assisted in an exciting new project to restore and revitalise the watercourse area in the Kitchen Garden space. At the end of last term, students and staff came together to plant a selection of native rushes and sedges, chosen for their ability to stabilise the soil and support the natural flow of water into the wetland catchment area.
With the recent rainfall, we’re hopeful that these young plants will establish and begin to flourish as spring approaches. Over time, this planting will help create a more stable and sustainable environment, capturing and slowing water to reduce erosion and support biodiversity.
Already, there has been excitement about the idea of developing a frog pond at the first water catchment point. We look forward to seeing how this idea might unfold in the coming months.
This project is just one example of how we are working together to enhance our school environment while offering hands-on learning opportunities that connect students with ecological stewardship and sustainability. Stay tuned for more updates as the watercourse continues to transform.
Egg-citing News from the Chicken Coop!
We’re thrilled to share that our school chickens have started laying eggs! This is a wonderful milestone in our Kitchen Garden program and a great opportunity for students to learn about life cycles, responsibility, and sustainable living.
Keep an eye out on Qkr!, fresh eggs are available for purchase. 1 dozen eggs cost $5.50 and funds raised will go back into supporting our chickens and garden program.
Kitchen Garden Update – Growing and Preparing for Spring
This term, students from 3/4JC and 1/2NB are taking part in our Kitchen Garden Program, with a special focus on maintaining and enriching our garden space. Students have been busy weeding garden beds and feeding the soil using nutrient-rich manure from our chickens, learning firsthand how to care for creation and support healthy plant growth.
Winter is a quieter season in the garden, a time of preparation and patience, as we wait for the warmth of spring to begin planting produce ready for harvest in late spring and early summer. Excitingly, our brussels sprouts are just beginning to form, bringing signs of life and growth during the colder months.
In addition, students have started using green waste from their classrooms to contribute to our compost bins, a sustainability initiative led by our YELP group. This is a fantastic step toward reducing waste and creating healthy compost to nourish our garden in the seasons ahead.
Alongside their Kitchen Garden work, 1/2NB will also be tending to the Butterfly Garden, preparing the space for new planting at the end of the term during the Season of Creation. This is a beautiful way to support biodiversity and attract native pollinators to our school environment. Stay tuned for updates as this project unfolds!
We’re proud of the hands-on learning happening in the garden and look forward to seeing the fruits (and vegetables!) of the students’ efforts in the months to come.
Congratulations to our new Eco Leaders
We’re excited to announce that our new Eco Leaders have been elected! These students were chosen by their classmates to lead and support eco-friendly initiatives across the school, helping us care for creation and live out our commitment to sustainability.
As part of their role, the Eco Leaders will work closely with me to promote and educate their classmates on environmentally conscious practices such as reducing waste, composting, recycling, and maintaining our garden spaces.
This is a wonderful leadership opportunity for students to take action on issues they care about and inspire others to do the same. We look forward to seeing their passion and creativity shine as they lead us in caring for our common home.
Stay tuned for updates on their projects throughout the term!
Carla Thomas
Acting APRIM
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