Welcome back to Term 4. We can hardly believe that we have reached the final term for 2019. The year has gone by so quickly but we have managed to fill it with so many memories, challenges and successes. This term is also filled with the promise of wonderful achievements as we wrap up the year with all its myriad of activities, assessments, traditions and surprises. This term will pass so quickly that 2020 will be here before we are ready but I encourage everyone to make the most of each and every day as they will never come again!

COLOUR RUN

Tomorrow night from 5.45 we will hold the Annual P & F Colour Run. This is a fabulous night of fun and fellowship where we enjoy lots of laughs and family interaction in the pursuit of getting as much “colour” on yourself as is humanly possible. Registrations begin from 5pm under the COLA in Sutton St. A BBQ tea and drinks are for sale after the run around the school campus. All monies raised go to purchasing additional resources for our school. Please join with our hardworking P & F for an excellent family night.

ROSARY LITURGY

Our annual Rosary Liturgy will be held in the Church at 11.45 led by our Stage 2 students. This is a celebration of the prayer of the Rosary and as Catholics we pray the rosary because it’s a powerful prayer to God, through His mother, Mary. Praying the rosary has been a tradition in the Church for a long time. If you have time we would love to share this tradition with the wider school community, please join us.

SECONDARY EXCURSIONS

Next week our Year 8 and 9 students will embark on the annual excursions. Year 9 will leave on the train at 2pm with Mr Mahon, Mrs Thompson and Mrs Cusack bound for Sydney. They will spend the remainder of the week visiting important sites like the Harbour Bridge, the Jewish Museum, St Mary’s Cathedral and many more other exciting places. Year 8 will travel with Mrs Murray, Mr Alderman and Mrs Gale to Narooma on Wednesday where they will take in the coastal delights of Montague Island, paddle boarding and surfing. These are wonderful opportunities for our students to see and experience a range of different activities and places. We wish them safe travels, lots of sleep and many memories. Thank you to our generous teachers for taking time out of their lives to offer these experiences to our students.

HATS

As the weather continues to oscillate between hot and cold we are reminding students and families that HATS are a compulsory part of the school uniform for Term 4 at all activities and at all times. Students must have a hat for any movement outdoors and especially important for sport and PE. Students will not be served at the canteen if they are not wearing THEIR hat, as we do not encourage them to share hats as we are having a terrible time with the spread of head lice at the moment. The school continues to supply sunscreen for sport and PE activities so we expect that students will manage their own sun safety by wearing the school bucket hat. Thank you for your support of this important school rule.

TRANSITION 2020

Our transition program will continue next week with the Teach the Teacher Kinder program on Wednesday where the parents will meet with the current teachers. Our Year 7 program continues on Thursday with the next instalment of life in Secondary. Thank you to Ms McDonnell, Mrs Maher and Ms Marsay for all their extra organisation to ensure they are worthwhile experiences.

SCHOOL BOARD

Our School Board will meet this coming Monday to discuss any future planning, issues of concern and budget matters. This is an important part of our school community and we are grateful to the members who generously give up their time and lend their expertise to the discussions. The collective wisdom of the School Board is valued and appreciated as a consultative body. If you have any issues that you would like considered at a School Board level then please contact the parent representatives, Mr Chris Drum, Mrs Elizabeth Bodycott, Mr John English and Mrs Melissa Finnigan so that they can table your concerns at the next available meeting.

Here is to a wonderful Term 4 and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

Go gently and if you can be anything…be kind!

God Bless

Staff Spirituality Day

On Monday all our staff travelled to Galong to enjoy their own personal retreat. The theme of the day was Journey with Jesus. The staff had the opportunity to reflect on the Road to Emmaus scripture through prayer, discussion, art and the celebration of Mass.

Rosary Liturgy

This Friday at 11:5am our Stage 2 students will lead the school in saying the Rosary. The Rosary is a very special and beautiful devotion to Mary. Students will be supplied with Rosary beads or they may bring special ones from home.

World Mission Rosary- Day of Many Colours Catholic Mission

On the 30^th of October, we will be holding our Catholic Mission Rosary - Day of many colours. Prayer is a powerful way that we can so our support for others around the world. Students will be asked to dress in a certain colour for their stage. Each stage will be creating a coin line as part of a whole school set of rosary beads. The money raised from this day will go towards Catholic Mission work in Ghana. Further details will come home next week.

O’SHAUGHNESSY HOUSE MASS

On Saturday 2 November O’SHAUGHNESSY are holding our 3rd House Colour Weekend Mass for the year at 6pm. All families are welcome to the mass and a get together following the mass on the secondary green patch for a BBQ and games.