Term 4 Week 8
This Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent which is also the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. The Advent season includes the four Sundays that precede Christmas. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. In this season, we recall two central elements of our faith: the final coming of the Lord in glory and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. The key themes of the Advent season are watchful waiting, preparation, and justice. It also reminds us that Christmas is just around the corner. Where did the year go?
During this season of Advent we will be supporting St Vincent De Paul charity. The Student Social Justice Team will be asking for monetary donations at the carols on the 8th of December. I hope you can support this charity who work hard to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia.
The St Augustine’s School Advisory Council is an integral forum for parent voice where it meets formally to discuss matters concerning the school. This year the School Advisory Council has been integral in discussing and recommending school fees, ratifying school policies, discussing and analysing school improvement data, and many other areas related to the school. Every year three people complete their two year tenure while three people are inducted for the next two years. This year we say thank you and goodbye to Nicole Carland, Melissa De Nardis, Andrew Collins and Maria Fraietta. Thank you for your time and counsel over the past two years. I would especially like to thank Andrew Collins who has taken on the role as the Board Chair over the past two years. Thank you for your support. I am pleased to inform you of the new School Advisory Council members for 2023: Tim Norton, Draga Baljak and Michelle Calderone. They will join remaining members: Trevor Goodison, David Toy and Lauren Kitchener, Trish Walsh, Fr Peter and myself to form our 2023 School Advisory Council. I look forward to working with you all.
The children and staff are practising each day in preparation for the school Carols by Cooinda. The Parents Auxiliary assisted by our MOSA group will run a sausage sizzle 5.30-6.30. The carols are a BYO picnic, chair or rug where families will find a spot on the basketball court to view the carols performed by our children. Carols are 7.00-8.00pm, weather permitting! Please note: In line with our Child Safe Policy and Procedures this is an Alcohol Free Event.
A reminder that there is a school closure day next Friday 2nd December as staff begin planning and preparing for 2023!
Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools are reviewing the Religious Education curriculum in Catholic schools. They are calling for all community members to participate in a survey to gain different perspectives from different people. Below is a letter inviting you to participate in the survey and the link if you choose to do so.
Cathy
Dear parent,
I am writing to seek your input into a review currently being undertaken on the Religious Education (RE) Curriculum in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Review is being led by Ms Netina Giacco, Professor John Haldane and Professor Gerard O’Shea.
A crucial part of this review is learning from the perspectives of school parents. To gather that input, I warmly encourage you to complete a survey on RE in Catholic schools.
The survey can be accessed and completed by clicking this link: RE Survey
The survey questions are broad and open-ended, in order to allow you to provide as much or as little input as you feel appropriate. You can complete it with any, and varying, level of detail – as you see fit.
Contribution to the survey will be anonymous, although the survey does request some demographic information about you, in order to contextualise results.
In acknowledging the challenges and pressures on everyone at this time of year, the deadline for responses has been set to 20 December 2022.
I am grateful for your assistance and support in this important work.
Yours sincerely
Dr Edward Simons
Acting Executive Director
